Chapter Seven
The Town Hall Declaration
When Lillian and Yoshi arrived mid-afternoon, Rosemary felt the joy of her and Sheldon hosting a house full of friends. While Rosemary lived alone for many years, usually having just her sister over or the historical society or the occasional friend from work, she found she had a good teammate in Sheldon in making everyone feel comfortable. They made an early dinner, Sheldon grilling burgers in front of the garage, Rosemary preparing the fixings and salads in the kitchen. While Yoshi met Sheldon's friends when he visited Caltech, Lillian was new to everyone but Raj, so Sheldon and Rosemary allowed them to get to know each other as they prepared the meal.
After dinner, the group lounged in the living room, chatting away, waiting until time to head to the elementary school for the town hall. Lillian, Raj, and Sheldon took advantage of being together to discuss submitting their black hole book to a publisher, and Rosemary found herself playing a competitive game of Monopoly with Leonard, Howard, and Yoshi.
"So what's on the agenda tomorrow?" asked Yoshi.
"We're taking the guys around the Sound," said Rosemary. "Wanna come?"
"Yeah, sounds cool," he turned to Leonard and Howard. "We're up here so Lil can meet with her dissertation committee on Monday. I'm golfing Chambers Bay with a buddy that day. Nice to be out of the USGS office. With the mountain more interesting, the tourists have become a bit obnoxious."
"I think it's cool Sheldon was there for the eruption," Howard said, rolling the dice.
"Yeah, that was a crazy day," said Yoshi, glancing at Rosemary. "A crazy week, huh Rose?" She just grinned at him and turned her attention to Howard's property purchase, since she was banker. Yoshi turned to the other two. "We totally shipped Rosie and Sheldon all week. Getting them on the same basketball team, leaving them to snuggle in front of the fire. And now they're living together, all lovey dovey. Thanks to Cupid, and me of course." Yoshi grabbed the dice. "I'm just glad I didn't have to come up here to beat up Sheldon last month?"
"What?" asked Rosemary, noticing Sheldon now listening to the conversation.
"We just had an argument, that's all," Sheldon said, sharing a glance with Yoshi. "We're fine now, right Yoshi?"
Rosemary studied Yoshi as him and Sheldon seemed to have some sort of telepathic conversation. She'd need to remember to ask Sheldon about it later.
"Yes," Yoshi said. "But I still could've taken you down."
"Ha! Fat chance," laughed Lillian, then got excited. "Ohhh…let's play Who Would Win in a Fight!"
"What's that?" asked Leonard as Raj, Sheldon, and Lillian joined them in the living room.
Rosemary laughed. "It's a game Lil and I play. You list two people, real or fictional, and you say who would win in a fight. You need to support your claims."
"And you can never pick Chuck Norris. He always wins," added Yoshi.
"Okay," said Howard, eying Sheldon. "Yoshi versus Sheldon."
"Well, I guess I should side with my husband," sighed Lillian.
"Sheldon is taller, but not a fighter," Leonard reasoned. "Although those newfound basketball skills…"
"But Yoshi golfs, so he has experience with potential weapons such as…a driver," laughed Howard.
"Yoshi would win," said Rosemary matter-of-factly.
"Hey!" cried Sheldon, a look of shock on his face.
"The chemicals in Yoshi's hair would asphyxiate Sheldon before he landed the first punch," she laughed, making Sheldon's shocked look melt into a smile.
"No need to be mean, Rosemary. Back off my hair game," scoffed Yoshi. "Okay, Darth Vader versus Superman."
"Wow! Um, Darth Vader before or after the suit?" asked Leonard.
"After," replied Yoshi.
"Are they on Earth fighting, because that would make a difference for Superman?" asked Howard.
"Yeah, they're participating in an underground kumite in Tokyo," Yoshi explained.
The group fell silent, considering.
"Hmmm…this is harder than I thought. The real question is, does the Force exist only in the galaxy far, far away or all over the universe?" asked Leonard.
"I suspect the Force is all over the universe," said Sheldon. "Maybe earthlings are not sensitive to it."
Rosemary slid into his lap and kissed his nose. "Remember when you were my Jedi, rescuing me?"
"Ah, yes, my little Sith," he kissed her lips.
"Gag! Stop it! We don't want to know about your strange little bedroom games," teased Lillian. "Okay, I'm going with Superman."
