Medical Center
One Mike left, and another Mike showed up.
"You want me to be your best man?" Adam stared at Phoebe's fiancé, Mike, in shock.
"But your wedding's on the same day as the group ceremony. I'm already Joey's best man!"
"With Chandler as the main best man and Ross as a groomsman, isn't that enough?" Mike said, scratching his head awkwardly. "I was hoping you'd switch over to my side and be my best man."
"I'm flattered, dude, but what about your closest guy friend?" Adam asked, genuinely puzzled.
"I, uh… don't have one," Mike admitted with a bitter laugh. "I'm just realizing now I can't even find a best man. Heck, I can't even scrape up a regular groomsman."
"You don't have any guy friends?" Adam's eyes widened, giving him a weird look.
"Since middle school, I've always gotten along better with girls…" Mike said smoothly, framing his playboy past with some high-EQ flair.
"Heh," Adam chuckled. "Same here, man, but I've still got at least one guy friend!"
"Alright, fine," Mike sighed. "I never noticed it before, and now it's too late to change. Phoebe won't let me just grab some random dude to be my best man either."
"Has Phoebe picked her maid of honor yet?" Adam asked, curious. "Monica or Rachel?"
"Neither," Mike grinned. "She doesn't want them fighting over it or bugging her. Plus, when Monica and Rachel got married, they were each other's maids of honor. Phoebe says everyone only gets one best friend, so she went with someone else."
"Does this best friend of hers have a boyfriend?" Adam hinted. "If so, why not invite him? Problem solved!"
"She does," Mike said with a wry smile. "But I don't vibe with him. And he won't be at the wedding anyway—Phoebe's worried Monica would flip."
"Wait, it's not one of Monica's exes, is it?" Adam's mind raced. "Richard or Pete?"
"Pete," Mike confirmed with a laugh.
"Thank God," Adam teased. "If it was Richard, Phoebe might not make it to the wedding alive."
Both were significant exes, but Richard held a whole different weight in Monica's heart. Him dating someone else? Monica didn't care. But if Phoebe secretly set him up and he showed up at the wedding all smug, Monica's hands would be itching to strangle someone!
"Can't totally blame you, though—Pete's a weird one," Adam said with a grin.
A billionaire who took up boxing, got pummeled black and blue but kept going, risking brain damage or death just to chase a championship? No way a guy like Mike, who only hung out with women, could handle a friend like that.
"So, we're good then?" Mike asked hopefully.
"Sorry, man," Adam shook his head. "Phoebe's right—the best man's supposed to be your best friend. It's an honor, but it's also pressure. I've already been Chandler's best man. Maybe keep looking?"
"...Alright," Mike said with a pained laugh. "This isn't the first time I've been turned down."
"Don't stress, there's still time. You'll find someone," Adam reassured him.
---
One Week Later
Mike Ross came by, and after a chat, Adam felt he was serious about turning things around. So, he hired him. Meanwhile, the other Mike had finally sorted out his best man issue.
Friends' Bar
"Pfft! No way, that's hilarious!" Adam laughed, arriving for a hangout after a phone call. The Friends crew was chilling with Matthew's gang, and turns out, Mike's new best man was none other than Matthew!
"I didn't see it coming either," Matthew grinned. "Back in school, I saw Mike shredding the bass at a bar—loved his style. Then a few days ago, I ran into him in the bathroom, said hi, and he was super chill about it. Next thing I know, I'm his best man!"
"Sorry, I was desperate for a best man," Mike said sheepishly.
"Don't say that, bro!" Matthew clapped him on the shoulder like a big shot. "What, all the fun we've had these past few days was fake or something?"
"…" Adam's lip twitched. That sounded so wrong.
"Your fun's totally real…" Phoebe chimed in with a smile, but her tone had a sour edge.
"Yeah," Lily added, smirking. "People might think you two are the ones getting married!"
"Haha!" Matthew burst out laughing—until he noticed everyone else's awkward grins. "Wait, you're not serious, right? We just geek out over guitars together. Is that a crime?"
"Oh, really?" Phoebe snapped. She was fed up with Mike constantly blabbing about Matthew, totally sidelining her, the bride-to-be. So, she took action.
Big Sis Phoebe mode: activated! She marched over, yanked Lily away from Matthew, and stood there defiantly.
"…" Everyone's jaws hit the floor.
"So, how's that feel?" Phoebe let go of a dazed Lily, glaring at Matthew and Mike.
"I'm kinda turned on," Joey admitted bluntly.
Ross peeked, then looked away, swallowing hard.
"We're sorry!" Matthew and Mike yelped in unison.
Actions speak louder than words! And everyone knew Phoebe and Lily might actually pull something like that off.
Sure, the guys loved jamming on instruments and shooting the breeze—it was a blast. But that was just a side gig. The real deal? Living happily with their lovey-dovey wives (or wife-to-be). Fun's great, but happiness? Untouchable!
"Fate's wild, huh?" Adam smoothed things over with a grin.
Who'd have thought the Friends circle and the How I Met Your Mother crew would overlap like this?
They laughed and joked until midnight, then Adam headed back to the medical center.
---
"Holy crap, not again!" Adam groaned as he spotted Cristina twirling a one-carat diamond ring. Meredith sat nearby, her expression a total mess.
"Burke proposed?" Adam asked.
"Yeah," Cristina muttered, her tiny eyes half-lidded, mood low.
"What's up? Cold feet?" Adam pushed down the creeping dread that all his friends were tying the knot lately.
"It's so sudden! I never even thought about this," Cristina said, fiddling with the ring, her face unreadable.
"You wanna pull a Meredith?" Adam teased.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Meredith shot him a glare.
"I mean, you're tempted but still say no," Adam said, flipping from clueless to smooth in a heartbeat.
"…" Meredith's face darkened.
"I'm not wearing it!" Cristina declared, holding up the ring. "I'm a surgeon—just like him, a badass surgeon. No way a diamond's chaining me down!"
"You're rejecting Burke?" Meredith panicked. "Don't be rash—you're not like me!"
"She means she'll say yes but skip the ring," Adam translated. "She'll be Burke's wife and his kickass colleague."
"Exactly!" Cristina grinned. "We've got cash. We'll hire someone to do the 'wife' chores at home."
"Then why're you still here?" Adam laughed. "Want me to hire that stand-in wife now? She can break the news to Burke and soak up his joy for you!"
"Nope!" Cristina bolted off with a smirk.
(End of Chapter)