Chapter 2
Allison's sunburn kept her inside most of her first day there, only going outside for a quick trip up the boardwalk to purchase some Solarcaine and aloe to help her make it through the night and the next day's events. She should have known better, with her creamy complexion she always did burn quickly during her first outing of the summer. She should be better by tomorrow's luncheon. But, even though she had to suffer through the pain of a minor sunburn, she was glad she had the opportunity to meet Dr. House. She didn't know how he was going to help her, but was happy that he offered to do so. She didn't even care if it was just a few words of wisdom. She couldn't imagine that he would actually sway the judgement of the contest, not at this late date, but his guidance would be greatly appreciated. He was a speaker at tomorrow's luncheon and then was supposed to be attending the dinner.
Sleep didn't come easily to Allison on her first night at the hotel. Besides the sting of her sunburn, the commotion from the other side of the adjoining door to the next suite would wake her throughout the night. At first it was merely loud bangs, such as doors swinging open and hitting walls, then it was more clatter of what sounded to be someone stumbling around the room, and curses as that said person evidently would run into objects of furniture. Finally after what sounded to be a drunken rendition of Def Leppard's 'Pour Some sugar On it,' there was only silence, indicating that the person next door had evidently fallen asleep. Thus, when morning finally did come to Allison, she accidentally overslept until it was nearly time for the luncheon.
Allison hastily jumped into the shower, pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail that cascaded long chocolate brown curls down her back, then proceeded to put on a black curve-fitting skirt and a gray, short-sleeved blouse. Her black heels helped to increase her five-foot-five inch frame to about five-eight. A quick look in the mirror and with some satisfaction she grabbed her notes and headed for the auditorium for the announcement of the scholarship winners and Dr. House's speech. But, as luck would have it, she was just sneaking through the doorway of the large, darkened room in time to see Dr. House just leaving the podium.
"Dammit," she whispered to herself as she gave her ticket to the attendant before being seated. "Well," she thought, "maybe I'll see him this afternoon, before the dinner." And with that thought in mind, she took her seat in the middle of four young men of her age; the other participants of the contest. The boy next to her wore glasses and had tobacco-brown hair. She couldn't see adequately, but she suspected his face was covered in matching freckles.
"Hi," he whispered as he pulled his briefcase closer to himself with one hand and extended his other to her. "My name's Herman-Herman Wolf. Are you the last participant in the scholarship contest?"
"Yes. I'm Allison Cameron. Did I miss much? I see that Dr. House left already."
"He left--but you didn't miss much. He didn't speak very long--only about five or ten minutes. I think the officials were a bit disappointed." Herman spoke quietly, sitting more erect as the "officials" he was speaking of moved to the podium. "It looks like you timed it just right! They're about to announce the scholarships."
A middle-aged gentleman stood behind the microphone, and after fifteen minutes of verifying the potential of each of the candidates, he called them one-by-one so they could introduce themselves and read their essays to the forum. After the fifth participant completed his short speech and returned to his seat, a nervous Allison squirmed in her chair. Herman, though, seemed very confident as he reached over and squeezed her hand.
"Don't worry, you did fine," he spoke softly to her. "I have no doubts that you're going to walk away with the grand prize."
She looked over at him and smiled gently. "Your presentation was better than mine."
"Tell ya what, if I win the grand prize, will you be my date to the dinner tonight?"
"Only if you'll be mine, if I win."
"That's a deal!"
Together they held hands tightly. In Herman, Allison found a friend for her stay at the beach. She knew it wouldn't be a longstanding friendship, but he was kind and gentle, and she had no doubt that he would some day be something special in the medical field. By the end of the ceremony, Allison walked away with the $25,000 scholarship, while Herman happily accepted first place with a scholarship worth $20,000.
Greg House spent Friday night at the beach, looking for the beauty he had seen in the tiger-striped bikini earlier that day. He recalled that she said she wouldn't be working the rest of the day, but was hoping he could convince her otherwise if he happened to run into her on the boardwalk. On his venture down the walk, he managed to stop in at least two jazz cafes and ended the night listening to a band blasting rock tunes. He couldn't remember making his way back to his hotel room, or actually getting to bed, but the following morning when he was to prepare for his speech at the luncheon, he slept in late. A wake-up call alerted him that he had better get to the auditorium or miss his speech altogether. So, once again, with a pounding head and stomach that was ready to lurch, he stood before a room full of shadows and gave them the mini-version of his speech, then abruptly left and headed back to his room where he immediately heaved his stomach into his toilet. After that, he went back to bed to try to soothe his splitting head and stomach that still rumbled.
