Here we are folks! I really hope you like the meeting!
Amy
After the circuit dating event, Amy sped home to her apartment in Glendale, stomped up her stairs to the third floor, slammed her door closed and threw her purse across the room, before she allowed herself to let out a scream of frustration and anger.
The tall handsome man had caught her eye the moment he had entered the room. He had reminded her of someone but she could not quite place who from across the room.
As he exchanged pleasantries with the interesting Englishman, she tried to recall where she may have seen the gorgeous man staring at her from the next table. When he sat across from her, his blue eyes boring into soul she thought he might be the man from Cal Tech. But when his attention centered on her, and he spoke, his voice triggered something else. Then it hit her. All thoughts about who he may have reminded her of, were forgotten. She knew who this individual was. It was Sheldon.
He should never have shown up, him and his stupid perfect face. He had been so smug with his thin beckoning lips and glinting blue eyes. He had ruined everything.
He must have been having a good laugh sitting across the table from her knowing she knew nothing. He said once, knowing everything was kinda his thing. Had he planned this ambush the entire time? She still didn't know his last name, and she didn't want to. In fact, she wanted to forget everything about him. Damn him! She leaned her elbows on the countertop and covered her face with her hands as she burned with embarrassment, my God, she had almost blurted her true feelings out. She had almost told him she loved him.
Taking a deep breath, she stood up straight. She needed a hot bath, and tossing off her clothes she headed for the tub like an old friend. As she lay soaking in the calm water, she could hear the muffled sound of the phone alert; a persistent beeping. He must have been sending a lot of texts. She could not deal with him right now, she dove her head underwater ignoring the calls and afterward dressed for bed.
Sunday morning, she woke as tired as if she had not gone to bed. She felt drained from the previous day's events and had an uneasy feeling as if she had lost something precious. She glided her fingers against her mouth. She wanted that feeling on her lips again. She wanted the feeling of his hands on her hips. But then she remembered the look on his face. The look of horror. He had kissed her to win an argument, not because he wanted it. She was tempted to pick up for her phone and ring him, but felt that she needed to give herself some breathing space. However, one good thing to emerge from the debacle of the previous day, at least her obligation was over for the year. With a sigh of relief, she sent the circuit dating receipt to her mother.
As the unusually long day drew to a close, Amy decided it was time to see what Sheldon to say, which, judging from the numerous alerts she had received during the day, had to be plenty. Picking up her phone, she read and listened to Sheldon's messages.
She had almost regretted walking away in anger last night, but now. OVERBLOWN! PUERILE! OVERREACTION! If he had been present at that time, she would have shown him just how overblown and puerile she could be. He was going to delete her files was he – well two could play at that game. She threw everything, including his ridiculous friend agreement in the recycle folder and slammed her laptop shut.
By Tuesday evening, her determination not to access any of Sheldon's messages had weakened, and she could not help the smile when she heard his text alert at exactly 9:00 PM. She picked up her phone.
From his messages, she could tell that he wanted things to return to normal. But things had changed, she had changed and now she did not think they could ever return to the way they were. Sheldon was everything she wanted in a man except one thing; he would never want a physical relationship. She wanted more than Sheldon could give and though it was possible that they could return to their impersonal conversations, the intimacy they had shared had been damaged, maybe this experiment had run its course.
On Thursday evening, she curled up with a heating pad, a cup of hot chocolate. Amy still received alerts for Sheldon ringing her phone, though he no longer left any voice mails, and his texting had slowed to three times a day. She knew that she had to end things once and for all, but she kept putting off the final step. Amy read Sheldon's Thursday text, and watched reruns of "I Dream of Jeannie" until her sobs put her to sleep. By the time Friday rolled around, Sheldon had stopped texting altogether. The decision had been made for her.
Saturday afternoon she found herself driving to Penny's new house in Alta Dena. Earlier in the week she had received an email from Penny who had recently moved and wanted to have a small get-together. The invitation also said to bring gloves, and Amy suspected that Penny was concerned about the new virus. Though the thought of Penny being so foresighted seemed out of character. Must be Bernadette, she reasoned, since a microbiologist would have better safety concerns.
Amy had initially turned down Penny's house warming invitation, but as Saturday approached, she decided that she needed to go. Staying at home, hiding in a gallon of ice cream was not a healthy solution. She had to see people again, and her new girlfriend's familiarity would be welcome.
