Stuart To MEDUSA20 I swear it's a one off
As Penny walked across the parking lot, she was deep in thought. The guys had been gone for 5 weeks on their ' Polar thingy'. Sheldon had tried to explain, but she had zoned him out when her head hurt. "Sheldon all you need do is bring me a Polar Bear back".
Sheldon had looked around her apartment which was due its weekly clean, "Penny you would ask a polar bear to live in this".
Penny had looked at Sheldon "My god Sheldon, did you just make a joke?" Penny could not stop herself from laughing.
"No.", Sheldon turned to walk away with just a slight grin. Penny was still laughing as she closed the door.
…
She was filling her time in as best she could. Halo night was still on as Sheldon had left his online account open for her
"Penny, on no account are you to use my head set." Pizza and Thai nights had not been the same, but she was trying to keep to the same schedule as if the guys were here. She was also working as many shifts at the Cheesecake Factory as she could. The money was nice and it took her mind off things. The call at the comic book store had been top of Sheldon's list (all six pages of it)
"Penny, each week you must pick up my new comic books. Stuart has been paid and will bag each one for me". Well, it had been over four weeks ' but who has the time?. As she walked into the store everything stopped, all eyes were on Penny. If I could only do this at auditions, Penny smiled at the sea of faces (a very small sea) and walked to the counter.
"Hi Stuart. How you been?". Stuart turned from what he had been doing.
"Oh, wow, hi Penny." Stuart smiled "What can I get you?"
Penny's eyes moved around the walls full of comic books
"Sheldon's comics- he asked me to pick them up,"
"Oh yea, right. I have them bagged ".
Penny was still looking around the store " Stuart?" He looked up at the sound of his name on Penny's lips. "Have you read all those comics?"
Stuart looked around "Yes, just about".
"Wow! Where do you find the time?" Stuart looked at Sheldon's bagged comic books before handing them to Penny.
"Oh it fills the nights in"
Penny turned to leave "Thank you Stuart. See you later" She was almost out the door when Stuart said "Penny can I ask you something?"
As she walked back into the shop, Stuart moved to the back of the shop.
"Over here, Penny." Penny was starting to have a funny feeling and not Ha Ha funny. Stuart was very nervous and would not look at Penny.
"Ok Stuart, what?" She did not mean to be so snappy but she knew men and, by the look on Stuart's face, he was going to ask a favour, and in Penny's book that could only be one of two things (god she was seeing it everywhere she looked now . She really' needed to get some). The sound of Stuart talking snapped her from her thoughts.
" So will you?"
"Will I what? Say that again?"
" Will you come to my sister's wedding"
" Hang on Stuart . Start again- I think I missed a bit" Penny's confusion was apparent.
" My sister is getting married next Saturday and I was hoping you would go with me".
Penny was a little shocked "Wow Stuart, I'm flattered but I don't think I should". Penny could have bit her tongue at the look on Stuarts face.
"It's ok, Penny. I'm sure you have lots planned for Saturday"
Oh yes, Penny was thinking, laundry, and online Halo with a group of college kids.
"Stuart, wait. I'll go with you but this is not a date- we're friends. No funny business."
"Yes, yes Penny. No problem"
"Stuart, one more thing-no one tells Leonard or the guys. Got me?". If the meaning of the words were not clear the look Penny gave him was .
…
What to wear to a wedding? I have to look hot, but not so hot I stand out. Penny was standing in her bedroom looking at her dress rail, which went from slutty at one end to classic at the other. Then Penny found what she wanted- a dark blue strapless dress which made her eyes pop, and showed just the right amount of skin. She owed it to Stuart after their first two dates had ended so badly. She wondered if Stuart would realize it was their third date. Her stomach gave a flip; she had stressed that they were going as friends but Penny knew she was fooling no one. " Oh dear god, what have I done?"
…..
The wedding went off as weddings do with crying, laughing and such. Penny and Stuart had been late (new shoes)so they stood at the back of the church. Now at the reception there was no where to hide so they did the rounds meeting both families
After an hour of meeting Stuart's family and ducking questions about how long they had been dating and if it was serious, Penny's feet were killing her (damn new shoes). Stuart lead her outside "Penny, take your shoes off, and stand on the grass. It will cool your feet." A smile came to Penny's lips. She was seeing a new side of Stuart. Just then a very loud voice said "Well Stu has himself a hot date!"
Stuart turned to Penny "It's Rod Green, we went to college together". Penny peered over Stuart's shoulder; she knew Rod Green- not the man but the type: ex football player now in the 2nd hand car business. She'd met several Rod Greens in her life.
"Stuart, are you ok?" Penny was looking at Stuart's face. He had gone white
" Penny, Rod Green made my life hell in college and now" he broke off as Rod walked over. It was very clear he was undressing her with his eyes. Penny turned and looked at Mr. Rod Green' and gave him a dangerous smile.
"So, Stu, who's this hot thing" Rod had never taken his eyes off Penny
"She's my fri…"
"I'm his date" Penny finished for Stuart. Rod looked from Stuart to Penny and laughed
"What happened, honey? Lose a bet?" One of Penny's arms went around Stuart's neck and she kissed him on his cheek . She looked at Rod
"If that were the case, I'd be here with you now , wouldn't I?". Rod could see the way Penny was standing against Stuart and the wild look in Penny's eye that he was going to get nowhere so he turned and stormed off.
The rest of the day and on into the night went well. Penny was having a great time. There was a live band and Penny loved to dance, no sooner had one dance finished then someone would ask her to dance again. At last she put an end to it and sat down next to Stuart "Hey, how come you've never asked me to dance?" She playfully put her arms around his neck "I'm your date".
Stuart grinned " I don't dance very well"
Penny let go of Stuart's neck "We'll wait for a slow one". She patted his knee " I need a drink".
…
The rest of the evening carried on in the same vein both Penny and Stuart getting a little tipsy.. At last Penny got her slow dance and dragged Stuart on to the dance floor
" Penny, how? What…"
She could almost see the fear in Stuarts eyes " Stuart, now look at me. Put your hands on my waist, I'll put my arms around your neck and we sway ok?" Stuart tried to smile . Penny had her face close to Stuarts ear
"Ok sweetie" She pulled him a little closer. Penny smiled. Stuart's mind may not be in the game but, by the feel of it, parts of him were having fun. Penny decided since it was the last dance to go for broke "Stuart slide your hands down a little"
Stuart had still not said anything but his hands moved down around Penny's butt. They danced like this till the music stopped " Stuart, you can move your hands now" Penny laughed.
After all the goodbyes were said, Penny and Stuart shared a cab home, sadly the fresh air made Stuart very sleepy so she part dragged and he part walked up to her apartment. Stuart was almost asleep before Penny dumped him on the couch. "Ok Stuart let's get you comfortable" Penny opened Stuart's shirt just to make him comfortable, she could not help it if her hand stroked his chest.
Penny stood up she looked down at Stuart and smiled, sorry sweetie my life's to complicated already.
" Our third date and you still didn't get lucky". Penny walked to her bedroom still smiling.
The sound of the phone ringing woke Stuart up, he had no idea of the time, or where he was he picked the phone up and a distant voice said " I have a person to person international call for you". Stuart , still half asleep, accepted the call
"Hi. This is Stuart"
A very confused Leonard on the other end asked "Penny?"
Penny, on the extension in the bedroom door, said "oh crap"
The end?...