Chapter 36
Las Vegas, NV to Salt Lake City, UT: 6 hours; 421 miles.
TOTAL TRAVEL MILES SO FAR: 3,961 miles
Once in the room, House looked at his watch. 3:00. His lips still twitching from that kiss, he REALLY wanted to get back to Jersey, more than he ever thought possible. Clearing his throat, he looked at Anne. "What do you say we start back tonight? I, um…" he had to quickly think of a Housian excuse. Suddenly snapping his fingers, "…I forgot! I promised Jimmy I'd help him with…something…"
Anne wasn't an idiot…and she wanted to leave too. She shrugged. "Sure. We can make Salt Lake City by tonight." She paused. "How are you feeling?"
"Oh, here we go," he muttered, moving toward the desk table to begin packing. "We've been married 20 minutes and already you're starting in on me. Give me a break."
"I am your nurse, after all," she muttered back and moved to the bedroom.
"Yeah, don't remind me," He muttered back, low enough so she wouldn't hear. Truth be told, House no longer felt pain. He was still too distracted. 'Perhaps we should fly back…' He was definitely sure he didn't want her as his nurse…unless she was a NAUGHTY nurse. "Oh yeah," he said aloud. Suddenly the distance between them reared its ugly head. 'Oh no,' he moaned to himself. 'What have I done?'
You cheeseball, you respected her wishes, that's what you did.
Don't you ever knock?
Don't you ever think? She told you she didn't want to be your sexual distraction. Wait a minute: did you really NOT process that part when you agreed to something like this? Did you just use your INSTINCTS and not logic?
Leave me alone. I'm new at this.
Aye, aye, aye. Is the world still revolving?
*****
Ten minutes later, they were packed and ready to go. Heading to the lobby, House suddenly stopped. "Wouldn't you know it?" he quietly asked Anne, who was walking beside him. "It's that girl. She can't see you here. Maybe if you left really…"
"Dr. House! Yoo-hoo!" The girl smiled and waved him over to the desk, despite the crowd already waiting in line. Too late; they'd been spied.
"WHAT?!?!" A well-dressed man yelled, incredulous that someone should cut in front of HIM. "That's cutting. You can't do that!"
"How old are you, twelve?" Anne spoke up, shooting him a dirty look and making House puff with pride. "He's a cripple. Zip it or we'll sue you for being a big fat meanie."
" 'We'll sue him for being a big fat MEANIE'?" House quietly asked Anne as they continued to the desk. "Now who's twelve? Damn. Why didn't I think of that one?"
"Dr. House! Remember me?" The girl grinned.
House turned on the hideously-fake charm. "Of course I do! You're the fine young lady who helped me get a room here! Look, Madge," he smirked at his wife who shot him a glare. 'Madge??!! Do I really look like a Madge?' "It's that lovely young woman who found a way for me to get pictures of Jimmy's white tigers. Bless you dearie." Now "Madge" was getting ill from this shameless display but, nevertheless, became a party to his lie. After all, if she can lie to the police, while wearing nothing but strips of sequins, she can lie to some unsuspecting girl.
"Oh, Greg dear, is this the angel who made our Jimmy's dreams come true?!?!"
That girl was absolute putty in that couple's hands as she quickly brought up the bill. House signed and they left, before the girl could even question who "Madge" was.
"We are SOO going to hell for that one," Anne muttered which only made House's smirk intensify.
*****
The pair of rough-riders arrived in Salt Lake City by 10:00 p.m., promptly pulling up to the Hilton Salt Lake City Center. Locking the bikes together, House promptly handed Gregorio to Anne.
She looked at it then back at House. "Why must I carry him?"
"You're the wife: you carry all the toys. Besides," He tilted his head toward the door, as if to say, "Hurry up." "I can't very well walk inside carrying a teddy bear. How would THAT make me look?"
"I had no idea you were so high maintenance," Anne snarked back, grabbing the bear and her saddlebags then marched inside, leaving House to eat her dust…and stare at her hindquarters. Finding a short line, the mismatched but rather handsome pair stood in line. When it was their turn, they got to the counter and the first words out of Anne's mouth were, "You got double beds?"
The front desk clerk, noting their matching wedding bands, raised his eyebrows. "Sure…"
House quickly noted the reaction. "She's a roller. How do you think I hurt my leg?" The man's eyebrows jumped even higher and Anne narrowed her eyes. "Honey, you might as well admit it: we get into bed; have our nightly carnal consummation then you move to your single bed. It's a lot like 'I Love Lucy', except we can actually say "sex" and "orgasm". No wonder that show was in black and white…what a dreary marriage."
"What in God's name are you doing?" Anne whispered, her face as red as her hair.
"Get used to it; it's what your husband does." He whispered back, a twinkle in his eye.
And they'd never seen a front desk clerk work that quickly to get them checked in.
*****