Chapter 21

Penny went to the cafeteria and got a light lunch of taco salad and diet coke. She was so excited and nervous she could hardly eat, they were going to have her read for a part on a TV show! The studio was not far but after each bite of salad she took, she would look at her watch, making sure she wasn't going to late.

Penny was ten minutes early to the studio, so she just sat and waited while a couple people set up the camera. There was a lab table in the studio, like the one in her high school, when she took biology, a free standing door and one camera. Mr Martin, Mr Johnson and Ms Wood came in a few minutes after 1 PM and took chairs, set up in front of the lab table. Penny figured this was some kind of science character she was auditioning for because of the lab table, the words she had to read, previously in the office, and the lab coat one of the assistants just handed her.

Ed stood up and handed Penny a few pages of script, then told her the assistant, John, would read the other part on the script, and set the scene for Penny. The scene was that Penny was a scientist explaining an experiment to a preteen child who was visiting her, so she was suppose to be knowledgeable but compassionate to the child. Ed then sat down and said action.

Penny was really nervous, she really didn't expect a scene like this, so when she did it the scene she knew it wasn't that great. Immediately after Penny and John completed the scene, Ed came up to her and gave her a couple of instructions and told her were she needed some corrections to her character. Ed was really nice and Penny listened carefully. When he was done, Ed then sat back down and said action again.

Penny repeated the scene and knew she nailed it when she saw Ed, Bob and Nancy all smiling, after she was done. She was feeling a lot better now and getting a little confidence. Ed took her script pages and gave her some more pages then led her over to a free standing door. This scene was a greeting scene for the preteen child coming to Penny's lab. Penny acted the scene and then Ed came up and gave her some more pointers, asking her to do the scene again. The second time around Penny saw them all smiling again.

Ed then gave Penny a third set of script pages, this time for a scene where Penny is explaining something technical to the same child, while both of them sat in chairs. Penny did the scene again, with John, and using Ed's previous pointers and was able to get it right the first time. As soon as she completed the scene, she looked over to Ed, Bob and Nancy to see them all huddled together talking. She stood there biting her lower lip waiting for further instructions, from the three people sitting in front of her.

"Penny, thank you, can wait here for a few minutes?" Ed asked

"Yes, of course." Penny responded, then she took a seat.

Ed, Bob and Nancy left the studio and got together in a nearby office. After they left, Penny didn't know what to think, she knew she blew two of the scenes and had to do them over, but the director wanted her to do them again, that was good, right? She didn't know whether to be happy, sad or just worried. This not knowing was killing her.

"I like her, hire her." Ed stated, looking at Bob and then Nancy.

"You sure, she is the one, even with her lack of experience? You had to do a couple of those scenes twice with her." Bob asked.

"Bob, she is a natural, and her lack of experience means she also has no bad habits. Did you see how she corrected her acting when I told her what she needed to do, then provided us a good scene. I can really work with her. She'll be find and remember we are only doing a pilot, not signing her on for a series, so if she is not liked by the network we can replace her with someone else for the series. But to tell you the truth, I think they'll like her." Ed stated

Bob looked at Nancy, "Ok, Nancy put her on contract for the pilot, with a clause that she has to do 24 additional episodes if the show is picked up."

"What about the other 3 girls, I have coming in later this afternoon." Nancy asked

"Tell them we are considering them for guest parts, if the show gets picked up and get their information." Ed told her.

Nancy picked up the phone and relayed the information to her assistance and asked him to bring a commitment contract to their studio office.

Penny has been sitting for almost an hour, when Ms Wood came to get her and bring her to the office. Ed and Bob were in the office waiting for her when Nancy and Penny entered. Penny sat down across from them and waited for the good or bad news.

"Penny, we want you for the female scientist lead on our pilot and if the show gets picked up, we need you to commit to at least 24 episodes of the first season. What do you say, do you want the part?" Ed told her.

Penny couldn't believe her ears, a TV pilot, with a possible series, hell yes she wanted the part. "Yes, Mr Johnson, I would like the part." she said, trying her hardest to control herself from jumping up and down and screaming.

"Do you have an agent?" Nancy asked.

"No." Penny answered

"OK, well I will go over the contract and salary part with you before you sign." Nancy said

Ed and Bob got up to leave, but before he was out the door Ed said, "See you in two weeks, Penny." Then she was left with Nancy.

