It's Only Logical | Big Bang Theory

The Dinner Insufficiancy

A job opportunity. Not just an assistant. Away from my friends.

I'm still deeply lost in thought as I leave the office. I think Raj may have sensed that I was different after coming back from talking to Siebert. He didn't say anything, though. A man is walking ahead of me as I walk towards the exit of the university. He turns around, probably as he hears me walking behind him, and then quickly turns back around with his head raised up into the sky.
"Barry!" I say, and he ignores me. "Barry, will you stop being a bitch and turn around?" He stops. "Are you really going to continue being mad at me? I apologised a thousand times," I say. Barry looks at me as I reach him.
"Five, actuawy," he says, and I cross my arms. He sighs. "Maybe I got cawied away with acting offended. It's just that you cawed me and then didn't even wemembe. It huwt my feewings," he shrugs.
"I'm sorry," I say. "See, that's six times now," We walk outside together and he offers to drive me home, sparing me the bus ride. I accept.
"Awe you awight?" he asks after a bit. I sit, staring out the window of his car.
"Not really. I've been granted a dilemma. A luxury one, you could say," I tell him.
"What, you've been asked on five diffewent dates? One is a wawyew, the othew a doctow, the thiwd Bwitish..." he says. I frown.
"I've been asked to consider a job at a different university,"
"Oh?"
"Where I wouldn't be an assistant,"
"That sounds wike a good oppowtunity. Shame they can't send Koothwapawi instead. What's the diwemma?" Barry asks.
"I feel at home here now. I've made friendships. Moving would mean that I would have to start from scratch,"
"Yeah, but with a biggew paycheck!" He stops the car in front of the apartment building.
"I'll have to think it over I guess," I say as I get out the car. "Thanks for the ride, Kripke! See you around!"

I realise as I enter the apartment that I haven't seen Penny since last night when Leonard asked me if he could have her alone. That was when he told her about his Stephen Hawking trip to the North Sea.
"Hey!" she greets me.
"Hey. I heard about Leonard's upcoming trip. How are you holding up?" I ask her.
"I think I'm fine about it," she says. "I mean, it's a great opportunity for him, and it's only a few months. It's not like he's moving there," she says with a laugh, and I try to laugh along but it comes out slightly distorted. Penny eyes me. "Honey, are you okay?"
"I got offered a job at another university," I blurt out, feeling slightly guilty drawing the attention upon me, yet looking at her with eyes hopeful that she'll provide me with the right decision.
"Another university?" she asks. "In Pasadena?"
"No..." And I tell her everything.

"You're obviously shaken up about this," Penny says when I finish talking. "And I get it. Moving would mean you having to start over," I nod. "And you've made friends. We're friends. But Lucille..." Penny starts, taking my hand. "Are you sure this hasn't got a little something to do with Raj as well?" I feel my heart sinking. I mean every word I say about not wanting to start over in a different place, new workplace, new friendships. But even I have to admit that when Siebert told me of this opportunity, my first thought wasn't Penny or Sheldon or Pasadena. It was Raj. Still, if the opportunity was right for me, I wouldn't allow myself to be hindered by a guy. Right? "This sounds very cliché, but you have to follow your heart, Lucille. How about I make some food and we do a quiet girls night in?" Penny then asks. My eyebrows shoot into the air.
"You? Cook?" She hits me, and laughingly I retreat into my bedroom. I'm so grateful for Penny. I open my closet and begin to look for something to wear for the dinner at Raj's tomorrow. Will it be formal? Casual? Raj had once mentioned how a red sweater of mine complimented my skin. But Lucy will be there. So it'll probably be casual, right? I wonder what Lucy will wear. I wonder if it's something that Raj bought her.

"Are we throwing Leonard a party?" I ask Penny as we sit at the table, eating the spaghetti Penny has prepared. I'll say, it's better than what I dared hope for.
"Are you suggesting we should be celebrating my boyfriend going away?" she asks me with a stern expression, and I'm halfway to a gape.
"Because in that case you're absolutely right!" she sputters excitedly. "Leonard says we shouldn't do anything huge, but we're definitely throwing him a bon voyage party,"
This should be fun.