Chapter 54: The Vegas Weekend Plan
Pizza night at my penthouse has become routine.
Every other Friday. Rotating who brings food. Standing rule that Sheldon gets to pick seating arrangements.
Tonight it's Howard's turn to provide sustenance. Which means Lou Malnati's deep dish shipped from Chicago because Howard's "exploring authentic regional cuisines."
"This is just expensive pizza," Leonard says around a mouthful.
"This is Chicago-style expensive pizza. Completely different."
"It's literally just thicker."
"You're dead to me."
Penny's on my couch, feet tucked under her, reading the Ms. Marvel trade I recommended last week. She's been working through my list methodically—two trades a week, asking questions, genuinely engaged.
"Okay, question." She bookmarks her spot. "Why does Carol have like four different superhero names?"
"Long story involving identity crises and editorial decisions."
"Comic books are so weird."
"You're reading them voluntarily now."
"Still weird. Just good weird."
Bernadette emerges from the kitchen with plates. "Stuart, your kitchen is nicer than most restaurants."
"I don't cook. Seemed wasteful not to upgrade it anyway."
"The sink has a touchless faucet."
"Future is now."
Howard claps his hands. "Okay, people. Important announcement."
Everyone looks up.
"My birthday's in four weeks. August 15th. And I think—stay with me here—we should do Vegas."
Raj gasps. "VEGAS?!"
"Weekend trip. Gambling, shows, buffets, debauchery—"
"No debauchery," Bernadette interrupts.
"—supervised appropriate fun. Who's in?"
"I'm in!" Penny's already excited. "I haven't been to Vegas in forever!"
"I'll need a complete itinerary," Sheldon announces. "Optimal casino selection, show schedules, restaurant reservations—"
"We're working on it," Howard assures him.
Leonard's calculating on his phone. "Hotel's gonna be expensive. August is peak season."
"Stuart has industry connections," Penny says. "Right? From consulting?"
Everyone turns to me.
"I might be able to get us upgraded rooms. Maybe comped."
"Seriously?" Howard's eyes light up. "How?"
"Marvel's connected to a lot of Vegas entertainment properties. I can ask around."
"Stuart, if you get us free rooms, I will name my firstborn after you."
"Please don't."
"Too late. Little Stuart Wolowitz will thank you someday."
Twenty minutes of chaotic planning later, we've got a rough framework.
"Okay." Howard's taking notes on his phone. "Friday to Sunday. August 14-16. Stuart handles hotel. Everyone covers their own gambling and entertainment."
"I want to see Cirque," Penny says.
"I want to see Penn and Teller," Raj adds.
"I want to calculate optimal blackjack strategies," Sheldon contributes.
"I want to eat everything," Howard finishes.
"So Vegas," Leonard summarizes.
"So Vegas."
Sheldon pulls out his tablet. "I'll create a spreadsheet for cost optimization. Including expected value calculations for various games of chance."
"Sheldon, we're going to gamble for fun, not profit."
"Those two things are mutually exclusive by definition."
"Exactly. We're choosing fun."
He looks disturbed by this concept.
"How much are we thinking budget-wise?" Leonard asks carefully.
There's a pause. Leonard and Raj don't have Marvel money or shop revenue. Cheesecake Factory and Caltech pay well enough, but Vegas isn't cheap.
"I'll cover the hotel," I offer. "Group accommodation. You guys handle your own expenses."
"Stuart, you don't have to—" Leonard starts.
"I want to. It's Howard's birthday. And honestly—" I gesture around my penthouse. "—I can afford it now. Marvel's paying me ridiculously well."
"How well?" Raj asks.
"Twenty-five hundred a week."
Silence.
"A WEEK?!" Howard nearly drops his pizza.
"For six months. Renewable."
"Stuart, that's—" Leonard's calculating. "—that's like sixty thousand dollars."
"Yeah."
"For part-time consulting."
"Yeah."
"I'm in the wrong field," Howard mutters.
Bernadette elbows him. "You design space satellites."
"Yeah, but Stuart meets Robert Downey Jr. AND gets paid more."
"I haven't actually met him yet."
"YET. He said yet."
The energy shifts after that. Everyone's suddenly more excited.
Penny's making a list of shows she wants to see. Raj is researching buffets. Howard and Bernadette are debating hotel options.
Even Leonard's engaged, though I catch him watching me with that expression. The one that's become familiar over the past few months.
Part pride. Part confusion. Part something else I can't quite identify.
Sheldon approaches with his tablet. "I've created a preliminary itinerary. Friday arrival at 3 PM, check-in by 4, dinner at 6, gambling from 8-midnight. Saturday breakfast at 9, pool time 10-2, shows at 4 and 8, gambling afterward. Sunday brunch at 10, departure by 2 PM to avoid traffic."
"Sheldon, that's—actually pretty reasonable."
"I've optimized for group enjoyment while maintaining logical efficiency."
"Can we deviate from the schedule?"
"Minimally. Major deviations will create chaos."
"So yes."
"Grudgingly yes."
After everyone leaves, Penny and I clean up.
She's humming—off-key, naturally—while putting plates in the dishwasher.
"You're excited," I observe.
"Vegas with you? Hell yes I'm excited." She closes the dishwasher. "Couples trip. Gambling. Shows. Hotel room with my hot successful boyfriend."
"Hot?"
"Don't fish for compliments. You know you're hot now."
"Now?"
"You've leveled up significantly. It's objective fact."
The Attractiveness power has definitely progressed. I'm more confident, better posture, improved presence. People respond differently.
But hearing Penny say it directly still feels—good.
"Thank you?"
"You're welcome." She wraps her arms around my waist. "Also, thank you for offering to cover hotel. That's really generous."
"I can afford it."
"I know. But you didn't have to. Leonard and Raj would've figured it out."
"Maybe. But why make it hard when I can make it easy?"
She studies my face. "You're a good person, you know that?"
If only you knew where the money came from.
"I try."
"You succeed. That's better."
She's quoting her dad again. Makes me smile every time.
"So Vegas," I say. "You ready to lose all your money at blackjack?"
"I'm ready to WIN all my money at blackjack. Big difference."
"You know the house always wins, right?"
"Not if you're lucky. And dating you? I feel pretty lucky."
"Cheesy."
"True though."
She kisses me. Soft and warm and tasting like deep dish pizza.
"Four weeks," she murmurs. "Can't wait."
"Me neither."
After she leaves, I text my Marvel contact about Vegas hotels.
Within an hour, I've got confirmations—suite at the Bellagio, comped Friday and Saturday, upgraded to two bedrooms.
The Magnetism power making impossible things easy.
I forward the confirmation to the group chat.
Me: Vegas hotel sorted. Bellagio. Comped. Two-bedroom suite.
The responses are immediate.
Howard: WHAT.
Raj: THE BELLAGIO?!
Penny: Stuart you're amazing!!!
Leonard: How did you manage that?
Me: Industry connections. Don't ask questions.
Sheldon: This exceeds my projected accommodations by 340%. Adjusting itinerary accordingly.
I put my phone down, thinking about the trip.
Vegas with Penny. Using future knowledge to gamble strategically. Free luxury accommodations from supernatural social advantages.
Four weeks from now, I'll win money I shouldn't be able to win, staying in a hotel I shouldn't be able to afford, with friends who don't know the truth.
But also—it'll be fun.
And maybe that's enough.
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