After playing a few more rounds, Raj got excited.
"I have a good one," said Raj. "Dumbledore versus Gandalf!"
Rosemary's heart leaped. Yes, Tolkien! She knew this Who Would Win in a Fight, having reasoned it before, using support from both Tolkien and Rowling. She was pretty sure Rowling would agree with her. She jumped to her feet.
"Oh, I know this one…"
"No!" cried Yoshi and Lillian in unison, startling the group.
"What?" asked Raj.
"There are two big rules in the Fox household," began Lillian. "You don't mention Tolkien unless you want a thirty minute Rosemary lecture. And you don't talk about the Texas sports teams unless you want to hear my dad's usual tirade."
"Hey, I don't lecture. I just…" Rosemary began, irritated with her sister. She knew Sheldon's friends appreciated Tolkien too.
"Um, yeah you do," Lil said.
Rosemary thought for a moment. "Well, maybe Yoshi and everyone else would like to hear about your Destiny's Child obsession, which was so bad, you and your two other friends dressed as them for one of the school dances. Oh, I think I have a photo."
"What? Seriously? I wanna see a picture," said Yoshi, jumping up in excitement. "Were you Beyonce?"
Rosemary moved toward the stairs. "I think it's in an album in the office."
"Seriously, Rosie. I'm sorry about the lecture comment…" began Lillian, but Rosemary bolted up the stairs, her sister fast on her heels.
Lillian caught up with her sister and pushed her playfully, tackling her, both landing on Rosemary and Sheldon's bed. The women laughed and looked at each other.
"I missed you," said Lillian. "You seem so happy. I'm really glad, Rose."
Rosemary smiled. "Thanks for bringing Sheldon into our lives, Lil."
Lillian smiled, then leaped off the bed. "Oh my God, I just realized you and Sheldon have sex in this bed."
Rosemary stood up and walked to the closet. "Yes, frequently."
"Gross."
Rosemary browsed through her closet. "What should I wear tonight? I plan on speaking in front of everyone?"
The sisters looked through the closet and chose a simple black pencil skirt and pink blouse. Rosemary closed the bedroom door and began to change, Lillian lounging on the bed, looking at one of Sheldon's comic books.
"Are you going to marry Sheldon?" Lillian asked suddenly, as Rosemary touched up her make-up.
Rosemary looked at her sister in the mirror. "I…I'm really in love with him. This is different than anything before…than Mike."
Lillian sat up. "If he asked you, would you say yes?"
Rosemary studied her own reflection. "Yes." She paused for a long moment. "Yes, I can see us together. Older. Kids. Things I never thought of before." She turned toward Lillian. "But isn't it too soon?"
Lillian shrugged. "You're happy. I know he is. When we first started talking to Sheldon, that guy was a wreck. Busted up over that chick, fighting with his friends. Seriously socially awkward, even more than you." Lillian laughed as Rosemary rolled her eyes. "And now, he's just, well, cool. Still weird, but so is our family, so it works." She laughed. "And he totally dotes on you. Making moon eyes at you all the time. And you, draping yourself all over him. It's sickeningly sweet, if you ask me. Marry him, Rose."
Rosemary stood up. "Help me pick some shoes."
They went into the office, the closet of which featured a large portion of Rosemary's shoe collection.
"These pink wedges are cute," said Lillian. "No, wait, these black heels. Nice thick heel. Looks like something from the 1940s. Ohhh, are those new Uggs?"
Lillian tried on some of Rosemary's shoes, although her feet were slightly bigger, as Rosemary decided on a purse.
Rosemary turned to her sister. "Oh, by the way, we had sex in this closet too," she laughed.
"Jesus, Rosemary," Lillian began laughing hard.
"Rosemary Fox!" came Sheldon's voice. Both women glanced up to see all the men standing in the office, looking in the closet. "And you told me not to talk about our sexcapades!" He stormed from the room.
The four men stared after him, then turned to look at the women sitting on the floor by the dozens of pairs of shoes.
"Did Sheldon just use the word sexcapades?" asked Howard.
Rosemary, whose face was already red, slammed the closet door, and the Fox sisters broke down in laughter.
An hour later, the group drove to the elementary school for the town hall, Rosemary and Sheldon in the Camaro, the others in their own vehicles, heading to their hotels after the meeting.
