Pandora's Box - Chapter three
Mar. 22nd, 2012 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizwontcryTitle: Pandora's Box - chapter three
Author: Lizwontcry
Spoilers: Through 5x19
Rating/Warnings: PG
Disclaimer: I got nothin'.
Summary: Sheldon turns to Penny for advice on how to take his relationship with Amy to the next level but they're both unprepared for the unexpected lesson...and feelings that go along with it.
Chapter one
Chapter two
*****
A room full of Pennys paced the halls, reciting lines and trying not to notice all the other identical-looking girls who were also pacing the halls and reciting lines. This was not the time to be friendly. Penny learned this a long time ago. Not that it mattered, since she'd gotten a whole lot of nothing from all the auditioning she'd done over the years. But this was an important audition. Maybe more important, more potentially life-changing than all the other auditions combined. Penny just wanted this one more. She needed it more. The Cheesecake Factory was stifling her creativity and turning her into a waitress-bot. And this audition could change everything.
The audition was for a role on a popular soap opera called Fire Lake. It was relatively new but it was getting amazing ratings, especially for a soap opera. Penny was optimistic about the part because it was pretty small and it called for a "Midwest-looking woman in her mid-twenties". Well, she was really in her upper twenties now but nobody needed to know that.
"Penny, you're next," Annie, the casting director told her, and Penny took a deep breath and nodded. While they took the long walk down the hall, Annie pointed to her clipboard and said, "So it says here you're from Nebraska?"
"Born and raised," Penny said with a smile. She hated small talk more than anything, but if it would help her get the part, she'd small talk like her life depended on it.
"Where, exactly? I ask because I'm from Omaha. And we Nebraska girls have to stick together."
Penny grinned. "Really? I'm from Ralston! That's funny. I never find anyone from close to home in California. It seems like everyone is from Texas or, like, Utah or something."
"I know, right? Well, I'm a little older than you but do you know Patricia Rose? She's my BFF's sister, about your age. And she went to Ralston High School."
"Oh, I know her. She…doesn't like me." Most girls in high school didn't like Penny. She supposed it was because she stole a lot of boyfriends. Including Patricia's. In her defense, Johnny had gorgeous long black hair and he rode a motorcycle. And he wasn't meant to be tied down.
"Well, that's how you know you're doing something right," Annie said, and winked, and Penny knew that unless she really fucked up this audition, she'd be getting this part. As Annie said, Nebraska girls had to stick together.
But her smile faded as soon as she entered the audition room. The first face she saw was Elena Edwards, rising star, tabloid favorite, and massive bitch supreme. She and Penny were almost twins, so she'd been told over the years, but Elena was a tiny bit thinner and a tiny bit younger, and she also had bigger breasts. This meant she got most of the parts Penny auditioned for, and the best part about that was she wasn't afraid to let Penny know about it. At this moment, Penny reasoned that Elena was her karma for being such a boyfriend stealer in the past. Elena was her punishment. Elena was going to beat her yet again.
"Oh. Penny. I guess I should have known you'd be auditioning for this part. Midwest looks and all." Elena said with a shit-eating grin on her ugly face. Of course, Elena was the one who got the part back when Penny was told she looked too Midwest. Also something Elena never let her live down.
"Hello, Elena. Nice to see you, as always."
Annie looked back and forth at the two girls and shook her head. Penny figured she was used to the cat fighting.
"Penny, Elena was just cast as the sister of the part you're auditioning for today. You two would have quite a lot of scenes together if we pick you. You're okay with that?"
"Absolutely," Penny said, relieved she wasn't going up against Elena but also annoyed that if she did get the part, she'd have to see this bitch every day.
"Okay, great. Have you prepared a monologue for us today?"
Penny gulped. She thought she was going to be reading a script like most of the other auditions she'd been on in the past year. Elena looked at Penny and grinned, like she was excited that Penny was going to mess this up, as usual.
Luckily for Penny and unfortunately for Elena, Penny had memorized a monologue a long time ago, and 95% of the time she totally nailed it.
"I have."
"Okay, whenever you're ready."
Penny cleared her throat and got into her zone. Yes, it was true that she hadn't succeeded as an actress in California. But when she was in school, she was the hit of every play and musical and everyone was sure she was destined for greatness. So while her self-esteem was shot after so many years without success, she drew from the feeling of being a star in her small high school back home, and she delivered her monologue from Wuthering Heights with confidence and dignity.
