Meanwhile over in Glendale, Howard and Leonard watched on as Sheldon pulled out Amy's spare key from his wallet and used it to open her apartment door. The fact that he even had a key to his girlfriend's apartment was enough to give Leonard reason to take back every last taunt that the group had made over their 'supposed' relationship.
"Gentlemen, I thank you for your assistance. Please let the bags just inside the door and I will expect one of you to return to collect me at precisely ten-thirty." Sheldon watched as Howard and Leonard placed the bags where he had instructed before he very firmly closed the door in their faces.
"Wonder what's in the bags?" Mused Howard as they took the stairs back down to the street, where Leonard's car was parked.
"Don't know about yours, but mine was full of rope…" Leonard gave Howard a pat on the back as they climbed back into the car. "Never mind, Howie. Maybe there was something better in your bag." Leonard started the car and they headed back across to Pasadena.
Sheldon was busy setting the scene for when Amy returned; rearranging her living room furniture so that a single dining room chair was placed just out of sight of the doorway but angled so that he could see when she arrived home. He'd set her lights on remote control so that when she reached out to flick the switch for the overhead light, none would come on except for a single spotlight aimed directly at the doorway. He had switched his phone off as soon as he'd left the apartment, otherwise he would have seen various texts and missed calls from both Penny and Bernadette who were now on their way over to Glendale.
"Hey, wasn't that Amy's car that we just saw?" Howard craned his neck to see whether he could make out the license plate, Leonard looked at his watch before dismissing the idea.
"It's only just gone half eight, Penny wasn't supposed to let her leave until nearer nine."
"Speaking of Penny….isn't that her totally ignoring that stop sign?"
"WHAT?" Leonard slammed on the brakes and after checking the traffic made a u-turn, flashing his lights to get her attention. They both pulled over at the side of the road and he raced over to check what went wrong.
"Leonard, she sent the wrong link! She's not breaking up with him at all!" Penny rushed over and gabbled what they'd just discovered.
"Oh my god!" That was all Leonard could think of to say, "He's got rope in there and everything…."
"That's a lariat, sweetie. He was gonna lasso her so that she had to hear what he's got to say…Raj let slip some of the other things that he purchased as well…"
"Oh my god…" Leonard swallowed hard, "Penny, she just passed us on the street. Didn't any of you think to call ahead?"
"He's got his phone switched off…and you know he would never answer someone else's landline…"
"You could've just left a message on her machine, he would've heard it that way." Leonard suggested, and patted Penny on the shoulder when she realised that maybe she could have tried harder to stop whatever else it was Sheldon had planned. "Come on, let's go back to Amy's…things might be getting a little heated in there."
Amy fumbled with getting her key into her lock, she'd only had the one glass of wine at Penny's before deciding to come home to check her e-mails once again for any word from Sheldon. She reached over to flick on the light switch only to find a single bulb coming on in the middle of the kitchen, causing her to wince as the glare bounced off her glasses.
"Evenin' Amy," A low drawl coming from the direction of the living room had her sucking in a large gulp of air as she fought to control her feminine urges.
"She…Sheldon?" She finally asked, her voice getting stuck in the back of her throat. She held a hand over her glasses to try and reduce the glare, but could only make out a shadowy figure slowly rising from a chair just out of sight, there was a low swishing noise and suddenly she gasped as a rope flew out of the air to wrap around her waist. "Hoo!" She hooted involuntarily, as she felt herself being slowly pulled forward by the shadowy figure wrapping the rope around his wrist and forearm in a loop.
"We're needin' to have ourselves a little conversation, little lady." As Amy was pulled nearer she could make out the lanky frame of her boyfriend but boy did he look different! Sheldon was wearing dark Wranglers with a brilliant white shirt, he had a string tie around his neck and on top of his head was a black Stetson. She stole a glance at the way his Wranglers hugged his buttocks and bit back another hoot of appreciation. Sheldon moved closer and nudged her gently into his abandoned chair, working quickly he tied her feet to the legs of the chair before making a few loops around her waist for good measure. As he knelt before her, Amy looked down at the way the denim stretched across his thighs and moulded themselves around his clearly defined manhood.
"Hooo!" Amy cooed under her breath and Sheldon hid a smirk under the brim of his hat; with his superb hearing he'd heard every involuntary response that Amy had uttered since entering the apartment and it only proved to him that she wasn't as immune to him as she'd led him to believe.
"Now, how about you explain to me the meanin' of that little note that you pinged to me yesterday morning?" Sheldon aimed the remote control at Amy's stereo and the sounds of "The Long Goodbye" filled the room. Sheldon paused the music and leant closer, "Ringin' any bells yet?"
"Ooh, you got my e-mail!" Amy said excitedly before she realised that she didn't actually recognise the song that Sheldon had playing on th stereo. "No…that's not what I sent…" Amy stared into his intent gaze, their familiar blue darkened by the brim of his hat.
"No…What do you mean 'no'? Is this or is this not the song that you e-mailed me whilst I was on a train journeying through Nevada, informing me that you wished to formally break up with me? A rather harsh way of informing me of your intentions, I might add."