Sheldon glanced over at Rosemary. "Rosemary, I have a confession."
"Yes?"
"I may have spoken about a couple of our…um…intimate activities with my friends," he said, then spoke quickly. "Nothing too specific. Just…they brag about things…and, well I have it much better, so I need to brag too." He sighed. "I just wanted to tell you since I think it is hypocritical of me to get mad at you and…"
"Sheldon, we're fine," said Rosemary, glancing down at the notecards in her hands, Sheldon knowing those were the things she wanted to talk about that night. "I don't tell Lillian anything specific. I was just joking around with her." She paused. "And I think you would beat Yoshi in a fight. Speaking of, why did he say he wanted to beat you up?"
Sheldon sighed heavily. "He yelled at me about my jealousy over Enzo." Sheldon didn't want to talk about it, but Rosemary had ears like, well, a fox. "But we're good now."
He was happy when Rosemary just nodded, looking down at her cards again. Should he say something about running against Evil Senator Livingstone? Would Mabel say something? Perhaps he and the elderly woman should have made an official plan, but alas, she seemed more interested in afternoon bingo.
The school wasn't far, and the group entered, surprised to see the gymnasium almost full. A small stage was at the front, with a table, Evil Senator Livingstone sitting alone, waiting for the meeting to begin, fiddling with his phone. Sheldon noticed a couple of people from their neighborhood, members from their gym, people from the grocery store. Sheldon's group took a seat towards the middle of the house, Rosemary on the inner aisle, Sheldon beside her, Leonard, Raj, Howard, Yoshi, and Lillian completing the row.
"Okay, so that guy totally looks like Gene Hackman when he played Lex Luthor," said Leonard.
Sheldon nodded in agreement. The resemblance was uncanny. Wonder Woman Rosemary really did have her own supervillain. Sheldon's mind drifted to Rosemary in her little bustier and panties, only this time she was battling Livingstone, him firing bullets at her while she deflected them back at him with her bracelets. Dr. Sheldon Cooper, a prisoner of Livingstone's who was using the physicist to construct a bomb to wipe out humanity, watched from a cell in the secret lair, but when Rosemary defeated Livingstone, she grabbed Sheldon, took him to the Hall of Justice in her invisible plane, and once again invited him to her boudoir for coitus. Ah, yes. It was one of Sheldon's favorite fantasies, watching Rosemary wield her powers and then take him for a wild romp in bed.
"Dude, Sheldon, you okay? You have this really strange look on your face," asked Raj, shattering Sheldon's thoughts.
Sheldon reddened, realizing where he was and who he was with. Rosemary glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. She looked pretty in pink, business but soft. Her secret identity.
"I'm fine. Just thinking," Sheldon said, sitting up straight. While he used to daydream only about physics, Rosemary crept in more and more. Hmmm…maybe he could persuade her to wear her costume again later this evening. Maybe he could put together a role play game for Rosemary. What would she like? Sheldon's mind began to churn.
"All right, everyone," came Livingstone's voice, him taking a moment to adjust his lapel microphone. "I'd like to call this town hall to order. As you all know, we go back into session next week, and I want to know what issues need to be brought up on behalf of the people of Tacoma."
And the meeting began, people standing up from around the room to voice their concerns. Sheldon noticed Livingstone take notes from time to time, but he mostly appeared bored and disinterested. Now he saw why Rosemary distrusted him; he didn't listen to the people who he represented
Rosemary stood up, voicing her concerns on large class sizes in the public schools. Sheldon loved how her beautiful, clear voice projected throughout the place, and looked around pleased when he saw people regarding her, nodding.
"And I've looked at the state budget. If we weren't giving such a huge tax break to some of the corporations, we could afford more classroom teachers," said Rosemary.
"My dear, it is those tax breaks that attract these large employers to this state," said Livingstone. Sheldon sensed the senator was talking down to Rosemary, and he felt his blood run hot.
But Rosemary kept going, sounding professional, unflustered. "I understand that, senator. However, these same corporations also support the new STEM movement. With the new tech boom in the Pacific Northwest and…"
"There is no way, honey," he said, moving his eyes from her to the congregation. "Next?"
Sheldon glanced over to see Rosemary clench her fists, her notecards becoming creased. She remained standing.
"I am not done speaking, senator," she said loudly.
Any side conversations happening in the gym ceased and all eyes turned to Rosemary.