"How long is it since I shut myself in here? It seems a weary number of hours ... it must be more. I remember being in the parlour after they had quarrelled, and Edgar being cruelly provoking, and me running into this room desperate. As soon as ever I had barred the door, utter blackness overwhelmed me, and I fell on the floor. I couldn't explain to Edgar how certain I felt of having a fit, or going raging mad, if he persisted in teasing me!"
Penny continued, reciting the rest of the dialogue like a pro. She refused to look at Elena but could see her out of the corner of her eye. In the beginning of Penny's monologue, Elena was smiling. And by the end of it, she was frowning. But when she was done, the only reaction Penny cared about was Annie's. And Annie was smiling. A lot.
"Amazing, Penny. Thank you. You have everything we're looking for for this role. I can't officially make a decision yet because I have to see all the other girls who showed up, but I think I can safely say that you can expect a call very soon."
Penny grinned. "Oh, my gosh, thank you so much! You won't regret this!"
Annie gave Penny her card and Penny thanked her five more times and would have given her a hug if it wasn't considered awkward with so many people staring at them. Finally, being from Nebraska gave her an edge in this stupid competitive town.
On her way out, Penny said, "See you later, Elena."
"Not if I can help it," Elena said under her breath, and Penny laughed. Not even that bitch could ruin her day now.
Penny practically skipped to her car. When she got inside, she took out her phone and saw she had three texts.
Leonard - I know you're going to get that part, why wouldn't they pick you? You're my gorgeous love bunny. See you when you get home. Kisses.
Leonard had just recently started signing off his text with "Kisses". It irrationally annoyed her.
Amy - I am sure that you wowed the casting people today with your alabaster glowing skin and perpetual sunny grin. Even if you don't get it, you always will win the audition of my heart.
Okay...what?
She even had a text from Sheldon. It had been almost a month since their...incident and they hadn't spoken about it since. She assumed Sheldon truly only saw their kiss as a lesson and it didn't have any kind of impact on him. Not that she thought about it at all anymore. No, never. It never crossed her mind when she was kissing Leonard or picking out apples at the grocery store...or in the shower or when she was trying to go to sleep. Never.
I believe the socially accepted term for an audition is "break a leg" or something. I hope you do well, I know it would make you happy to finally excel at your chosen craft. See you later.
Why was that the text that made her the happiest?
She drove all the way home with an idiotic smile plastered on her face. And it wasn't just because of the audition.
*****
A few days later, Sheldon was about to head down the never ending stairs to meet Raj outside for a ride to the comic book store. As he locked the door, Penny came up the stairs with her arms full of groceries and the cutest and most endearing grin on her face.
"Hello, Penny. You look happy today."
Penny looked distracted, like she hadn't even noticed him standing there, or she hadn't even noticed that she was on this planet.
"Heyyy Shelly! I am happy. Thank you for noticing."
He didn't even bother correcting her usage of his mother's nickname for him.
"May I ask what it is that's causing that grin? I'm sure it's not something Leonard did." If anything, Leonard usually only made Penny frown. But that was a subject for another time.
"Oh, well, the casting director called me a few minutes ago and said I got the part on Fire Lake! It's not really a big part and I can't even quit the Cheesecake Factory yet, but it's a step in the right direction."
"Congratulations, Penny. I had all but given up on your dream to be an actress. So this is amazing and surprising news."
She glared at him and he knew he said something stupid but it was too late to take it back. As usual.
"You're lucky you're cute. And that I'm too happy to care about your usual insults."
Sheldon leaned in and took one of her bags. "So you can unlock your door."
She looked stunned for a moment but then her smile returned. "Thank you, sweetie. That's nice of you."
Penny unlocked her door and Sheldon followed her in, not waiting for an invitation. He knew that Raj was probably waiting for him in front of the building and the vibration of his cell phone in his pocket indicated as such. But Sheldon wasn't ready to go yet. Raj could wait a few minutes.
"I couldn't help but notice the spaghetti sauce you purchased..."
"Oh, yeah. I was going to make some tonight because Leonard's working late again and I'm on my own. Kind of a bummer that he's working on the day I get such good news, but whatever. It's not like that's unusual or something." She sighed. Sheldon didn't know what to do with that information.
"Well, it just so happens that I have hot dogs."
