Chapter Three

Penny froze. "Why not?"

"Because that's where I sit." He exclaimed.

She blinked. "Ok. So where can I sit?"

"Anywhere you want, just not there." He gave her a strange look. "Or in my bedroom. People can't be in my bedroom." He added as an afterthought.

"Arn't you people?" She smiled at him as she shifted over a spot on the sofa.

He paused, and then glared at her. "OTHER people." He specified. "See what you've done Leonard?"

"Sheldon, I'm sure Penny was just teasing." Leonard sighed. "And dinner is here, so lets eat."

"It's probably already cold." Sheldon mourned. He took off his long overcoat and hung it on the coat hanger, and then his suit coat as well.

It was a strange suit, a mustard coloured plaid. He appeared to be wearing a long sleeved blue shirt underneath it, and as he rolled up the sleeves to help himself to the dinner waiting on the counter, she noticed he was wearing a yellow long sleeved shirt underneath that one.

Penny blinked. The man was obviously colour blind.

When the other hung up his over coat as well, she noticed that his suit was a plain brown, although there seemed to be something off about it. It looked like a smoking jacket, only made of something not quite so nice, and neither of them appeared to smoke.

She shrugged. She was an actress, she met all kinds. And she was definitely not too proud to turn down a free meal, and it did smell good. She stood up and removed her own over coat, and the stole, and hung them up, because the place was immaculate, and she didn't think tossing them on the couch would go over very well.

She turned around, and found both men in pause, staring at her. "What?"

"That's a really pretty dress." Leonard said sweetly.

Sheldon made a face. "You should hang the stole on TOP of your overcoat, or you'll crush the fur."

She raised an eyebrow. "It's not real fur, and it's got a gun in it."

"Well in that case, grab a plate." Sheldon shrugged and crossed to his seat with his plate, pausing only to turn on the radio.

He made no comment when she sat back down, beside him, with her plate, he was fully absorbed in the radio play that was broadcasting.

They ate in silence, except for Leonard's brief repeated attempts at conversation. When the show was over, their plates and cutlery on the tray set to be taken downstairs, Sheldon finally turned to her.

"So what did you loose?"

"Oh." She sat up straighter. "Don't you need a pencil and paper?" Her eyes darted between them. "Arn't you going to take notes?"

"I have an eidetic memory." Sheldon replied.

"What's that mean?" She frowned.

"It means I never forget anything."

Penny shrugged. "Well listen, I'm an actress, right? So I come to town, I get this awesome gig, only it's not really so awesome, because it doesn't pay very well, but the director is really cute, and we hit it off. He asks me to move in with him, and I know thats not quite the thing, single girl like myself, living with a man, but I really loved him. But it turns out, that he wasn't really that great, I got a few more acting jobs, and I bought some things, stocks, jewelry, shoes.." She paused, looking to see if they were paying attention. "Anyways, it turns out, this director, he's got a wife back in Wisconsin and she came to town."

Leonard gasped.

"I KNOW!" Penny exclaimed. "So I left, right? Only I didn't realize, that I forgot some stuff, and when I went back, he was gone, and everything with him."

"Maybe he went back to Wisconsin." Sheldon said dryly.

"No." Penny shook her head. "His wife was there looking for him too. He's split."

"You don't think it was the mob?" Leonard asked in horror.

Penny gave him a look. "Why would it be the mob? If it was the mob, he'd be dead somewhere, and my stuff would still be in the flat."

"You still haven't said what we are going to be looking for." Sheldon reminded her.

"My stocks. My jewels. My shoes."

"He took your shoes?"

Penny shrugged. "He always liked my shoes. I have GREAT taste in shoes."

They all stared at her feet.

Sheldon raised an eyebrow. "Better taste in shoes than in men." He looked again. "How much did you pay for those?"

She told him. He looked shocked. "That's a lot to pay for just one colour!"

"But they're cute!"

"Great, well, we'll start tomorrow." Leonard smiled brightly.

Sheldon frowned. "I haven't said I'd take the job yet."

"We're taking the job Sheldon."

"In chapter two, paragraph three, clause four, of the associate employment agreement, it clearly states that I have final choice over which jobs we have, because I have two doctorates, the private investigator licence, and the guns. Not to mention I'm smarter than you."

"Fine." Leonard gritted his teeth. "Are we taking the job?"

"Of course, first thing in the morning, after I have my cup of tea, my bowl of oatmeal, and my eight o clock bathroom visit."

"You have more than one gun?" Penny interrupted, not particularly eager to hear about the bathroom visit, but she did like guns... Big guns...

"I'm from Texas." He repeated.

"Then why do you need Leonard?" She asked.

"Because I don't drive. Leonard drives."

"Are you always going to talk to me like I'm three years old?"

"Until you prove you are more intelligent than a three year old yes."

She stared off into space, thinking about the last few months. "Fair enough."

"Good." He stared at her. "You're showing more sense than Leonard already. I'm going to bed now, goodnight."

Penny stood up and went to get her coat.

"Wait Sheldon, shouldn't we escort Miss Penny to her home?" Leonard looked anxious.

"Don't worry about it." Penny buttoned her coat and wrapped her mink around her neck.

"No wait, I insist." Leonard reached for his coat. "Sheldon, didn't your mother teach you how to treat ladies properly?"

Sheldon looked back from the hallway. "Of course. But Penny isn't a lady, no offence, she's an actress, and my mother also said they're the spawn of the devil." He paused, and looked oddly happy. "On second thought, I believe I will accompany you home Penny, if nothing else, it will give my mother something new to pray about."

"It's really not necessary." Penny repeated herself. "I live right next door, I'm in Mrs. Vartebedlan's attic flat."

"Still." Sheldon grabbed his coat and pulled it on. "Why deprive my mother something to pray about?"

Penny raised an eyebrow. "Will she be praying for your soul or mine?"

Sheldon paused, and his smile grew bigger, till it kind of freaked her out. "Both. Oh happy day!"