… "And then if I wasn't taken aback enough, he basically told me to get out and not screw the university's reputation up! Good Lord!" Sheldon let out a long, slow breath after his five minute-long rant about President Siebert, complete with a few words about that awful PA Julie. He slowly released his hands from the table in The Cheesecake Factory and wordlessly took the tomato sauce from Raj, toppling half of the contents on his burger. "I find his actions rather insulting."
"Well, I wouldn't have told him that you have no time for people with IQs less than 140." Leonard gulped his Diet Coke and cocked his head to one side. "I just mean you've never even met any of these people before? And can't you be a little bit more aware of the fact that we are going to New York on Saturday?"
"Well I could be, but judging that I'll be staying in a strange city where I don't know how clean the water supply is or what the pizza tastes like, my opinion remains optimistic." Sheldon declared.
"Sheldon," Amy held up her hand. "You are going to have the privilege of being flown approximately 2441 miles to one of the most exhilarating cities in the universe to spend a week rubbing shoulders with a fraction of this planet's most successful theoretical physicists. They have specifically asked for you and Leonard to attend and they are paying you both for your time. I see no wrong here. It's a fantastic step for your career, you'll be working with people similar to you and for the love of this grilled cheese sandwich, you're going to a romantic city without me so I expect a Statue of Liberty snow globe on your return."
Amy was rather hoping that last sentence would hint to Sheldon that she wanted to come too, however he simply gazed at her for a moment then merely shrugged and grunted, "Fine".
"Do you really want to go to New York with that?" Howard scoffed quietly at Leonard.
"I'll probably want to bash him over the head with a Bunsen Burner at the first chance I get but I've managed to live with him long enough. I'll be fine." Leonard replied. "Although it is kind of overwhelming. I don't want to take on such an amazing opportunity like this and screw it up because the university is counting on me. Plus I don't want to disappear off to New York for a week without…" he trailed off, painfully aware that he had said the wrong thing.
"Oh no, you are not doing this!" Howard shook his head and leaned closer over the table. "It could be my only chance to revisit my old tricks without being under the evil hawk eye that is my wife. And I've never been to New York," he pointed with his fork. "If you even suggest turning this down because you've only just got back into Penny's panties then I'm going to be so angry with you."
"Firstly, that's not what I meant," Leonard fibbed through a mouthful of salad. Most days, he liked that Howard understood what was going through his mind, no matter what he said, but now that Howard was married, it just starting to become irritating. "Secondly, what on earth do you mean you want to visit your old tricks? You're married now Howard! And thirdly, who said you were coming with us?"
"That would be me. Raj is coming too, we paid President Siebert's assistant a small favour." He sniggered. "And yes, I know I'm married but nothing's going to happen! It'll be like the old times, I sure as sugar wasn't lucky back then and I won't be lucky now. Bernadette has nothing to worry about. And I know your lying, you're doing that weird thing when you fiddle with your hands."
"It's not that I don't want to go, or at least not because of Penny. I don't know. Things have been going well so far and I'd hate to see our relationship fail again."
"It won't. Trust me, a week away from the ladies is what we all need. It's perfect timing. I'm all shiny and new and need to oil these joints."
Leonard could only stare at Howard. After marrying his sweetheart and surviving in space without his mother, he hadn't changed. Still the same old Wolowitz, just with a beard.
That evening, Leonard beat Sheldon three times in a row at Mario Kart and before he could be succumbed to another rant from his roommate about how fixed the game was, he had escaped to Penny's apartment after he heard her returning from work.
"Hey!" She opened the door and pulled him in, kissing him hard on the lips.
"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't go to New York on Saturday." Leonard breathed, coaxing Penny towards the couch.
"I don't know, it's crowded?" Penny muttered between kisses.
"That'll do. It's never like it is in the movies is it?" Leonard replied.
Penny's apartment was just as dishevelled as its owner, with magazines, crockery and worn clothes strewn everywhere. She hastily got up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen, almost breaking her neck when she stumbled over a pair of expensive shoes, before pouring herself and Leonard a glass of wine and joining him. "So, any reason in particular why I should be trying to talk you out of going to New York on Saturday? That was a pretty random request, even for you."
"The university wants me and Sheldon to go to a convention to work with some of the country's upper-class physicists." Leonard waved a hand around, working very hard to come across as very casual about the whole thing. "They want us to go on Saturday for a week."
"Sounds like a great opportunity," Penny offered diplomatically. "It'll be hot at this time of the year too."
"I know, it could be amazing. It's just a long way and stuff."
"It is," she agreed. "But you never know, you might like it?"
"Do you?" Leonard asked. "Like New York, I mean."
"Meh," Penny held her hand up to Leonard's. "I went there a few years ago for an audition. After all the travelling they said I was far too typical LA for the part. They like their business, we like our partying."
"So you wouldn't want to come with me?" Leonard asked, only briefly considering Howard's wrath. "It's only for a week."
"However will I survive without you?" Penny grinned and kissed his cheek. "I've got extra shifts at The Cheesecake Factory for the next month. One of the girls I work with, Tara, she was pregnant until it decided to pop out in the Apple Store yesterday. Plus the last convention I went to didn't end successfully well. I don't know how I'd cope with the Sheldon in the Big Apple. But you should go Leonard, we'll be fine. Despite our difficulties in the past, I've always trusted you. Go, don't worry about me."
"Your amazing," Leonard smiled, relief bubbling in his stomach. For the first time that day, he began to feel excited.