Penny giggled. "Aren't you going to hang with Amy tonight?"
"Penny, we don't 'hang'. We enjoy intellectual conversations sometimes followed by a make-out session. And she is visiting her cousin in San Diego for a few days. That Amy, she loves the beach. I can't imagine why; all I see when I picture a beach are germs and bugs and sharks. But that girl, she's a free spirit."
Penny stared at him and shook her head. She was always doing that. Sheldon reasoned it was because he was just so damn adorable, he rendered her speechless.
"Aww, well, okay. Do you miss her?"
"Not really. She'll be back in a few days and then I'll see her again. I think maintaining an acceptable distance from each other every now and then is healthy and mature, don't you?"
"Uh, sure…but maybe you should email or call or text her, don't you think? A girl doesn't like to think she was forgotten in her absence, you know?"
Sheldon didn't know. He was going to have to add that one to his list of rules to follow while in a relationship. The list was getting long.
"I'll make note of that, thank you for the tip."
Penny smiled. "Okay, well, why don't you come over around 8:00? I need to take a shower and call my parents and just kind of freak out that I have an amazing acting job on a nationally televised soap opera! Oh, my god, Sheldon, I'm going to be an actress!"
"Calm down, woman. Yes, you are. You are going to be a damn good actress. Anyway, I'll see you later tonight. With hot dogs."
"Yes. I'll be looking forward to seeing you. And your hot dogs." Penny blushed for a moment and Sheldon tried not to let his mind go in the gutter. Although more and more lately, he'd been unable to keep it from going straight there, especially when it came to Penny and those lips of hers.
Damn it. It was happening again.
Sheldon walked down the stairs slowly and found Raj furiously honking the horn outside.
"Damn it, dude, I've been out here for 30 minutes! What have you been doing?"
"Talking to Penny," Sheldon said simply.
"Oh. Well, you can do that any time. It's not nice to keep me waiting."
Sheldon nodded and let Raj rant about being on time for things. He checked his watch. Two hours, 37 minutes until 8:00. Why did it feel like an eternity?
*****
It was kind of funny, really. Penny never thought hot dogs and spaghetti would taste good together. Now, sometimes she ate it even when Sheldon wasn't there to share it with her. Although it tasted better when he was.
Sheldon was passionately explaining the plot of the new comic book he bought and she was trying to pay attention, she really was. But instead Penny found herself taking a long look at him. He looked good. His lips-oh, don't go there, Penny. She moved on. His eyes... she was always kind of fascinated by his eyes. They were so very blue, and they revealed so much about him. And the working out and the longer hair...the whole thing was kind of working for her and it was totally exasperating because this was Sheldon and he was Amy's boyfriend and Penny was Leonard's girlfriend and really, get over it. Penny may have been a bit…promiscuous in her younger days, but she wasn't a cheater.
"Penny? Penny!"
"Oh, sorry, honey. I was just kind of in my own world there for a second."
"Yes, I noticed. It seemed like you were staring at my lips."
Penny giggled and blushed, like she was 15 years old and he was Christian Slater. Early nineties Christian Slater, not current Christian Slater.
"Oh, you had something…you had something on them. Spaghetti sauce. But it's gone now."
He didn't believe her, she could tell. And he shouldn't have, because that was a terrible lie. He cleared his throat and swiftly changed the subject.
"So tell me more about your latest endeavor into the world of television drama."
"Oh! Well, I play this crazy chick named April. April is having an affair with her sister's husband. Basically I'm the other woman. But apparently there's going to be a lot of steamy scenes with me and Hunter Hudson, the husband in question. And he is hottttt."
Sheldon frowned. It was cute.
"I wonder if you might need someone to, as they say, run lines with? I used to do that with my sister when she was an aspiring actress back in elementary school."
Penny grinned, knowing with everything in her soul that it was wrong and she should tell him right then and right now that no, she would not need to "run her lines" with anyone except maybe Leonard. Truthfully, she didn't have a lot of dialogue, at least at first. Most of her time on screen was going to be in as little clothing as possible, making out (and more…lots more) with Hunter. But she didn't say no, because she wasn't perfect and Sheldon was cute and she kinda liked playing with fire.
"That's nice of you. Why would you want to do that for me?"
"Well, you helped me out when I needed it with Amy. It's only fitting that I return the favor."
So he was still thinking about that "favor", eh? Interesting.
