"The X-Advisors..."

"The X-Advisors..." Part LIV...

Disclaimer: All is Chuck's...

Part LIV...

"You don't have to look at me like that..." Rajesh sighed at Leonard.

"I'm looking at you like we coulda flown out of Pasadena...Well, at least taken a bus direct if we weren't certain about ids." Leonard glared as the two made their way back from the Alamogordo Western Union office to meet Ms. Glau and her aunt for lunch just outside the National Park.

"You could be glad to have a rich friend who remembers twenty year old account numbers and could get a thousand wired to him from his bank in Boston." Rajesh noted. "And I said I'd pay for lunch and dinner today and the motel room tonight. Plus gas tomorrow, given there's no easier way to get out of here since there's no bus direct and we haven't got valid ids and can't rent a car ourselves. Come on, I had to be sure it was Thursday before I applied for the cash, dude..."

"Why Thursday?" Leonard frowned.

"That's the day I always got roaring drunk at Phillips-Exeter. The female academy near us had date night on Thursday nights and I'd get plastered to talk to them and made sure I was flush enough to throw cash around. I won't have a clue as to the money being gone till Monday at least and then I'm sure to think I just took it out and blew it."

"You used to get drunk and blow 1000 bucks every Thursday? At 13?" Leonard blinked.

"Not...Every Thursday...And not after Papi caught on and cut me off Wednesday evenings to Saturday mornings. Prya's fault, you know." Sigh. "I called her once in India on a Thursday night to ask how to get a girl to take her dress off when I was bombed and she ratted me out. She was a mean sister when she was little and cute. Of course, now, I've got the goods on her, thanks to you, so..." smile.

"Your parents know I dated her." Leonard shrugged.

"But her fiancée's parents don't." grin to Leonard's sidelong glance. "Dude, just be glad I told her there wasn't a chance of getting you back when she called."

"She really did that? Called you and asked?" Leonard eyed him.

(Not that it means anything...Penny's image eyeing him. I know you're just stroking the ole ego a little. Rat-bastard...Narrow glare.

Now take that money and get movin'! Angry, sweeping wave of hand...

So it's ok...?

She's fifteen and her dad and aunt will be there as well as Raj, right? Grim stare...

Oh, yeah...

And it's the fastest, maybe only way, right?

Yep...Faintest of imaginary smiles.

Then wipe that smug look off yer face, have a nice dinner on Raj...He owes us...And move it, bucko! I could be dying here.

Oh, and pick me up a souvenir as long as you're there...

Eyeing his look...Of course it's really for you, you think I want a model of the first A bomb?)

"She did. Of course, she was still thinking in terms of having you on the side as her lil' American lover and marrying creepo the multimillionaire industrial tycoon."

"She actually thought I'd go along with something like that?" frown. "Knowing Penny and I...?"

(Coulda...Tole...Ya...Penny's grinning image.

Lucky for you, I know you wouldn't. High-minded nod.

As you know what's good for ya...Hard stare.)

"Oh, sure as to Penny. But, she'd no intention of telling you she was engaged. Anymore than she'd tell her US legal firm her future husband was indicted for running a slavery ring to staff his businesses."