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The Survival Imperative.
Chapter 11.
Thursday afternoon found Sheldon getting back to his old self.
It was approaching a fortnight since Amy moved out, and thoughts of her seldom intruded on his work any more, but he couldn't say the same of his leisure time.
Knocking off for lunch, he made his way down the corridor toward the cafeteria, when who should he see heading toward him, but the one and only Amy Farrah Fowler.
As they approached one another, he found himself speaking "Good afternoon Doctor Fowler. What brings you to Caltech today?"
"I've just been into Human Resources" she replied, equally formally, "I start back full time on Monday".
"I'll see you then" he replied, then went to continue along the corridor.
"Sheldon" Amy announced, her voice softening, "just because we aren't together, doesn't mean we can't be friends".
Sheldon paused. "You're quite right" he replied, "it was wrong of me to call you Doctor Fowler. My apologies, Amy".
"Sheldon" she replied, "how about we get together and catch up?"
"I'm free tonight" he announced.
Amy bit her lip. "I'm afraid I'm not" she said, her eyes dipping toward the floor, then her voice dropped in volume, "I have a date".
There was silence for several seconds, then she went on, her voice becoming more upbeat and relaxed, "I'm free tomorrow".
For a moment, Sheldon considered inventing an engagement, to show he too was still in demand socially, when in truth he was back in his old routine of card and computer games, take outs and watching TV and DVDs.
"So am I" he replied.
"Great" Amy said, scribbling her address on a scrap of paper and handing it to him, "My place at 7?"
"See you then" he replied, his voice becoming cheerier and warmer.
-o-o-o-o-
Finishing up his bowl of fruit cocktail, Steven took a sip of his wine, then leaning forward, he lowered his voice.
"Amy" he said, "I've had a wonderful time".
"Me too" Amy replied with a smile, then Steven went on. "I was wondering if you would join me for dinner, on Saturday evening?"
"I'd love to" Amy replied quickly, then Steven continued what he was saying, "and, and I know it will only be our third date, and I don't want to rush you, but would you consider staying the night?"
Amy's heart was racing, but she fought to control her breathing, as she weighed up the pros and cons.
It was of course true what he had said, that it would only be their third date, but Steven was a gentleman, with whom she felt comfortable, and who, from experience, she felt she could trust.
On their make out session, at the end of their first date, he had stopped the moment she'd called a halt to it, which couldn't have been easy, given his hands were at second base, inside her dress.
Also, although she'd only met him less the two weeks ago, he wasn't some random guy she'd met on the internet. He was the brother of one of her work colleagues.
Noticing how long she was taking to answer, Steven cut in on her thoughts, "I'm sorry. It's clearly too soon. Please forget I asked".
"Thank you Steven" she said, giving him a grateful smile, "and yes, I would love to stay the night".
"Just one thing though" she went on, her voice dropping to little more than a whisper, "and I don't know the social protocol for this, so I apologize if this isn't the right time to mention it, but I'm a virgin".
Amy blushed, embarrassed at having to admit that she was still a virgin, at close on 40 years of age.
Taking her hand, he replied, "Amy, that's sweet".
"Not pathetic?" she asked.
"No" he said, "I think it's really wonderful".
"This is scary" Amy confided, "but it's what I want".
Looking into her eyes, he gave her a reassuring smile.
"And you chose me? I'm truly honored". Pausing, his voice also little more than a whisper, he continued, "We'll take it slowly, we won't rush, and It'll all be at your pace".
That phrase, 'It'll all be at your pace' hit her like a boulder. She'd said it, or words to that effect, to Sheldon, many times over the years.
"What Am I doing?" she silently admonished herself, "thinking of Sheldon at a time like this?"
The meal ended and Steven drove her home. Opening the car door, she asked "Are you coming up?"
He thought for a moment. "I don't think so. I'll see you Saturday, 7 o'clock?"