"Oh, yeah, maybe we can do that some time. I haven't gotten any scripts yet, though. So I'll let you know." The second I get my hands on it.
Penny drank a bit more wine (okay, a lot more wine) and after dinner, Sheldon helped her wash the dishes. Eventually they sat together on the couch. Sheldon didn't even think twice, he just sat down next to her instead of complaining about the couch's positioning or whatever. The TV was on, but they weren't really paying attention to it. Instead they talked. About anything and everything and nothing. They did that sometimes. Not all the time. But sometimes, when everyone else was busy and Penny had a bit to drink and Sheldon was in a good mood, they'd talk. About their childhoods in their small towns, about their work, about their goals. Penny knew Sheldon wanted that Nobel Prize more than anything else in the world. And Sheldon knew Penny didn't care about an Oscar or an Emmy or anything else. All she wanted was to feel proud of herself. They knew these things about each other, and it made them vulnerable, and it made them friends.
Around midnight, Penny yawned and stretched and enjoyed the look on Sheldon's face when he tried to avoid glancing at the tiny bit of her exposed stomach. Penny wasn't blind; she could always tell when Sheldon was checking her out. And he did it a lot. He probably didn't even know he did. It was so adorable.
Penny was pretty sure the moment was over and Sheldon was about to make the long walk across the hall. Part of her was disappointed the night was ending so soon and nothing…interesting had happened. Of course, that made her feel like a terrible girlfriend, but she couldn't control her thoughts and really, part of her was tired of trying.
Apparently Sheldon had similar thoughts.
"So I was observing Amy's responses to our, as you call them, make-out sessions, and I noticed that she didn't exactly have the same reaction that you did. And I was wondering, maybe I'm not doing it right."
Butterflies. In her stomach. Where the hell did those things come from?Go away, butterflies.
"Um, really? What exactly was the difference in our…reactions?"
"Well, we've had about three or four of these 'sessions' and when they're over, she'll say something like, 'Well, that was surely satisfying,' and then we'll talk about nuclear war or the periodic table and forget it ever happened. And…her face doesn't change color."
"I'm sorry?"
Sheldon suddenly looked nervous.
"Your face turned pink and you giggled and your lips were kind of swollen after we…and that never happens with Amy. I have to wonder, am I doing something wrong?"
This wasn't even fair. How could she forget about that kiss if he kept bringing it up? And how could she resist wanting more when he described it like that?
"Hmm. Well…why don't you show me how your technique and we'll try to figure out what you're doing wrong."
"Well, I hardly think I'm doing anything wrong—I think it's more of a problem from her end. But okay, let's…continue the experiment."
She wanted to tell him not to talk. That if they didn't directly acknowledge what they were doing, it didn't count as cheating. But he scooted closer to her and their thighs were touching and he leaned in and then it was happening again. At first it was rather chaste and kind of boring, but she bit his lip almost hard enough to draw blood, and Sheldon came alive.
He hungrily, powerfully, anxiously kissed her back. There was moaning and grabbing of hair and he licked her tongue and there was biting and more moaning and all the time over the last couple of weeks when Penny couldn't stop thinking about kissing Sheldon, now it was happening again and she liked it and she didn't want to stop and she tried as hard as she could to ignore the nagging thought that dared to bubble up to the surface-Sheldon was a better kisser than Leonard. And if they didn't stop kissing soon she'd drag him into the bedroom-
But he managed to pull himself away after a few minutes. She was relieved, because lord knows she wouldn't have been able to stop kissing him if the entire Kiss Army invaded her apartment at that moment.
They both regarded each other, not sure what to say now. Ignore it and hope it goes away, or just give into it and let the pieces fall where they may; accept the consequences and deal with the fallout.
Maybe it would come to that. But for now…apparently ignorance was bliss.
"Hmm. I think I see now where I have some room for improvement. I'll try again with Amy soon. Well, I guess I should go, Leonard will be home soon, and you should go to bed."
"Oh. Yeah. Good idea. Good night, Sheldon." She stood up to walk him to the door.
"Good night, Penny. Thank you." Neither of them knew what he was thanking her for, and neither of them cared.
"You're welcome, sweetie." They stood together, lingering, hoping, wishing. Sheldon opened his mouth to say something, then he closed it.
He took one last look at her, the expression on his face and the darkness in his eyes tearing a hole right through her. Then he left. Penny was alone with her thoughts, and she couldn't help but think about how completely and utterly fucked her life had just become.