The little Spanish bungalow needed a new coat of paint, a handyman to fix the front door and the garden was overgrown, but Amy couldn't help but be a little envious of her new friends' home. Amy had always wanted a little house of her own, on the prairie or not, it didn't matter.
Amy knocked on the door and a small bespectacled man answered with Penny by his side.
"Amy! Right on time... as always." Penny had on a sweatshirt and her hair was up in a ponytail. Perhaps the party was more casual than she thought.
"Hello Penny. I have brought the prerequisite gloves required for the party however, given that you didn't specify what kind, I brought you a box of surgical grade latex and non-latex, along with a pair of driving gloves I picked up at a thrift store." Amy handed Penny the bag.
"Oh... um... Thanks... Wine's good too."
Penny turned to the man next to her and said, "Leonard, this is Amy. She's the one I told you about."
"Ah, yes. The woman who knew all about baboon mating habits."
"Not that! She'd be perfect for him, don't you think?" Penny nudged Leonard.
"Let's keep the matching making until after the first drink, okay?" Leonard turned back to Amy, "Please, come in." His wide smile and hardy handshake welcomed her albeit without gloves.
As Amy followed the couple into the house, Penny turned around, "I was just about to get dressed. Come into the kitchen for a drink and Leonard can then show you around."
Penny made her way to what was presumably the bedroom, and Amy saw her lift her phone to her ear. As she closed the door, Amy could hear her on the phone saying something about Mickey Mouse and shouting at a person on the other end.
Leonard offered her a drink in a measuring cup. "Sorry, all our glasses got broke in the move."
"Not a problem. I can measure my alcohol intake. I'll take a quarter cup of Chardonnay."
Amy's nerves got the best of her and she rambled on as she watched Leonard pour the wine. "Did you know the measuring cup, as we know it today, was invented by Fannie Farmer in 1896?"
"I was unaware of that fact. A farmer huh?"
"No, she was not a farmer, nor did she have large buttocks, it was just her name. She introduced the standardization of measurements for cooking, otherwise, everyone would use incorrect measurements, much like the amount of Chardonnay you just gave me." Amy held her cup to eye level and said, "I believe this is over ¼ cup, due to the water molecules adhering to the side of the cup or concept known as the meniscus."
"I'm sorry." Leonard poured some of the liquid out. "Boy, Penny was right about you. You're perfect for him."
Leonard took Amy into the living room which seemed to be decorated in U-haul boxes and half-assembled shelves. Leonard said apologetically, "Sorry for the mess. Our friend who is normally a whiz at this stuff... well...he was supposed to help us unpack, but he's not doing so well."
"Sorry to hear that. I think I have a suggestion for an organizational paradigm that would maximize the space of your living room. I recently sent some of my ideas to my friend-" Amy swallowed the rest of her words as she looked beyond the mess of boxes. The whole room reminded her of Sheldon. Little Sci Fi toys everywhere coupled with science books. Sheldon and he would have a lot in common.
"I already have a guy for that, but thanks." He turned and said, "You should meet him, you'd get along great. Let me see if I can get him to come." Leonard pulled his phone out of his pocket to text someone, but Amy shook her head.
"Oh, I'm not interested in meeting anyone. I only date once a year, and I-" Amy noticed Leonard had already sent a text. She continued, "Please don't pressure anyone to do anything they don't want to do. I learned recently that that's a terrible idea." She took a sip of the wine from the measuring cup.
"Sometimes, a friend has to decide what's good for a person, even if they don't want it." Leonard finished another text just as the doorbell rang.
Bernadette introduced Amy to her husband, a rather small man whose pants looked as if they had been painted on and a belt buckle almost as large as he was. Within a minute Amy had learned that he was an astronaut, but this was counterbalanced by the fact that he didn't have a doctorate. However, he redeemed himself by referencing Neil Diamond.
"Now I see the appeal," Amy said to Bernadette as she nodded to Howard. She turned back to Howard, and said, "Perhaps we can get the karaoke machine going and do some "Sweet Caroline."
Before Howard could agree, the doorbell rang again and a new couple joined the group: A man wearing an unusually ugly sweater vest arrived escorting a woman who smelled of buttercream frosting. For some reason both looked very familiar to Amy but she couldn't quite place them until she remembered. The lady was the same baker from Hot Crossed Buns Bakery and she had brought some homemade brownies and some of the lemon lavender cake that had been so popular. Amy viewed the brownies with suspicion as they looked like they had oregano in them.