"See you then" she replied, leaning across to kiss him. Their lips touched and they paused for a moment, then Amy drove her lips onto his, her arms around his neck, her mouth open, her tongue pressing against his lips, until his mouth opened and her tongue was inside, stroking against his, the heat and dampness, the sliding and touching driving her insane with desire.
Dragging herself from him, she apologized, "I'm sorry".
"Don't apologize" he replied, "it was wonderful, and I loved every second of it".
Pausing, he considered her for a moment, reminding himself of her confession over dinner.
"I'll come up if you want?" he offered, "We don't have to wait till Saturday, if you don't want to, but it's still entirely your decision".
In that moment, she wanted him to take her right then and there, then she realized how tacky it sounded, losing your virginity in a car. That was something high school kids did, not women in their late thirties.
Smoothing down her dress and straightening her hair, she replied "I think we'll stay with what we've arranged. I'll see you at 7 on Saturday. Goodnight".
With that, Amy was out of the car and heading for her apartment block, with Steven driving away.
As she climbed the stairs, she considered what had just happened in the car.
If Steven had been some kind of creepy weirdo, she reasoned, he'd have taken that opportunity to have his way with her.
The fact that he didn't was reassuring, although none of this helped in any way, with her urgent and pressing need.
Entering her apartment, she threw her bag on the couch and hurried into her bedroom, stripping as she went.
Opening her bedside cabinet, she took out her pink plastic friend and, turning the base to about half way, she pressed the tip against her nub, a deep groan emanating from within her throat.
She lay there for a minute or so, twitching and moaning, then she pressed it into herself, the tapered shape spreading her walls, as it slipped deeper into her, until only an inch or so remained.
She lay there, the vibrations twisting her insides, her loins in exquisite delightful agonies, her mind a mass of sensations and feelings, as she crept toward her desperately needed release.
Gripping the control wheel, she twisted it to full power, clamping her walls down against it, as her loins burst into flames, her breathing little more than staccato gasps.
It's said there's a very fine line between pleasure and pain, and she was flirting with that line, as she lay there, thrashing and bucking, then she withdrew it and stabbed it against her nub, taking her well over the line, an animalistic scream issuing from her throat, as she tumbled into her orgasm, her eyes clamped shut, her breathing a series of strangled gasps.
She lay on the bed, her breathing gradually slowing, the vibrator still buzzing away next to her.
Finally, her breathing steady, she turned the vibrator off and dropped it into the drawer, then crawling under the covers, she slipped into a deep, relaxing sleep.
-o-o-o-o-
Knock, knock, knock, Amy.
Knock, knock, knock, Amy.
Knock, knock, knock, Amy.
Glancing at her watch, she saw it was precisely 7pm.
Opening the door, she invited Sheldon in. "Welcome to my new home" she announced with a regal wave of her hand, "what do you think?"
Sheldon perused it for a moment or two. "Very nice" he announced, "quite a bit larger than your last …", he trailed off, "sorry".
"It's OK" she reassured him, "things like this are bound to get mentioned from time to time. Tea?"
They sat on the couch, drinking their teas, in an uncomfortable silence.
Finally Amy Said, "Look Sheldon, we can't go on like this. We used to be able to talk for hours, and we're still the same people".
"True" he replied, "Did you go into your lab yesterday, when you visited Caltech?"
"I did" she replied, "and it's in a right state. My assistant had better have it tidy by Monday".
"That's why I insist on a room all to myself" Sheldon said, "I learned my lesson, the time Raj worked for me".
The conversation continued into the evening, nothing heavy, just idle chitchat, then, as he prepared to leave, Amy instinctively went on tiptoes, and they came together for a end of date night kiss.
For a moment they held the kiss, then, breaking apart, they announced in perfect synchronism, "sorry".
"It's OK" Amy said, with a dismissive waft of her hand, "force of habit".
"I guess" he replied, paused, then went on, "I'd better be going".
The door closing behind him, Sheldon stood still, then slowly turning, he looked at the door number, 314. With a sigh, he mumbled "Goodnight Amy, I love you".
On the inside, Amy leant against the door, a single tear trickling down her cheek.
