Sheldon propped a whiteboard next to his bed and wrote 'Pros' and 'Cons' across the top. With only ten minutes before he needed to catch the bus to the comic book store, he quickly scribbled reasons for and against Amy moving in with him.
On his way out, he stood back and assessed his findings. Even from a glance, the pros list was visibly longer than the cons. Of course, these were just the first ones to pop into his head. It was too early to assume the pros would outweigh the cons. What kind of scientist was he if he didn't factor in every possible outcome?
The whole ride to the store, Sheldon was in the zone. Within the first five minutes, he thought of two more pros to add to the list. There had to be more cons, but when he reached his stop, he hadn't thought of a single one.
Standing in front of the nail salon, he tried to push all thoughts of Amy moving in aside. There would be time for that later, like when he was folding laundry tonight. For now, he was here to enjoy his girlfriend's company.
Amy greeted him with a warm smile and a hug then grabbed his hand, leading him to her office. Sheldon felt Cody's eyes on them and caught the younger man's wink as the door shut behind them, but he didn't have much chance to think about it.
Amy pulled his head down until their lips met. He blinked as her minty fresh breath filled his nostrils while she flung her arms around his neck. After the shock of her actions wore off, he surrendered himself to the kiss, applying more pressure and pulling her hips closer.
"What was that for?" He panted when Amy took a half step back.
"It was my way of saying 'good morning'."
If this became a new tradition, he would not object. In fact, he longed to make it a daily tradition. Amy moving in would ensure that happened. Another pro for the list.
"I missed you yesterday. Did you have fun with the guys?"
Sheldon shrugged. "Vintage video game night is not the same anymore. Leonard's heart isn't into it, and even with Raj joining us just like old times, something just feels off."
"I'm sorry, Sheldon."
"I suppose I haven't been myself either."
"Oh? Would you care to talk about it?"
Sheldon frowned as his girlfriend set up the folding chair and took a seat in her swivel chair. Surely she knew that she was the reason he was so distracted. "I would have preferred if you were there."
A smile lit up her face. "I would love to join you one day, if you're okay with me invading your guy time."
"It would be a welcome invasion."
As he lowered himself into the metal chair, Sheldon came face to face with the whiteboard filled with pros and cons of Stuart's potential partnership. The elephant in the room. Maybe if he averted his gaze, Amy wouldn't catch him staring at it, and their perfect morning could continue. Easier said than done. The longer he stared, the more agitated he became. Closing his eyes, he tried calming himself with Kolinahr.
"Sheldon, are you okay?"
His eyelids fluttered open. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"
She tilted her head. "Your eyes were closed. If you're tired or not feeling well, I'll understand if you need to nap."
"I'm fine." He kept his gaze on her, but the whiteboard remained in his peripheral vision. He stood and angled the chair so his back was to it.
"I know that chair isn't the most comfortable. Let's trade."
"The chair is fine..." But it was too late. She was already sliding onto the metal seat. He had two choices. Take the swivel chair and face the whiteboard again or stand with his back to it. Before he made a decision, Cody hollered for help.
Amy pecked him on the cheek. "Sorry, I'll be back as soon as it settles down out there."
"Take your time."
Alone in the tiny office, he stood with his hands on his hips. A surefire way to keep that infernal board from his sight was to flip it around so the text faced the wall, but that would only make Amy suspicious. Perhaps if he stared at it long enough, the words would lose their meaning and become squiggles and dots.
Five minutes passed, and all he saw was Stuart's name mocking him. Taking another approach, he squinted so hard at the letters that they became nothing but a blur. The only problem was that if he continued when Amy returned, she would ask questions again.
Sheldon opened his eyes a sliver more. The blurred letters came into focus, but instead of all the reasons Stuart should or shouldn't partner with Amy, they morphed into the reasons why she should or shouldn't move in with him. He blinked a few times, but that didn't change his view. Perhaps he fell asleep and this was all a dream. Or maybe his subconscious was telling him not to overthink it and just ask Amy to move in with him.
"Sheldon? Sheldon?"
"Hmmm?" He looked up to find Amy towering over him, her brow furrowed. When did she return?
"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" Her tone wasn't accusatory. He recognized her concerned voice.
"Sure I have. You just asked if I've been listening."
"What did I say before that?"
"Ummm…"
"Sheldon, I know I've already asked you this, but are you okay? Please be honest with me."
He licked his lips. There was much more to consider before he would even broach the subject. That was assuming moving in together was in their best interests. Even if his conclusion was to ask her, he didn't intend to blurt it out in her office with Cody in the next room. He needed to set the mood. "I have a lot on my mind."
"With Leonard's move?"
Of course, that was never far from his mind, but it wasn't the reason he hadn't been paying attention. He couldn't lie to her, but he also wasn't ready to discuss what was really going on. Sidestepping the question, he told her about what he found in Leonard's room.
"All the clothes from his closet were on the bed.
"I thought he was moving next week."
"As did I. Leonard assured me he's going through his belongings now rather than putting it off until the last minute."
He breathed a sigh of relief as the conversation continued without Amy suspecting the real reason for his distracted mind. Then it took a turn. One he hoped to avoid, at least for the day.
"I know you have misgivings about Stuart, so I wanted to talk to you about the next tournament before we include him in the decision making."
Doing his best to push his feelings aside, he laid his hand on her thigh. "Or we can plan it ourselves then have him come in on tournament day to help with sales. He doesn't need to get more involved than that."
"Stuart might have ideas we can incorporate to make this tournament even more successful than the first. Plus I'll get a better sense of his personality with just the three of us than I would with a store full of customers. Unless the next tournament doesn't draw in as many customers. I'm thinking of asking him to join us here tomorrow afternoon."
Tomorrow! Sheldon assumed he'd have more than 24 hours to prepare. "So soon? We don't even have a date."
"The sooner we start planning, the more time we can plan and advertise. Let's get Stuart on the phone and check what dates work for him. Do you have his number?"
"I do not."
"That's fine. I'll get it from Bernadette."
Drat! Of course Amy would find a way. It was happening whether he liked it or not. He could see it now. The two shop owners would do all the planning while he sat on the sidelines.
"Amy?"
Her thumb hovered over the telephone keypad. "What?"
"Promise me I'll still be part of the decision making."
She exited the screen and gave him her full attention. "Of course you will! I'm not replacing you with Stuart. The three of us will be a team."
He wasn't thrilled with the idea of teaming up with a third party, but it was only for this event. He'd still have alone time with his girlfriend on date night, and if she did move in, they would have even more time, just the two of them.
"I can tell you're unhappy. If this is really bothering you so much, I'll rescind my offer to Stuart."
As happy as that would make him, he couldn't take away the possibility of Amy having more time to herself and retaining Comic Center's customer base if all went well with Stuart. "My apologies for not being a supportive boyfriend. I promise I'll try harder."
"Thank you." She leaned over and pressed her lips to his.
