What the Sims Have Taught Me About Love
Cameron sat at her desk in her white coat, her sandy-colored hair arranged in a neat chignon. She chatted with Foreman as they ate their lunch. She was glad that he had convinced her to come downtown for lunch since she hadn't been anywhere but work and home…for she couldn't remember how long.
Foreman had asked her what she was into. The question made her smile, "Eric, we've known each other for a year and you've never asked me."
Foreman continued to eat his salad; they had opted for the three courses. A bit much for lunch, but it had been so long since he'd had a proper meal. If he had read some cook books, he might know how to use his stove. As it was the last time he tried, he had set the damn thing on fire. He had been living on pizza and microwave meals.
Cameron had wanted to open up to him, but normally in the course of the day, there wasn't an opportunity, and "I really miss skiing. I'd love to take a vacation; a ski lodge would be so great. I've saved up some money, but it's more fun to go with friends. Boy, this salad is great and this seat is so comfortable." For a minute she considered playing footsie with him, but then she remembered that he was a Virgo, and while her happy Libra nature made her a flirt, she didn't think he'd appreciate the gesture.
Cameron regarded Foreman. He needed cheering up. "You know what? I know this really funny joke."
Foreman leaned closer, this was going to be good, "You know a joke? I didn't know you could tell jokes."
"I have hidden depths. Did you know that I like watching sports on television? I just got a plasma screen TV. With the satellite service I have, I get all kinds of events. You and Chase should come over one evening and watch with me. We can make cocktails and order a pizza." She ate some more salad. House was going to kill them; it seemed that they had been gone for hours.
"Right, so? The joke?" He had been kind of depressed lately. He could use a joke.
She smiled sweetly and began, "Patrick, who was vacationing in the Bahamas couldn't seem to make it with any of the girls. So he asked the local lifeguard for some advice.
"Mate, it's obvious," says the lifeguard, "you're wearing them old baggy swimming trunks that make ya look like an old geezer. They're years outta style. Your best bet is to grab yourself a pair of Speedos - about two sizes too small - and drop a fist-sized potato down inside 'em. I'm tellin' ya man... you'll have all the babes ya want!"
The following weekend, Patrick hits the beach with his spanking new tight Speedos, and his fist-sized potato. Everybody on the beach was disgusted as he walked by, covering their faces, turning away, laughing, looking sick!
So he went back to the lifeguard again and asked him, "What's wrong now?" "Damn, Mate!" said the lifeguard, "The potato goes in front!"
The two laughed and Foreman felt a little better. The good news was that he knew that with as much time as he had spent with Cameron, that he now had a new friend. That was good.
They finished lunch and took a cab back to work. Cameron, although she had a really nice time at lunch, both with Foreman and with the new outfit that she bought, she felt lonely. She sat in the lab and cried a little bit. She thought about a Lichtenstein picture of a cartoon man and woman kissing that she had seen in a museum. That's what she wanted. Just someone to kiss.
She was wiping her tears when Wilson came in, looking for House. "Hey? What's wrong?"
She smiled at him. He was nice and she really liked that about him. "Oh, just a little blue I guess. What's new with you?"
Wilson smiled and whipped out a wolf puppet from behind his back. He teased her with it, "I'm the big, bad wolf! I'm going to eat you!" He mimicked in a low, growly voice. He had the wolf puppet make biting motions towards her and she flailed her arms and laughed as she fought him off.
"Where did you get that?" She asked.
"Oh, I went downtown. I thought it would be good for some of the kids I see." He put it back behind him. He leaned in and looked around, "want to hear some gossip?" He asked.
Allison wasn't sure. Sometimes she liked to gossip, but if it was really mean, or about someone she cared about, it made her angry.
It didn't matter, Wilson continued, "well, you know how House is still mad at Chase for all that backstabbing he did with Vogler?"
Allison nodded; she liked gossip about Chase, "yes?"
Wilson continued, "He's been torturing him on purpose. He gets all the crappy assignments; you know how he can be."
Allison agreed, "Yes. That's true. I can't say that I blame him though. Chase could have gotten him fired."
Wilson agreed. They stood there for a moment. Then Wilson left to go use the toilet.
Cameron returned to her work. But she couldn't concentrate. She wanted a bath, she wanted to be entertained and she wanted to sit down on a nice comfortable sofa. She went out to wait for the car pool to take her home.
Back at her house, she looked around at all of her stuff. She liked her little house and she liked that she had been able to slowly upgrade the things in the house as she worked and brought home more money.