In barely a whisper, she announced "I love you Sheldon".
-o-o-o-o-
Entering 4A, Sheldon dropped his bag on the easy chair, followed by his jacket.
As he headed toward the corridor at the back of the apartment, he called "Goodnight", then he was gone.
"This isn't good" Leonard announced.
Penny give him a quizzical look, and Leonard expanded on his remark, "Sheldon never leaves his jacket anywhere other than on the coat hooks".
"Should we go and see if he's OK?" Penny asked.
"I don't think so" Leonard replied, "give him a day or two. As his mother says, you have to take your time with Shelly".
Sheldon lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, sleep eluding him, as the night dragged on.
In desperation, he tried reading the Geology book, but even that didn't put him to sleep, his mind too full of memories and imaginings, the most vivid, an image of Amy engaged in coitus, with a faceless man.
As dawn began to break, he gave up on the idea of sleep, and made his way out of the apartment. He didn't want sympathy, or the third degree from Penny, so instead spent the day wandering the streets, stopping off at the model train and comic book stores.
As the afternoon dragged on, he found himself in the local park.
Wandering through it, he smiled at his memory of the visit the four of them made, after Penny ordered them out of the apartment.
He remembered wiping the ice cream from Amy's chin, then licking it from his thumb.
He would never have dreamed of doing that for anyone else, but somehow, Amy was different. He trusted her, completely, even if she did spend her working day, cutting up often diseased yucky squishy things.
-o-o-o-o-
Taking hold of the hem of Amy's nightgown, Steven lifted it gently over her head.
She sat there on the bed, naked as the day she was born, as, his breathing rapid, he roamed his eyes over her body, drinking in the vision of loveliness before him.
"Oh God" he whispered, "you're so beautiful".
Putting his hands to her cheeks, he kissed her gently, easing her down onto the bed, his body following her down, his hands leaving her cheeks, to descend downward, caressing her shoulders, passing on down her sides, to her hips, his right hand continuing down, to stroke her inner thigh, Amy's heart beating like a drum, her breathing fast and shallow, as his hand stroked her hot, moist folds.
Looking her in the eyes, he asked the question, "yes or no?"
"Yes" she gasped, her loins on fire, her body shivering, her breathing rapid and labored.
Slowly and gently, he pressed himself against her, feeling the heat of her, then he looked her once more in the eyes, as she nodded and murmured "YES".
Pushing forward, he slipped into her, her arousal making her so wet, there was almost no resistance.
Amy felt him slide into her, feeling just a tiny drag and a brief and slight flinch of pain.
They lay still for a moment, as Amy grew accustomed to the sensation. "Oh God" she thought, "this is a million times better than the vibrator".
His head resting in the hair bunched on her shoulder, he felt her nod, then he stroked gently into her, Amy's hot breath on his cheek, as she moaned into his ear.
He speeded up, thrusting gently but firmly into her, as Amy rocked and twitched and jerked under him, her body on fire, her mind a mass of new and wonderful feelings and sensations.
Lifting his head from her shoulder, he looked into her eyes, but it wasn't Steven, it was Sheldon.
With a scream, Amy jerked herself awake. Her body was drenched in sweat, her eyes wide and her breathing bordering on hyperventilating.
It took ages for her breathing to slow, as she lay on her back on the bed, a heavy wetness deep in her core.
Finally, her breathing steady, she dragged herself from the bed. Glancing at the clock and seeing 3-30am, she thanked an unspecified deity, that she wasn't back at work till Monday, and could therefore catch up on her sleep later in the day.
Entering the bathroom, she shed her drenched nightgown, then stepped into the shower, rinsing the perspiration from her body then, taking the shower head from its wall bracket, she set it to the power shower setting, and held it against herself, feeling the exquisite sting, as the needle like spray played onto her nub and swollen lips.
Twenty minutes later, her sexual frustration eased, she turned off the shower and made her way back into her bedroom, to lay, still wet, on her bed, soon to fall asleep, naked and thoroughly satisfied.