One Is The Loneliest Number

About twenty minutes later, House and Wilson headed out to their cars. "That was a great evening," Wilson said. "It looked like you even enjoyed yourself. I told you it wouldn't be that bad." Wilson gave House a pat on the back.

"At least no one got shot," House said. "Well, at least I didn't get shot." House was making conversation with Wilson, but he was still thinking about the kiss with Cuddy.

"And for you that is good," Wilson said nodding his head in agreement.

"What are you going to do now?" House asked. "Go home and watch Sex In The City?"

"I need sleep," Wilson said looking like he hadn't slept in weeks. "It's been a tough past few days."

"Really?" House said scratching his head. "I am pretty well rested." House had plenty of time to nap during the day. He also slept in late most days.

"That's because I have to actually see patients," Wilson said as he got into his car.

"That's your fault," House said. "Should have chosen a different specialty." House waved to Wilson and headed for his own car. When House got to his car, he sat in there for a few minutes talking to himself.

"I wonder what that look in her eye meant?" House asked, voice loud enough he could have been talking to someone else. "Did she like it?" House wanted to figure out what his next move should be. "Did I like it?"

House kept recalling the kiss in his head as he drove home. House knew that Cuddy easily could have stopped him from kissing her. "She is freakishly strong," House said thinking about the times Cuddy had punched him in the arm. He smiled when he thought of her doing that.

"Of course, maybe she was trying to get Bob off her back," House said. "Then again, she did risk everyone else seeing us kiss." House wondered if anyone else saw. "You think that would have bothered her."

Back in the hospital parking garage, Chase walked over to Cameron when she was getting ready to leave. He wanted to talk to her.

"Did you see House and Cuddy tonight?" Chase asked Cameron. "He gave her a big kiss on the lips."

"What?" Cameron asked. "Who kissed who? You sure Cuddy didn't kiss him first?"

"It was definitely House that initiated the kiss," Chase said. "He leaned down and lifted her chin all 'chick-flick movie' like." Cameron still had feelings for House and this news upset her a little. Chase was hoping this would make her see he didn't like her in that way.

"He was probably drunk," Cameron said trying to figure out why House would kiss Cuddy, someone who he called the devil all the time.

"I was just shocked she didn't beat his face in when it was over," Chase said. Cameron looked over at Chase.

"Maybe she was drunk, too," Cameron said.

"Cuddy drunk at one of the hospital parties?" Chase asked knowing that would never happen.

"It is New Year's Eve," Cameron said, still trying to reason the kiss. If he was drunk, she wished she was the one that had been standing next to him. "Even she has to let loose sometimes." Chase laughed at that.

"Cuddy does seems like the party type outside of work," Chase said. "Just not when there are donors around."

"Some of the donors were really drunk," Cameron said knowingly because she had been hit on a lot that night. Chase stopped at Cameron's car. He opened the door for her.

"Did you see Cuddy's friend with Wilson," Chase asked, changing the subject.

"What happened?" Cameron asked.

"She almost sucked his tongue out at midnight," Chase said with a laugh.

"I am surprised she didn't try to kiss House," Cameron said.

"Why do you say that?" Chase asked, wondering how the conversation had gotten back to House.

"She calls him all the time," Cameron said, knowing because she had to take the messages a lot. Chase wondered how she knew that Natalie called House a lot because he had never heard about it. Cameron finally got into her car. Chase was still standing there holding her door.

"Are you going to hang onto the door as I drive home?" Cameron asked. "Is it alright if I drive home without someone hanging off the car?"

"Sorry," Chase said and then he walked away.

"That was weird," Cameron said.

xx

Driving herself home, Cuddy thought about the nights events.

"What did I do?" Cuddy asked herself. "Why didn't I hit him?" Cuddy started to rub her lips again as she drove. Cuddy looked in the rear-view mirror at herself. "What were you thinking? I wonder what he is thinking. Does House like me? Was this just one of his many games?"

When Cuddy finally pulled into her driveway, she was still talking to herself. "Did I like it? Did he like it?" Cuddy walked in her house and felt the cold air from her living room hit her. Cuddy listened to her dead-silent house.

Cuddy went into her bedroom and sat down on the bed. "Maybe I should call him." She decided against that. "If it was just a one time thing, he would tell everybody I called him for a booty call."

Cuddy started to get ready for a shower. It had been a long day. "What's wrong with you?" Cuddy asked her reflection in the mirror when she went into the bathroom. "Whatever….that was, you need to forget about it." Cuddy turned on the shower and got in, trying to clear her head.