Chapter 27

"Hello, Ms. Drummond. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Alex Forrest was bored and dealing with squints all day drove her quietly crazy by the end of the cycle.

"Got plans for the weekend? Can you make it to Vegas? I'm getting married. The groom doesn't know it yet and I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row before springing it on him." She filled her in on the past few days and how she'd almost lost Sheldon.

"I'll run it by the boss. What about the reluctant Best Man?" Even with all commo monitored, she wanted confirmation.

"He told Sheldon he'd do it. I – I don't want to call him, Alex. Can you – "

"Consider it done if the boss has no objections. Now, what about the honeymoon?"

"He's a shoe-in for the Nobel Prize so we'll combine the award trip with a honeymoon. He's all set on a cruise down the Danube but I want to wait until after his surgery and recovery period so it'll be at least next Xmas before we do the river cruise. I want him to be able to see what we're floating through not just have to imagine it from my crappy descriptions."

"There may be conditions, Penny. You know that the project here isn't getting off the launch pad and we may need Dr. Cooper's insights but that would be after the wedding, of course. A day or two, no more. Dr. Hofstadter is very frustrated with some aspects of the thermal control issues and our models suggest that SuperHydrazine may not be a stable propellant because of it. Think Sheldon would be okay with a little 'consulting'?"

"I think, with the proper motivation, he'll be more than willing to help out his old friend. Just make sure nothing happens to him."

They talked logistics ('What are you wearing, Penny?') and transport and lodging (We're renting a van. I'll drive. Lenny and Squigy will probably spend the drive up making out with their dates and the drive back sleeping) and then said their goodbyes.

Penny checked her list and found only one item unchecked: the Groom.

Sheldon had just returned from his weekly 'blind training' session and was tired and a little cranky. Even though it was just a temporary stop-gap measure, they avoided talking about it unless he brought it up. She knew her whack-a-doodle boyfriend always had a 'survival' plan and the training sessions were his way of amending his plan to include transplant failure.

"Sheldon, I've checked your executive planner and, unless you're holding out on me, we're free for the next five days, right? So, tomorrow we're going to head back East to Las Vegas…"

"Ooo…we can play blackjack if they don't crap their drawers at having someone tell me my cards. Penny, get us a small suite at the Luxor or one of the upscale hotel/casinos." Sheldon would never admit it but being left behind when his friends went to Vegas always hurt the feelings he never admitted to having. His one and only trip to Las Vegas had netted him a cool $800 profit on his initial stake of $20 and he was anxious to test his counting skills against the 5-deck shoes.

"Actually, Honey Pot, I was thinking that instead of playing blackjack we could get married."

"But Penny, our families and our friends won't be able to be with us and…" Penny smiled. He hadn't said 'no' and she felt better about sneaking around behind his back.

"Already taken care of, Shel. Your grandmother and sister will be with us as will my Mom and Dad and Raj and Aisha and Howard and Bernadette. I talked with Alexandra and she'll have Leonard and his new girlfriend in tow. Um, I hope you don't mind but I already booked us a suite at a regular hotel. We can play cards after we get married, okay? Marriage then blackjack."

"No, Penny. Wedding then a nice meal and maybe a little dancing. Then we slip away to our suite. Blackjack will be the last thing on my mind."

She got flustered and then remembered the 'conditions' regarding Leonard's appearance.

"Shel, Leonard's being sprung to be Best Man but you'll have to agree to go to the place we-never-mention-because-we-like-sunlight and help out on a problem. It'll just be for a day or two at the most. Please?"

He'd never tell her 'no' but did enjoy making her grovel and beg in her own way so he was prepared for her tongue in his ear and her breathy voice describing just how much she was looking forward to trying some 'new and innovative' things in bed. 'Innovation' and it's derivatives (another word from her vocabulary builder) had been yesterday's word.

"Penny, I must acknowledge your growing vocabulary. It's always a surprise hearing you use new words. However, I don't think 'felate' is a 'derivative' of fellatio."

Penny grinned and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. She also made a mental note to check her on-line dictionary for the proper term and its spelling.

"So, will you marry me, Moon Pie, in Las Vegas, on Saturday?"

"Any time, any place, Penny, but don't call me Moon Pie!"

A/N: Short but I have to find a new home for my stuff so bear with me. I'll post my new 'literary home' for my stuff if I still can access my account. Thanks for reading.

Reparata Briggendiola
6/14/2012