"I'd also like to bring up the issue of job training. Since we are recovering from a recession, we need to begin looking at our low income populations. We have many homeless families, not transients, but families with small children, who could really benefit from assistance. These are hardworking people, not asking for a handout, who hate being on Welfare, who…" she said.
"Why don't we hear from someone else?" asked Livingstone, obviously irritated.
"No," shouted someone from the back. "I think we'd all like to hear from her."
A chorus of agreement rang out through the assembly. Sheldon noticed Rosemary hadn't taken her eyes off of Livingstone. He glanced over at his friends, seeing everyone on the edge of their seats, eyes glued to the action. This was far better than television, and that was his woman causing the conflict. Sheldon's heart fluttered in excitement.
"As I was saying, you promised years ago job training for…" Rosemary continued.
"Yes, well sometimes things don't work out in the state senate or the budget for that matter," Livingstone said, Sheldon seeing his nostrils flaring. She was really getting the Lex Luthor look-alike riled up.
"They never do because you don't represent our interests," Rosemary said, her voice raising, Sheldon sensing a bit of anger.
"Tacoma is not the entire state. We need to consider the interests of those on both sides of the Cascades. On the coast and the farmlands," said Livingstone.
"I agree. But Tacoma is a large community, and you only represent the issues of the wealthy, the business owners, the upper-middle class, which is a small percentage of the population," said Rosemary. "But our town, our community is more than that. We are equal parts blue collar and white collar."
Clapping and sounds of affirmation rang out amongst the assembly. Livingstone opened his mouth, but Rosemary wasn't finished.
"We are longshoremen and doctors living side-by-side. We are teachers and contractors and electricians and artists and baristas and students. We are people trying to make our community better for each other, which I don't believe you are doing, and you hold the most power of all."
More cheers from the audience rose. Livingstone now stood up, looking rather threatening. Rosemary stood her ground.
"Go Rose," Sheldon heard Lillian whisper.
"Tacoma is a beautiful blending of people from all walks of life who deserve good, solid leadership who can see to the unique needs of our community," her voice filled the space, Sheldon marveling how she held the room, everyone fully engaged in her. But she only had eyes for Livingstone. "Frankly, Senator Livingstone, you've ignored this community for too long. Our schools need attention, our teachers support."
More cheers.
"Our hardworking families in poverty need to be risen up, not shamed."
Some people rose to their feet, shouting in agreement. Rosemary raised her voice.
"Our people need good health care so they can support our strong city. And…"
"Listen, young woman," said Livingstone, almost hissing at her. "I'm doing the best I can…"
"No you aren't," Rosemary said firmly.
Livingstone laughed, an unsettling sound to Sheldon's ears. He wished Rosemary had worn her Wonder Woman bracelets for protection. "Well, I appear to be the only choice this election day once again."
Chattering rose up amongst the assembly. Rosemary turned and locked eyes with Sheldon. Having known her for several months now, he knew her different moods. Her eyes flashed with rage and determination. He could see her body almost quaking, her fists still clenched.
Come on, Rosemary, he pleaded in his mind. You can do it!
Rosemary turned back to Livingstone. "You are not running unopposed anymore."
Livingstone looked confused. "And who is running against me?"
Rosemary took two steps forward. "Me," she said, loud and clear, her voice echoing in the large room.
The gym erupted in cheering and shouting.
"Holy shit," Sheldon heard Yoshi say.
Sheldon looked over to see his group all staring in awe at Rosemary, Lillian on her feet along with others in the room. Livingstone banged his fist on the table, and the room grew quiet.
"What is your name?" he said.
"Rosemary Fox."
"Well, Ms. Fox, you should have filed your paperwork in May to get on the ballot and in the pamphlet."
"I know how this works, senator. I can run as a write-in candidate," she said.
"Well, in order to legally campaign, you need to file your paperwork by this Tuesday, complete with a thousand voter signatures," he said, then got a look of mock sadness on his face. "But alas, the elections office is closed tomorrow as it is Sunday."
"Oh, I happen to have the paperwork right here," came a small voice from behind. Sheldon turned around to see Mabel and others from the retirement home two rows back. Mabel was standing holding up a file. "I picked this up a couple weeks ago. Been thinking about running myself, you know instead of bingo and knitting. But I would rather Rosemary Fox run." She handed Rosemary the file and winked at Sheldon.
