"What time is it?" croaked Penny, rolling towards Leonard who gingerly poked his feet out of the bed and felt around for his slippers. He knew it was stupid not to wear his bed socks when Penny stayed over, but since she'd made fun of them the first time they'd engaged in coitus, he just didn't think he was ready to admit that he still wore them, so he suffered.
"Seven-thirty," he sighed, allowing Penny to pull him back into bed, his feet disappearing underneath the duvet. Leonard was like a human hot-water bottle. No matter how cold the apartment was in the morning, he was always like a furnace. Aside from the obvious, it was one of Penny's favourite reasons to have him in bed with her.
"As much as I don't want to, I really do have to get up."
"See, I go around telling people how awesome it is to have a physicist for a boyfriend," Penny grumbled as Leonard pulled away again, "because he can go into the office anytime he wants. And here you are, at seven-thirty…"
"I can't help it," Leonard said, "It's in the Roommate Agreement, Sheldon has to be at work no later than nine as he claims his brain can't function properly if it's on a different timing schedule." He pulled on his dressing gown and looked back at Penny, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, the covers up around her nose.
"Do you really tell people your boyfriend is a physicist?"
"Mmm," Penny rolled herself over under the covers, hiding her head as Leonard opened the curtains. "What else am I supposed to tell them? Your lactose intolerant and smell of Star Wars hygiene products?"
"Ah, clever", he replied, sarcastically. He grabbed a towel off the radiator, heading into the bathroom. "You can tell people whatever you want." As long as you tell them I'm your boyfriend, he added silently with a smile.
The California Institute of Technology was Sheldon's least favourite place to be today. It was an open day, meaning that swarms of labradoodles and their pushy parents would be blocking the corridors and arguing with each other loudly as to who was the better scientist and would then begin their appeal for a place to study at the university. However, this morning was different, as Sheldon had been summoned to President Siebert's room. The last meeting they'd had was when he was using a urinal. Sheldon pushed past a group of girls who were taking it in turns to have their photo taken next to a poster of the Periodic Table and turned left into Siebert's new office layout.
"President Siebert's been waiting for you," an uninterested voice came from behind a computer monitor.
"Aren't I early? I left my office specifically at 8.57 to take the stairs two floors up and to stop for a refreshing drink at the water fountain before thoroughly cleansing my alimentary canal to rid it of bacteria. My watch is set to the exact time of the Pacific Time Zone and assured me that I would arrive at the allotted time President Siebert wanted to see me." Sheldon explained to the monitor. Siebert's assistant, Julie, wasn't exactly his biggest fan and she usually gave him the courtesy of a dirty look.
"President Siebert arrived at seven, your meeting was scheduled to start at nine." She stood up and swept round the desk. Sheldon was known for his tall and lanky physique, but whenever he stood next to Julie it certainly showed. She must be no taller than five feet, and cranked her neck up to stare at Sheldon with her beady brown eyes. "It's now three after nine. You're late," she smirked.
Was it right for a personal assistant, who it seemed had even less education standards than Penny, to make Sheldon feel like a naughty sixth-former? Before he could protest any further, Julie passed through Siebert's big glass doors and purred, "Dr Cooper's here to see you, President Siebert. Can I get you anymore coffee?"
"More coffee please, Julie. And do you want anything?" President Siebert was slouching in his swivel chair, casually reading through a dissertation. He gave Sheldon a welcoming smile, something he had never seen before.
"No caffeine for me, I can never predict what it has in store for my internal organs. Bottled water will do fine." He tried a small smile at Julie, who stared at him open-mouthed for a moment before flouncing off.
"Please sit down Sheldon, I have a treat for you and I have a strong feeling you're going to like it." He leaned across his desk.
"You may have to hold onto that feeling but go on." Sheldon sat in the chair facing Siebert.
"Well as you know your research here at the university has proved to be extremely accurate and valuable over recent years." He rested his chin on his hand and smiled. Sheldon's research was indeed a success, and a lot of the results were being used in other universities in the state. He even had a column written about him in the latest issue of Science Magazine, however his mother had not taken kindly to it. She didn't like that Annette from church knew what her Shelly was up to before she did. "Dr Gablehauser and I are very impressed with your work and we have a new project for you. How do you feel about branching out?"
"Branching out?" Sheldon paused. He worried that he was heading towards another firing line. "Are you suggesting I leave CalTech for a better position?"
"No, not at all." Siebert nodded thanks as Julie arrived with his coffee. Sheldon looked up hopefully. No water for him. This wasn't right. "This is it, Dr Cooper. Your big break. Some of the most renowned physicists in the country are teaming up to work on research projects and your name is on the list."
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to work with other physicists in my field," Sheldon replied, casually. "They probably won't be able to keep up with me."
"Sure they will, I'm certain they'll be thrilled to work with you." The fact that Siebert couldn't look at Sheldon proved he didn't even believe himself.
"I'm leaps and yards ahead of anyone working at this university, I've fainted in front of Stephen Hawking and insulted Dr Gablehauser's work more times than he thinks. I really don't think this would do anything helpful towards my career." Sheldon said. "Can't someone else go?"
"We can send someone else," Siebert said, looking up and staring him out. "But this one is yours, they asked for you specifically. Are you telling me you don't want to do it?"
Miraculously, a glass of water appeared in front of Sheldon, but Julie had turned on her heel before he could complain that it wasn't bottled. He sat back in his chair. Of course he should do this project. How hard could it be? "I do want to do it. In a way it could help me establish new boundaries for communicating with new people, although I have very few exceptions for people with IQs less than 140."
Siebert sighed and loosened his tie. "This is a biggie, Sheldon. One week in New York with physics students from around the country and the best part is you get to work with personalities such as Brian Greene, Antony Garrett Lisi and Lisa Randall."
Sheldon gaped. It was his dream to work with these people. To drink beverages with them. To shower them with questions about their research. To ask them why they hadn't heard of him. This was all too good. He gulped down his glass of water and slammed it on the desk with excitement. "I'm in."
"Excellent!" Siebert smiled. "So, you fly on Saturday-"
"What?" Sheldon came back to Earth with a bump after fantasizing about making fun of the grad students with Professor Randall and looked at Siebert. "But it's only Monday?"
"Which gives you almost a whole week to prepare." Siebert started to click at things on his computer screen. "Dr Hofstader has also been asked to attend, so he'll be accompanying you. Julie will book your flights, hotel and will organize all of the other stuff. I'll email you both the conference and seminar schedules." He pointed towards the door, where Julie stood, clipboard in her hand and a disapproving look on her face. "I'll see you in two weeks. I'll be receiving a written report on your progress also so please don't screw this up. You and Dr Hofstader are the representatives for CalTech after all."
Sheldon rose tentatively out of the chair and backed away slowly. "Can we please hurry this up?" came the snide voice behind him. "I have other things to do today."
"Oh Julie, the world has lots of other things to do today and none of them are being seen to," Sheldon replied, proud that a hint of sarcasm had escaped him. She might be as small as a Hobbit, but Julie was a lot more dangerous.