Wooing With Help
Eros fluttered his wings in frustration. He scanned the crowded dance floor carefully. How could one small woman cause so much trouble? He had orders, dammit! He caught a glimmer of golden hair from the corner of his eye, and spun quickly. A frustrated growl escaped him when he realized it wasn't her. He swept through the club again and again, searching hard for his target. Hours later he returned to Olympus in defeat. He would just have to try again tomorrow.
He ignored the snickers from a couple of lesser gods and headed to the thrones. Hera was not going to be happy, but what could he do? The blasted woman was impossible! She was erratic, unpredictable and keeping up with her was impossible!
"I see you have still not accomplished the task I gave you," Hera said without looking up from the peacocks around her feet.
Eros sighed slightly. "It's not my fault," he said pleadingly. "Penelope Queen is impossible! She will not stand still! Every time I line up a shot, the blasted woman disappears on me!"
Hera's eyes flashed angrily. "Take care how you speak of my descendant. She is of my blood and you will treat her with respect!"
Eros lowered his eyes respectfully. "Forgive me, Hera. I am simply frustrated by her ability to evade me."
Hera laughed, appeased. "She is quite the handful, isn't she? My blood is strong in her." She looked at Eros with a smile. "Go. Rest. Try again on the morrow."
Eros left the throne room and tried to relax. He had to find a mate for Hera's great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great granddaughter. Before the Goddess lost all patience with him.
Sheldon had a life that, while not exactly adventurous, was comfortable. He abhorred change or disruption. He kept his life rigidly scheduled. He was content.
He turned off his laptop and pulled on his messenger bag. It was comic book night and then HALO with his friends. He opened the door to his office and stepped into the hall. He was just about to close his door when a body careened into him. He was knocked off balance back into his office. Before he could catch his breath, a blonde woman spun and kicked his door shut. She scrambled to her feet and locked it.
Sheldon regained his feet as she pressed her ear to the door. After a moment to study the intruder, he moved up behind her and pressed his ear to the door as well. His nostrils flared as her soft vanilla scent wafted up to him.
He pulled away and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, miss, but is there a reason why you are in my office?"
Eyes the color of fresh moss looked up at him. "Some creep is following me. He's been at it for weeks."
Sheldon twitched with alarm. He felt the sudden urge to pull her away from the door and deeper into the safety of his office. "Is he dangerous? What does he look like?"
She shrugged and turned to face him. "No idea. I've never seen him. I just feel him watching me."
Sheldon frowned and snorted. "That is hardly scientific."
Penny looked the guy over carefully. He was wearing hideously loud plaid pants, a blue and green striped thermal shirt and a batman tee over that. Surely he was burning up in that getup, wasn't he? He was tall and slim, with a swimmer's build. Cute, she decided as she looked into his baby blues.
Sheldon blushed at her appraisal, but he could not resist looking her over as well. Blonde curls, ample bosom, trim waist and golden skin. Her flowered blue top left her midriff bare, and her flounced white skirt showed off her legs to perfection. Her flip flops were topped by blue flowers with green rhinestone centers, like the barrette in her hair. When he dragged his eyes back up to her face, she was grinning widely. He blushed even more and looked down at his feet.
"I'm Penny," she said in a friendly tone.
"Doctor Sheldon Cooper," he answered, taking the hand she offered in his.
Penny decided to cut the guy a break and looked around the office while he composed himself. Her eyes landed on a large board filled with numbers and symbols. "Wow," she gasped. "What is that?"
Sheldon hurried forward eagerly. "That is my work. I am a theoretical physicist. I am trying to prove M theory."
Penny moved up beside him and gave a little laugh. He gulped as he felt the heat from her body. "So, you're one of those beautiful minds, aren't you? Like the Russell Crowe movie?"
Pleasure coursed through him and he involuntarily leaned closer to her. "Yeah," he said softly.
A knock on his door startled them both. Sheldon immediately took a step in front of Penny protectively. "Who is it?" he called out.
"Sheldon? Are you okay?" a male voice called out. "We thought we heard a woman giggling."
Sheldon hesitated to open the door. He found he was reluctant to allow his friends to meet Penny. He moved to the door and opened it slightly. "I have a guest. Please return later."
Howard snorted loudly. "Yeah, right. You don't have guests. Much less female ones. What are you really doing?"
Before Sheldon could decide what to do, Penny moved up beside him. His eyes widened as she appeared to be buttoning her shirt back up. She leaned up and wrapped an arm around Sheldon's neck. He groaned as she pressed her lips to his and his arms wound around her waist of their own volition.
After several seconds she pulled away and smiled warmly. "Thanks sweetie. You're the best." She moved around the three men in the hallway and walked away with a swish of her hips. Four pairs of stunned eyes followed her until she turned a corner.
