Chapter 245: Ron's Valentine's Day Plans
Ron looked at Leonard. "Let me ask you—are the particle accelerator tours limited to two people?"
"Yes, I can only bring one additional person, so I chose Penny." Leonard nodded, earning a death glare from Sheldon, which Leonard chose to ignore.
"But I don't think Penny would be interested in the accelerator tour, would she? She'd probably be more interested in skiing in the Swiss Alps, right?"
Leonard and Sheldon nodded in unison. Obviously!
For a typical California blonde like Penny, being interested in particle physics would be as bizarre as Sheldon doing exotic dancing at Hooters for tips.
However, if that day ever came, Ron promised he would definitely bring George and Missy along to show his support. He was sure everyone would be happy to tip generously.
"So, why don't you just remove Penny from the official visitor list? You and Sheldon can use the two official slots, but Penny can buy a regular tourist package and come along.
I'm sure if you're willing to take Sheldon to see the accelerator, he'd be thrilled to cover all of Penny's airfare and hotel costs, right, Sheldon?"
Ron patted Sheldon on the back, and Sheldon nodded frantically like a golden retriever begging for treats.
"Absolutely! I'll buy Penny authentic Swiss chocolate every day if you take me!"
"That actually makes sense?" Leonard was stunned. He had never considered this approach before, but after Ron mentioned it, it seemed totally feasible.
Penny had zero interest in particle physics. Even if Leonard took her on the official tour, she'd probably zone out within minutes. Penny was more the type who'd rather sleep in at a luxury hotel than visit some complicated machine that made her coffee maker look simple.
But Sheldon was different. Not only was he genuinely passionate about it, but his encyclopedic knowledge would actually enhance Leonard's experience. Most importantly, he was even willing to foot Penny's travel bills, making Leonard the clear winner in this arrangement.
"Alright, I agree."
"YES!" Sheldon cheered, happily bouncing back to his room to start packing. He still had extensive preparations to make, like color-coding and cataloging each pair of underwear so he could locate them efficiently.
Ron, however, considered this a complete waste of time.
Of course, helping Sheldon solve his problem wasn't entirely altruistic. Think about it—since when was Ron ever that charitable?
He now had an entire floor with two empty apartments!
If he didn't have to worry about drama at home, he could invite every woman he'd ever been involved with to a Valentine's weekend party.
Just imagine—stringing up some mood lighting in each living room. Caroline's endless legs, Max's sharp wit, Giselle's cool confidence, Fiona's wild energy...
He could even set up a lottery system, stuffing crumpled papers with everyone's names into a hat, and then every night before bed, with some smooth jazz playing, hold a drawing. The lucky woman whose name got pulled would win an evening of entertainment.
Just the thought was exciting.
Oh, and he almost forgot about Hope, the former Olympic gymnast and current coach who looked remarkably similar to Howard's fiancée Bernadette, but with considerably more... flexibility.
While Ron was dealing with those bank robbers, she had texted him saying she was free on Valentine's Day. If he invited her over, maybe he could explore some new possibilities.
Especially with that resemblance to Bernadette, it would add an interesting twist...
Ron settled on the couch and began fantasizing.
However, while the vision was appealing, execution would be complicated.
First, Caroline still didn't know about his arrangement with Max. Of course, it was possible she already knew but didn't know how to address it, so she was playing ignorant.
Either way, inviting both of them simultaneously was unrealistic until he sat them down for an honest conversation about the situation.
So maybe he could alternate them on different days? Caroline on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Max on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Fiona and Giselle would be easier to manage; they'd already met each other several times, and neither had ever considered herself Ron's exclusive girlfriend. Hope certainly didn't see it that way either.
Ron had to appreciate the casual American dating culture for allowing such clear boundaries.
But the real problem was Collins.
That girl was starting college next year, and lately, encouraged by Aunt Mary and Leigh Anne, she'd been aggressively pursuing Ron, apparently determined to lock him down before freshman orientation.
And the long-standing friendship between their families didn't allow Ron to mess around with her feelings.
Even without the family connection, he couldn't bear to hurt such an innocent and sweet young woman.
God knows how difficult this situation was for Ron!
Especially when Collins had asked Ron to dinner recently, and Ron had accepted without thinking twice. It turned out to be the girl's eighteenth birthday!
When Ron asked her what she wished for in front of the birthday cake, Collins blushed and whispered to him after a long pause, "It was you..."
Ron's pulse had raced at that moment, but fortunately, his self-control had held firm. Otherwise, he would have had some serious explaining to do to both sets of parents.
Now, with Valentine's Day approaching, Ron was trying to figure out how to let Collins down gently while making his true situation crystal clear.
Lost in these thoughts, Ron stayed home until evening, accomplishing virtually nothing. It wasn't until his phone buzzed that he snapped back to reality. Ron picked up the phone and saw it was Claire calling. He answered immediately: "Good evening, Claire~"
But Claire's tone was panicked. She didn't even bother with pleasantries and cut straight to the point: "Sorry to call so late, Ron, but Haley's been arrested."
"Haley got arrested?" Ron asked in surprise: "What for?"
"Underage drinking at a party. Can you come with me to the station?"
There's a law in America that Ron found particularly frustrating—the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. This law prohibits anyone under 21 from purchasing or publicly possessing alcohol. Haley was the same age as Collins and had just turned 18, which clearly violated the statute.
"Of course," Ron agreed without hesitation when it came to family matters. "But I suggest bringing Mitchell along too. He's an attorney, so he might be useful."
(End of this chapter)
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