"No, that's not the song I sent to you." Amy's quiet voice had Sheldon rocking back on his heels.
"I beg to differ, little lady. I have a print out of the e-mail and took the liberty of making a few notes of the lyrics:
Come on baby it's over let's face it, all that's happening here is a long goodbye…" Sheldon waved the e-mail print out in front of him and started pacing the room. "I won't have it, do you hear me, Amy? That is not how we Texan's say goodbye!" He knelt down in front of her again and grasped her forcefully by the arms to tilt her face up to his level. "This is how we say goodbye." Sheldon slowly bent his head to press his lips lightly against hers, rubbing slightly against her open mouth and getting the faint tang of white wine from her breath. When she gasped at the contact, he slipped the tip of his tongue inside to lightly graze her own tongue; learning the different textures of her mouth and tasting the flavour that was uniquely hers…
"Hoo!" Amy whispered as Sheldon finally released her mouth, only to lay a trail of kisses across her cheek and down to side of her neck where he gently sucked at the side of her neck before blowing gently over the wet moisture left behind.
"Still want to say goodbye?" Sheldon whispered gently as he continued to press soft, moist kisses up and down her neck, gently nudging the shoulder strap aside so that he could access more of her softly scented skin. "Or maybe you want to have a Texan 'hello' first?" Without giving her another chance to utter another word, Sheldon swooped down to capture her lips in a take no prisoners kiss. His tongue delved straight in to tangle with hers and his hands were tangled in her fine hair, holding her captive to his marauding tongue. One of Amy's free hands came up to tilt the brim of his hat back, whilst the other slid down to slide into the back pocket of his jeans, cupping his firm buttocks and gently massaging.
"Mmm…No!" Sheldon tore his mouth away and pulled away from the tantalising female tormentor that was Amy Farrah Fowler. "Lord woman, you've got me so tangled up I don't know which way is up and which is down. I knew this would happen which is why I kept my distance yesterday…"
"You've been back since yesterday, and you didn't think to call?" Amy was hurt but trying desperately not to show it, Sheldon could hear it in her voice and knelt in front of her again, untying the ropes binding her to the chair.
"I got your e-mail and I flew straight home; I've been settin' this whole thing up since yesterday morning and now I don't know what to think! You didn't send me a song link, telling me that you wanted to break up with me?" Sheldon sat back on his heels and took his hat off to run his fingers through his hair.
"No! Why would you even think that?" Amy knelt in front of Sheldon and took the hat out of his hands to place it gently back on his head.
"Perhaps because the song's called 'The Long Goodbye'?" Sheldon offered a gentle hint and Amy gave a slight smile before taking back the remote control.
"This is what I thought I'd sent you…" Amy found the track on the CD that she'd been listening to in her car and thought that it expressed her feelings perfectly.
I keep thinkin' any minute you'll be comin' home honey
I ain't seen nothin' of you in a month of Sundays
Tell me, how long gone are you gonna be?
All you said was you had to get goin'
Oh, but baby I wouldn't mind knowin' just
How long gone are you gonna be?
How am I supposed to make any plans?
When I still don't even understand
If you're ever gonna come back home to me
Tell me please, how long gone are you gonna be?
"Guess I won't be needing to play you this then…" Sheldon rose to his feet and held out a hand for Amy to join him. He aimed the remote at the stereo and selected the disc that he'd placed in there just a short while ago.
Our love is unconditional, we knew it from the start. I cross my heart and promise to
I see it in your eyes, you can feel it from my heart.
From here on after let's stay the way we are right now,
And share all the love and laughter that a lifetime will allow.
Give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true.
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine.
"Oh, Sheldon…that's lovely, just perfect." Amy lay her head against Sheldon's chest as they swayed gently to the music playing softly in the background. She leant her head back to meet his soft gaze. "So remind me again, how did that Texan 'hello' go again?" Sheldon growled softly before bending her back over his arm to remind her exactly how a true Texan greeted his lady after a long period away. Their hands had just started to stray into definite 'second base' territory when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Ignore it, whoever it is they'll soon go away." Amy muttered as she reached out to drag Sheldon's mouth back down to hers. Sheldon found himself unable to respond as his tongue was most definitely otherwise engaged. The knocking continued and Sheldon tore himself away from his tormentor and strode to the door, throwing it open to reveal a sea of familiar faces. Leonard, Howard, Bernadette and Penny were all standing crowding the entrance and gaped at the sight of a severely dishevelled Sheldon greeting them with his shirt buttons askew and the tail of his shirt hanging over his waistband. They peered behind him to see a dreamy eyed looking Amy standing in the middle of the living room floor with lips all swollen and looking quite dishevelled herself.
"Just checking what time you wanted collecting; it's close to ten – thought you might want to come back with us now." Leonard checked his watch and squinted up at his best friend, who did not look happy to see any of them at this present time.
"Leonard, I appreciate the offer; but I no longer require any further assistance this evening. G'night, y'all." With that decisive statement, a strange mix of standard Sheldon with a hint of twang he shut the door; locking it firmly behind him.