Amy stood on the Wolowitz's porch. Was she really doing this? Bernadette didn't seem bothered when Sheldon suggested she join her and Penny for girls night, but Amy was having second thoughts. She felt like an intruder, only there because her boyfriend insisted. She should be curled up in bed with her neurology textbook, but girls night was just part of what lay ahead. She was on a mission.

Between pizza, Batman, and a hot and heavy makeout session in the storage room after closing time, she and Sheldon found time to complete their pros and cons list. Most of Sheldon's cons were ridiculous, but there was one she agreed with. One that could easily be remedied. It was true that she didn't know Stuart. Spending two hours playing a game wasn't nearly enough time to get acquainted, but she was about to change that.

At first, Sheldon continued to resist the idea. "We'll find another way for you to have a better work/life balance. There's no need to involve Stuart."

"Sheldon, we've already been over this. Stuart co-owning the store is the most logical solution. I'm not going to go through all the why's with you again."

"Fine, but meeting him over coffee is not a good way to get acquainted."

"Why not?"

"I just don't think it's smart to meet with a near stranger without the support of others."

"Are you suggesting you want to be present when I meet with Stuart?"

"That would be preferable."

She lay her hand on his knee. "Sheldon, no offence, but I need to do this without you. I fear your negative stance on my proposal might sway Stuart away."

"A man and woman going out for coffee with no other friends might give people the wrong impression."

"If you mean they might think we're on a date, that's their problem. I don't care what people think."

"Amy, please. If Kripke finds out, he'll think we're no longer a couple. I don't want him taunting me, or worse, thinking you drift around from guy to guy."

Amy wasn't concerned with what Barry Kripke thought, but for her boyfriend's peace of mind, she would find an alternative way to meet with Stuart. "What do you suggest?"

"Penny and Bernadette are having a girls night at the Wolowitz's house tomorrow night. Perhaps you could join them."

"How does girls night equate to spending time with Stuart?"

"He lives there, remember? Once Mrs. Wolowitz is asleep, you could engage him in conversation."

"I don't feel comfortable inviting myself. I barely know the girls."

"All the more reason to go."

After trying to find another solution, she finally gave in. So here she was, fist poised next to the door.

"Amy?"

The brunette spun around. Penny stood behind her, head cocked, wine bottle in hand.

"H...hi," she stammered. "I was… Sheldon convinced Bernadette that I should join you, but I can leave."

"Don't go! I knew you were coming. I was just wondering why you've been standing like that for five minutes."

Amy realized her fist was still raised and lowered it to her hip. "I shouldn't be interrupting your girls night."

"You won't be. All we do is drink wine and talk. We can do that with three people."

Amy lowered her gaze to the wine bottle, remembering the incident at the bar. Maybe she would just join in with the talking part. A fuzzy mind would be of no use to get a sense for Stuart's personality. "What do you talk about?"

"Usually we just complain about our other halves."

Amy frowned. Sheldon wasn't perfect, but complaining about him to two women she barely knew seemed disrespectful, especially since things were going so well between them. She supposed she could just listen to her companions and nod in agreement.

Suddenly the door swung open, and Bernadette appeared, hands on hips. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to sit down and eat the brownies I spent the last hour baking?"

Amy jumped a little at the sharpness in her voice. She was a feisty little thing. "Sorry," she mumbled as she stepped over the threshold.

The Wolowitz living room was a throwback to the seventies with the green leaf-patterned wallpaper and floral couch. She wondered how strange it was for Bernadette to live in the house her husband grew up in and have to share the space with his mother. She shuddered at the thought of living with her own mother. Even if finances got so bad that she couldn't afford her apartment, there was no way she was going back there. She would rather hunker down in the store like Stuart. But if things went well, neither of them would have to go that route.

Penny disappeared with the wine through a swinging door into what Amy assumed was the kitchen, and Bernadette flitted about placing a plate of brownies and some crunchy snacks on the coffee table. In contrast, she was staring at the furniture unsure if the Wolowitz household had any special seating arrangements.

