Chapter 47 - Surprising and Mistaken Revelations
Lindsey had just purchased some aspirins at the hotel gift shop and was waiting for the elevator, so when it finally opened and she came face to face with Howard and Bernadette, she had to force herself just to not run away. "Umm….Hi guys."
Bernadette and Howard had slept late that morning because of going to bed late, to enjoy some intimacy the night before, and had decided to eat lunch in the hotel restaurant. However Bernadette, upon seeing Lindsey, immediately noticed she was wearing the same dress from last night and remembered her tell them she would find and take Raj home. So she just blurted out, "Lindsey, did you stay in the hotel last night."
Lindsey felt trapped, but as the Elevator doors began to close she saw a way out, putting her arm between the doors to cause them to open back up and quickly getting into the elevator as fast as she could. She then turned to look at her sister's confused friends as the door started to close again, "Sorry, I have to go, talk to you later." the doors closing as she finished that excuse and her giving them a little wave. She then let out a big sigh, watching the floors tick by as she just wanted to get back in Raj's room to feel safe again.
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Penny was walking down the stairs when her phone started ringing and seeing it was Bernadette she quickly answered, "Hey girl did you guys get back to the hotel last night without any problems?"
"Yeah and it looks like your sister did too, since we saw her this morning wearing the same dress she was wearing last night." Bernadette responded.
"Say what!" Penny said with surprise, she had thought Lindsey was still in bed this morning, in her old room, upstairs. Penny then listened to everything that happened at the hotel that morning from Bernadette, by then sitting on the bottom of the stairs in a little bit of shock. "Okay Bernadette thanks, I talk to you later." Hanging up and just sitting there for a couple of minutes before hitting the call button after highlighting her sister's cell number.
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Lindsey had given Raj some aspirin and water and was now just laying on the bed, softly touching his hair as he slept again, so when her phone vibrated on the night stand next to the bed she quickly got out of the bed and went to the corner of the room with it. Lindsey was a little aggravated it was Penny so she just hit the 'take call' button and said "What!" in a angry whisper.
Penny ignored her sisters angry response, "Where the hell are you Lindsey?"
Lindsey now again felt trapped, "Umm…at home." she lied.
"Bullshit, you spent the night with Raj, didn't you." Penny accused her.
"Nooo, what makes you think that?" Lindsey continued to lie to her sister.
"Don't lie to me, Bernadette saw you this morning and you were wearing the same dress as last night. If that isn't the walk of shame I don't know what is." Penny confronted her with what she knew.
"That bitch." Lindsey mumbled.
"That is my friend Lindsey and I think the only bitch right now is you." Penny was now even more angry at her sister.
"Screw you sis, it is my life and I can do what I want." Lindsey said now mad herself.
"No you can't, you have a husband and son, your days of doing what you want are over, you have responsibilities." Penny reminded her.
"Yeah, so what, my husband probably has had sex with over a dozen girls since we got married, so what is the harm with me sleeping with a nice Indian guy." Lindsey explained.
"Because you are married, Lin." Penny said in exasperation.
"Well maybe I don't want to be married anymore." and with that Lindsey hung up on Penny. She then moved to a chair and just sat there in Raj's room, looking at the man in the bed, thinking about if she was married to someone like him. She thought that he was the kind of guy who wouldn't leave her alone and wouldn't cheat her, like old man always did and was probably doing right now to her.
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Penny just stared down at her phone, thinking about calling her sister back again to give her more hell, it was bad enough her sister was married but she knew the way Raj was, Lindsey being nice to him would make him fall for her, because he always fell so hard and in such a short amount of time. Lindsey wasn't just hurting her own marriage she was hurting Penny's very sensitive friend and she was not happy about that. What did made Penny stop calling her back though, was she remembered what her mother told her about Lindsey's marriage and what an ass her husband was, running around on her. Penny did feel sorry for her sister and so she decided she would talk to her that night at the rehearsal dinner, when they could talk face to face.
Penny stood up and put her phone in her pocket, she needed to help her father and get her mind off of this new situation. However when she passed through the kitchen her mother seemed to sense something was wrong, "Sweetie, why the sour face?"