"Is that spices?"
"Those are special brownies." Raj's ladylove giggled.
Raj chuckled, "I do so love your brownies!"
Having found a great spot on the living room couch Amy opted for the lemon lavender cake as the brownies smelled like a skunk, and she watched as the enamored couple spent their time giggling and lovingly feeding each other their desired treat.
New love is always the most annoying kind.
As Amy sat in the living room among the couples, she overheard Leonard and Penny arguing in the kitchen, "I did call him!"
Leonard whispered, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "He's just in a funk over that girl. Remember when you got that haircut."
Penny said, "You don't think he would do something drastic do you?"
"I don't think he'll go to Bozeman again, we aren't that lucky. He just needs time. As long as he doesn't get any cats, he'll be fine."
"Leonard, he's not fine."
"Ok, Ok, let's go back to the party and I'll drive over later and check on him."
Penny and Leonard came out of the kitchen with fake smiles and a plate of cheese and crackers. The room grew uncomfortably quiet as those not enjoying the sugary treats munched loudly on saltines and canned cheese.
Amy broke the silence by suggesting, "I have heard of a great game we could all play."
Raj said, "Oh, I love party games. What's it called?"
"You have to guess the number and name of a major motorway. The trick is the number has to be the sum of the two preceding ones. For example, I might say California interstate 55 and Route 89, the National Park Highway. So the obvious answer..." Amy waited for anyone to guess but they all just stared at her dumbfounded. She answered, "The answer is the Canadian road; King's Highway 144. The game is called-"
The whole group said at once, "Fibonacci Highway?" Then looked at each other in shock.
"You've heard of it?" Amy asked.
#
Sheldon
Following his failure to get in touch with Amy on Thursday, he had taken Penny's advice and did not call Amy at all on Friday just to see long Amy decided to live her in her estrogen-rage cave. To strengthen his resolve, he had placed his phone in his desk, locked the drawer, and dropped the key into the pencil holder on top – out of temptation's way. The first hour had fared well until he heard the phone text alarm. In his panic and rush to get the key, he knocked everything to the floor. Unfortunately, the text was not Amy, but Leonard asking Sheldon to bring wipes to the party the next day as the stores had run out. Sheldon had no patience for Leonard's lack of preparedness especially as he had no intention of going, and he now had to tidy up the mess on the floor before he could return to his quiet routine for the night.
He did pretty well until 9:00 PM when he needed to hear her voice. Just once. He knew her mailbox was full, but hearing the message relaxed him enough to sleep.
Sheldon woke on Saturday and made a list of everything he wanted to do. With no distractions from interfering and nosey neighbors, he would be able to get his laundry done, work on his theories, organize his spice cabinet, the tea box, catalog his comic collection, and his books by the number of pages. However, as the hours ticked by he did nothing but listen to every noise in the apartment. The annoying woman upstairs must have decided to take up tap dancing, the birds chirping outside the window sounded like an aviary and he could identify every person's shoe size that stomped up the stairway. But when the noises stopped, the silence in his apartment deafened him.
Sheldon had not realized how he had grown accustomed to Penny and Leonard living across the hall. The occasional milk theft, group dinners, and the banter he had once cursed were now little annoyances he missed.
By lunchtime, none of his tasks on his extensive to-do list had been completed. The lack of achievement was worse than his first cognitive only day and he knew the cause. All he could think about was Amy as she had sat across the table from him.
He had loved how her brow had frowned slightly in puzzlement as she tried to place his voice. Then as her eyes widened when she had finally recognized him. She was cross, so mad he could almost see steam coming out of her ears, but he could also see such intelligence in her eyes. It was like peeking into a library. He closed his eyes trying to recall her voice. He recalled every fantasy he had, with her in the leading role.
A sound, like a siren being ground in a blender, startled him. He must have fallen asleep. When he finally opened his eyes and adjusted to the real world, he realized it was his phone. He had changed the ring tone for Penny to the most annoying sound he could find. He thought he had only closed his eyes for ten minutes, but when he answered the phone, he glanced at the clock: 2:30 PM.
"I've been calling you all day! Why haven't you picked up your phone?"
