Chapter 1
Leonard was staring at the computer screen blankly for a long time before finally shutting down his email program. Penny was busy in the kitchen putting their breakfast dishes away in the dishwasher, chattering away. He sighed as he did a quick calculation in his head on how much vacation time he could use, and if he really wanted to use it at all. He continued staring blankly at the computer.
"Earth to Leonard…where are you?" Penny asked from the kitchen. "I feel like I've been talking to myself."
"What? Oh sorry, I was just distracted." Leonard said quietly.
"Clearly. What's gotten you so distracted all of a sudden?" she enquired.
Leonard cleared his throat and walked over to the kitchen and sat down on one of the bar stools. "Oh, I just got an email from Michael."
"Michael? As in your younger brother Michael?" Penny asked curiously.
"Yes, that Michael. His wedding is in two weeks from Saturday in New York City. He was wondering when we would be arriving, and he outlined the week's itinerary."
"Michael's getting married?" Penny squealed. "Did you know about this? Is this a shot-gun wedding, this seems so last minute!" she exclaimed.
Leonard shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Umm…well, I've kind of known about this wedding for a while. It's just that…well, Michael and I aren't exactly close."
"Leonard! I can't believe you didn't mention this to me earlier. This is so last minute now." She grabbed her phone and pulled up her work calendar. "Now when does Michael need us there?" she asked.
"Well, he's having five different events before the wedding, including various cocktail parties, and his Stag party. He asked if I could come a week earlier."
"A week! I can't take a whole week off, this last minute." Penny scrolled through her calendar. "I really wish you could have mentioned this to me earlier. I have important meetings scheduled Monday through Wednesday. I might be able to make it Thursday night, and be there for Friday and the Saturday wedding. Do you have the vacation days available? You could always head out earlier."
Leonard sighed. "Yeah, I still have quite a bit of vacation days left for the year. I think I'll probably go next Thursday night, then I'll have the weekend there to help them out if they need any. I don't want you to waste your vacation days on this though. I mean, you don't have to come if you don't want to." Leonard said nervously.
Penny frowned and looked at him. "Do you not want me to come?" she asked with a hurt look on her face.
"No! No..nothing like that. I don't really want to go myself to be honest…" he muttered.
Penny walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. She patted the cushion next to her gesturing Leonard to sit down. "You know, I always found it strange how you never mention your brother or sister. Well much of anything about your family. You're not embarrassed of me are you? I know they are both super successful" she said hesitantly.
"Of course I'm not embarrassed of you. It's just that my brother and sister are…well a bit different let's say."
"Are they like your mom?" Penny asked curiously.
"Well Hayley…Umm..kinda? But not really. Oh boy, It's hard to describe them without meeting them."
Penny smiled warmly and held Leonard's hand. "Well, you are the sweetest, smartest, most kind hearted man I know. And you have the same parents, so if they are even ten percent like you, I'm sure they are pretty awesome people. I'm sure I'll get along great with them." Penny leaned over and gave Leonard a hug. Leonard stroked her soft blond hair and sighed. If only Penny knew….his family was anything but sweet.
It was a crisp day in New York City, and a welcoming cool breeze filled the air. It was a complete relief from the sweltering heat that they had been getting for the past three weeks. A chic dressed woman put down her Prada sunglasses on her outdoor table and looked out towards the entrance of the restaurant. The entrance remained empty. She sighed, and looked down at her perfectly French manicured nails. She detested waiting, people should arrive when promised. Her brother was always late, and it drove her up the wall. He was probably doing this on purpose just to annoy her. She started flipping through the latest Harvard Law Review copy that she had brought with her. There was a large article about him and she was sure he would want to discuss it. Finally she saw a familiar figure stride confidently into the restaurant, with a sly grin on his face.
"Hayley! Sorry to keep you waiting" the man said as he sat down. He signaled the waiter and quickly ordered a Scotch.
"Well if it isn't the groomzilla himself. Michael, why do you insist on making me wait all the time?" Hayley said annoyed. She pulled out her phone and opened an app under the cover of the tablecloth. Hayley quickly typed Michael Hofstadter Late – 25 minutes, August 10th.
