Amy removed her lab coat at the end of another successful day of gathering data for her primate nicotine study. She grabbed her purse and duffle bag containing a change of clothes. Sheldon would be here soon to pick her up for their date.
She was about to head to the restroom to change when she heard a triple knock followed by her name three times in succession.
She opened the door wide to allow him entry to her lab. "Hi, Sheldon. Come in."
"Hello." He stood in the doorway donning a pale blue dress shirt and black pants, his left arm hidden behind his back, as he scanned the room until his eyes rested on his date.
"Sorry, I'm being rude. It's just that I've never been in the biology wing before." He took a step into the lab then brought his hand out from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of mixed flowers and a box of chocolates. "These are for you."
"Sheldon, they're beautiful! And truffles from Mignon!" She gushed. "I'm tempted to eat one now, but I don't want to spoil my dinner."
"I'm glad you like them. I hand picked each truffle based on your likes and dislikes. Are you ready?"
"I'll need to put these in water first," she said, as she filled a beaker with water, placed the flowers in it, then set the makeshift vase near her computer. "Do you mind hanging out here while I change? I won't be long."
"Not at all."
Amy quickly dressed in the restroom across the hall. She marveled at the fact that he hand picked each truffle. He could have gone to any big box store, but what he did was so much more special.
Meanwhile, Sheldon wandered around Amy's lab, careful not to touch anything. His eyes took in beakers, test tubes, various vials, and a microscope. Everything was meticulously placed and sparkly clean. It was one of the many things he admired about her.
Amy came up behind him few minutes later. "I'm ready," she announced.
He whirled around. Standing before him was the same Amy from a few minutes ago, only now she was dressed in a jumper instead of one of her usual skirt and cardigan ensembles and pumps in place of her orthopedic shoes.
He cleared his throat. "You look very nice."
"So do you. Your shirt color brings out the blue of your eyes."
He looked down at his shirt then back at her. "Thank you. Shall we?"
She picked up her bags and the box of truffles. Sheldon exited the lab and waited patiently while Amy turned off the light and locked the door.
They drove to the restaurant talking about their day. Amy couldn't help but notice Sheldon fidgeting out of the corner of her eye.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just a little nervous."
"Why?" She asked softly.
"Amy, I have something to tell you. I hope you won't think less of me."
She pulled over the car when she was able then looked at him, her brow furrowed. "What is it?"
"I... I've never been on a date before. It just kind of hit me that we're doing this. I want to make sure I'm following all the dating protocols."
"Sheldon, you're doing great. It's not much different than other times we've hung out. Just be yourself." She reached over the console and squeezed his hand.
"You don't think it's strange that I'm a 36-year-old man who's just going on his first date?"
"I don't. In fact, I find it very admirable." She gave his hand another squeeze before merging back into traffic.
When they pulled up to the restaurant, Amy looked over at Sheldon to find him scrutinizing her. "Is everything alright?"
He smiled at her. "Everything's more than alright."
She smiled back then they exited the car.
After perusing the menu, Amy decided on cheese-stuffed ravioli with marinara, while Sheldon selected lasagna.
Sheldon looked at the woman seated across from him at the table for two as they waited for their meals. "What shall we talk about?" He asked.
"Usually on first dates, people discuss what they do for a living, where they're from, hobbies... We've already covered that. I do have a question for you. On our way over here, you told me you were 36, but when we met, you said you were 35. Did you have a birthday recently?"
He looked at her sheepishly. "I did."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"The same reason I haven't told anyone. I don't like celebrating my birthday."
"Why not?"
He explained how his sister and her friends tricked him into thinking Batman would make an appearance at his 6th birthday party. He waited all day to no avail. The girls all just had a laugh at his expense.
Amy have gave him a sympathetic look. "That's terrible! Sheldon, I'm so sorry you went through that. If I had been one of those girls, I would never have gone along with them."
"I wish I had known you back then. I think I would have had a lot more pleasant childhood memories."
"Me too," she murmured.
The rest of their dinner conversation was spent on lighter topics. Amy shared one of her ravioli, and Sheldon cut off a small piece of his lasagna for her to try.
"This is nice," Sheldon commented. "Ever since Bernadette announced her pregnancy, all she and Penny want to talk about is baby stuff, and Wolowitz has been insufferable with his coitus bragging. We should do this more often, just the two of us sharing a meal."
"I'd like that."
