Chapter 39: The Race is On

Leonard and Sheldon meet Helmut at the banquet. One question fills all their minds: Where are their ladies?

Leonard and Sheldon opened the door to the banquet hall at the Restaurant Romer and took in their surroundings. Everything was done in white and gold glitz, from the table cloths to the wallpaper and place settings. Sheldon glanced at the china on each table and gave a wistful sigh, "Niki would love this! She is so good at planning and decorating for these kinds of things."

Leonard nodded in agreement as they made their way across the room, "Well, before she met you, she had lots of experience hosting dinner parties with her first husband."

Sheldon gazed up at one of the glittering chandeliers as he addressed Leonard, "Yes, I suppose you're right. Perhaps when we get back home, she and I could plan some sort of party."

His friend stopped in his tracks and asked, "For what? Aren't you guys doing Thanksgiving again this year? You know those kinds of things are kinda stressful for your wife. Why would you want to throw another party? I mean, what for?"

Sheldon's eyes left the chandelier and focused on Leonard as he shrugged nonchalantly, "Maybe just a party that shows our happiness at being back home with our friends. You know, showing our appreciation to Wolowitz and Koothrappali for holding down the fort while we have been gone. And to allay your fears, Niki would not be planning this alone. I would be helping her this time."

Leonard shook his head disbelievingly, "Wait, am I hearing things? You want to thank Raj and Howard for something? And you want to help your wife in planning a social event? What's got into you, buddy?"

Sheldon tried to look anywhere but at his cohort as he spoke in a quiet voice, "I'm ashamed to admit this, Leonard, but I sometimes forget just how loyal my friends really are. Also, I do admit I sometimes take Niki's social abilities for granted and let her do all the work in that area."

Leonard clapped him lightly on the back and replied, "Hey, buddy. Relax. We all know you like us. In the last couple of years, you've made that pretty clear to all of us. And Niki knows how much you love her."

Sheldon then faced him and stated, "No, I didn't say like and love, I said appreciate. Take this trip for instance. You and my wife have stood by me, no matter how ridiculous I was acting. And when I was in a bad way, you and Helmut got me through it. My feelings go far beyond mere like. Yes, a party for all the people who have stood by me and helped me is definitely called for."

Leonard downplayed the notion, "Hey, it was no biggie. That's what friends are for."

Sheldon resumed looking for their seats and responded to Leonard's words with, "And I will never forget it. Now, let's find our table and wait for our wives to arrive."

The shorter man grabbed his friend's arm and pointed towards one side of the dance floor, "Look, there's Helmut! I think he's sitting at what is supposed to be our table."

Sheldon's face broke out into a wide smile, "Oh, that is good news. The longer I know that young man, the more I like him."

Leonard waved at Helmut while he made his way toward their German friend, "It sure didn't start off that way, did it?"

Sheldon eagerly followed his friend, speaking as he went, "No, that is the truth. But Leonard, I have an idea I want to run by you later tonight."

"Does it concern Helmut?" Leonard asked him as they approached the table.

The taller man smiled to himself and then advised his friend, "Yes, but let that go for now. Here he comes."

"Okay. For now, let's follow him and get settled."

"Of course." Sheldon then greeted their German friend warmly, "Hello, Helmut. How are you?"

The younger man had a worried look on his face and he asked them, "Just fine, except that I don't know where Annelise is yet. Have either of you two gentlemen heard from your wives?"

Sheldon's face immediately dropped, and he began to show some concern as well, "Not yet, and I'm beginning to get a bit worried."

Leonard looked down at his phone and his face filled with relief, "Relax, guys. I just got a text from Penny."

"What does it say?" the other two men asked in one voice.

"It says, and I quote, Running late. Luv u. explain l8r. XOXO."

Sheldon gave a quick glance at the message and let out a long sigh, "Well, that's a relief. If Penny is still using teenage netspeak to express her feelings, she has met no harm. Everything is normal."

