Sheldon stands in the livingroom of his apartment staring at an incomplete equation on his dry erase board. Leonard, Howard, and Raj are all seated around the coffee table playing the three-person chess game Sheldon once created. As Leonard flips through the notepad of rules to see what move to make, he notices Sheldon staring at his board, not making a move.
"Are you alright Sheldon?" He asks.
"Somethings not right..." He responds as he rubs his chin. "I just can't figure out what it is."
"Do you need some help?" Leonard says with a sly grin on his face.
"Leonard, I don't have time for nonsense." Sheldon says as he continues to stare at his board.
Leonard shakes his head and proceeds to make his move when there is a knock at the door.
"Come in" Leonard yells out.
The door opens and Leslie walks into the room.
"Hey Leslie." Leonard says as she makes her way into the room.
"Hey... What are you guys doing?" She asks.
"Playing three person chess" Howard says as he stares intensely at the chess board.
"Alright,... that's new. Who's winning?" She asks confused.
"Hell if I know." He responds.
Leslie walks over to Sheldon and stands behind him. She watches him stare at the dry erase board before she peeks over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" She says startling Sheldon.
Snapping out of his trance and realizing that Leslie is behind him he scurries to the board and blocks it with his back.
"Please refrain from looking at my board." He says sternly.
"It looks like you're stuck." She says trying to take a peek.
"I am not stuck,." He says as he continues to block her movements.
"You know I could probably help you figure it out if you let me see." She says as she jokes with him.
"I'm well aware that you are probably the only person in this room, besides myself, who is capable of solving this problem."
"OK. So why don't you let me."
Sheldon pauses for a second, looks at Leslie and says "Because I don't want to." As he grabs his board and takes it into his bedroom and closes the door.
Leslie just laughs as she walks over and sits on the arm of Raj's chair and watches the guys play chess. Sheldon, visibly annoyed, comes walking back out and grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
"You know what, I've been in this predicament before.."
"What predicament?" Leslie says as she looks at him.
"I have realized that it is not in my best interest to have more than a certain number of friends. I believe I have exceeded that limit.."
"So what, am I the one too many?"
"Yes... yes you are."
"Sheldon please... You know you love me." she says as she hops up and pretends she is going to hug him.
"Leslie, don't touch me." he warns her.
"I wasn't going to touch you.. I was just kidding."
Sheldon gives her a stern look as he walks away and takes a seat on his spot on the couch.
"Why are you here anyway? We're not having dinner yet."
"I'm waiting for Penny to get home. Raj and I need to get a few things to take to Hawaii for the astrophysics conference and she has insisted that she help us."
"Yeah, that sounds like Penny." Leonard says as he laughs. "She loves to help other people spend their money. Hey, since Penny is going with you guys why don't I tag along and we can all grab some lunch."
"Ok." Leslie says nonchalantly
"Yeah, It'll be fun." Raj says with excitement.
"Why don't I give Bernadette a call and we can all go." Howard says as he whips out his cellphone."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa...I'm going to be trying on clothes. I don't need a large crowd watching me."
"Well why didn't you ask Bernadette to help you anyway? You hang out with her more than you do Penny."
"I didn't ask Penny! She volunteered herself. It doesn't matter who comes, do rock paper scissors for all I care."
"Ohhh, can we do rock, paper, scissors, lizard, spock." Sheldon calls out from the couch.
"Uh no, because you definitely aren't going. Koothrappali, lets go." Leslie says as she walks out the door.
Raj looks at his friends and shrugs as he follows Leslie out of Leonard and Sheldon's apartment and into Penny's.
"Are you guys ready?" Penny says as she grabs her purse.
"Well, you may not be going." Leslie says irritated.
"Why not! You already agreed to let me come... come on...you know I love to shop."
"Well I guess Leonard and Howard are challenging each other to see who get to come along."
Raj starts to whisper in Leslie's ear but she swats him away before he can finish.
"Look, I'm not for all of this whispering crap today, if you have something to say to Penny say it to her yourself." Leslie says as she sits on the couch. Penny stands there with her hands on her hips giving Raj a huge smile.
"So, do you have something to say to me?" She asks him.
Raj looks at Leslie, then back at Penny and shakes his head no. Leslie rolls her eyes and Penny laughs and gives Raj a hug.
"Maybe one day sweetie." Penny says as she walks out the door and across the hall.