When the waiter arrived to clear their plates, he asked if they would like to see the dessert menu. They declined. Amy was stuffed and Sheldon wanted to save room for his usual theater treats - an icee, Red Vines, and a bucket of popcorn.
Amy offered to pay half, but Sheldon insisted on paying the whole bill and left a generous tip.
They returned to the car and headed towards the theater, having agreed the day before to see Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
"Would you like a bucket of popcorn or some candy?" He offered.
"Thanks, but I'm too full from dinner."
"How about a drink?"
She agreed. Snacks and refreshments in hand, they headed for the auditorium. A few people occupied the room, but they had plenty of seats to choose from. Sheldon tested various locations until he found the acoustic sweet spot.
They settled in. Amy hadn't been to a theater for a few years, so she was pleasantly surprised by the new reclining seats. She raised and lowered her recliner until she found the perfect position. Normally Sheldon kept his seat upright, but he lowered it to Amy's level. They were reclined almost as far back as the seats allowed.
They engaged in the movie trivia displayed on the screen before the previews. Amy answered all the old film questions, while Sheldon aced the science fiction portion.
Thirty minutes into the movie, Amy leaned over to whisper in his ear. "May I have a handful of popcorn?"
"When I asked you if you wanted some, you declined," he hissed.
"I didn't want a whole bucket to myself. Please?"
She saw the uncertainty in his eyes. "What if I do this?" She extracted a small bottle of hand sanitizer from her purse, squirted some on, and rubbed her hands together.
Sheldon relented. He held out the bucket while Amy reached in to grab a small handful then settled back in her seat.
A few minutes later, without taking her eyes of the screen, she reached for the popcorn again but missed her target and grabbed Sheldon's hand instead. He jumped in his seat. Blushing, she quickly retracted her hand.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I should have given you some warning. Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yes. Sorry. I just wasn't expecting that."
They both sat back, staring straight ahead. Sheldon ventured a peek at his date in the darkened room.
"Amy..."
She twisted slightly towards him, eyebrows raised. He extended his hand towards hers until his palm rested on the back of her hand. When she didn't pull away, he closed his fingers around hers. She gazed down at their interlocked grip then up into his clear blue eyes. The corners of her mouth turned up into a sweet smile. She sighed in contentment, rested her head on his shoulder, then turned her attention back to the screen.
They remained in that position for the duration of the show and through the credits. When the house lights came on, Sheldon disentangled his fingers from hers so they could stand up and stretch.
They gathered their trash and dumped it into the receptacle. With their hands free again, he reached for hers.
Raj and Stuart emerged from another auditorium into the lobby. Raj nudged his friend. "There's Sheldon and Amy."
"That's Amy? She's cute."
"Back off, Dude. She's mine when I'm no longer on the rebound."
"So they're not dating? They look awfully close."
"They're just friends; Sheldon's said so repeatedly."
"Are you sure, Raj? It looks like they're holding hands."
"Maybe Amy's not feeling well, and Sheldon has to hold her up," Raj said, grasping at straws. "They're leaving. We should follow them."
Stuart had no choice but to go along with Raj since he had no other way home. Raj followed Amy's car at a respectable distance. She parked on front of Sheldon's building, and they both exited the car. Raj parked a block away.
"I want to hear what they're saying," Raj declared.
"Isn't that kind of creepy?" Stuart asked.
Raj ignored his friend and got out, quietly closing the door behind him. He stealthily moved towards the two figures until he was close enough to listen and watch, while Stuart remained in the car and ducked down out of sight.
"I had a really nice time tonight, Sheldon. Thank you for everything," Amy murmured.
"My pleasure."
"Goodnight," she said, squeezing his hands before taking a half step back.
"Amy, wait. Isn't it customary for a date to end with a goodnight kiss?"
"I suppose if the date went well, the participants may engage in the act."
"I feel the evening went well. Would you object to a kiss?"
Amy shook her head 'no'.
"I'm going to need verbal consent."
"I don't object," she whispered.
Sheldon placed his hands on Amy's hips then tilted his head to the right and lightly pressed his lips to hers. Unsure how to proceed, her arms hung loosely at her sides. After a few moments, she raised them to rest her hands on his biceps and reciprocated.
A strangled nearby whimper caused them to jump apart.
Sheldon licked his lips then cleared his throat. "Goodnight, Amy."
"Goodnight," she echoed breathlessly.
Once Amy's car was out of sight and Sheldon had gone inside, Raj emerged from his hiding place.
"Noooooooo!" He sobbed.
