When Amy arrived at Sheldon's apartment complex on Sunday, he was standing outside waiting for her.
"I thought I'd save you the trouble of walking up the stairs only to come right back down again."
"Thanks, Sheldon. That was very thoughtful. Happy Valentine's Day."
"Really, Amy? I thought you were above that lovey dovey nonsense."
"I am, but I felt it a fitting greeting, given what day it is."
Sheldon got into the passenger seat and decided to ignore her comment. He didn't want to say anything to make her second guess signing the contract.
As they drove to their destination, they talked about what they'd both been up to since they last saw each other on Thursday. Amy filled him in on the progress of her study at work. Sheldon told her about all the whining Raj did in the cafeteria and while the guys tried to play vintage video games on Friday.
"Honestly, you would think he had an incurable disease the way he was acting."
Two hours later, as they pulled away from the train store, Amy asked, "Shall I pick anything up for our Fun With Flags show?"
"I have all the flag paraphernalia we'll need tonight, but I wouldn't object to you picking up dinner while I set up."
"What do you eat on Sundays?"
"I always have fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, and buttermilk biscuits. It's what my mom always cooked for Sunday dinner. Her food is to die for, figuratively speaking, of course. The restaurants don't even come close. She also makes the best peach cobbler."
"That sounds delicious. I'll drop you off at home to set up. I have some things I need to do at my place, then I'll come by with dinner."
After she dropped Sheldon off, she made a quick trip to the grocery store.
Just before 6 p.m., Amy reached the 3rd floor landing of Sheldon's building. She paused to set down a large tote bag bulging with her purse and containers of food, catching her breath and giving her arms a rest. The tenants really needed to persuade management to fix the elevator. Luckily Leonard and Penny were on their way down.
"Hey, Amy. Let me get that for you," Leonard offered. He lifted the tote, nearly toppling over from the unexpected weight. "What do you have in here? A ton of bricks?"
"Thank you, Leonard. It's just some things for my dinner with Sheldon tonight."
Penny ran back up to the 4th floor. "Sheldon, Amy's here," she announced. To Amy she said, "Leonard and I have dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant, so we better get going. Have fun tonight!" She grabbed the tote from her husband as he struggled up the last few steps and set it on the 4th floor landing.
Sheldon stepped out into the hallway sniffing appreciatively. "Amy, that smells wonderful."
"Thanks, Sheldon." She walked over to the island intending to unpack the food, but it was set up with two dinner plates with perfectly placed silverware sitting atop cloth napkins.
"Since this is your first time co-hosting Fun With Flags, I thought you would be less nervous if we had a relaxing dinner instead of sitting on the couch," he explained.
He cleared a space on the back counter. Amy reached into the tote and removed a bucket of chicken, followed by a small crockpot with mashed potatoes, a container of gravy, corn on the cob, and a basket brimming with homemade buttermilk biscuits. "I picked up the chicken from the restaurant and made the rest myself."
Sheldon's mouth watered. He grabbed his plate and loaded it with the goodies. Amy did the same, then they took their seats at the island. Sheldon took a bite out of a biscuit. His eyes rolled back into his head. "Oh, dear Lord! These are even better than my mother's!"
"I'm so glad you like it."
"Like it? I love it!" He devoured the remainder of the biscuit. "Where are my manners? Would you like a cup of tea?" He asked, getting up to bring the tea box over to her.
"I'd love some. I'll have that one," she said, pointing to a packet of green tea."
"Excellent choice. I will have the same." They ate and talked as they waited for the water to boil.
"I brought one more thing that I made this afternoon. It will go well with the tea," Amy said as she pulled a covered baking pan from the tote.
Sheldon flipped open the lid and gasped in delight. "Peach cobbler! This is turning into the best day ever!"
Amy beamed. "I'll serve you a slice. Where do you keep your plates and utensils?"
Sheldon stepped around her to reach into the cupboard and produced two small plates. "Forks are in here and knives over there."
They dug into the cobbler, Sheldon moaning appreciatively with each bite.
At 7:30 he excused himself to gather the flags from his bedroom as Amy placed the leftovers in the fridge. He returned and ushered her into the living room. "Please, have a seat."
They settled into their respective seats on the couch. He set the flags down on the coffee table in front of him then faced her. "Only 25 minutes until show time. Are you nervous?"
"A little," she admitted.
"Let's practice first to loosen you up. I'll pretend I'm a caller, and you can welcome me to the show."
They bantered back and forth for a few minutes then Sheldon double checked his laptop's video and audio settings and unveiled the whiteboard behind them.
'Dr. Sheldon Cooper Presents Fun With Flags'. Then in smaller print below 'with co-host Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler'.
"Ten seconds to show time. Ready Dr. Cooper?" They counted down together. When they reached 'one', Amy hit the 'on' button.
"Good evening and welcome to the very first live episode of 'Dr. Cooper Presents Fun With Flags'. Tonight I'd like to introduce you to my co-host, Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler."
She waved into the camera. "Good evening, everyone."
"Over the next 60 minutes, you will be given the opportunity to call in with your flag-related thoughts and questions. Oh look, our first caller. Go ahead caller, you're on the air."
"Penny was right. I should have waited until after Valentine's Day to break up with Emily. Now I'm all alone."
"Raj?" Sheldon asked.
"I screwed everything up just like I always do. What is wrong with me?" Raj wailed.
"Well, for starters, this show is called Fun With Flags not Dear Abby, so unless you wish to discuss flags, I suggest disconnecting right now."
Amy interjected. "Sheldon, your friend is hurting. Can you try being a bit supportive?"
Raj perked up, "Hi, Amy! You are so kind. You know, Valentine's Day is not over yet. The sky is clear, perfect conditions for stargazing."
"Rajesh, I'm sorry you took my words the wrong way. You just got out of a relationship. You're on the rebound, and I don't want to get involved in that type of situation."
"What is a good timeframe..."
Sheldon intervened, "The lady isn't interested." He put his arm around her protectively.
"Sheldon, we have another caller." She hit the answer button. "Hello, and welcome to Fun With Flags. What is your question?"
"Nice job, Cooper! Where did you find that hottie?"
"Kripke?"
"Who's Kripke?" Amy asked.
He turned slightly to look her. "Barry Kripke. My arch nemesis at the university."
"Cooper, you didn't answer my question. Your girlfriend... how did you manage to get a hottie like that?"
Sheldon tightened his arm around Amy. "I consider Amy a very good friend, but she is not my girlfriend."
"Really? Well, in that case, Amy how would you like to spend time with a real man? One who will..."
"That's enough, Barry. Amy, I'm sorry this has gotten out of hand."
"It's not your fault." She discreetly placed her left hand on his lower back and rubbed in soothing circles, both to calm him down and reassure him that she was okay.
To his callers he said, "Gentlemen, you leave me no choice but to disconnect you. To all our other callers, we will refrain from taking additional calls tonight. I apologize if you planned on calling in to ask legitimate flag questions. You can comment on my Youtube channel, where they will be screened for appropriateness and answered in a future episode."
Sheldon apologized to Amy again after they signed off. "I hope you don't regret agreeing to co-host. I promise you, the show has always been a lot more fun when it's pre-taped. Tonight was our first and last live episode."
She looked up into his eyes as he gazed down into hers. "I believe you, Sheldon, and look forward to our next show. I still had a good time with you tonight."
"As did I with you. Thank you again for dinner. It's not often I eat anything homemade. Would it be too much to ask if we do it again sometime soon?" He asked hopefully.
"I think that can be arranged." She checked her watch. "It's after 9 p.m., so I should be going. Goodnight, Sheldon."
"I'll walk you to your car."