Leonard, Raj, Howard, and Sheldon were sitting in the cafeteria at CalTech when Barry Kripke approached their table.
"Hewwo, fewwas."
"Hey," they replied in unison.
"Wemember when we were twying to figuwe out what that smell coming fwom Pwofessor Tupperman's office was? Turns out it was Tupperman. Dead at his desk for two weeks."
"Oh, my God," Leonard gasped.
"In wieu of fwowers, the department chair is asking that evewyone donate a bottle of Febweze."
Sheldon was agitated at the sudden turn of events. "If we're going to change the topic from jellyfish, I'd be okay with brine shrimp or the history of the unicycle."
Howard looked at Sheldon with a sideways glance. "Show a little compassion, a man died."
"And turned into a puddew of goo. Now, we can either sit awound and cwy over spilt pwofessor, or we can wejoice in the knowwedge that a tenured position has just opened up. I choose to do the watter."
Sheldon spoke up. "Excuse me, the whole tenure system is ridiculous. A guaranteed job for life only encourages the faculty to become complacent. If we really want science to advance, people should have chips implanted in their skulls that explode when they say something stupid."
Barry began to walk away. "If you need my nose, you'll find it firmwy wodged up the wectum of the tenure committee."
Howard looked around the table. "You Ph.D's gonna go suck up like Kripke?"
Leonard shook his head. "No. I mean, I'll apply, but I'm not gonna stoop to playing politics."
Raj agreed. "Yeah, me neither. It should be about the work. And if I can't get tenure, I'd like to see you or Sheldon get it."
Sheldon looked at Raj. "Raj, don't dangle false hope in front of Leonard like that."
*****
In Penny's apartment later that day...
"So 'tenured' means a job for life?" Penny asked.
Leonard nodded. "Yup."
"You can't get fired even if you're bad at it?"
Leonard thought for a moment. "Mm, not really."
"Wow, sounds a lot like being a pretty waitress at the Cheesecake Factory."
*****
Over in Sheldon's apartment....
"While I disagree with the premise of tenure, if they gave it to me, it wouldn't diminish my output. You know, I'm like the sun. Can't turn this off," Sheldon said.
"Are Rajesh and Leonard competing for it as well?" Amy asked.
Sheldon nodded. "Mm-hmm."
*****
And at Howard and Bernadette's apartment...
"It would be nice to have the increased income. Stop taking money from my parents," Raj said dreamily. "They buy me a new BMW for my birthday but can I get seat warmers? No. 'Rajesh, if you want a warm butt, you're gonna have to pay for it yourself.' Well, maybe I will, old man."
Bernadette grabbed Raj's wine glass. "I think that's enough wine for now." She looked at Howard. "What about you, Howie? Are you going to apply?"
Howard shook his head. "I'd like to but I don't have a Ph.D."
Bernadette smiled. "We might be able to find a way around that."
*****
Back in Penny's apartment...
"So, who do you have to schmooze to get this deal?" Penny asked Leonard.
"I'm not gonna schmooze anybody. I'm gonna let my work speak for itself."
"That's great. That shows a lot of integrity."
"Thank you." Leonard paused. "I'm a naive idiot, right?"
"Oh, good, you heard me." She paused. "Maybe I can help you schmooze."
*****
In Sheldon's apartment...
"You know, if you really want tenure, maybe you should cozy up to the people making the decision," Amy pointed out.
Sheldon shook his head. "Sheldon Cooper does not do cozy."
Amy frowned. "You don't say."
*****
In the CalTech cafeteria the next day...
"You guys goin' to Professor Tupperman's memorial?" Howard asked.
Raj shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."
Leonard shook his head. "Probably not."
Sheldon also shrugged his shoulders. "Barely knew him."
Howard nodded. "Yeah, you wouldn't want to look like you guys are brown-nosing the tenure committee, who will all be there."
All the better to let Bernie work her magic
he thought with glee.
*****
That evening, at Professor Tupperman's memorial, Amy and Sheldon stood in the lobby.
Amy helped Sheldon prepare. "Let's go over our emotional responses one last time. Professor Tupperman is dead, and that makes us?"
Sheldon nodded. "Sad."
"The fact that there are so many people here tonight doesn't make us cranky and claustrophobic. It makes us?"