It caught Penny by surprise and she stood there a second, at a loss for words, as she looked back at her mother. "I…I guess I keep thinking there is something we missed for the wedding tomorrow and it is sort of driving me nuts." She lied and immediately felt bad about lying to her mother.
Meryl smiled, "It is just pre-wedding jitters honey, every bride gets them, even when they are marring the love of their life, don't let them get you down."
Penny gave her mother a smile, "Your right mom, I'm probably worrying over nothing." she then rushed out the door before her mother realized that she just lied to her.
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The next couple hours went by quickly as Penny, then her mother, helped Wyatt get all the chores done for the day, so they could start getting ready for the rehearsal that evening. Therefore, it was a little after 2 PM when Penny got back to the room, finding Leonard still asleep making her try to be very quiet as she started to get ready. She quickly stripped and went to take a shower, to wash the stink of the barn off her, and was a little surprised to see Leonard's eyes open when she came back into the bedroom. "How are you feeling Sweetie?"
"Better than earlier, however I still feel I'm being punished for all past transgressions I have done or will do for the rest of my life." he told her never moving from the bed.
Penny walked over and sat next to him, running her hands through this thick soft hair as she gently rubbed his scalp. "Yeah, shots will do that to you." She said softly then leaned down and kiss his head, "Do you feel alright to go to the rehearsal?" She was a little worried he was too sick and felt it was partly her fault by not making sure he was better taken care of the night before.
Leonard sighed, "I just need some more water and aspirin and I'll survive, but don't expect me to be the life of the party."
Penny gave him a small smile, "Sweetie just try and get everything you need to know at rehearsal down and I will make sure no one bothers you at the dinner, okay."
"Okay, deal." Leonard then slowly got up to sit next to Penny, putting his head on her shoulder. "I'll be better tomorrow, promise."
Penny held him and smiled a little more, "I know Honey, I know."
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Leonard actually made it through the rehearsal without too much problem, the aspirin and water Penny gave him, dulling the headache and thirst that were ever present that day. Now at the rehearsal dinner, she had made sure he was comfortable and around their friends the whole night while she mingled with her relatives keeping them away from Leonard, as much as she could, so he could just rest. It was actually a little difficult for her, her relatives dying to see her Dr/PhD fiancé and her really having a little trouble not showing him off and bragging about him. But she did manage to discourage most of them and she got through the dinner part of the evening keeping Leonard secluded with her and her friends while they ate.
She was actually feeling really happy that evening, because even though Leonard was still a little hung over, he really tried all night to get everything right at the rehearsal and dinner, even talking to some her relatives that she failed to keep away from him. She was proud of him, and she could tell her relatives were impressed by him too, even some of the less educated men of her family thinking Leonard was a great guy. But the thing that really made Penny so happy that night was, during the rehearsal, when she was walking down the aisle, the look Leonard gave her that had made her almost cry on the spot, the love in his eyes had melted her heart and at that moment she had wished it was the real wedding so she could already be his wife.
But it was now the time between the dinner and dessert, and with that, Penny again left Leonard for a few minutes to mingle again and to run interference with her relatives, giving Leonard more time just sit quietly at the table with their friends. So it was a surprise, when Penny had just finished talking to one of her aunts, that she heard 'Hi Penny' in a voice she knew she had heard before. But when she turned, the face that went with that voice still slightly dumbfounded Penny, because it belonged to a person she had not seen in over a decade and could have gone with out seeing for at least another decade. "Valerie, what are you doing here." Penny asked, because she knew she didn't invite Valerie Mossbacher to her rehearsal dinner or her wedding.
Valerie gave Penny a large smile, thinking how much she was going to enjoy what was going to happen next. "Penny, I was a little hurt you didn't invite me."
Penny stared at her, immediately wondering what she was up too. "We are not exactly friends Valerie."
"Oh, that hurts, especially as I came here, 'as your friend', to tell you something very important." Valerie had to keep herself from laughing as she watched Penny's stare turn into confusion.
Penny knew Valerie was still not her friend but was nevertheless curious what would make her come there, "What is it Valerie?"
Valerie forced a hurt look on her face, "Please Penny, I'm here only to make sure you know the truth."
Penny could already see Valerie was playing games, but her curiosity was getting the best of her again making her want to know what Valerie had to say. "Okay then tell me the truth."
