Amy pulled away from the curb as her passenger gripped the door handle tightly and gritted his teeth. She obediently stopped at each red light, looked both ways before crossing intersections, and stayed under the speed limit. Ten minutes into their drive, Sheldon visibly relaxed.
"I must say, Dr. Fowler, your driving skills are impeccable."
"Thank you, Dr. Cooper."
"I never feel completely safe driving with Leonard, but he's a pro compared to Penny. That woman must have found her license in a Cracker Jack box. She doesn't check her mirrors or slow down for speed bumps, and she drives with flip flops. It's a wonder she hasn't become another flip flop fatality. As if that wasn't bad enough, when I met her, her check engine light was on, and she refused to have it checked."
Amy tsked and shook her head in wonder. How could anyone be so careless? They drove in silence for a couple of minutes.
"I also commend you on your lack of distractions. Leonard insists on playing the radio and, get this, singing along with it!"
"The nerve!" Amy sputtered.
She gently glided her car into the last remaining parking space in front of the train store. Sheldon hopped out and rushed over to the door. He turned around to find Amy still sitting in the car.
"Dr. Fowler, aren't you coming in?"
"Thanks, but I'll just wait here."
"Suit yourself. The new HO gauge is in stock, so I might be awhile testing it out and discussing it with other model train aficionados."
Sheldon went in as Amy leaned back and closed her eyes. A half hour later, Sheldon hadn't returned. Maybe she better check on him.
Amy entered the store not knowing what to expect, having never been in a store such as this. Model train cars in differing scales, toy tracks, miniature fake trees, and various accessories and tools adorned the shelves. In the far corner of the room stood a display complete with tracks and mini trains chugging along. Sheldon wore a conductor's hat and held a remote control, guiding the tiniest train she had ever seen into a tunnel.
Amy approached the train-loving physicist. "Dr. Cooper, I was getting worried."
"Why?"
"I waited in the car for half a hour."
"That's all? Leonard let's me spend as much time as I need. He usually gets bored and walks over to get lunch nearby, but he never worries."
"I'm sorry, Dr. Cooper. I was unaware of your shopping habits. Thirty minutes felt like a long time to me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I'm more than fine. I'm in my element here. I could spend all day looking at model trains."
I've never been in a train store before."
"Well little lady, you're looking at the biggest train expert in Pasadena. Ask me anything."
"Um, okay." Amy's eyes scanned the shelves until they fell upon a row of Dremel tools. "What do these have to do with model trains?"
"They're very handy for cutting and buffing the tracks."
She smiled and nodded when he enthusiastically described the differences between O and HO gauge. She'd never met anyone this excited about trains, but to be fair, she didn't get out much. Her social life was practically non-existent.
Two hours and $120 later, they walked back to the car. Sheldon placed his brand new HO gauge train in the trunk.
"I'm kind of thirsty. Would you like something to drink?" Amy offered.
"I do feel rather parched. Would you like to go to Kaldi? It's a coffee/tea shop next to the library, so the clientele is quiet and respectable."
"That sounds perfect."