"Glad."
"Giving Mrs. Davis the box set of Roots was?"
"Bad. However..."
"No."
"Fine. Bad."
Suddenly, Raj was standing next to them. He shook his head. "Unbelievable. You have some nerve showing up here just to schmooze with the tenure committee."
Sheldon looked him up and down. "You're here."
"Excuse me. I'm here to pay my respects to Professor Tupperware, or whatever his name is."
"So am I. His passing makes me feel bad." Sheldon looked to Amy. She nodded and winked, indicating he gave the correct emotional response.
Then Leonard and Penny appeared. "Well, well, well, Sheldon, fancy meeting you here. I guess the train store in Glendale wasn't having a cotillion after all," Leonard said. Then he turned to Raj. "And you, you said you weren't coming here, either."
Raj looked him in the eye. "I have a thick accent. You don't know what I said."
Amy looked at Penny. "I'd like to know why Penny's here."
"I'm here to support my man, just like you."
Sheldon looked at her incredulously. "What are you going to do? Take people's drink orders and get them wrong?"
Leonard nodded at Penny. "Do it."
Penny quite proudly threw off the coat she was wearing, revealing a little black dress. "Little" doesn't accurately describe it. Her long blonde hair fell over the black velvet material. It was strapless with a neckline that plunged deep into her breasts. It looked like it might have been built for size 34B cups, not Penny's 36C cups. They were spilling over the top. The dress clung to her curves all the way down to the hem that didn't even reach mid-thigh. The black high heels only made her lean, tan legs look even longer than they already were. She was stunning.
Sheldon was oblivious to the sudden sexiness that was standing before him. "What? Did she do it yet?"
Amy was pissed. "She plans on flirting with members of the tenure committee to further Leonard's cause."
Sheldon looked back and forth at the two women. "Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do. Don't just stand there. Take your breasts out."
Howard and Bernadette appeared. "Ooh, meerkat fight!" Howard said drooling.
Raj snapped his head around. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Just paying my respects," Howard grinned.
"Then why is Bernadette half naked?" Raj asked nodding at Bernadette, trying not to stare at her boobs.
Bernadette was dressed completely out of character for her. While normally she dressed very conservatively, tonight was the exact opposite. Tonight she was dressed in a tight red silk dress with spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline as well as a deep v neck that cut deep into her cleavage. It had very little back, showing plenty of skin. The hem on the right side ran all the way down to her red pumps, while the rest of the hem cut up sideways to the left where it stopped just below her left hip, leaving her left leg almost completely exposed. The cold chill in the air had her gumdrop size nipples practically ripping through the thin material.
Amy tried to argue. "You're all wasting your time. Sheldon is the most qualified for the job, and no amount of gravity-defying bosom's going to change that." She nodded at Bernadette and Penny. "Seriously, is that tape? Like, how are they staying up like that?"
Leonard leaned over and whispered into Penny's ear. "Way to hit 'em with both barrels."
Howard leaned into Bernadette. "You are so getting fucked tonight!"
Just then, Kripke walked by with one of the committee members.
The committee member said, "I could not ask you to do that."
Barry waved her off. "Nonsense. Childwen wove me. Something about me just makes them waugh and waugh."
Leonard shook his head. "No. We cannot lose to that jerk."
The group walked into the large, crowded room filled with people paying their respects to the late Professor Tupperman. There were quite assuredly a few more candidates for the tenured position in attendance, as well. The group split up and mingled through the room.
Leonard was the first to spot two members of the tenure committee. He steered himself and Penny to over to them.
He stood next to them but they didn't acknowledge his presence. He finally cleared his throat.
"Ahh yes, Dr. Hofstadter, good to see you," Professor Eagle said as he shook his hand. Professor Eagle was a distinguished looking man. Tall and handsome, in mid 50s, with a full head of hair that was beginning to show signs of gray.
"Professor Eagle, Professor Stand, I'd like you to meet my wife, Penny."
Both professors looked stunned at the fact that Leonard had been able to land such a beauty. Both professors shook her hand while trying not to watch her tits jiggle while doing so.
The four exchanged pleasantries for a few moments before Leonard leaned into Penny. "You okay?"
She smiled. "I got this."