Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. They are the property of the creators of The Big Bang Theory.
When Amy entered the club, she was suddenly aware that she didn't have on a cardigan. She felt shy, and wanted to turn and flee, but she made herself press on, finding a small table near the bar, not too far from the dance floor.
Amy quickly ordered her favorite drink, and sipped on it for about thirty minutes. She watched the people on the dance floor and realized that she was dressed rather conservative compared to every other woman in the place. That helped her to relax a little.
The drink helped, too, but not enough. After finishing it, she decided that being here alone was not what she thought it would be. She could watch the dance floor only so long, and now, she was ready to go. She decided to wait a little while longer, and let the drink settle away, before she would leave.
But, she thought, at least I'm not at home by myself, doing nothing. And, she could come back here tomorrow night with Penny and Bernadette.
She needed to pay for her drink. She scanned the bar, looking for her waiter. As she did, she froze, when she realized a man by the bar was gazing at her.
Amy looked away. She could feel herself blushing, inside and out.
But isn't this why I came here?
But, now that it was happening, she felt very shy. She decided to get up, pay at the bar and leave as fast as she could. She grabbed her purse and was about to rise, when she saw a man's tan slacks in front of her. She looked up to his face, and he was smiling, holding two drinks.
"Hi," he said. "I noticed you were out of drink. Can I join you?"
Amy was amazed that he had gotten over to her table so fast, and had drinks, to boot. She studied him, and decided that he was attractive. He had blond hair, a little messy, and a tan that complimented his sloppy smile. He wore a T-shirt with a black jacket, and his… well, he was built nicely. Amy felt her heart do a flip, and found it difficult to find her voice. She was shocked that he was even talking to her.
"Are you talking to me?" she said.
He laughed. "You're the only one sitting here."
Amy swallowed, and smiled, letting out a nervous chuckle.
He spoke again. "So, why is that?"
Amy looked at him. "What?"
He sat down in the other chair at her table, and sat the drinks down. "Why are you the only one sitting here?"
Amy blushed, and there was his sloppy smile again. He slid the drink over to her. "Here, it's on me. My name is Josh."
Amy looked at it. It appeared to be the same thing he was drinking. She slowly picked it up, her hands a little shaky. "Thank you. I'm… my name is Amy."
She took a sip. It was stronger than what she was used to. She was about to ask him what it was, when he spoke. "So, do you come here much? This is my first time."
Amy took another sip as he watched her. "No. I just wanted to get out of my apartment for a drink. I was about to leave."
Josh frowned. "Oh, that's too bad. I've been looking for someone to talk to all night. I'm so bored."
In spite of herself, Amy sipped again. The drink was good. "Really? Why?" she asked.
He scanned the crowd. "Well, I'm here with a bachelor party gone bad. We left the party and then came here, but most of my friends have left already for the hotel across the street, if you know what I mean. Anyway, my ride is there now, so I'm stuck here. I guess he'll come back at some point."
"Oh," Amy said. She searched for something to say. "So you have a friend getting married?"
"Yeah, he's still here somewhere. I'll probably have to bum a ride from him."
Amy nodded. She took another sip, and noticed that she was feeling more relaxed.
He studied her. She didn't talk much, so he needed to loosen her up. He smiled and leaned over the table, looking into her eyes. "You're very pretty, you know."
Amy felt butterflies, and tried not to stare back. "Thanks," she said. And then she added, "I bet you'd never guess that I'm a neurobiologist."
Josh stared at her in disbelief. "Really? You're kidding."
Amy grinned. "No."
Josh had finished his drink and made a wave for the waiter. "So, you study what, brains? Can you study mine right now?"
Amy took another sip and laughed at his bad joke. "No, sorry, I can't study it right now."
Josh was still looking for the waiter. "That's a good thing. You don't need to know my thoughts right now." He paused, leaned over the table and whispered. "They're all about you."
Amy felt herself tingle and blush at the same time. That was corny, but Josh was… cute. And he was getting cuter by the second.
The waiter finally made it over. "Two more drinks," he said, turning to Amy. "Do you want the same thing again?"
Amy looked at her glass and was shocked to find it empty. She was about to decline, when Josh went ahead and ordered, not waiting for her answer.
"So, do you want to dance, Amy?"
This was happening too fast. Amy felt like he was smooth talking her, but he also seemed so nice and normal. The logical, smart part of Amy was telling her to politely say no to his proposal. Yet another part of her wanted to turn and run like crazy out of there, without answering him.
But, then there was another part – a very relaxed part – that wanted to say yes. She looked at Josh, his blue eyes shooting her with attention, and she was about to answer him…
Blue eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes, but not quite blue enough. Amy suddenly thought about Sheldon. His eyes were more blue, and more… but Amy stopped her train of thought. Maybe she was just feeling guilty.
Amy looked at the other couples on the floor, dancing and enjoying themselves. The women out there reminded her of Penny. Certainly Penny had danced like this before at a club? What harm could one dance do?
Amy smoothed her hair. "Sure," she told Josh. He grinned, and got up, holding out his hand. Amy looked at it. Such a simple gesture for Josh; yet so hard for Sheldon. She put her hand in his, and they walked over to the floor.