More shouts and cheers rang out.
"I'll sign right now!" cried someone from the front.
"Fox for senate!" yelled another.
Sheldon felt himself about to burst with excitement. Rosemary was really doing it! He needed to get started developing the emblem for her campaign.
Livingstone again banged on the table.
"Fine!" he said, now looking genuinely angry. "I'll see you at the debate, little girl. Meeting adjourned." He marched off the stage, followed by several men in suits from the front row.
Sheldon rose, wanting to grab Rosemary and kiss her senseless. He felt so proud. His girlfriend just took on Evil Senator Livingstone. But as he moved toward her, so did about a hundred other people. She became lost in a mass of others. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Mabel.
"Nice work, my boy," she said. "But you may want to just sit and wait now. Your girl needs to work the crowd. Oh, this is so exciting. Everyone at the home will be so happy. We need to start working on posters." She walked back towards the other seniors, who were shuffling toward the door.
Sheldon sat back down next to Leonard.
"Wow, Rosemary is something else," Leonard said.
"Yeah, she's got balls. That guy is terrifying," said Howard.
"He looked like he wanted to tear her head off," added Raj.
Sheldon turned to respond, but noticed two people were now standing directly before him, the empty chairs in front of him the only buffer. A tall, broad-shouldered African-American man next to a petite, slender, incredibly pale blonde woman. They studied Sheldon intently.
"Rosemary Fox came in with you, correct?" asked the man.
Sheldon nodded. He noticed the woman was frantically browsing on her tablet. She turned to look at her companion. "She's educated, has a solid job in the community, published, native Washingtonian, Native American. All in all, a solid candidate."
The man nodded and turned back to the sitting Sheldon. "I'm Mark."
"And I'm Melissa," said the woman. "We are lawyers for the law firm Gee, Goodman, and Graham. We have a special interest in community works and…"
"Namely, we need Livingstone out of office and have been waiting a long time for someone with charisma to run," Mark finished.
"We offer to run Ms. Fox's campaign…" said Melissa.
"As a public service, no charge," finished Mark.
Sheldon felt overwhelmed by their fast, back and forth style, but they didn't let up.
"Who are you?" asked Mark.
"Dr. Sheldon Cooper."
"Ohhh, a doctor," said Melissa, beginning to browse through her tablet again. She turned to Mark. "Great connection with health care." Back to Sheldon. "Where do you practice?"
"I'm not a medical doctor. I'm a theoretical physicist working for the new SpaceX campus."
Mark and Melissa both nodded enthusiastically. "Excellent. Up and coming tech company. Should go nicely with her comments about STEM," said Mark. "We saw you holding hands with her. Can we assume husband?"
"Um…boyfriend," Sheldon glanced over at his friends, who were looking at him a bit concerned. Yoshi leaned in listening. Lillian had joined her sister and had the paperwork, already gathering signatures across the room. Sheldon turned back to the lawyers.
"For how long?" asked Melissa.
Sheldon thought for a moment. "Nine months." Nine months! That short amount of time? Yet, he felt connected with her more than any other person he'd ever met, more than Leonard, Amy, anybody. How had that happened?
"Live separate or together?" asked Mark. Sheldon noticed Melissa frowning at her screen.
"Together. In a townhome in the hills," Sheldon explained.
Mark and Melissa turned to each other and both shrugged. "It's the 21st century. People can deal with a candidate who lives with her boyfriend," said Melissa. "I want to talk about these rather unflattering YouTube videos of you."
Sheldon glanced at the screen and saw several of his past embarrassing moments as a playlist on the website. He sighed. One could not outrun past transgressions.
"These are all on a page belonging to a hwolowitz?" Melissa said.
Howard snickered. "Oh, that's me."
Mark and Melissa looked at Howard seriously, causing his laughter to die instantly.
"You need to remove all those videos with Dr. Cooper by tomorrow," Mark said.
"Why? That's my channel and…"
"If you don't, we will sue you on Dr. Cooper's behalf," explained Mark calmly. "Nothing personal, but we will win, and you will be left with nothing."
Howard stared at them, speechless. He finally turned to Sheldon. "You'd sue me?"