Valerie nodded then took a moment to drive up the drama, "Well you might not know but I'm a performer too, and sometimes I perform at bachelor parties around the area."
"You're a stripper." Penny said matter-of-factly, actually thinking it made a lot of sense, Valerie was always very loose around guys.
"An entertainer." Valerie said with a little anger.
"Okay, an entertainer. So what does that have to do with me." Penny was now getting impatient.
"Well Honey, last night I entertained at a bachelor party at that bar on state route 73, and a couple things happened I thought you should know, since you are getting married and all tomorrow." Valerie forced herself not to smile as she saw Penny's concern on hearing that Valerie was at her fiancé's bachelor party.
"What should I know?" Penny asked, now apprehensive.
"Well I don't really drink much, but last night the men kept forcing alcohol on me, especially one man, who afterward, when I was feeling too tipsy, took me into a back room and had his way with me." Valerie explained, making herself look innocent in the encounter.
Penny held her breath, "What man?"
"That Honey is what I thought you needed to know, it was the guy who the party was for, the groom." Valerie then watched as the shock took over Penny's features.
"No that can't be." Penny whispered.
"Honey we walked in and the men there cleared out a spot in the center of the room and put him in a chair for us, it was him." Valerie was enjoying this more than she thought she would seeing the shocked expression on Penny's face.
"You have to be mistaken." Penny again whispered.
Penny's denial pissed Valerie off a little. "Honey, we danced for your man, lap danced, and then he lured me into the back room and screwed me hard." she said, a little frustration in her voice, "I just though you needed to know."
"No, he would never do that." Penny now said.
"Really." Valerie's voice now dripping with sarcasm, "Why don't we ask him."
Penny glanced back into the room and at the table Leonard, Howard, Bernadette and Raj were sitting at. "He wouldn't do that, he loves me." she repeated as she looked at Leonard.
Valerie followed Penny's eyes to the table and saw the man she slept with, thinking how good her embarrassment was going to be after it all came out to everyone. "Well let him tell you himself." Valerie they started walking to the table.
Penny immediately followed her, staring at Leonard the whole time she walked over, time seeming to stand still as her mind raced with all the new information she had just learned. She thought about how drunk he was that night, not knowing what he was doing or even where he was, she had never really seen him like that before. Then she remembered about what he had told her about England and how he had gotten so drunk that he was vulnerable to that woman who took him home, barely able to only get sober enough to not let anything happen at the end. Penny now wondered if something did happen this time, did Valerie take advantage of him while he was drunk, she never believed for a moment the Valerie was innocent, and did drunk Leonard have sex with her.
Penny's hurt was slowly turning to a form anger, a feeling of betrayal, but as she approached the table Leonard looked up directly at her, like he suddenly had some kind of sixth sense to know something was wrong with her and them. It was that moment, after their eyes met, that something also happened inside of her, the anger was gone and she suddenly knew if he had any good excuse she would forgive him. She couldn't picture her life without him anymore, and in her heart she felt he would never cheat on purpose, so all he needed to say was that he was too drunk or he didn't know what was happening and she would still marry him. It was more than giving him the benefit of the doubt, she truly believed he loved her, so she was sure some kind of extenuating circumstances were the cause and it was not like Valerie had told her.
Valerie was enjoying a shocked Penny following her to the table like a Zombie, it was all turning out to be even better than she had hoped. It would finally end all the talk, around town, about the hugely successful actress Penny and people would now talk about how she canceled her marriage because of her cheating fiancé, it made Valerie smile. She was feeling so good now she decided to drop any pretense that she was somehow seduced and just started to walk around the table as soon as they got there to the man that was making this one of the joyous moments in Valerie's life.
Penny watched as Valerie moved around the table, to the side where Leonard was sitting, however, Leonard didn't take his eyes off of her and was giving her a look that she was sure was asking her what was wrong. She wanted to scream as Valerie got close to Leonard because she thought she could see Valerie was also starting to bend down to put her arms around him. So it was a surprise to Penny when Valerie ignored and went by Leonard to put her arms around Raj, who was sitting next to Leonard. It was such a relief that Valerie had not touched Leonard, but now Penny was even more confused.