Helmut agreed, and he headed back to their table, "Yes, I feel much better now, Leonard. Thank you."

Leonard stopped in his tracks as a quizzical look came to his face, "Funny thing is, this message came from a number that isn't hers."

Sheldon craned his neck to peek at the text on more time, "You're right. I don't recognize that number, either."

Helmut borrowed Leonard's phone for a second and then informed the others, "Oh, that is easily explained. That phone number belongs to Anna's spare phone. Perhaps the battery died on the ladies' other cells."

Leonard smiled, nodded, and joined the others in crossing the room, "That explains that. Thanks, Helmut. Now, let's get over to our table and let the banquet begin!"

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Penny, Niki, and Annelise raced out of the building, intent on finding a way back to their hotel. "Do you have any idea where in this city we are?" Penny asked the German girl as they bolted down the street.

Annelise looked up at the building down the street around her as the sun set and the sky darkened, "As near as I can make out, we were held in the SkyLabs. This area I know fairy well. It is in the Bahnstadt, where Helmut lives."

Penny stopped in her tracks, stared at the younger woman and asked, "The Barn…what?"

"Bahnstadt. It is a community that houses a large group of research scientists and their families, and also many high-tech companies. Many of these businesses are housed in SkyLabs, the building we just escaped from. It would have been easy to hide us there. As you may have noticed, it is an immense building that contains many, many offices. The security for the building is very tight. They must have known someone with a pass key."

Niki was puzzled, "Does Helmut do much research? I just thought he taught classes."

Annelise also came to a stop and explained, "Niki, he is here doing his post doc. Of course, that means he does quite a bit of research as well as teaching. In Heidelberg, many businesses use teachers and students from the university to help in their research. It is, as you would say, a win/win situation for both sectors. Anyway, we are in luck. We are very close to this city's Central Station. This station is very much like a small city, it even has a market inside of it. We can be certain that someone there will be glad to call us a cab to take us back to our hotel. Let's go. It should be a very short distance from here."

As they resumed their quick pace, Penny made the point, "Even if that cab comes immediately and flies to the hotel, we are going to be late getting to that dinner. We still have to shower, do our hair, get dressed, and put on our makeup. The guys will be worried sick by then."

Annelise brightened and handed Penny her phone, "I have an idea. Here, text a message to Leonard tell him we'll be late. But don't tell him why just yet."

"Why don't you text Helmut instead?" Penny asked her, not grabbing for the phone.

"I hate texting in situations such as this. Will you do it, Penny? Please?"

Penny's resistance waned, "Sure. Give me your phone." After sending her message, she handed back Annelise's phone to her, "There, all done. Why do you hate texting? That's my main form of communication."

The young woman confessed, "I don't usually, but I have problems knowing what to say when I'm nervous or in a hurry, like right now. Look, there's the Station. Quick, let's get inside and ask someone to call us a cab."

Penny pointed to a taxi parked directly in front of them, "That won't be necessary. There's a cab right there, as if we ordered it. Let's get in and get back to our hotel."

Niki hesitated, "After the last time, I'm a little bit scared to jump into a strange cab."

Penny put her hands on her hips and threw her friend a challenge, "Nik, do you want to make it to that banquet?"

"Of course I do! I just checked my phone and Sheldon had sent me a worried text a while ago."

Penny looked at Niki triumphantly and told her, "Then put your fears aside and let's get in that cab. I'm sure Leonard has shown him my message by now."

"I suppose you're right. Let's go."

Fifteen minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of the ArtHotel. The ladies paid the driver and then they all raced for the elevator that would take them to the fifth floor and their suite.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Leonard sat at the table and checked his watch for the umpteenth time, "I wonder what's keeping them? Running a little late is one thing, but it's time for the dinner to be served and they aren't here yet."

Sheldon stared at his water glass and shrugged, "Perhaps they had trouble finding a cab."