A slow song was playing. Amy worried that Josh would figure out how inexperienced she was. She slowly put her arms around his neck, and he placed his hands on her back. He was a little taller than her, so she tentatively laid her head on his shoulder.
So far, so good, she thought.
They began to sway to the music. Josh pulled her tighter, and she could feel his heart beating in his chest. Suddenly she felt his lips move close to her ear.
"You're driving me crazy," he said.
Amy felt her heart leap into her throat. She didn't know if it was the drinks, or if it was what he had just said, but she felt herself "turned on." It was a feeling like never before. They continued to sway, and Amy tried to relax her head on his shoulder.
Josh began running his hands up and down her back. Amy took some deep breaths. It felt good. He let his hands land low on her waist, and they stayed there, while his thumbs lightly caressed back and forth.
Amy was breathing heavily now. She smiled and let out a deep sigh, and then thought to herself … Sheldon.
Amy's head shot up and she pulled away. Josh looked at her, surprised.
Did I say that out loud?
Josh stared at her, confused. No, Amy thought, it was in my head.
"Everything okay?" Josh asked.
Amy smoothed her hair again, and her dress. "Yes, I'm fine," she said. "I… I just think I'm ready for that drink."
Josh looked disappointed, but said, "Okay." They walked back to the table to find their drinks sitting there. Amy could tell as she walked that she was light-headed. She really should not drink anymore. But that had been her excuse to come back. Maybe just a couple of more sips, and then she could call herself a cab.
The drink was good. Josh began talking to her about his friend that was getting married. She wasn't paying much attention, and mainly thinking about how good the drink was. Before she knew it, she had downed half of the thing.
"Oh, there he is!" Josh waved at a man that was wearing a red shirt across the room. "That's my friend from the bachelor party. The one that's getting married. I'll be right back."
Josh left to talk to his friend. She watched the two men talk, and wondered when his friend was getting married. It must be soon, since the bachelor party had been tonight. She saw Josh turn her way and make a gesture to his friend. He smiled at Amy, and she smiled back. His friend seemed impressed, and returned to his conversation with Josh.
Amy was feeling warm. The room even seemed to spin a little, and she was having a hard time focusing on Josh talking with his friend. And she really needed to visit the ladies room. She saw the waiter walk by, and she flagged him down, asking him where it was. As she talked, she noticed her speech was a bit slurred.
The waiter pointed to the restrooms, and turned before leaving. "Are you okay?"
Amy giggled, nodded and said "yes" at the same time. When the waiter was gone, she grabbed her purse and practically ran to the bathroom. She needed to get there fast.
Josh returned and found Amy gone. Well, she ditched me, he thought. But, to his surprise, he saw Amy heading back his way. She plopped down in her seat, grabbing the rest of her drink.
"Hey!" he said. "I thought you left me for another guy."
Amy giggled. "Never," she said. "Although, I do have a boyfriend, you know."
Josh stared at her. "Really? Then why did you dance with me?"
Amy began twirling her hair with her finger. She looked around the room. "My boyfriend doesn't dance. Well, not like that, anyway."
Josh grinned. She was loosening up now. "You liked dancing with me?"
"Oh, yes," she said, finishing her drink. "I really liked dancing with you." She put her glass down, and got back on topic.
"And, you know what else he doesn't do?"
Josh was intrigued. "What?"
Amy leaned close to him. "He doesn't kiss either."
Josh laughed. "You've got to be kidding. Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously," Amy said, holding up her fingers. "We've known each other…" she paused and began counting her digits. "We've known each other … one, two years, I think," she said, and held up two fingers. "Two years! And nothing!"
Josh grinned. This was going to be too easy.
"You know what?" he said.
Amy was suddenly very interested. "What?"
Josh leaned close and whispered, "I am a very good kisser."
Amy's eyes grew large, and she backed her head away. She studied him, and for some reason, he was looking very attractive. Much more than before. She knew exactly what he was suggesting with his comment, and for some reason, she wasn't nervous or scared. It intrigued her.
Amy looked at his lips. She wanted to kiss him.
Reading her thoughts, Josh leaned over the table again. He took Amy's hand and looked deep into her eyes. "We can't do it here. I know the perfect place to go."
Penny drummed her fingers on Amy's kitchen counter, waiting for Amy to answer her phone. Again, no answer. She removed the phone from her ear, and stared at it, trying to decide what to do next. Sheldon was not helping her thinking ability, as he paced back and forth, from one side of Amy's couch, to the other.
Penny pulled up Leonard on her phone and walked into Amy's bedroom.
"I'll be back in a minute," she said, and closed the door.
Sheldon continued to pace. Back and forth. If he stopped, he would begin to feel panicked, so he would start pacing again. Every so often, he would stop, and turn towards Amy's door, thinking he heard something, but she was never there. Back to pacing.
Penny emerged from the bedroom. "Okay, I've called Leonard, and he's putting everyone on alert in case they hear from her," Penny said. She walked over to Sheldon, but she didn't seem to have his attention.
Penny pursed her lips. How should she approach this with him?