Author: Lizwontcry
Spoilers: Through 5x19
Rating/Warnings: PG
Disclaimer: I got nothin'.
Summary: Sheldon turns to Penny for advice on how to take his relationship with Amy to the next level but they're both unprepared for the unexpected lesson...and feelings that go along with it.
Chapter one
Chapter two
A room full of Pennys paced the halls, reciting lines and trying not to notice all the other identical-looking girls who were also pacing the halls and reciting lines. This was not the time to be friendly. Penny learned this a long time ago. Not that it mattered, since she'd gotten a whole lot of nothing from all the auditioning she'd done over the years. But this was an important audition. Maybe more important, more potentially life-changing than all the other auditions combined. Penny just wanted this one more. She needed it more. The Cheesecake Factory was stifling her creativity and turning her into a waitress-bot. And this audition could change everything.
The audition was for a role on a popular soap opera called Fire Lake. It was relatively new but it was getting amazing ratings, especially for a soap opera. Penny was optimistic about the part because it was pretty small and it called for a "Midwest-looking woman in her mid-twenties". Well, she was really in her upper twenties now but nobody needed to know that.
"Penny, you're next," Annie, the casting director told her, and Penny took a deep breath and nodded. While they took the long walk down the hall, Annie pointed to her clipboard and said, "So it says here you're from Nebraska?"
"Born and raised," Penny said with a smile. She hated small talk more than anything, but if it would help her get the part, she'd small talk like her life depended on it.
"Where, exactly? I ask because I'm from Omaha. And we Nebraska girls have to stick together."
Penny grinned. "Really? I'm from Ralston! That's funny. I never find anyone from close to home in California. It seems like everyone is from Texas or, like, Utah or something."
"I know, right? Well, I'm a little older than you but do you know Patricia Rose? She's my BFF's sister, about your age. And she went to Ralston High School."
"Oh, I know her. She…doesn't like me." Most girls in high school didn't like Penny. She supposed it was because she stole a lot of boyfriends. Including Patricia's. In her defense, Johnny had gorgeous long black hair and he rode a motorcycle. And he wasn't meant to be tied down.
"Well, that's how you know you're doing something right," Annie said, and winked, and Penny knew that unless she really fucked up this audition, she'd be getting this part. As Annie said, Nebraska girls had to stick together.
But her smile faded as soon as she entered the audition room. The first face she saw was Elena Edwards, rising star, tabloid favorite, and massive bitch supreme. She and Penny were almost twins, so she'd been told over the years, but Elena was a tiny bit thinner and a tiny bit younger, and she also had bigger breasts. This meant she got most of the parts Penny auditioned for, and the best part about that was she wasn't afraid to let Penny know about it. At this moment, Penny reasoned that Elena was her karma for being such a boyfriend stealer in the past. Elena was her punishment. Elena was going to beat her yet again.
"Oh. Penny. I guess I should have known you'd be auditioning for this part. Midwest looks and all." Elena said with a shit-eating grin on her ugly face. Of course, Elena was the one who got the part back when Penny was told she looked too Midwest. Also something Elena never let her live down.
"Hello, Elena. Nice to see you, as always."
Annie looked back and forth at the two girls and shook her head. Penny figured she was used to the cat fighting.
"Penny, Elena was just cast as the sister of the part you're auditioning for today. You two would have quite a lot of scenes together if we pick you. You're okay with that?"
"Absolutely," Penny said, relieved she wasn't going up against Elena but also annoyed that if she did get the part, she'd have to see this bitch every day.
"Okay, great. Have you prepared a monologue for us today?"
Penny gulped. She thought she was going to be reading a script like most of the other auditions she'd been on in the past year. Elena looked at Penny and grinned, like she was excited that Penny was going to mess this up, as usual.
Luckily for Penny and unfortunately for Elena, Penny had memorized a monologue a long time ago, and 95% of the time she totally nailed it.
"I have."
"Okay, whenever you're ready."
Penny cleared her throat and got into her zone. Yes, it was true that she hadn't succeeded as an actress in California. But when she was in school, she was the hit of every play and musical and everyone was sure she was destined for greatness. So while her self-esteem was shot after so many years without success, she drew from the feeling of being a star in her small high school back home, and she delivered her monologue from Wuthering Heights with confidence and dignity.