Sheldon opened his mouth, but Melissa continued, "Dr. Cooper will now be seen a lot with Ms. Fox, future Senator Fox, as she moves about the community, attends events, campaigns. We need him to look good. You will remove those videos." She studied Sheldon. "Is this how you normally dress?"
Sheldon looked down at himself. He wore the usual slacks and tonight his Green Lantern shirt. "Yes, but I dress a bit different for work and conferences and…"
Mark interrupted, putting his hand on Melissa's shoulder. "I can get him a consultant and…"
"Ohhh, let me!" piped in Yoshi.
Mark and Melissa turned and looked at the young man, who tonight sported blue-tipped spikes and his usual hipster clothes.
"No!" they cried in shocked unison.
"Please, never give Dr. Cooper fashion advice," said Melissa. "We'll help him. We have people." Sheldon saw Yoshi's look of defeat. Melissa glanced at Rosemary at the front of the assembly. "However, our candidate seems to have good fashion and presentation sense. And I love the shoes."
"Rosemary pays attention to the latest fashion," said Sheldon. "And owns over 250 pairs of shoes. And she always presents herself well. And she's caring, beautiful, and will win."
Mark smiled. "I'm happy to see she has such support at home. Now two more questions. Are there any potential sex scandals?"
Sheldon's eyes widened. He looked over at his friends again who seemed a little bewildered.
"Sex scandals?" Sheldon asked.
"Yes, cheating, online trysts, prostitution, affairs…" listed Melissa.
"Absolutely not," cried Sheldon, aghast that people would think his Wonder Woman, or himself for that matter, could be involved in such sordid things. "Rosemary is…well, it's just us…and we…"
"Okay, okay," laughed Mark. "More importantly, any money scandals?"
"Money scandals are a bigger deal than sex scandals?" asked Leonard.
"Oh yes," said Melissa. "At least in this day and age."
"Rosemary is not wealthy, but owns a home," said Sheldon. He thought about their life together. "We're comfortable. Nothing illegal."
Melissa and Mark nodded, then glanced over at Rosemary, whose crowd was starting to thin a bit.
Mark extended his hand to Sheldon. "Well, we're going to talk with our candidate. Thank you so much. We look forward to working with you, Dr. Cooper."
Melissa shook Sheldon's hand as well and then the duo floated over to talk to Rosemary. Sheldon sat back down after the farewells with the lawyers and finally turned to his friends.
"You going to be able to handle this, buddy?" asked Leonard.
"Of course," said Sheldon. "I was the one who originally encouraged her to run. Weeks ago."
"But Sheldon, this is going to be a lot of work. A lot of, well, schmoozing. Something you are not…um," said Raj.
"I can't believe you're going to sue me!" Howard growled at Sheldon.
"Dude, just take the videos off your page," chastised Raj. "Help out."
Howard glared at the ground.
Sheldon's mind began to run in all directions. Raj was right, he couldn't schmooze. However, he loved and believed in Rosemary. And he had ideas for her campaign. He could handle this; after all, Rosemary supported him with his work, he needed to return the favor.
He remembered watching Erik with Amy at the university gala months ago, Erik genuinely happy for Amy as she won her big award. Erik had been the subject of Sheldon's own anthropological study the previous summer, and he noticed Amy thrived under Erik's unwavering support, something Sheldon had never fully given her, always so focused on himself. But he'd learned, his angry spying on Erik turning into actual useful information and skills. Sheldon was in a relationship with his true love, the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, who made him feel loved and supported. He would be there for her.
Sheldon and the others began chatting about other things as they waited. Another twenty minutes passed before Rosemary finally rejoined the group, quietly sitting next to Sheldon, the gymnasium almost empty. Sheldon noticed she looked a little shocked, flushed. She studied Sheldon and opened her mouth, but Yoshi interrupted.
"Rose, you were gangsta," he cried. "Hey, let's go celebrate! I'll buy a round of local brews at the billiards bar up the street. Wanna rematch with Coopersaurus anyway. Who's game? Night's still young."
The group seemed excited to play, so everyone headed to the cars. Sheldon noticed Rosemary still seemed shocked and held his hand a bit tighter.
In the car, Rosemary finally spoke. "What the hell did I do?"
Sheldon turned to her, as they were now sitting at a red light. "What do you mean?"
Rosemary just shook her head. "Never mind. Let's go hit things with sticks."