"Sheldon."
He stopped pacing, and began rubbing his face, back and forth. "Stop it," Penny said. But he didn't, so she began again. "Sheldon, would you rather stay here and wait, in case Amy comes back, or would you like to go home with Leonard? He said he can come and get you."
Sheldon processed her statement. "Why does he need to come? Where are you going?"
Penny steadied her voice. "I think I know where she is, so I'm going to go and make sure she is okay."
"By yourself?" Sheldon asked.
Penny shifted her feet. "Yes. It'll be fine. I've been to that club several times."
Sheldon's face physically fell at the word club.
"I'm going with you," he said.
Penny waved her hand. "Sheldon, that's not necessary…"
"I'm going with you," he said again, and his tone was low and fierce. Penny was about to protest again, but Sheldon looked more serious than she had ever seen him. "I'm not asking you; I'm telling you," he said. "Let's go."
Penny cleared her throat, fishing her keys from the counter. "Alright, then," she said, and followed Sheldon out the door.
When they reached the club, Penny began to slowly drive through the parking lot.
"What are you doing?" Sheldon asked.
Penny was scanning cars. "Looking for Amy's car. Help me."
Sheldon was glad to have a task. He concentrated his eyes on every make and model of every car, until a familiar one finally came into view.
"There it is!" Sheldon exclaimed, feeling relief sweep over him. At least now he knew for sure where Amy was.
Penny parked her car a few spaces down. Once she turned off the ignition, she faced Sheldon, who was already opening his door. "Sheldon, why don't you wait in the car?"
Sheldon did a double take. "Wait in the car? Are you crazy?"
Penny sighed. "Please don't make a scene," she mumbled as she got out.
Penny and Sheldon walked into the club, and they were instantly hit with sounds of blaring music. It was late, and the place was in full swing.
Penny yelled in Sheldon's ear, "Okay, let's just walk around and see if we can find her."
Sheldon nodded. The place was not very big, so they covered it quickly. They stood by the dance floor for a long time, scanning the couples. Nothing.
"I'll check the bathroom!" Penny yelled. Sheldon nodded again. When they found the restrooms, Penny went inside while Sheldon waited in the hallway. She returned after a few minutes.
"Well?"
Penny shook her head. "Nothing."
Sheldon was frustrated, and waved his hands. "Her car is here. She has to be here."
Penny eyed the bar. "Come on." She took Sheldon's hand, and led him through tables to the bar. They stood, while Penny tried to get the bartender's attention. He finally addressed her, and she pulled out her phone.
She held up Amy's picture. "Have you seen this woman?" she asked, showing it to him.
He looked closely. "No. But there's been a lot of people here tonight. Sorry." Penny and Sheldon began to turn, but then the bartender stopped them. "Hey, wait. You may want to ask the waiter." He pointed to a far corner of the club, where the waiter was taking an order.
"Thank you!" Penny yelled. She took Sheldon's hand again, and Sheldon followed Penny as she weaved between tables, finally reaching the waiter. The waiter finished taking the order, and looked over to them. "You guys need some drinks?"
Penny shook her head. "No!" she yelled. She held up Amy's picture. "Can you help us? Have you seen this woman?"
The waiter looked down at Amy on the screen. He nodded. "Yes, pretty sure it was her, but she wasn't wearing glasses. She was in here earlier."
Penny let out a sigh of relief, glancing at Sheldon. She turned back to the waiter. "Do you know where she is?"
The waiter shook his head. "No, she was having drinks with a man over there," he said, pointing to the table Amy had sat at earlier, that was now empty.
Penny felt Sheldon's hand flinch. She looked at him, and she could tell his blood was boiling. "Do you know who the man was?" she asked the waiter.
"No," the waiter said, scanning the crowd. "But I saw him talking earlier to that guy," he pointed to a table with several people. "The guy sitting on the end with the red shirt. He was talking with him. Sorry, that's all I know."
"Thank you!" Penny yelled, and guided Sheldon back between the tables. She approached the guy in the red shirt. He looked up at her and Sheldon, confused. "Yes?"
Penny smiled. "Hi. Sorry to bother you. But we are looking for a friend of ours. The waiter said she was sitting with a friend of yours. Here's her picture."
Penny held up the phone.
Red-shirt guy looked at the picture of Amy and nodded. "Yeah, she was here earlier with Josh."
Josh. Sheldon balled up his fists, and squeezed Penny's hand in the process.
Penny winced at the pain Sheldon inflicted. She shot him a look, and then turned back to red-shirt guy. "Do you know where they are now?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No. I don't really know him. I just met him tonight at the bar over there. Seemed like a decent fellow, though."
Penny nodded. "Oh, okay. Well, thanks, anyway."
Penny and Sheldon turned to leave, but a girl at the table with red-shirt guy called out to her.
"Wait a minute!" she said.
Penny and Sheldon turned back around. The girl glanced at Amy's picture on Penny's phone, and then turned her attention to Penny. "I saw her! I saw her leave with that guy, the one that was here before. It looked like they were heading across the street."
Are we in suspense now? Chapter 4 is brewing. Please review!
