Chapter 7: Ready, Set, Go
Cuddy sat at her couch, facing the large window panes that looked upon the small plot of yard she had. The windows were open, allowing the calm breeze to just barely reach her and the sounds of the streets fill her, distracting her from envisioning the coming evening. She wore a dress that came just below her knees. It was black, laced here and there with floral designs. A black ribbon came just below her bust line and was in a neat bow at the front. The severe black heels were ones she had owned for a year or two. By now, she knew that they could do her no wrong. They were perfect for all occasions. About two inches tall, they were round toed, and went with almost anything.
The slow chime of the doorbell made her stomach nearly fall to the floor. With the careful precision that only years of walking in heels could produce, she wound her way to the door, polishing off the rest of her red wine and leaving the glass to be retrieved later from the small table in the hall.
House could not resist laughing at the expression on Cuddy's face as her eyes fell upon him. He had exchanged his tennis shoes for some shiny black ones that were rather uncomfortable. His shirt was ironed, and he had gone to great lengths to make it so. He had to resort to asking his elderly neighbor to borrow her iron and ironing board, which resulted in a waste of thirty minutes listening to her talk about her first date.
The only thing that indicated House had not been possessed was the stubble on his face- which House would have shaved, had he not spent that half an hour next door.
"Hey," Cuddy said as the shock wore off. House pulled away his sleeve to look at his watch.
"Six thirty two. Right on time."
"Impressive," Cuddy glanced at the clock on the wall, "if only you were always this punctual."
"I wouldn't depend upon it continuing."
"Of course not," the smile on Cuddy's face said 'I know you only too well.' They stood for a moment, both wondering what the other was thinking.
"Let's go," House turned down the steps back towards his car. Cuddy followed him, thanking him as he opened the door for her. As he started up the little vehicle, she looked over at him and smiled, devilishly almost.
"What?" he could almost see what was coming.
"If you're driving, I get to control the radio."
"I guess so," he raised his eyebrows as he turned back to the steering wheel, "take it away."
Cuddy had turned the radio to NPR, which House didn't mind. He saw her looking for his reaction out of the corner of her eye. He allowed the corners of his mouth to curl. Satisfied, she leaned back and gazed out up into the sky. It was no longer day, but the sun wasn't quite setting. She could see a sliver of the moon smiling at her.
House had chosen a restaurant nearby, and they were there in less than five minutes. It was an Italian restaurant. House knew you couldn't go wrong with pasta. He stopped the car and accompanied Cuddy to the door. He didn't even bothering if this was okay; it was obvious from her eyes that she was holding back a smile.
"I've never been here before," House leaned over the table closer to Cuddy, "Wilson suggested it. Who knows if it's any good?" She smiled, concealing her teeth. She buried her face behind the large menu, pretending to be very interested in the appetizers.
"What are you going to get?" House said after a few minutes of this. Cuddy simply looked up and shrugged. His eyes followed her every move; her foot tapped underneath the table and she squirmed in her chair.
"You haven't said much," House stated questioningly.
"Wondering what this is all about," Cuddy didn't smile. House did quite know how to respond. She seemed to think this might have been a trick, and he didn't want to mess this one up by confirming her suspicion. He slowly planned the right words to say as she looked at him, sternly almost.
"Lisa, I barely ever see you not in a lab coat or behind your desk signing my paycheck. Maybe this whole ballet thing just made me wonder what else was hiding in there."
"This isn't about my ass?"
"Not about your ass."
"Okay," she noticed that their voices had been reduced to a whisper. She glanced at the menu once more before summoning more strength to her voice and saying "I think I know what I'm going to have."