"I've been working on a project, Penny." Sheldon looked at his to-do list, the only item marked off was make a to-do list. "What in Halley's Comet could be so important?"
"You promised you'd be here. I made everyone wear gloves. Leonard looks like Mickey Mouse."
"Mickey's taller than Leonard. I hope he's wearing a mask."
"It's not that kinda party." Penny's voice changed. She whispered into the receiver, "Did you ever talk to your mystery woman? Cause have I got a girl for you! Oh man, this person is perfect for you! She's smart, she's-"
"I'm gonna stop you right there, Penny. I have decided there is no way I will ever be romantically involved with another person. Now if you'll excuse me-"
He hung up before Penny could say another word, and put his phone on the coffee table.
A lesser man would want to go to Penny's party. He'd want to call friends, invite them over for dinner. A lesser man would want to go to work and work on new theories. A lesser man might call his mother and check on life in Texas. He was Homo Novus superior. He did not want any of these things. What he did want was not to need Amy.
He didn't want to yearn to hear her voice or think about her every night. He didn't want to imagine her next to him, laughing at his jokes, or commenting on how brilliant he was. He didn't want to get excited over her texts and he certainly didn't want to have their Thursday night sessions be the highlight of his week. He didn't want it, he needed it.
He had always enjoyed being alone, never needing anyone. His own thoughts had been entertainment enough. He would tell himself jokes, have entire conversations with a council of Sheldon's in his mind, and each of those personalities would confirm, Sheldon Cooper didn't need another person in his life. He wasn't a weak-minded common man; he was smart enough by himself. But after almost seven days alone, Sheldon Lee Cooper realized he hated it. Now he had what he always desired, but it was not enough.
He sat in his spot staring at nothing. He had to think, get back to what was important: His mind. Which now, he wondered if it had started to play tricks on him as he thought he heard her signature ring on his phone. Checking his phone, he almost couldn't believe his eyes. It was. After all his unanswered calls and texts. Amy was calling him.
With shaking hands he tried to swipe up the call to answer but missed it. He sat back wondering what to do next, when the phone rang again. He answered it on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Hello... Sheldon. It's Amy."
"Amy. It is you, right? Of course it is... Silly of me." Sheldon cleared his throat and paced around the room holding the phone tightly as if it was Amy he was holding on to. "Um... How are you?"
"I've been better. I guess. And you?"
Her voice sounded strained, as if she were holding back emotion. He admired how she could do that. Sheldon tried to do the same. He thought hum drum chit chat might break the tension.
"I've been preparing for the impending crisis. The isolation has been great for my work." Sheldon stared at his blank whiteboard. "I've been eating well and read a few great books lately." Sheldon kicked the pizza box and the controller on the floor, before he said, "Um... how have you been? Oh, I asked that." He swallowed the lump in his throat and said the words he had practiced over in his mind. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I violated our contract."
"Sheldon. I should have called earlier. I have a lot to say about that, but I think I would like to say it in person."
"I would like that. Perhaps we can-" Sheldon was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Hold on, Amy, it's the door." Sheldon swung open the door and was ready to snap the head off the person standing there, but stopped when he saw who it was. Amy. She had her phone to her ear and a timid smile.
"Hello, Sheldon."
Sheldon smiled, and said with a crack in his voice, "Hello." He then spoke into the phone, "Amy, I have to let you go, Amy is here."
Amy smiled and said into her phone, "I understand."
"Hello."
"Hello, I'm Amy Farrah Fowler."
Sheldon felt a click, a small puzzle piece in his head found a spot. He heard the final chord of a song, a balanced equation. He felt a calm he hadn't felt in days. He couldn't find the perfect words, but only stared at Amy for a moment and then said, "Hello, Amy Farrah Fowler. I'm Sheldon Cooper."
She smiled. A small grin, hardly noticeable by any other observer except by the one person who yearned for the gesture like he wanted his oxygen.
"Hello." Amy tucked her hair behind her ear, and looked behind him before asking, "May I come in?"
"Yes. Please. Yes." Sheldon's smile widened, but he still couldn't speak full sentences and seemed to have lost his manners in the haze of his thoughts. He was elated that Amy had called, but then to see her in person. He could not have felt better if he had been told that a second FireFly series was going to be released on Star Wars day.
Amy looked rather distracted and then said, "I'm sorry for the intrusion, perhaps I shouldn't have come-" She turned to leave, but Sheldon grabbed her hand.