"How long is it since I shut myself in here? It seems a weary number of hours ... it must be more. I remember being in the parlour after they had quarrelled, and Edgar being cruelly provoking, and me running into this room desperate. As soon as ever I had barred the door, utter blackness overwhelmed me, and I fell on the floor. I couldn't explain to Edgar how certain I felt of having a fit, or going raging mad, if he persisted in teasing me!"
Penny continued, reciting the rest of the dialogue like a pro. She refused to look at Elena but could see her out of the corner of her eye. In the beginning of Penny's monologue, Elena was smiling. And by the end of it, she was frowning. But when she was done, the only reaction Penny cared about was Annie's. And Annie was smiling. A lot.
"Amazing, Penny. Thank you. You have everything we're looking for for this role. I can't officially make a decision yet because I have to see all the other girls who showed up, but I think I can safely say that you can expect a call very soon."
Penny grinned. "Oh, my gosh, thank you so much! You won't regret this!"
Annie gave Penny her card and Penny thanked her five more times and would have given her a hug if it wasn't considered awkward with so many people staring at them. Finally, being from Nebraska gave her an edge in this stupid competitive town.
On her way out, Penny said, "See you later, Elena."
"Not if I can help it," Elena said under her breath, and Penny laughed. Not even that bitch could ruin her day now.
Penny practically skipped to her car. When she got inside, she took out her phone and saw she had three texts.
Leonard - I know you're going to get that part, why wouldn't they pick you? You're my gorgeous love bunny. See you when you get home. Kisses.
Leonard had just recently started signing off his text with "Kisses". It irrationally annoyed her.
Amy - I am sure that you wowed the casting people today with your alabaster glowing skin and perpetual sunny grin. Even if you don't get it, you always will win the audition of my heart.
Okay...what?
She even had a text from Sheldon. It had been almost a month since their...incident and they hadn't spoken about it since. She assumed Sheldon truly only saw their kiss as a lesson and it didn't have any kind of impact on him. Not that she thought about it at all anymore. No, never. It never crossed her mind when she was kissing Leonard or picking out apples at the grocery store...or in the shower or when she was trying to go to sleep. Never.
I believe the socially accepted term for an audition is "break a leg" or something. I hope you do well, I know it would make you happy to finally excel at your chosen craft. See you later.
Why was that the text that made her the happiest?
She drove all the way home with an idiotic smile plastered on her face. And it wasn't just because of the audition.
A few days later, Sheldon was about to head down the never ending stairs to meet Raj outside for a ride to the comic book store. As he locked the door, Penny came up the stairs with her arms full of groceries and the cutest and most endearing grin on her face.
"Hello, Penny. You look happy today."
Penny looked distracted, like she hadn't even noticed him standing there, or she hadn't even noticed that she was on this planet.
"Heyyy Shelly! I am happy. Thank you for noticing."
He didn't even bother correcting her usage of his mother's nickname for him.
"May I ask what it is that's causing that grin? I'm sure it's not something Leonard did." If anything, Leonard usually only made Penny frown. But that was a subject for another time.
"Oh, well, the casting director called me a few minutes ago and said I got the part on Fire Lake! It's not really a big part and I can't even quit the Cheesecake Factory yet, but it's a step in the right direction."
"Congratulations, Penny. I had all but given up on your dream to be an actress. So this is amazing and surprising news."
She glared at him and he knew he said something stupid but it was too late to take it back. As usual.
"You're lucky you're cute. And that I'm too happy to care about your usual insults."
Sheldon leaned in and took one of her bags. "So you can unlock your door."
She looked stunned for a moment but then her smile returned. "Thank you, sweetie. That's nice of you."
Penny unlocked her door and Sheldon followed her in, not waiting for an invitation. He knew that Raj was probably waiting for him in front of the building and the vibration of his cell phone in his pocket indicated as such. But Sheldon wasn't ready to go yet. Raj could wait a few minutes.
"I couldn't help but notice the spaghetti sauce you purchased..."
"Oh, yeah. I was going to make some tonight because Leonard's working late again and I'm on my own. Kind of a bummer that he's working on the day I get such good news, but whatever. It's not like that's unusual or something." She sighed. Sheldon didn't know what to do with that information.
"Well, it just so happens that I have hot dogs."
Penny giggled. "Aren't you going to hang with Amy tonight?"