Nancy explained the filming schedule, gave her more information on her character and went over the contract with Penny. Two hours later, Penny and Nancy were finished, and Penny left with a copy of the contract and several information sheets with contacts and filming schedule information. She also had an appointment with Nancy, a week before filming, to go over the final details before they started.

Penny walked to her car in a daze, her smile getting bigger and bigger as she approached it. She not only got a part on a TV show, it was the lead character and it could end up being a series! She couldn't believe it, it was like she found a magic lamp and a genie had granted her wish, never in her wildest dreams did she think this would happen. She was called in to audition and she got the job, how did this happen, oh hell, who cares, she got the part, she was so happy.

She was at the door of her car, when she couldn't hold it any longer and started to do a happy dance, which she thought must have made her look like a nut, but she didn't care who saw. She finally calmed down, got out her phone and sent texts to all the gang to ask them all to meet at Sheldon's apartment at 7 PM, the take-out was on her and she had some great news to tell everyone. She also told Howard and Raj to make sure they brought Leonard.

Raj and Howard were leaving Cal Tech when they got the text messages. Raj looked at Howard with an expression of confusion and concern.

"Has anyone told Penny that Leonard is in Switzerland with Alex?" Raj looked at Howard.

"No, I don't think so." Howard answered.

"Well should we?" Raj asked

"No, I need to talk to Bernadette about this, before we do anything." Howard answered.

"Dude she is probably going to be really upset when she finds out, you know." Raj responded.

"I know Raj, that is why I have to talk to Bernadette first." Howard reiterated.

"Ok, don't get your panties in a bunch, I was just saying." Raj finished

Howard and Raj were sitting on the couch of Howard's and Bernadette's apartment looking at a very worried Bernadette. They had just gone over their emails from Penny and what had happened, concerning Leonard and his trip, and what, if anything, Penny knew. They all knew Penny had no idea that Leonard was out of the country, with Alex and would be gone for a month. They also all agreed that this was bad, very bad.

Bernadette finally sighed, "I will tell Penny about Leonard."

"And Alex." Raj added.

"No, not Alex. There is no reason to tell her about Alex right now. We don't know if there is anything going on between them, so definitely nothing about Alex." Bernadette was staring at Raj

"Ok, nothing about Alex." Raj said quietly

"I was really hoping not to have to tell her for a while, so it would be closer to when Leonard was suppose to return, when she found out. Then maybe it wouldn't have been so bad for her, if he was coming back in a week or two, but now he has the whole month before he comes back." Bernadette said to no one really, but herself.

Raj, Howard and Bernadette arrived at Sheldon's apartment a little before 7 PM and found Amy already there. Bernadette had not figured exactly when she would talk to Penny but she knew it would be tonight.

"Do you know what news Penny has to tell us?" Amy asked as Bernadette sat down.

"I don't know for sure but she said she had an audition today so maybe it has something to do with that." Bernadette answered

"Well maybe they were spell-bound by her beauty and gave her a part. She deserves a break after all those auditions she has gone on." Amy responded

"She would be much better off if she gave up on her stupid obsession with being an actress and do something more along her educational experience, like running a pony ride at the carnival." Sheldon added.

Raj, Howard, Bernadette and Amy sat there and stared at him, like he was crazy.

It was slightly dark but Leonard saw her standing there in the dim light, he quietly walked up behind her, putting his arms around her waist and his face into her neck. He gently kissed her neck and she slightly leaned back into his kisses. She turned her head slightly towards him, gently moaning his name, as she became lost in his caress. She pulled his hands from her waist to her breasts, and he cupped them both, amazed at the thinnest of the fabric she was wearing. As he touched her hard erect nipples she moaned again, her body melting against his. Then she turned to him and put her mouth to his, he was now lost, kissing her deeply, their tongues exploring each other mouths and their bodies pressed close together. She started to moan, "Please Leonard, Please!" and their clothes seemed to fall off them. He mounted her and she gave a little gasp, saying, "I love you, Leonard." which he returned, "I love you Penny." PENNY! His mind suddenly registered he had to be dreaming and abruptly he was coming out of his sleep. Leonard became fully awake and laid there is his bed, trying to remember every detail of his dream. He was feeling cold and lonely, he missed her so much at that moment and he wished she was there with him. It took him over an hour to get back to sleep that night, tossing and turning the whole rest of the night.