"Thanks for getting me out of there," Missy said as they headed downstairs.

"They can get trying at times," Penny said. "Howard's pathetically desperate, and Raj…" She shook her head. "He's either uber confidant or uber shy. It just…depends on what day it is." She looked at Missy for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to elaborate. "I go to a cute nail place; you'll like it, I think."

"Sounds great." Missy followed Penny to her car, and waited until they were moving out of the lot before speaking again. "So how long have you lived out here?"

"Almost a year. I moved out here from Nebraska with my boyfriend, but I broke up with him soon afterward and moved across from Leonard and Sheldon. My parents thought I was crazy, but hey, the guy was a jerk." Penny shrugged. "So you've been here what, a day? What do you think of the area so far?"

Missy looked out the window. "It's okay. Texas is much more laid back, at least the part where Shelly and I are from. L.A. is so busy." She smiled at Penny. "The guys are…interesting."

"Oh, they aren't really that bad, once you get used to them." Penny switched lanes. "They're sweet." She faced forward, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

"Yeah? I'm certainly not saying that they are altogether unappealing…" Missy let her voice trail off.

Penny's head snapped around. "You got your eye on one of them?"

Missy shrugged, feeling the blush coming up. "Oh…I don't know."

Penny grinned. "Yes you do. Feminine intuition there."

"That Indian guy's pretty cute."

"Oh, yes," Penny said. "He certainly is. He's a great guy, too. Shy at times, like I said, but he totally means well."

Missy nodded, cocking her head. "You know…" She wondered if she should pursue her thoughts. "Leonard seems like a good guy. So socially out of it, but…he really means well."

Missy knew from earlier that Penny wanted to be an actress, and why she wasn't became obvious in her response. A fake look of indifference came over her face. "Oh, I don't know. He's okay, but…so quirky. He never knows what to say, and he's always stumbling over himself, so to speak." She frowned. "He's far from perfect." She faced forward again.

Missy regarded Penny with a knowing glance. "But that's what you like so much about him, right?"

Penny turned pink, and pretended to check her review mirror to hide her face from Sheldon's sister. "Like I said, he's okay."

"Come on, girl." Missy smiled. "Don't you go doubting my feminine intuition. You've got something for him, and he's looking at you too." She watched as Penny tucked her head in an effort to hide her smile. After a moment, she sneaked a look out of the corner of her eye. When her gaze met Missy's the two women smiled knowingly.

"Something about the geeks," Missy said, facing forward again.

Penny silently agreed.