"Please, stay." He noticed how soft her hand was, but more importantly how much he enjoyed holding it. He didn't let it go until he led her into the apartment and sat with her on the couch. She sat still with her hands on her stocking knees scanning the room; no doubt impressed with his collection of books. Her hair glided down her shoulders. For some reason, he wanted nothing more than to touch it.
Now that she was sitting calmly beside him, he could see that she had the most marvelous cheekbones and the greenest eyes he had ever seen, which at the moment were blinking at him. He hadn't even thought to offer her a beverage or say a word until Amy cleared her throat.
"Forgive me. Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, please." Her quick smile warmed him. He went to the kitchen and started to fill the kettle as Amy spoke.
"I must apologize for the intrusion but Penny said-"
"Penny? You know Penny?" Sheldon couldn't understand how she could know Penny unless Penny violated their contract and then he would have strong words for that Nebraskan interloper.
"Yes. Bernadette introduced us. We kinda hang out now." Amy flipped her hair off her shoulders, but cleared her throat and said, "As a matter of fact, Penny tried to fix me up with you on a date."
Sheldon laughed, "I would never date a person that Penny would suggest. A fact of which I just told her today, as a matter of fact." He took two mugs out of the cabinet.
Amy slumped in her spot and her shoulders folded in. "Yes, well that's exactly why I am here. I wanted to conclude our relationship and I think I-"
Sheldon dropped a tea mug and it shattered on the floor. As he bent down to clean up the shards, he rattled off his response.
"I don't see any reason why we should conclude our relationship. I think we can revert back to our previous arrangement as I stated in my messages." Sheldon popped off the floor. Amy came to the kitchen to help him with the mug. She handed him a cloth to pick up the sharp pieces. Sheldon took the cloth, but just held it to his chest. His voice almost trembled as he said, "We can go back to our previous arrangement. No change needed, if that is what you wish."
Amy sat on one of the bar stools, looking defeated as if she had just been punched in the gut. Sheldon could not understand why that would be. She wasn't the one who just ruined a set of mugs, or gone through hell for seven days. However, he listened as she spoke.
"I wish you no harm nor do I want to put any expectations on you. I know you don't want a romantic involvement-"
Sheldon interrupted her, "No, I didn't want that."
"I knew that. You want to revert to our previous relationship, but I don't think that is possible anymore." Amy returned to the couch to retrieve her purse. He followed her and saw she had pulled out a document. He recognized it as their friendship agreement. She flipped to page 33, the termination clause. She had signed it. "I will leave this with you."
Sheldon felt like the shattered mug on the floor. He sat back in his spot, defeated.
Amy turned to leave, but he placed his hand on her arm to stop her, "I said I didn't want that. The past tense. I never wanted that, but I do want... you. In any form I can have."
"Sheldon..." She paused as if she needed to draw strength. "I loved our previous arrangement and frankly I don't know if I would be ready to be with anyone if it weren't for our communications. Now I am ready, and I need more. I want more. But that's my needs, not yours. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do just so it's good for me. I heard this tonight, "Sometimes, a friend has to decide what's good for a person, even if they don't want it."
"Sounds like some hokum Leonard came up with."
Amy let out a giggle, "You're right. He did say that."
"I don't think you should decide what's good for me. I did that when I came to break up your dates and let me tell you, it didn't end well."
Amy's smile bloomed on her face. She said, "You're right. I shouldn't decide for you."
Sheldon turned his gaze from her face to where his hand rested on her arm. Once again he reached out for her hand, and she allowed it and even seemed to perk up, as he spoke.
His blue eyes stared into her green ones, "If you are willing, I would like to formally ask you on a date, for a specified time of your choosing." Sheldon's voice cracked a little when he added, "Up to and including the required kiss good night, if you agree. I can amend our friendship agreement."
Amy stared at him through her glasses. She spoke with a hint of suspicious hope when she asked, "Just to be clear...are you sure you want that, and not that you just need it?"
"I spent a long time today going the list of things I thought I wanted, and needed. I always thought of the list as binary, I could either want or need something, but I have concluded, in some cases, it's the same. I want to need you. I want all that comes with you, quirks and all."
Well folks, they met! Whacha think? I gotta know!
You guys have been my life blood during the last month or so. Thank you again for the reviews!