I just realized I haven't used a dictionary or thesaurus this much for a story since…well, it's been a while.

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It skipped. Her heart. It actually skipped a beat when the four guys entered the restaurant and sat in her section. The last time her heart skipped a beat at the sight of them was the first time she saw the group after her first date with Leonard.

She watched Sheldon from the register, creating a bill for another table. He slipped off his windbreaker and placed it behind the chair and she could see him talking with the guys as he sat down. He must have been in his know-it-all mode because the other three just rolled their eyes.

Penny slipped the bill at the table in need of it, smiled and told them she would take it when they 'were ready' and briskly walked up to her usual table.

"Hey, guys. What'll it be tonight?" She took out her pad and waited.

They all pondered over the menus, even Sheldon despite the fact that the words "cheeseburger and lemonade" were going to come out of his mouth. Penny just shifted as she waited, listening to Howard and Leonard go back and forth on what they said they were going to try this time around.

Without realizing it, Penny's body had swayed closer to Sheldon's side of the table and it wasn't until she felt a steady but gentle pressure on her hip that she looked down. Sheldon was giving her an even stare as he pushed her away. She dropped her pen from embarrassment and knelt down to quickly pick it up, making sure she was standing firmly at the head of the table when she stood back up.

God, I hope no one saw that, Penny thought, her face burning.

Sheldon placed his menu down gently and shifted his eyes up to Penny who stood there pretending to concentrate on what Leonard and Howard were saying. He wondered why someone who was so sexually active was a lot less seemingly discreet than he was. She was literally leaning on him.

He watched her skirt sway as she took the orders and his eyes shifted up to her face when he heard her say, "And of course, Sheldon's cheeseburger and lemonade. Anything else, guys?"

They all shook their heads. Penny turned and walked quickly off to put the order in (and get away from the situation, as the sting of embarrassment was still present). She grabbed the payment from her previous guests and completed their transaction, looking back at the guys at the table. Howard was leaning in and very animated in what he was explaining to the guys.

Penny thanked the couple for coming in and walked towards another part of the restaurant, busying herself with getting more straws and napkins out. In a moment, she would get the guys their drinks. She just needed a minute for the red to disappear from her cheeks fully.

"I have to use the restroom. Excuse me, gentlemen," Sheldon said to his friends as he got up, but they barely took notice as he walked towards the other end of the restaurant. He didn't actually need to use the restroom.

"Penny?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin and turned around, looking up at Sheldon who quickly glanced at his friends. They hadn't even been paying attention to where he went. He pulled her to the side.

"What's up?" Penny was as casual as possible, gripping the supplies in her hand.

"Woman, what is wrong with you? I would expect more discretion out of you. You were practically sitting on my lap," he scolded her in a quiet, but stern voice. He crossed his long arms, leaning in to talk to her.

"That was totally an accident, Sheldon. I'm sorry. I know you hate personal space stuff like that," she replied, turning to place the napkins down as she had grabbed too many.

He pulled her arm to look at him again. He didn't say anything, wondering what it was he wanted to say in the first place. True, random personal space violations irritated him and so did public displays of affection, but she did neither intentionally. His concern was more the inquiries that would stem from his friends, none of which he would want to answer.

"Sheldon, I have to work. We can talk about this later," Penny hissed, looking back at his table.

He dropped his hand and nodded. "No talk necessary. Just watch what you're doing." He walked away and Penny followed him with her eyes. She sighed and plucked her pad back out, walking over to a new group of people who sat down in her section.

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'Sorry again.' That was the text Sheldon got from Penny later that night when he was on his couch, watching a movie with Leonard.

He texted back with 'Apology not necessary.'

He pressed send and just looked at the screen. Why was she so apologetic about something so minor? Did she think he would be full blown offended and that he would still be stewing about it? It was true that he was, in fact, known for being anal retentive about certain things and certain interactions, but tonight just didn't seem to bother him. Perhaps he was excreting pheromones and she was drawn to him? Or maybe she was tired and off balance? He didn't know but he hardly thought it warranted too much more consideration.

But here he was thinking about it. Was it minor thing? Now that he thought about it, it wasn't. Penny had never done that before. He smiled smugly to himself and thought, Penny must find me irresistible.

"What are you all smiley about?" Leonard asked, staring at him.

"Oh, nothing," he cooly responded, putting his cell phone away. Leonard was appeased with the answer (or rather, decided he didn't want to hear one of Sheldon's crazy long explanations over a potentially nothing situation) and turned back to the movie.

"By the way, Priya will be here Thursday."

Sheldon's smile faded. "As in two days from now?"

"As in two days from now. Yes."

He gave a long sigh. "I'm staying at Penny's then."

"The whole time?" Leonard pressed pause on the movie and looked at him. "That's excessive. And Penny would kill you."

"No, not the whole time." Sheldon stood and walked to the kitchen, getting a mug ready for his warm milk later. "For an evening here or there. So you and Priya may have your privacy." Leonard just stared at him. "And so I will have as little access to that woman as possible."

"Ah, there's the truth. Well, fine." Leonard turned back to the movie, pressing play. "Stay there. I just don't want to hear about it later."

"You won't." Sheldon reassured, turning towards the fridge for the milk. You won't.