Michael laughed. "I'm a busy man! Things to do…places to go." Haley stared at her youngest brother. He was definitely the golden boy of the family. He towered over six feet tall, dark brown hair and eyes, bright smile, dazzling good looks. He picked up the menu and started scanning it. They quickly put in their order with the waitress.
"How's the wedding arrangements going?" Hayley asked.
"Well, good I assume. The wedding planner is handling all of that. Constance Emerson…the best money can buy. Our wedding with definitely be the 'go to' event of the season. AND, get this…dad actually came in handy for once."
Hayley raised her eyebrow. "How so?" she asked curiously.
"Our rehearsal dinner is now going to be held at the American Museum of Natural History. And believe me, that venue is booked for years. I did convince dad to pull a few strings with people he knows."
"Wow that must cost a pretty penny" Hayley said as she shook her head. "Well, I always knew you were mom's favourite, but it sounds like you are making inroads with dad now? Should I be jealous?"
"Well…dad had to come in useful one day, it's been a long time coming." Michael said. His phone made a little buzz. He quickly picked it up and read the new email that just arrived.
"Michael, God that is so rude. We are having a conversation here." Hayley rolled her eyes.
"Oh you'll like this. That email was from our dear long lost brother Leonard. He's going to arrive on Friday morning, he booked the Thursday red eye. So he'll be here for over a week." The waitress arrived with their order and placed it on the table.
"Leonard" Hayley smiled. "I haven't seen him for years now. It's like he's avoiding us or something. I can't imagine why. Is he bringing California Barbie with him?" she asked coyly. She picked up her fork and started poking at her salad.
"Ugh..I assume." He scanned the email again quickly. "He said that she can't come until the following Thursday. So it appears we will get our dear brother to ourselves for almost a week uninterrupted." Michael paused. "Which is good….I want a little intel on Leonard's relationship with Nickel."
"Penny!...Nickel. You are such an asshole Michael" Hayley laughed.
"Well I knew it was some sort of cheap denomination." Michael snickered. "Have you met our sis-in-law to be?"
"Don't you think I would have told you about meeting the waitress of his dreams? He hasn't come out here, and there is no way I'm going to the land of Kim Kardashian. I know I could just feel my brain cells rot if I stepped off the plane in la-la land." She looked at Michael curiously. "Why do you want intel on Leonard and Penny's relationship? They've been dating on and off for eight years now, and you've barely cared. Why are you suddenly interested?"
Michael gazed at his older sister. She was tall like their mother, with dark brown hair and striking hazel eyes. She was elegantly beautiful, with a very slight frame and was always extremely put together at all times. She was married and a mother of two, but she never seemed all that interested in her husband or her children. It was like she got married, and had children to tick two items off some list she had in her head of things she needed to accomplish. Hayley always had her lists. Her husband and she had some sort of "agreement" and the kids were basically with their nannies at all times. She just didn't have any passion for the domestic life. She was brimming with passion however for her career and social life. She was sharp, top in her field with a PhD in Biochemistry performing medical research in diabetes. She was very similar to their mother, although she would disagree passionately with anyone who suggested that. Where their mother was not overly concerned with social status, Hayley was completely obsessed. She was always tied with important people and ran with a very elite circle. She was very cutting and discerning, and definitely not somebody to cross.
Michael cleared his throat. "Well, Emily and I have been discussing our future career trajectories, and I am putting real thought into running for office one day. Specifically the Senate. I don't need any skeletons in my closets, and I think Penny could prove to be a problem."
Hayley sneered. "I really don't think anyone will care that your older brother is dating some washed up actress."
Michael scoffed "I couldn't care less that she stars in terrible B-class movies. I would care if she starred in adult films. Don't worry, she hasn't, I checked. It's her family that's the problem. Her brother is in prison. For meth dealing no less. I don't want people associating that "type" with me. It could be very damaging."
"What?" Hayley laughed. "Nickel's brother is a meth dealer? Oh my god poor sweet Leonard. That messed up boy. Mom really did a number on him. He really needs to get over this 'hot' girl fascination." Hayley smiled. "Or wait….maybe he's using Nickel as a cover up for his secret life."