By five o'clock that evening he was once again getting dressed, this time in his tuxedo, and then headed down to the conference room where he sat at the head of the table, smoked a cigar and watched the people entering without interest until he saw his beach-bikini beauty enter on the arm of what he could only regard as a farm-boy. There was no denying it was her. That face and figure could not be disguised. Her hair was pulled up in a loose knot near the top of her head with straying strands framing her face. Her makeup was showcasing all her assets, a perfect nose, lips that were inviting him to look a little more closely. Her gown hugged her curves, its turquoise satin nearly matching the color of her eyes.
If he had any doubts about her occupation, they were fading rapidly, knowing there was no way she would hook up with such a character as this without being paid. The evening progressed slowly for House as he would glance out at the lovely girl that watched him closely. She smiled frequently at him with open invitation as she sat next to her teenage "companion." During dinner, he watched as she laughed with her "date," but her eyes would return to him, filled with encouragement.
House only stayed through dinner, then abruptly made his excuses and left. He walked down the boardwalk in his tux, stopping in for a few drinks, then headed back to his room. He had an early flight in the morning and he didn't want to get smashed again and miss it. As he got off the elevator on the seventh floor, he noticed his bikini-beauty entering the room next to his, already reaching for her zipper to remove her gown just as she turned to close the door. She stopped momentarily upon sight of him putting the key in his own door; recognition taking place as she then pushed the door closed completely. The thought that the farm-boy was inside waiting for her irritated him for some reason. He suspected it was only the thought that he had planned on having her himself this night. So, upon entering his own room, he went about trying to empty the bar of its scotch.
Following the luncheon that day, Allison's day had been very nice. She hung out with Herman and that was fun, especially when he took her to play volleyball with him on the beach. She learned quite quickly that she had nothing to fear from Herman as he went about telling her all about his "little lady" he had back home. All in all, he was quite the gentleman throughout dinner, even noticing her apparent "crush" on the doctor at the head table and gently teasing her about it. But, as they had agreed, their date ended on the elevator when she got off on the seventh floor and he went on to the ninth.
Allison was surprised to see Dr. House entering the room next to hers. Upon sight of him, she suddenly felt nervous, smiling at him like the schoolgirl that she was trying so hard not to be. She closed her door, feeling that he wouldn't be interested in a conversation with her at this time of night, but wished she had had the courage to approach him and talk about his speech and the dinner they had attended. And then, from discussing those things, wouldn't it have been wonderful to have had a general discussion--and then who knows? She giggled as she changed into her football jersey that she used as her nightshirt. She turned on the television and went about quietly watching Saturday Night Live until her lids began to droop and she fell into a light dose. She didn't know how long she had been out when a thunderous bang resounded from the room next door, a bang so loud and hard that she could almost feel the wall vibrate with it. The curses that followed the bang had her on her feet instantly, now knowing whom the occupant was in the next room, but then there was silence. She slowly moved toward the adjoining door, listening for some sound of movement so she would know that he was okay.
"Dr. House?" Allison called softly at first, then a little louder. Her heart started beating rapidly at the thought of actually confronting the doctor in the next room." Dr. House, are you alright?"
This time she heard him moan, as if in pain, and her pre-doctor instincts surged into place as she reached down and unlocked her side of the door. It opened quite easily after that, indicating that he had unlocked his side of the door some time during his stay. When she pushed open the door she was met with darkness, the only light being the light from her television on her side of the wall.
"Dr. House? Dr. House? Where are you?" Her pulses were still racing.
"I'm over here. Turn on the light," he answered groggily.
She reached for the lamp she knew she would find on the bureau, then closed the door as the dim light helped her find the man still in his tuxedo who had evidently fallen from the overturned bar stool. She went to him immediately, making a quick analysis of his position and not noting any obvious broken bones. House finally looked up at her face, a smirk covering his own expression as he looked at her.
"Well, well." His hand moved up to her hair as he talked with a bit of a slur. "If it isn't my little tiger-bikini. Tell me something green eyes, what happened to your last escort? Are you finished with him?"
"Finished with him?" Allison asked in confusion. She supposed she was "finished" with him. Their date had ended earlier that evening. Now her breathing was coming a bit harder as she felt his fingers stroking through her long dark waves. "Yes. Yes. He's back at his room."
"How lucky for me." With that, he pulled her down to him and met her lips with his own.