Lindsey had seen Penny and Valerie walking across the room, and knowing how much her little sister hated that woman and remembering the night before at the party, she immediately went to see what was happening. She had just arrived at her sister's side when she saw Valerie put her arms around Raj and then smile back a Penny, the scene making her mad at Valerie now too, upon seeing her be so casual with Raj. The only thing now keeping Lindsey's anger in check was Raj's eyes that were locked on her and seeming to be pleading that he was sorry.
Valerie was still smiling as she gave Raj a little squeeze, "Honey did you miss me." she said in a sexy voice.
Raj wasn't sure who the woman was exactly, he didn't remember everything that happened exactly the night before and this woman didn't look exactly like one of the strippers. But to be honest he couldn't be sure, the stripper he was with didn't have many clothes on so he didn't look too much at her face and this woman now just looked like a normal woman with all the clothes she was wearing. So he responded "I don't know."
"Aw Honey, how could you forget." Valerie acted offended then perked back up, she had planned for him to deny, especially in front of Penny. "Honey, I have just the thing to remind you." Valerie then pulled out her phone, one of the new large ones with a large screen. She then hit the start on a video, as she pointed the screen at Penny, the video one she took when she had put her phone's camera in a spot to record her and Raj copulating the night before. So now she just smiled as the video played for Penny, everyone else at the table, and anyone else close enough to see.
Penny just stared at the screen in complete confusion, there was no Leonard in the video, just an obviously drunk Raj screwing the hell out of Valerie and Valerie seeming to be enjoying it very much. It was then that Lindsey started to speak to her sister. "Don't believe anything that whore tells you." she whispered Penny to try and defuse what was going on in her sister's mind.
Penny just stared at the video, she was still stunned and very confused, so she just whispered back to her sister, "What happened?"
"Not what you are imagining, believe me, Leonard didn't do anything with Valerie." Lindsey whispered her.
Valerie was getting confused about what Lindsey seemed to be whispering to Penny, also Penny didn't seem as upset as Valerie thought she should now be and that previous confused expression, that had been on Penny's face, seemed to be going away. "What are you two talking about?" she demanded as she now laid her phone on the table and stood completely up, letting go of Raj and staring at Penny and Lindsey.
Penny just looked blankly a Valerie for a moment before she started walking around the table finally saying to Valerie "I think you made a little mistake." as she got close to Leonard. Penny then stopped behind him and leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek, then after her lips separated from his cheek she looked deep into her Sweetie's eyes who was now looking up and staring at her with confusion, "Leonard honey this is the Valerie, the woman I told you about a long time before." she watch him nod before she then looked again at Valerie, "Valerie this is my fiancé, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, the man I'm marrying tomorrow."
Valerie was now stunned and looked at Penny wide eyed, "No, no that can't be, this is your fiancé." she insisted, pointing at Raj. She was now so confused she didn't even see Lindsey pick her phone off the table while she wasn't watching.
Raj looked up at Valerie, "No I'm not, Penny is marrying Leonard." he then nodded at his two friends. Again while this shocking turn of events began to finally sink into Valerie's mind, no one noticed Lindsey back slightly away from the table while she typed on Valerie's phone.
Valerie was now the one confused, in shock and upset. "No, last night you were the one we danced for, you are Penny's fiancé." She shot back a Raj in desperation.
Howard now spoke, "No, what happened was when you strippers came in, Leonard told us he was having nothing to do with strippers and was not going up anywhere near them, so we talked Raj to be the substitute groom."
Penny was surprised again, only this time in a happy way. "You didn't want to be with the strippers, you refused?" she said while looking down at Leonard.
"Yes." he said to her quietly, "I told you I love you, I don't want anyone else but you, that is why I came back."
"Oh Leonard." Penny couldn't help the tears that were coming from her eyes, she was so much in love with him.
Leonard stood up and took her into a hug, "Don't cry, everything is fine."
Valerie was frantic now as she realized she had sex with the wrong man, "What the hell!"
Lindsey finished with the phone and lightly tossed it back on the table, which made everyone look at the phone and then Lindsey. "What did you do to my phone." Valerie now accused Lindsey.
Lindsey just smiled, "I sent Ronny the video."
"What!" Valerie practically yelled. Several people near the table now looked over at the group.
Lindsey's smile then turned to cold hate. "I sent your husband a video of you getting your brains screwed out and enjoying it."