Sheldon drove, the car in silence. He felt confused; Rosemary should be as excited as he was, more so. She was going to be a senator. But looking at her, he sensed fear. He wished he could crawl inside her head to see what was going on.
Inside the bar, the group got a table, Yoshi running over to grab a round of beers featured from a brewery in Portland, one he promised offered a nice, crisp PNW flavor for their California guests. He handed everyone a bottle, and called for a toast.
"To Rose Fox, who's going to wipe the floor with Senator Livingstone this November," said Yoshi. The group clinked their bottles together and took a sip. All except Rosemary.
Although she didn't drink often, Rosemary did sometimes enjoy a beer, especially ones chosen by Yoshi, who seemed to know his brews. However, the smell as she brought it up to her lips made her instantly nauseous. She put the bottle down on a nearby table and glanced across the room, finding the restroom.
"Excuse me," she said, heading toward the back hall.
As she walked, she felt her heart knocking in her chest. What had she done? Had she really said she was running for senate? What had she been thinking? She couldn't run for office? Who would vote for her? She just got so angry. But she was no politician. Still, those lawyers seemed to think she could win. And then there was Sheldon…
The establishment only had one restroom, and it was locked, the little sign indicating occupied. Rosemary leaned against the wall, willing herself not to throw up. She met the gaze of Kurt Cobain, center in a signed and framed Nirvana poster hanging on the wall.
Damn that Sheldon! Him and his honeyed southern drawl, so persuasive, telling her to run, that she could rule the world. Calling her his Wonder Woman. She'd met his blue eyes right before she declared her candidacy, his gaze encouraging her to take the risk. And she had. Yes, it was all his fault.
How long was this person going to take in the restroom?!
Rosemary felt dizzy. She was planning to start her doctoral program in three weeks. She was teaching a class on Pacific Northwest tribes at the community college during the fall. She worked full time at the museum. And now she was running for state senate. What the hell?
Rosemary slid down the wall to be sitting on the floor, not minding the fact the carpet probably hadn't been vacuumed in several days or that she was in a skirt. Hugging her knees, she tried to calm her breathing.
"Rosemary?"
She looked up to see Sheldon standing over her, a deeply worried expression on his face.
"I'm okay, Sheldon," she said, but her voice was quivering. "No, I'm not."
Sheldon sat down beside her without hesitation. "Talk to me, Rosemary. Please." he said.
Rosemary stretched her legs out in front of her, crossing them at the ankles. "Sheldon, I…I don't think I can do this. Run for office. Who's going to vote for me?"
"Lillian already collected 200 signatures," Sheldon pointed out.
"Yeah, but…but…well, I have so much going on," she said, knowing she was looking at the big picture but unable to see any other images. "I guess I could delay starting my doctorate." She laughed. "I mean really, the reason why I wanted to get one was to run for office. But like you said, I don't necessarily need it." She sighed. "This is all your fault."
"What?"
"You kept saying it, encouraging me," she said, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt. "And…I do want to…but I'm scared."
Sheldon scooted over and put his arm around her shoulder. "Rosemary, you will win. And it will be scary going up against Lex Luthor…ah, Evil Senator Livingstone. But when I watched you this evening, you…you were incredible. And you're my girlfriend. And it was very…arousing." He nuzzled the side of her head, kissing her cheek.
Rosemary smiled, feeling a little better. "But Sheldon, this is going to be a lot of work. And I've really been enjoying being just us, having a home together, getting to know each other."
"I've enjoyed that too," he said. "But you want this, don't you?"
Rosemary thought for a moment. "Yes."
"Then I am here for you," he said. "Because I want this for you too, Senator Fox."
"There you two are," said Lillian, entering the back hallway. "Thought you were going for a little bathroom tryst since you can't keep your hands off each other." She stopped as she saw her sister. "You okay, Rose."
"Yeah, just terrified," Rosemary answered.
Lillian sat on the floor on the other side of her sister and took her hand. "Rose, you were fabulous tonight, and I know you loved it. And you're going to kill at the debate. And meeting people, campaigning. You know this community, the people. And people love you. You were made to do this. And we're all here for you. Me, Shel, Yoshi, everyone."
The trio fell into silence, Rosemary feeling so much better having her loving boyfriend on one side of her and her sister, her rock, on the other side. Yes, things were becoming clearer in her head. She could do this. She wanted to, for years. Why not now?