The gardener had been there and the yard was freshly watered. Her daffodils were blooming next to the tulips. Her pride and joy, the rosebush seemed so happy next to the door, with pink blooms open to the sun. She picked up her mail, and then went back out for the newspaper and her Entertainment Weekly.
She sat down on the sofa and flipped through the magazine. She looked at a list of people who were hot. Gloria Somebody, Trevor Somebody, it was hard to keep track anymore. Sometimes she saw them when she went to the Spa at Studio Town, but she found it hard to talk to them. A bit too self absorbed. She did get Avril Levigne's autograph once, but what the heck was she going to do with that?
Sometimes she thought she might just answer one of the ads in the magazine and get an agent. She had been told that she was pretty enough to model. Maybe not runway at first, but certainly she could start out with a print ad. She fantasized about being a singer, and had been to the karaoke bar, but she would do a song or two and then eat some sushi and come home. Nothing more had come of it.
She went to start her bath. She ran the water and waited as the tub filled up with blue water. She got in and sighed as she soaked. The telephone rang, but she didn't get up to answer it. The last time it was some weird recording telling her that the light was just a warning. Whatever that was about. She thought she might talk to Foreman on the phone, just to make sure that he stayed her friend.
When she got out of the tub, she changed into her new nightie. A pretty, elegant white gown with spaghetti straps. She went to sit down again, perhaps watch some sports on television, but she became sad and started crying again. Couldn't anyone see how lonely she was?
She went to the phone and she called House. He was in a pretty good mood. He too, had just had a bath, and after a few minutes he agreed to come over, just as soon as his soap opera was over.
Cameron cheered up and went into her kitchen to prepare a meal. It was always a good idea to have food ready when people came to visit. She had redecorated recently and had new kitchen counters. She prepared everything in her food processor. She spent a lot of time reading cook books, so she was able to quickly serve up a delicious dinner. She was tempted to eat it right then, her lunch didn't seem to stick with her.
House arrived and rang the doorbell. He had been to Cameron's house a few times and he was happy to have been invited over. He brought her a vase filled with exotic birds-of-paradise. Cameron accepted the gift and went to put it on a nearby table. They stood looking awkwardly at one another, so House pushed past her and went to grab a plate of the tasty looking dinner on the counter.
They ate together, talking over their most recent case.
House took a bite of his food and after swallowing said, "you know, I was really stumped. It looked like a cold at first, but when that one guy died, I knew we were dealing with something serious."
Cameron agreed, "They seemed to get better with rest and regular meals, but I'm glad we figured out the antidote for them. Who would have guessed that it was the guinea pigs that caused it? That white formula really seemed to work though."
House nodded, "It could have easily been avoided if they had just kept their pet's cages clean. People are idiots." He was prone to being cranky.
They both got up to clear away their dishes, stacking them neatly in the dishwasher. Cameron went over to the couch and turned on the television. She put it on cartoons because she knew that House liked cartoons.
House went to the bathroom. When he returned he sat next to Cameron on the sofa. "You know," he laughed at the cartoon dog chasing a cartoon cat on the big-screen television, "I didn't think that you were the kind of person who liked cartoons. I figured you for a romantic movie or something."
Cameron smiled shyly at him and moved a bit closer to cuddle with him. It took her awhile to work up the nerve. He cuddled back though, which made her happy, she even liked him a little bit more. Then she waited a bit and hugged him. He seemed to like that so she went to kiss him passionately. He violently pushed her away.
Cameron was confused. He had cuddled and hugged her, but didn't want to passionately kiss her? What was that? Her heart broke and she began crying again. Her dreams of a boyfriend to kiss weren't coming true. She was so lonely.
House felt bad. He hadn't meant to be so abrupt with her. He juggled to try and make her feel better. She smiled and laughed as he got four balls going at once. He leaned over and complimented her, "You know you really are beautiful, even when you're a soggy mess."
She wiped her eyes and said, "You're just saying that. I don't understand you. Don't you want to be with me?"
He looked at her for a moment and then took her in his arms in an intimate hug. She returned it. He gave her a friendly peck on the cheek. This seemed to cheer her up. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that the simple acts had mended her broken heart. Then, he swept her in his arms in a passionate embrace. Cameron swore that she heard music as his lips found hers. He dipped her, absolutely amazing all things considered. She felt safe in his strong arms.
She kissed him back and this time he didn't push her away.
Then he moved in. Two weeks later they adopted a baby; they named her Anabelle.