Leonard's eyes gave an exaggerated roll as he made his point, "Sheldon, their hotel is five minutes walking distance from here! If they couldn't get a cab they could have used their feet for transportation."

Helmut corrected him in a matter-of-fact tone, "That may be a tad difficult if they are in heels. Some of the streets here are cobblestoned and there is snow and ice on the ground, especially in this part of town. If they were near where I lived it would be different. The streets are quite modern there, with wide sidewalks, and are often plowed."

"That's all very interesting, but I'm still getting a little concerned about them."

A voice from behind them broke into their thoughts, "Gentlemen, perhaps your ladies have been detained by, shall we say, other social engagements?"

The youngest of the men turned around and, much to his disgust, found himself looking straight into the eyes of Dr. Heather Powers. He addressed her coldly, "And what would you know about that, Heather? Do you have your little spies working overtime for you?"

"Don't be absurd, Helmut. This is a rather small town, all things considered, word gets around."

Sheldon didn't turn around as he mumbled, "It seems it didn't get around fast enough for me to hear about you and your particular brand of larceny."

Heather voice was pure acid as she replied, "Ah, Dr. Cooper. Don't you find it ironic that you turned down my offers, yet your wife is out who-knows-where doing who-knows-what?"

Sheldon still could not be bothered to turn around as he quietly stated, "I trust Niki, she is nothing at all like you."

Powers sniffed haughtily, "I'm going to take that as a compliment, Sheldon. I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. Now, can you say the same thing about your wife?"

Leonard joined in the discussion with, "If you're trying in insinuate that our wives are up to no good, save your breath. We've known them long enough to know that they are, beyond anything else, trustworthy. That is why none of our women are anything like you."

"Time will tell, my dear doctors. Let's just see if any of them bother showing up tonight, shall we?"

Leonard challenged his cohort, "Sheldon, why are we wasting our time talking to this…this…witch? Don't we have better things to do?"

Once more, Sheldon refused to turn around and face his tormentor as he responded to Leonard's entreaty with, "Good lord, even a root canal looks better at this point."

Heather gave an evil chuckle, "Charming as ever, Dr. Cooper. I can see why your wife is finding herself entertained elsewhere."

Helmut advised his friend, "Sheldon, don't listen to her."

"Relax, Hoffman, I'm not. I know my wife. And I know she is incapable of any form of deceit. While this hussy…well, I do believe her actions speak for themselves." Sheldon finally turned in his chair to face Heather, his eyes as cold as the snow on the ground outside, "Good day, Dr. Powers. It was most definitely not a pleasure talking with you tonight."

Heather turned on her heel and headed for the opposite side of the room, but not before calling over her shoulder, "The feeling is mutual, Dr. Cooper."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The three women burst into the hotel room together, almost running over Mary Cooper in the process. "Whoa now, ladies. Why are you all here? Aren't you supposed to be at that dinner the school is giving for Shelly and Lenny?"

Niki corrected her as she sped past her and headed for one of the bedrooms, "Mary, it is for all the visiting faculty, not just for Sheldon and Leonard. But to answer your question, we were detained for a while downtown and are running late. We'll tell you all about it later. Right now, we've got to get ready and we've got to get ready in a hurry!"

"How can I help you girls?"

Penny ran by Mary on her other side, saying as she passed, "Keep the kids busy while we shower and get dressed."

Mary called after them, "No problem there. They both had a pretty busy day with their dads and then me. Both of 'em are sleepin' it off."

Niki came to a sudden stop and asked her mother-in-law, "Mary, how many showers are there in this suite?"

"Two. Why?"

Niki turned to her friends and suggested, "Two of us can shower while the other one gets her clothes and makeup ready. Does that sound okay?"

Annelise nodded and answered, "Yes, that works for me. But who's going first in the showers?"

Penny walked over to her bestie and reluctantly told her, "Gee, Nik, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but you should be one of the first ones to clean up. You have a little bit of your breakfast still stuck in your hair."

Niki wailed, "You waited until now to tell me? Thanks, girl."