Penny hurried to her friend Amy's lab. Amy was one of the world's leading neurologists. On the surface, they seemed like two unlikely friends, but they had met several years ago at the Cheesecake Factory. Penny, now the assistant manager, had been a waitress at the time, and Amy a customer. Turns out that the guy Amy was with was part of a prank. Amy's two roommates had set her up on a fake date just to humiliate her. Penny hated bullies, so she had punched the guy, dumped chicken tortilla soup over his head, and brought Amy a free mojito.
Two weeks later, they were roommates and fast friends. When Amy got the job here at Cal-tech, she had met Bernadette, a Biology grad student. She had quickly become part of their group. The three women were the best of friends, and today was Amy's birthday. They were going out to celebrate later.
Penny's mind was stuck on Sheldon's soft lips and startled eyes. She hadn't been able to stop herself. The way those three guys had sounded so mocking had made her angry. Sheldon had looked as if he was accustomed to the mocking, and that had made her act impulsively. Not that she regretted it. His lips had been so soft, yet firm. And he tasted like peppermint. No, she was glad she had done it. Too bad she would probably never have the chance to do it again.
Cupid grumbled and flew up high. He had lost the blasted woman again! He was going to be the laughing stock of Olympus if he didn't bespell that woman soon!
Sheldon steadfastly ignored his friends as they drove to the comic book store. They had pestered him all the way from his office as to her identity. Leonard, especially, was relentless.
"Come on buddy! You can tell us. Who was she? Cousin? Grad student? Robot?" Leonard wheedled.
Sheldon looked at him with disgust. "You think I would kiss my cousin like that?" Sheldon sighed heavily. "Her name is Penny. That is all I know."
Howard leaned up from the backseat. "Is she an escort? Can I have her number?"
Sheldon ignored them, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.
Leonard glared at him. "Fine. Don't tell us." He parked near the comic book store and got out, slamming his door behind him. Sheldon sighed and got out more slowly. It was going to be a long night.
"I have heard of Dr. Cooper," Amy said, looking into the window of the jewelry store. "I have not met him personally, but I hear he is quite brilliant."
Bernadette sipped her slushie and looked at Penny. "I've met him. Kind of strange, and looks a bit like a preying mantis. Why are you asking about him?"
Penny shrugged, keeping her eyes glued to a choker. "I ran into him on the way to your office, Amy. I was just curious."
Amy gasped and looked at Penny with wide eyes. "You're blushing! You like this guy?"
Penny's cheeks burned with heat as her two friends focused on her completely. "Okay, so he's cute. But he's also a bit… I don't know. It's like he's wound a bit tight. And he's like super smart."
"And?" Bernadette asked knowingly.
Penny groaned and walked to the next window display. She refused to look at her friends. "And he tastes like peppermint," she mumbled.
Bernadette and Amy threw their arms around each other and squealed with delight. Penny pressed her head to the glass window of the next shop with embarrassment. She knew that once her friends got started, there was no stopping them. In an hour, they would be planning her honeymoon!
Penny caught movement from the corner of her eye and looked up. She was stunned to see Sheldon staring back at her with just as much surprise.
He couldn't believe it! He had wandered over to look at the expansion packs for Warlords of Ka'a, and found himself face to face with the object of his thoughts. Penny was on the sidewalk, separated from him by a pane of glass. He barely noticed the two women behind her dancing about happily. Mostly he just saw the same stunned hope in her eyes that he felt.
He wasn't sure what compelled him. His feet moved of their own accord, propelling him to the door. By the time he got outside, he was almost running. He ignored his friends who had followed curiously. He rushed right over to Penny and swept her up into his arms. He bent his head and kissed her hard as her own arms wound around his neck.
Penny felt a tug low in her stomach as they kissed. It was as if her entire world narrowed down to just the two of them. For the first time in her life, she felt as if she was exactly where she belonged.
Sheldon had spent his life with a fear of germs and a wariness about emotions. But now, with Penny held tightly in his embrace, he felt serene. He felt as if he was exactly where he was meant to be.
Hera watched with joy as Penelope and Sheldon wed. Eros fluttered up beside her and watched the wedding with a smile.
"You look happy," he remarked calmly.
Hera smiled at him and nodded. "Yes. I am very pleased. You chose well for her."
Eros shook his head and grinned. "Actually, I missed. I was in such a hurry to not let her escape this time, that I overshot them. I hit the brunette by mistake," he said, pointing to Amy and Raj watching each other hungrily.
Hera looked back at Penelope and Sheldon with amazement. "True Love after all," she murmured. She blessed the couple and turned to Eros. "Come. Let us celebrate."
Sheldon gathered Penny close as the minister declared them husband and wife. It had all happened so quickly, but he had no regrets. In the space of only a month he had found the love of his life. He knew Penny felt the same way. He had never believed in destiny or love at first sight, but he couldn't deny there was something almost magical about the way they had met.