This chapter is just giving people a bit more info on the TiMERs, the other characters' TiMER situations will be explored more later on, just intro-ing them here. The next chapter will have Penny meeting Raj and Howard.

"Hang on," Wolowitz said, muting the Hawking lecture and putting down the remote. "Your TiMER went off for someone hot?"

"Like the temperature water boils at on the Kelvin scale," Leonard said, "but on the Celsius scale."

"Lucky son of a bitch," he mumbled.

"She's a little taller than me," Leonard said, "blonde hair, really pretty eyes…actually, really pretty everything."

"Ah, see, that's it," Howard said. "I was thinking that she'd be hot and shorter than you. I guess it's not so perfect after all."

"Oh yeah?" Leonard said, "and who do you guys have, exactly?"

"Hey, the future Mrs. Wolowitz could be right around the corner," he said. "I just don't know she's coming because I don't have a TiMER."

"My TiMER is blank," Raj said. "I could meet her tomorrow too, but I wouldn't know it because she doesn't have one."

"Howard's girl, whether she has a TiMER or not, would not only not know that he's her one, but she'd actively think he isn't, because of that pathetic piece of crap," Leonard said, gesturing to the device on Howard's wrist.

"This thing," Howard said, pointing to the fake TiMER, "is getting me much more laid than any of the rest of you."

"I'd like to go on record saying that when it comes to the laid you are getting," Sheldon said, "I, quite frankly, don't care."

"That fake TiMER is just taking advantage of women who think your time is running out," Leonard said. "So there's no strings attached."

"Yes, Leonard, I know that," Howard said. "And you should try it. It'd help you unwind a bit."

"For one thing," Leonard said, "I can't get a fake one because I have a real one, and for another, mine has already run out. Mrs. Hofstadter is right across the hall."

"Well then," Howard said, "Invite her over for dinner."

Leonard frowned, second guessing his actions earlier in the day. "Should we have invited her for lunch?" he asked Sheldon.

"No," Sheldon said. "And it's a bit late for that now. You know I can't waste my time on what might have been."

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter anyway," Leonard said. "We belong together!" He smiled and stuck his chin in the air. "I'm going to go and ask her to come over for dinner."

"Do you want us to leave?" Howard asked.

"Why would we leave?" Raj asked.

Howard ignored him and focused on Leonard. "Are you anticipating coitus?"

Leonard blinked. "No. We hardly know each other. Why would I want to start my relationship with my soul mate with meaningless sex?"

"Leonard, if you're going to end up together anyway, why does it matter? If she's hot, just go for it. And hey, this is the best way to get a hot girl into bed. 'Hey, we belong together, now the sooner we start doing it…the more we get to do it. Just go over there, and hit that thang."

"You're disgusting," Leonard said.

Howard blinked. "I'm a romantic."

"Stop acting all high and mighty," Raj said to the experimental physicist. "You know you're thrilled to death that she's hot."

Leonard allowed a smile to come over his face. "Little bit."

He marched across the hall and knocked on the door. He saw motion near the door and straightened his hoodie. He wondered if that was weird. He couldn't screw this up – it was impossible. He and Penny were meant to be together.

He knocked again when she didn't answer, and this time, the door opened. She gave him a nervous smile. "Hi."

"Hi," he said. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner."

"Oh," she said, starting to wring her hands. "I…I actually kinda have plans…for dinner."

"Oh yeah?" Leonard said. "Oh. Okay." He began to nod, and found Penny nodding along with him. Then he looked back up at her. "I'm your soul mate. Have dinner with me."

"Look, Leonard," she said taking a step toward him. "There's no need to rush into anything. These TiMERs don't tell us when we're supposed to…be…come an item." She was motioning with her hands again. "It just means that we…will."

"I'm following," Leonard said, nodding.

"So…we don't need to jump right into anything." She nodded as if she'd said that the way she'd wanted to. "Why don't we just try being friends first? Rushing relationships…you just don't know, you know? I suppose even if…" her hand went to her TiMER, "if you do know. Somehow." She nodded. "I think friends first is better. That way, it can happen naturally. Like it's supposed to."

"Okay," Leonard said. "Do you want to come to dinner?"

She looked agitated. "Stop pressuring me!"

She'd said it as if she'd known him for years. That threw Leonard off, and he stumbled over his next words. "There will be three other people there. It's not a date."

He wasn't sure if he'd expected that to relax her, but for some reason it did. "Get to know each other in a group environment, sure, sure."

"Okay then," Leonard said. "We'll have Chinese food in about a half hour, so…"

"Okay!" she said. She gave a little laugh and smiled at him. "I'd like that. Really."

"Yeah?" Leonard said, smiling. "Okay then. I'll see you in a half hour."

"Okay," Penny said, nodding. "Okay."

"Sounds good," Leonard said, smiling. He lingered another moment, looking at her. "I don't know what your ex did to you," he told her, "but I'm not going to."

She gave him a tight smile. "I'd like to think my TiMER would tell me I belong with a liar and a cheater, so good to know."