"Hey, we've been a little busy since you puked on that guy."

Mary cried, "Whaaat?" as she led Annelise to one of the bathrooms.

Niki made a run for the other bathroom and patted the older woman on the arm as she ran by her, "Later, Mary. Trust me, it's a good story. Okay, I'll go first."

Penny followed Annelise down the hall, saying, "Mary, that's a great idea having Anna use the other one. I've got a lot of makeup to go through before I shower. I can't pull off that minimal makeup look like you two can."

As Niki began to remove her clothing on the way to the shower she chided her friend, "That's a lie, Penny, and you know it. You just feel better with more makeup on."

Penny waved off her comment with, "Whatever. Get in that shower before that entire banquet is over by the time we get there." She then questioned her younger friend, "Anna, what are you going to wear? You don't have any clothes here."

"Yes. I do. I brought my dress, shoes, and makeup here this morning while you were busy looking after Blake. I'm set."

Penny headed into one of the bedrooms and called out to the other ladies, "Good. Now, one last thing. Don't either of you hog all the hot water. I hate taking a cold shower."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Forty-five minutes later, the three women met in the living room and took a good look at each other. Penny smiled broadly at her bestie and exclaimed, "Girl, why are you wearing that dress?"

Niki attempted to give a plain explanation to her friend, "Because I believe that the events of the past month warrant it, that's why."

Penny nodded enthusiastically and replied, "Well, you're certainly going to get a reaction from Sheldon, that's for sure."

Niki gave Penny a level stare, turned to check her makeup in the mirror, and asked, "What about your dress? Isn't that the one you wore to the rooftop prom the night Sheldon proposed to me?"

The pretty blonde smiled smugly as she responded, "The one and the same. And I'm wearing it to remind my husband just how awesome I really am."

From across the room, Annelise made a shy comment, "Leonard doesn't seem to need any reminding."

Penny giggled and told the younger woman, "Girl, let me tell you something. When you have been married for a while, you need to keep the fires of love burning by reminding each other just how awesome each of you are both separately and together. Right, Nik?"

"The woman speaks the truth. Your kids, your job, your parents, heck, anything that makes up your life can come between a couple, if they let that happen. Keeping your relationship thriving sometimes takes moments like these. Both of our husbands are part of a group getting honored for their brains and their accomplishments. Right or wrong, that makes me hot for Sheldon, even more than usual. Wearing this dress will most likely remind him of the bond we have and how close we usually are as a couple. And I hope it makes him hot as well."

The petite woman nodded solemnly and replied, "I understand. Sometimes I worry that Helmut feels overshadowed by my career. I'm starting to get many positive reviews for my work and I hope that doesn't feel threatening to him."

Penny dismissed the young woman's concerns with a wave of her hand, "Relax, girl. One of the first things Leonard told me about Helmut was how he always brags about you and your acting ability. Trust me. When it comes to your career, he's proud, not threatened."

"That is good to know. You two both look so lovely, I sometimes feel like I can't compare to the two of you."

Niki turned to her unbelievingly and asked, "Why is that? You have your own special beauty. And trust me, everyone who meets you notices it. For instance, your hair is so smooth and shiny, how do you do that with hair so long? I'd love to know."

Penny added in a kind voice, "And your eyes, that color of blue should be illegal."

Niki nodded, "They're almost the same color as Sheldon's. Trust me, his eyes were one of the first things I noticed about him."

"But I'm not tall and elegant like you guys."

Niki responded in a warm way, "Anna, you're the perfect height for you. You don't have to be tall to be elegant. You carry yourself very elegantly for someone of your height."

"Sweetie, as tall women, I'd be willing to bet the house that both Niki and I have sometimes wanted to be short, petite, and cute. Just like you."

Annelise gave a small sigh as she replied, "That's the problem, ladies. Everyone calls me cute. Not sexy."