"Oh this I have to hear" Michael grinned.
"Well he has been living with this Dr. Sheldon Cooper for what…like ten years now? Perhaps they are lovers, and poor Nickel is being used as a beard."
They both burst out laughing. Michael wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry Hayley, I think Nickel would need to be a better actress to pull that off. I watched ten minutes of Serial Apeist. Believe me…she's not that talented. Leonard dating Sheldon on the other hand, could be good for my campaign. The Supreme courts ruling is timely… Too bad Leonard doesn't swing that way."
"Oh I know. I'm only joking. His roommate is dating Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler according to mom. She did her PhD at Harvard, you could look her up."
"Yes, well that would require me to care about Leonard's friends, which frankly I do not. I couldn't care less about Penny or Sheldon or anyone in his merry band of idiots. I do care if they mess up my chances for Senate. Even Sheldon for that matter. He's on the Terrorist Watch list for trying to buy yellow cake uranium! I swear, I don't know what kind of people Leonard is hanging out with." Michael ranted.
Hayley looked at Michael thoughtfully. "You know….I wouldn't mess around with Leonard's life. You two already have a very strained relationship, and when it's all said and done, he seems happy. Which is probably more than I could say for the both of us." Hayley picked at her salad and then took a big sip of wine.
"Speak for yourself, I'm perfectly happy." Michael retorted. He cut off a large piece of steak and started eating it.
Hayley rolled her eyes. "Says the man engaged to the bitch of the east coast. Emily is a real piece of work. You do know if you run for senate, you can't just drop her like a sack of potatoes. You are stuck with her."
Michael stared at Hayley with a piecing look. "Oh course, I know that. I think of everything. I have my own 'arrangements' when it comes to her. She is my Jackie-O, the key to my future success. She may be a bitch, but she's got all the right political connections, she's the youngest judge on the Eastern seaboard, and she's quite the little wildcat in the sack. What more could I ask for?"
"Oh, I don't know…someone with a soul?" Hayley sneered. Michael rolled his eyes and continued eating. Hayley picked at her salad but was not eating anything. Hayley's phone started buzzing and the name Phoebe flashed across the screen.
"Umm…your daughter is calling. Aren't you going to take that?" Michael frowned.
"She's with her nanny. Phoebe knows not to phone me, but she does with ridiculous information that I don't find interesting. I'll let it go to voicemail." Hayley grabbed her phone and silenced it. She opened her app under the tablecloth and typed Phoebe Hofstadter-Jamieson, Unnecessary Phone Call, August 10th.
Michael gazed at Hayley's full plate of salad. "You know Hayley, you probably wouldn't be such a bitch all the time, if you ate something once in a while."
Hayley sighed. "Mom says the same thing. I don't agree. Eating is highly overrated. Studies show that people that eat very little often live longer." She took a miniscule bite of her salad. "So is Leonard staying at Mom's?" she diverted.
"Yes, she has that big empty house of hers in New Jersey. He could stay in his old room."
"Well maybe we should meet up for brunch at Mom's house the morning he arrives. Surprise him. You know how Mom drives him up the wall. It'll be a little Hofstadter sibling reunion." Hayley suggested.
Michael laughed. "I'll bring the cyanide. Kidding aside, brunch sounds like a good idea. I haven't seen Mom in a while..."
"Or Leonard" Hayley reminded.
"Oh yeah…Leonard." Michael said absentmindedly as he gazed at the waitress behind the bar.
Hayley stared at her brother with a curious look. Things were never as simple as it sounded when it came to him. He wanted information about Penny, but she knew that he probably had thought a lot more about the scenario than he had let on. "Ok Michael, so what are you going to do about the Penny situation, if you do decide to go through with messing with Leonard's relationship?"
Michael gave her an evil little smile. "Two words. Ainsley Forrester."
Hayley smiled softly and shook her head. "The one that got away" she whispered.
A/N: Hello! Thank-you for checking my new story out. Things are going to get very interesting for Leonard as deals with Michael and Hayley and their manipulations. I really hope that you will enjoy this story, I promise to keep it very very interesting! This is my first non-Shamy fic, so I hope that you will review. I love reading them. Thanks again!