"What's wrong, Sweetie?" Penny was watching her from the doorway.

"I don't want to sit in anyone's spot."

Bernadette rolled her eyes. "There are no spots. Howard and I aren't crazy like Sheldon."

"Sheldon's not crazy; he's quirky."

The petite blonde shrugged. "Same difference. Sit wherever you like."

Amy perched on the edge of the couch nearest the outer door. The brownies looked scrumptious, but she waited until Penny took one before helping herself. The chocolate melted in her mouth, and she couldn't help but sigh. "I haven't had a brownie in years, but I know I've never tasted one this good. How do you and Howard stay so thin?"

"I only make them for special occasions."

"What's the occasion?"

"Girls night!"

Amy furrowed her brow. "Isn't that every Friday night?"

"Yes, but we usually meet at Penny's or go to a club."

Amy wondered about the location change. Could it be they were avoiding Sheldon because of his disdain for Leonard moving in with Penny? As much as she was dying to know, she didn't want to cause more discomfort. She already crashed their get together. She reached for another brownie but politely refused the wine Penny offered. "I can't stay long, and I'm driving home."

"I would say let Sheldon come over and give you a ride home, but we all know that will never happen," Bernadette snickered.

"If he did drive, he'd give Ames a ride to his house and then take her on another ride."

Amy caught Penny's wink and blushed. Leonard must have told her about their Tuesday night escapades. "I thought girls night was for complaining about your other halves."

"It usually is, but this is more interesting. Does this mean you and Sheldon did the wild thing?"

Amy nearly choked on her brownie. It was bad enough that Penny was commenting on the physical part of her relationship and even worse with Bernadette joining in. "No comment."

The blondes shared winks and nods. "When Leonard stopped by last night to pick up a few things, he told me his spare box of condoms was gone and said Sheldon took it. I didn't believe him at first. I always assumed your boyfriend would stay a virgin forever."

This was news to her. Leonard offered Sheldon the extra box, but she didn't think he'd actually take it. Was he ready to take their relationship to the next level? He did seem very eager that night on the couch, and she wondered if Leonard hadn't interrupted how far they would have gone. Amy licked her lips. She already committed to spending Monday night at his apartment again. He might be ready to go all the way, but was she?

"I hope he didn't do what Howard did the first time I slept with him. His body reacted before I got the condom on, and we had to wait 20 minutes before trying again."

Penny stuck out her tongue. "Ugh! TMI!"

How much did they have to drink, or was this normal talk among women? Amy almost wished she had accepted the wine. At least it would keep her hands busy. She grabbed a third brownie, hoping the girls wouldn't think she was a glutton.

"Are we making you uncomfortable, Sweetie?"

"Kind of, yeah."

"Sorry. We'll stick to a safer topic."

"Yeah. Tell us about your neurobiology classes."

"There's not much to tell. Fall semester is starting soon, but I haven't registered."

Bernadette frowned. "Why not?"

"I barely had time for studying before. Now that I'm seeing Sheldon, I have even less time. I've been going to the lab every Monday to try catching up on the hands-on activities, but I'm so far behind in my reading. Even when I do find a few extra minutes, all I can think about is Sheldon. What about your jobs?"

"Mine's going great! My boss loves me so much that he agreed to interview Penny for a pharmaceutical position even though she has no experience."

"Yeah, I don't know if it's the right fit for me."

"You got any better offers?"

There was that snarkiness again. Amy shifted in her seat. They all needed a distraction before things got out of hand. "Where's Stuart?"

"Upstairs with Howard's mom."

She eyed the staircase. "When will he be joining us?"

Bernadette wrinkled her nose. "For girls night?"

"Is he going to hide up there until Penny and I leave? He won't come down for a snack?"

Bernadette shrugged. "I guess he might. Why are you so concerned with what Stuart's doing?"

