Chapter 3: Whoa who is that?
Outside House's office, Chase and Forman stared as a stunningly dark, Mediterranean-looking woman sat at the conference table. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun as fly away hairs fell down her back. She was of a slim build with olive skin and light hazel eyes, with enough curves to make the Alps jealous. She wore a black, finely tailored, Italian suit with stilettos a mile long and a blouse of pail pink that left nothing to the imagination. Her golden earrings, crucifix and rings glimmered under the glow of the florescent lights and gave the men the impression that she had done very well for herself so far. This was a successful woman, a beautiful woman, a woman not to mess with.
The young doctors watched as she stood from her seat, walked to the coffee maker, poured herself a mug of hot coffee with a hint of cream, and returned again to where she had been sitting. The table was littered with files that she casually perused and placed in neatly, what seemed like organized, stacks and the moved onto the next file that was found in a banker's box at her side.
The office blinds were closed just enough to obscure Chase and Forman from her view and afforded them ample time to stand there and admire her without being seen.
"What are you two doing?" Taub asked as he walked up to them in the hallway.
"There is a woman in our office." Chase answered
"A beautiful woman," Forman added.
"Do you know why she's there?" Chase asked.
Taub peaked around the corner and through the blinds. The guys were not over exaggerating, she was a beautiful woman who seemed to be acting like she belonged in the office of one of the more famous and notoriously vulgar doctors in living history.
"I don't know who she is," Taub said as he joined his colleagues in watching the woman work.
"You don't get paid to stare," House said as he stepped off the elevator behind them and startled the group gathered by his office door. "She's the newest member of our team so you'd better get used to her." he added.
"You sure know how to pick em," Chase said.
"I didn't," House said before getting a glimpse of her, "she's Cuddy's idea."
"Nice lie," Chase laughed, "Why would Cuddy actually hire competition for herself?" he asked.
House stopped for a moment, looked at Chase and then rushed into the office. He stopped short as the men followed him and without saying a word they took their places around the table and silence fell in the room. House loomed over the conference table and just stared.
Dr. Cicciliano stood and walked toward House. He watched her questioningly.
"At last, it is good to finally meet you Dr. House," She said as she reached out to shake his hand. "I am Dr. Victoria Cicciliano. I've been following your work for quite some time. It's very impressive."
"I was expecting to hear something different," House said shocked by the accent that escaped the woman's mouth.
"Ah yes, you were expecting perhaps Buon giorno," she said, her eyes smiling.
"yes, that's about right," House answered still trying to recover from the shock of such a beautiful woman standing before him.
"I was born in Kent, my mother is English, my father is Italian, and I was raised in London. I was blessed to receive all of the best elementary education and attended Oxford and later Johns Hopkins," Cicciliano said. "For the past three years I have been employed, however, by Vatican City."
The four men were stunned into silence as she related her resume to them. It was extensive, full of all of the best of everything and with references and acquaintances from all over the world. Why would such a woman want to come and work for someone like House? Absolute confusion was evident on all of their faces. This woman was an enigma!
