She Who Must Be Obeyed.
"No." He fixed her with his best 'I feel nothing' stare and watched her squirm. House loved to keep her off guard. Then he walked away. Glutton for punishment.
"Wait!" She called after him. He stopped and turned. "I don't like that answer."
He thought for a moment, "No…m'am?"
"It shows that you're well brought up, but try again." She smiled sweetly, crossing her hands over her chest and tapping her foot, the universal attitude of impatience.
"Can we talk about this when we get home?" He asked her in a low voice, trying to avoid becoming more of a subject of the rumor mill than usual.
"It's a simple question. Will you marry me?" Her eyes sparkled when she asked, "I think you should reconsider your answer. You owe me…big."
"I owe you?"
"Look at what I've endured; look what I've given up. I like being married and I want to be married to you. Forget about answering. I've got tickets on the midnight flight to Las Vegas. Your suitcase is packed. The airport shuttle arrives at 9:30 tonight. Be there." She smiled again and walked off towards her office.
"Will Elvis be presiding?" He called after her; it seemed pointless to argue.
"Of course. We get a free pull on the slot machine after too." She said as she turned the corner without looking back at him.
"Well then, it's a bargain." He pulled out his Game-Boy, but was too distracted to play with it. He sought out Wilson.
Wilson finished his dictation as House burst into his office. One look at House's face and he knew. "So is this it then? You're finally going to do it?"
"She's shanghaied me James. It's in Vegas. Elvis is doing it." House sat down and put his leg up on the desk.
"It could be worse." James, the veteran of three weddings would know.
"I guess so. You don't suppose that it's been in the works for months. I mean, our friends and families…" His eyes widened in horror.
Wilson coughed and glanced down, "I'll be there. I'm propping you up."
"Oh." House replied. "This is really it. After all this time it's happening. I'm getting married."
"It's painless. I think you'll like it. You don't have any reservations about her, do you?" Wilson began closing down his computer.
"Not any more. At first I questioned everything about her motives, but now, I know." He stopped; it was embarrassing talking about loving and being loved.
"So no cold feet, no jitters, no nerves?" Wilson motioned for him to get up so that they could leave.
As they walked towards the parking garage House considered it all. "No. She's the one. Who else would put up with me?"
Wilson laughed, "as you well know, quite a lot of people have lined up for that job."
"I mean really put up with me, for the sake of having me around. Not for the challenge." House stopped at his car.
"There are at least two of us Greg." Wilson cuffed House on the shoulder and throwing caution to the wind embraced him in a bear hug.
"Yeah. Thanks." There was an embarrassed silence between the two of them.
"Get going. I'll see you at the house in a couple of hours." Wilson turned to walk to his space.
"Bring scotch; it's the only bachelor party I'll get!" House called after him.
"Coals to Newcastle! I've got it all planned out." Wilson waved and got into his car.
House started the Corvette and let the engine warm up. He pulled out his cell phone and placed a call to directory assistance. "Princeton. New Jersey. Hank Irons Jewelers."