Uh oh. Only Sheldon and Cody knew about her hopes for a merger. She didn't even plan to discuss it with Stuart. Not yet. "I… um… of all Sheldon's friends, I've spent the least amount of time with Stuart. I was hoping to chat a bit."

Now it was Penny's turn to wrinkle her nose. "With Stuart?"

Was there something wrong with Stuart? Was Sheldon's disapproval for him not just another of his quirks? "Yes. Why is that so hard to believe?"

The other women exchanged looks. Before anyone could say another word, Amy's phone vibrated in her purse. Saved by the bell, er buzzer. A peek at the screen showed her it was Sheldon.

Do you believe me now about Stuart?

I haven't seen him yet, she replied then tossed the phone back in her purse.

"Let me guess, Sheldon?"

Amy nodded at Penny's assumption. "Sorry. So about Stuart, I was really hoping to hang out with him for a bit."

"Stuart!" Bernadette yelled at the staircase. "We have company!"

Stuart crept down the stairs "Shhh! I just got Debbie down for a nap. Oh, hi Amy."

"Hi."

He looked around. "Where's Sheldon?"

"At home playing video games. It's just me."

Stuart gingerly took a seat next to her. Now that he was here, she didn't know what to say. All they had in common, that she was aware of, was their love of comic books. She played with the hem of her skirt, wishing she'd prepared some sort of speech.

"Did you hear about the special issue of Superman coming out next month?"

So much for avoiding the topic. "Yes. It was in the newest buyers catalog."

"That's where I saw it. I still get them even though I don't have a store right now. It's a good way to stay in the loop."

This would be the perfect segway to her proposal, but it was too soon. An idea formulated in her mind, something that could possibly give her a sense of his personality and also his work ethic without getting too involved. "So, um, Sheldon and I keep saying we should host another tournament soon. Would you be interested in helping us? It could be another way to stay in the loop."

Stuart blinked. "You want me, your business rival, to help you with a tournament to benefit your store?"

"I'll pay you."

"Sold!"

"Great! I'll talk to Sheldon and let you know the details."

After another 20 minutes of chatting, Amy skipped to her car. Things seemed to be falling into place. She sat in the driver's seat and pulled out her phone.

Great news! Stuart agreed to help us with our next tournament.

Her boyfriend's response came almost immediately. Why did you ask him? I thought you were going to get a sense for his personality, nothing more.

It's only a tournament. If that goes well, then I'll consider discussing a merger.

We don't need Stuart's help. We did well on our own the last time.

Amy sighed, her chipper mood evaporating. We've been talking about hosting again for weeks and haven't even set a date. With his help, I'm hoping we can get past the talking part and start planning.

She waited several minutes without a response from Sheldon. With a sigh, she turned her key in the ignition when her phone finally buzzed again. Turning the car off again, she glanced at the Wolowitz house and hoped no one was watching her, wondering why she was still in the driveway like some kind of stalker.

The tournament is our baby. Mine and yours. I don't want to share that time with Stuart.

We'll still have alone time.

Amy set her phone back in her purse and restarted the car. As she made her way home, her phone buzzed three more times. She fought the urge to check her texts at each red light. It wasn't until she was in her apartment that she opened the messages.

I hope so.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Goodnight.

She texted him back with a 'Goodnight' then slipped out of her clothes and into her nightgown. Sleep didn't come easily. For over an hour, she lay staring up at the ceiling. Should she have run the idea past Sheldon before making Stuart the offer? Having a boyfriend was so complicated. Life was so much simpler when she only had herself to worry about, but the pros of having him in her life far outweighed the cons.

She supposed she would need to create a new pros and cons list for Stuart helping with the tournament. She began listing the pros in her head then stopped. Sleep was more important right now. There would be plenty of time for this tomorrow. Snuggling under the covers, she tried to clear her mind. What was it that Star Trek method Sheldon used when he wanted to force out the negative thoughts? Coli something. Kolinahr. That was it.

Amy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She tried to remember what Sheldon told her, but exhaustion was making her mind foggy. Very, very foggy.