"Penny, we don't 'hang'. We enjoy intellectual conversations sometimes followed by a make-out session. And she is visiting her cousin in San Diego for a few days. That Amy, she loves the beach. I can't imagine why; all I see when I picture a beach are germs and bugs and sharks. But that girl, she's a free spirit."
Penny stared at him and shook her head. She was always doing that. Sheldon reasoned it was because he was just so damn adorable, he rendered her speechless.
"Aww, well, okay. Do you miss her?"
"Not really. She'll be back in a few days and then I'll see her again. I think maintaining an acceptable distance from each other every now and then is healthy and mature, don't you?"
"Uh, sure…but maybe you should email or call or text her, don't you think? A girl doesn't like to think she was forgotten in her absence, you know?"
Sheldon didn't know. He was going to have to add that one to his list of rules to follow while in a relationship. The list was getting long.
"I'll make note of that, thank you for the tip."
Penny smiled. "Okay, well, why don't you come over around 8:00? I need to take a shower and call my parents and just kind of freak out that I have an amazing acting job on a nationally televised soap opera! Oh, my god, Sheldon, I'm going to be an actress!"
"Calm down, woman. Yes, you are. You are going to be a damn good actress. Anyway, I'll see you later tonight. With hot dogs."
"Yes. I'll be looking forward to seeing you. And your hot dogs." Penny blushed for a moment and Sheldon tried not to let his mind go in the gutter. Although more and more lately, he'd been unable to keep it from going straight there, especially when it came to Penny and those lips of hers.
Damn it. It was happening again.
Sheldon walked down the stairs slowly and found Raj furiously honking the horn outside.
"Damn it, dude, I've been out here for 30 minutes! What have you been doing?"
"Talking to Penny," Sheldon said simply.
"Oh. Well, you can do that any time. It's not nice to keep me waiting."
Sheldon nodded and let Raj rant about being on time for things. He checked his watch. Two hours, 37 minutes until 8:00. Why did it feel like an eternity?
It was kind of funny, really. Penny never thought hot dogs and spaghetti would taste good together. Now, sometimes she ate it even when Sheldon wasn't there to share it with her. Although it tasted better when he was.
Sheldon was passionately explaining the plot of the new comic book he bought and she was trying to pay attention, she really was. But instead Penny found herself taking a long look at him. He looked good. His lips-oh, don't go there, Penny. She moved on. His eyes... she was always kind of fascinated by his eyes. They were so very blue, and they revealed so much about him. And the working out and the longer hair...the whole thing was kind of working for her and it was totally exasperating because this was Sheldon and he was Amy's boyfriend and Penny was Leonard's girlfriend and really, get over it. Penny may have been a bit…promiscuous in her younger days, but she wasn't a cheater.
"Penny? Penny!"
"Oh, sorry, honey. I was just kind of in my own world there for a second."
"Yes, I noticed. It seemed like you were staring at my lips."
Penny giggled and blushed, like she was 15 years old and he was Christian Slater. Early nineties Christian Slater, not current Christian Slater.
"Oh, you had something…you had something on them. Spaghetti sauce. But it's gone now."
He didn't believe her, she could tell. And he shouldn't have, because that was a terrible lie. He cleared his throat and swiftly changed the subject.
"So tell me more about your latest endeavor into the world of television drama."
"Oh! Well, I play this crazy chick named April. April is having an affair with her sister's husband. Basically I'm the other woman. But apparently there's going to be a lot of steamy scenes with me and Hunter Hudson, the husband in question. And he is hottttt."
Sheldon frowned. It was cute.
"I wonder if you might need someone to, as they say, run lines with? I used to do that with my sister when she was an aspiring actress back in elementary school."
Penny grinned, knowing with everything in her soul that it was wrong and she should tell him right then and right now that no, she would not need to "run her lines" with anyone except maybe Leonard. Truthfully, she didn't have a lot of dialogue, at least at first. Most of her time on screen was going to be in as little clothing as possible, making out (and more…lots more) with Hunter. But she didn't say no, because she wasn't perfect and Sheldon was cute and she kinda liked playing with fire.
"That's nice of you. Why would you want to do that for me?"
"Well, you helped me out when I needed it with Amy. It's only fitting that I return the favor."
So he was still thinking about that "favor", eh? Interesting.
"Oh, yeah, maybe we can do that some time. I haven't gotten any scripts yet, though. So I'll let you know." The second I get my hands on it.