"Ronny, like in Ronny Stevenson?" Penny now asked as she came off Leonard's shoulder and looked at Valerie then her sister.
Lindsey looked at her sister, "Yeah Sis, while you were away, Valerie here married Ronny."
"Ronny with that jealous streak that made girl after girl dump him in High School?" Penny asked in amazement
"Same one and he hasn't changed a bit." Lindsey now stared at Valerie again, noticing how heavy she was breathing.
"You Bitch!" Valerie then yelled out, making everyone now in the room look at her. The room also became incredibly quiet as everyone just stared at Valerie.
"You Bitch." Valerie now said softer to Lindsey.
"Yeah, you really need to look in a mirror before you start calling people that." Lindsey responded smugly.
Valerie now looked at everyone around the table, speechless and breathing heavy, before she grabbed her phone and practically ran out of the party room, the rehearsal dinner was being held in. It was then, after Valerie's escape, that everyone at the table just stared at each other, no one knowing what to say about what just happened, only Lindsey making any noise as she chuckled, then turned to her sister. "I think I can say that is over."
"What exactly just happened?" Leonard now asked.
Raj, Howard, Bernadette, Penny and Leonard again now looked at each other around the table. But it was Lindsey that spoke up, "I think I know."
Penny looked at her, "Please explain." Leonard nodding next to her.
"Well it seems that, like Howard said, the strippers came in and since Leonard is so pathetically in love with my sister," Lindsey paused for a second watching as Penny rolled her eyes at her, before she continued, "Raj acted like he was the groom so the strippers were all over him instead of Leonard, especially Valerie." Raj hung his head down and nodded. "Well we also know, at the same time, Leonard was at the table while our cousins got him drunk, and Howard was with him all the time till they tried to make off with Leonard." Howard nodded to Penny. "So that also makes us know Leonard was never with Valerie or any other of those sluts and we caught our crazy cousins before they made off with Leonard that night. Of course Penny then took him home, so Leonard, in the end, never did anything wrong last night." Everyone, except Raj and Leonard nodded, agreeing with Lindsey's chain of events.
"So how did Valerie get video of Raj and her." Bernadette asked purposely making it know she was not happy with Raj. Raj again lowering his head in shame.
"Well it is obvious Valerie wanted to create problems, so she either helped Raj get drunk or just waited till he was drunk enough to get him in a place to have sex with him, so she could video it." after Lindsey stated that, everyone looked at Raj, making him feel even worse.
"I'm sorry." Raj blurted out, his eyes locked on Lindsey.
Lindsey sighed, "Anyway, when I said I would look for him, I actually found them in the back room of the bar doing it. They didn't see me so I just hid until they were finished then got Raj to take him back to the hotel." Everybody now nodding at the events Lindsey described.
"Then you spent the night with him?" Bernadette asked
Lindsey just glared at her, just when she was beginning to like Bernadette, she was pissing her off. "Yeah." was all she said as a response.
Penny just stared at her sister, she could see her sister was angry but she could also see that she was holding that anger in. It made a question come to her mind and before she could filter her thoughts she just asked her sister, "Did you and Raj have sex?"
Lindsey's eyes shot to Penny in anger, but just as quickly the anger burnt itself out, "No, we just slept together." she said in almost a whisper.
Raj shook his head, "I asked her to stay, so she took care of me." He had forgotten his embarrassment and defended her, both Bernadette and Penny immediately noticing it.
Penny now felt bad about embarrassing her sister. "Okay, Valerie's still a bitch, and my soon to be husband is the most wonderful man in the world." she wrapped her arms around Leonard waist and kissed his cheek, "I'm really crushing on you right now, I love you so much." she whispered in his ear, making him smile and turn his head to kiss her lips, then reply, "I love you too."
Lindsey could tell that Penny dropped the whole Raj and her thing and had changed the subject, much to Lindsey's appreciation, "Okay, Penny loves Leonard and Leonard loves Penny, you guys are so sickenly sweet it makes me want to gag." her comment making everyone at the table now chuckle.
It was that moment that Amy walked up, with Sheldon behind her, "What just happened?" The simple question making everyone laugh even harder, the tension from just a few minutes earlier now gone between all the people around the table.