Sheldon, Rosemary, and Lillian returned to the group and played the games, Rosemary still neglecting the beer, noticing Sheldon himself left his nearly full. She knew her stomach would not accept it, even though she felt a little better.
Later that night, Sheldon fell asleep quickly, but Rosemary lay awake, her mind churning with everything that happened. Sure, she wasn't running for the national senate, but this was huge for her. She turned to Sheldon, focusing on his face, his steady breathing calming her. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. And he believed in her.
Leaning over, she whispered in his ear, "I love you."
"Hmmm…" he murmured, shifting around. "Rescue me, Wonder Woman."
Rosemary giggled, loving how sometimes he talked in his sleep.
"Rescue you from what?" she whispered.
"From…from…oh dear…" he breathed, flopping over on his side.
"What's wrong?"
"My…black dry erase pen…out of ink…dry…but…but…Rosemary…senator," then he began to snore softly.
Rosemary snuggled against him and eventually drifted off, a smile on her face.
The next morning, she awoke facing the clock. Half past ten! They were supposed to take Sheldon's friends around the Sound. Sitting up, she noticed she was in bed alone and could hear voices downstairs. Jumping out of bed, she pulled on some pajama bottoms and her robe. Padding softly into the living room, she found Sheldon and his friends at the kitchen table, each with a laptop.
"What's going on?" Rosemary asked, all the men looking up in unison at the sound of her voice. She saw pans out, Sheldon having probably cooked something for the group, made coffee. "Are you playing some sort of online game?"
Sheldon jumped up, excited. "Oh no, we are working on the Rosemary Fox, 2016 campaign."
"We signed up for several social media accounts. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram," began Leonard.
"And have been developing a plan to get the rest of the signatures by the end of the day," continued Raj.
"And I deleted Sheldon's stupid videos so I won't get sued," Howard growled, glaring at Sheldon.
"But we were going to take you sightseeing today," said Rosemary.
"This is more fun," said Sheldon, his friends nodding in agreement.
"Yes, I have different areas mapped out, and we're going to separate and gather signatures. The malls, the Tacoma Dome, which is hosting a UFC event this afternoon and evening. We'll stand outside," said Raj, sounding excited. "This is just like a scavenger hunt."
"I already designed business cards to hand to people so they can access your social media," explained Howard. "Lil and Yoshi are getting them printed now."
"They've already been here?" she asked. She was the one running for office, and stood amongst all these people working in her pajamas. "I'm…I'm not even dressed. I never sleep this late…I…"
Sheldon jumped up and kissed her on the cheek, moving toward his espresso machine. "It's all right, kitten. Your brain was working on overtime. Amy explained to me one time that sometimes when we've been thinking a lot, and our thoughts are disjointed, our body forces us to sleep to recover."
Everyone nodded at her, smiling, then refocused on their work.
Rosemary turned and went to the living room to sit on the sofa, Sheldon bringing her a latte with a heart on top. She looked at him, feeling tears in her eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered, trying not to cry.
Sheldon wrapped her in his arms. "You were there for me in Rome. And…you saved me last November. Part of a relationship is supporting each other."
"Yes," she whispered into his shoulder. "You saved me too." She leaned back to look him in the eyes, giving him her best smile. "Well, I guess you should help. This was all your idea."
Sheldon jumped up, excited. "Cheese, mushroom, and sausage omelet?"
"You know my order, Chef Cooper," she giggled.
Sheldon bounded off to the kitchen as Rosemary curled up on the couch, watching the group work. Soon Lillian and Yoshi returned, and after a filling breakfast, Rosemary got dressed and they left in teams to gather signatures.
By the time the group reassembled at the Fox-Cooper residence for dinner, they'd gathered over 1,500 signatures. Staring at all the names and addresses of people who would vote for her, Rosemary suddenly felt determination override her fears. Senator Livingstone better watch out – Rosemary Fox represented the people of Tacoma. And she would win.
Author's Note: Next time, the guys meet Sheldon's doppelganger, Rosemary begins her campaign, and Sheldon becomes a beast in bed.
Also, I posted the first chapter of my Amy/Erik story, The Christmas Calendar Conception, this past week. Please check it out!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the U.S.! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday full of love. I'm thankful for having such a fun way to practice my writing and a supportive community of readers. Have a great week, everyone. Take care of yourselves and each other.