Penny drank a bit more wine (okay, a lot more wine) and after dinner, Sheldon helped her wash the dishes. Eventually they sat together on the couch. Sheldon didn't even think twice, he just sat down next to her instead of complaining about the couch's positioning or whatever. The TV was on, but they weren't really paying attention to it. Instead they talked. About anything and everything and nothing. They did that sometimes. Not all the time. But sometimes, when everyone else was busy and Penny had a bit to drink and Sheldon was in a good mood, they'd talk. About their childhoods in their small towns, about their work, about their goals. Penny knew Sheldon wanted that Nobel Prize more than anything else in the world. And Sheldon knew Penny didn't care about an Oscar or an Emmy or anything else. All she wanted was to feel proud of herself. They knew these things about each other, and it made them vulnerable, and it made them friends.
Around midnight, Penny yawned and stretched and enjoyed the look on Sheldon's face when he tried to avoid glancing at the tiny bit of her exposed stomach. Penny wasn't blind; she could always tell when Sheldon was checking her out. And he did it a lot. He probably didn't even know he did. It was so adorable.
Penny was pretty sure the moment was over and Sheldon was about to make the long walk across the hall. Part of her was disappointed the night was ending so soon and nothing…interesting had happened. Of course, that made her feel like a terrible girlfriend, but she couldn't control her thoughts and really, part of her was tired of trying.
Apparently Sheldon had similar thoughts.
"So I was observing Amy's responses to our, as you call them, make-out sessions, and I noticed that she didn't exactly have the same reaction that you did. And I was wondering, maybe I'm not doing it right."
Butterflies. In her stomach. Where the hell did those things come from?Go away, butterflies.
"Um, really? What exactly was the difference in our…reactions?"
"Well, we've had about three or four of these 'sessions' and when they're over, she'll say something like, 'Well, that was surely satisfying,' and then we'll talk about nuclear war or the periodic table and forget it ever happened. And…her face doesn't change color."
"I'm sorry?"
Sheldon suddenly looked nervous.
"Your face turned pink and you giggled and your lips were kind of swollen after we…and that never happens with Amy. I have to wonder, am I doing something wrong?"
This wasn't even fair. How could she forget about that kiss if he kept bringing it up? And how could she resist wanting more when he described it like that?
"Hmm. Well…why don't you show me how your technique and we'll try to figure out what you're doing wrong."
"Well, I hardly think I'm doing anything wrong—I think it's more of a problem from her end. But okay, let's…continue the experiment."
She wanted to tell him not to talk. That if they didn't directly acknowledge what they were doing, it didn't count as cheating. But he scooted closer to her and their thighs were touching and he leaned in and then it was happening again. At first it was rather chaste and kind of boring, but she bit his lip almost hard enough to draw blood, and Sheldon came alive.
He hungrily, powerfully, anxiously kissed her back. There was moaning and grabbing of hair and he licked her tongue and there was biting and more moaning and all the time over the last couple of weeks when Penny couldn't stop thinking about kissing Sheldon, now it was happening again and she liked it and she didn't want to stop and she tried as hard as she could to ignore the nagging thought that dared to bubble up to the surface-Sheldon was a better kisser than Leonard. And if they didn't stop kissing soon she'd drag him into the bedroom-
But he managed to pull himself away after a few minutes. She was relieved, because lord knows she wouldn't have been able to stop kissing him if the entire Kiss Army invaded her apartment at that moment.
They both regarded each other, not sure what to say now. Ignore it and hope it goes away, or just give into it and let the pieces fall where they may; accept the consequences and deal with the fallout.
Maybe it would come to that. But for now…apparently ignorance was bliss.
"Hmm. I think I see now where I have some room for improvement. I'll try again with Amy soon. Well, I guess I should go, Leonard will be home soon, and you should go to bed."
"Oh. Yeah. Good idea. Good night, Sheldon." She stood up to walk him to the door.
"Good night, Penny. Thank you." Neither of them knew what he was thanking her for, and neither of them cared.
"You're welcome, sweetie." They stood together, lingering, hoping, wishing. Sheldon opened his mouth to say something, then he closed it.
He took one last look at her, the expression on his face and the darkness in his eyes tearing a hole right through her. Then he left. Penny was alone with her thoughts, and she couldn't help but think about how completely and utterly fucked her life had just become.