"I'd like to be called cute occasionally. I always get told I look 'interesting'. I'd also love to be called beautiful. Penny gets that all the time."

Penny gave her friend a gentle rebuke, "Stop it. Stop it right now. Sweetie, you're a good-looking woman."

Niki smile was wistful, "But not beautiful, right?"

Annelise paused from checking herself in the mirror and told her, "As Penny said, stop it. Niki, for what it's worth, when I first met you I thought you were very pretty. You also have a nice way of moving. Your legs are rather long, so you walk very gracefully."

Penny's smile was wide as she agreed, "Yeah, that's what it is. You don't walk like normal people, Nik. You kinda glide. That's what makes you such a great dancer."

Annelise looked pleasantly surprised as she asked, "Niki can dance? I love to dance! So does Helmut. Does Sheldon dance?"

"Girl, if you ever get the chance to see them do a rumba, waltz, or any kind of dance, you're in for a real treat."

Annelise made an honest assumption, "I must confess, Sheldon hasn't struck me as the type of man who dances."

Penny reassured her as she reached for her coat, "Oh, he does. He does. Anyway, if we're all lucky, tonight there will be dancing at this event. So, let's grab our things and hurry on out of here before the night ends."

Niki nodded, went over to the bureau and pulled something from it, which she quickly put in her purse, "I'm with you, girl. Let's kiss the kids and get going."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Meanwhile, back at the banquet:

Dinner had been served and eaten and still the ladies had not arrived. Two of the three men had moved on from worry and were now at the stage of annoyance. Leonard groused, "A little late is one thing, but I got that message well over an hour ago. How long does it take for them to get ready?"

Sheldon took a sip of his drink as he replied in a calm voice, "Relax, Leonard. They'll be here."

Helmut looked down at his watch and then over at Sheldon, "How can you be so sure?"

"Niki has never lied to me, that's why. Like all of us, she has her faults. My wife may rage, she may scold, she may get sarcastic at times, but she has never lied to me. Ever."

"But she didn't send that text, Penny did. And sometimes she can stretch the truth a bit." Leonard reminded him.

Sheldon dismissed that thought, "I received one also, about an hour ago. In it, Niki told me they were getting ready and close to leaving. For a group of women, that should make their arrival time within the next fifteen to twenty minutes."

Leonard took a bite of his desert and made a wry comment, "You sound pretty sure of yourself."

Sheldon merely shrugged and replied, "I know my wife. I trust her implicitly."

A female voice challenged his from behind, "Do you really? People say you are a bit naïve, and that remark only highlights the fact."

Leonard looked up and saw the Powers woman standing over them along with what Leonard assumed was one of her low-class cohorts. He glared at the woman and growled, "Shut up, Heather."

Sheldon interjected in a calm voice, "No, let her speak. I have always assumed people with her lifestyle lack any real intelligence. Remember that old saying, 'It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt'?"

Leonard gave an answer of frustration, "Of course I do. That's a quote from Lincoln."

"Not exactly, Lincoln paraphrased a quote from the Bible."

"That's from the Bible? It doesn't sound like Bible speak."

Sheldon cut into his desert with his fork and explained to his friend, "Actually, the Bible version says, 'Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent'. It's from the Book of Proverbs, Leonard."

Leonard gave Sheldon an exasperated look and asked, "And how does that fit in with this situation, again?"

Sheldon popped the last of his pie in his mouth and turned the fork towards his tormentor and pointed, "Leonard, Exhibit A."

Heather's voice was taunting as she acidly replied, "Dr. Cooper, you may insult me all you want, but the question still remains, where are your wives? I have it on good authority that they will be missing this little soiree altogether."

Sheldon had had enough and snapped back at her, "Good Lord, woman! Give it a rest! I can assure you…"

At that moment, the dj began playing the opening strains from a familiar tune. Sheldon's head turned quickly towards the doorway and what he saw caused his jaw to drop and his eyes to shine brightly.

What has Sheldon seen and why did he have that strong a reaction?

v