Thanks to Nikelodean

New People New Puzzles

"Good morning, Mr. Foreman", greeted the reception clerk with a smile.

Foreman returned the greeting and smiled back. "Morning."

He strode towards the elevator and pressed the button while stuffing his free hand into his pocket. The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside. As he did, his cell rang. He reached into his inside jacket pocket, grabbed his phone, and looked at the screen. It read 'House', so he flipped it open

"I'm guessing you haven't gone to bed yet since you're never up before 8:30."

"And a good morning to you too, Eric. What's wrong? Didn't get laid last night?"

"What do you want House?" He could tell that House was smiling on the other end of the phone. It came through in his voice.

"Well I was just calling to let you know that I hired a personal assistant for you and he's..."

"Whoa, wait a minute. I don't need a personal assistant. There are plenty of secretaries around here."

"I know they're beautiful, aren't they? Like art in the lobby."

Foreman's eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped open. It just amazed him that House could get away with a sexist comment like that.

"House..."

"His name is Robert Chase, and I'm sorry. I'm sure you were secretly hoping for a woman so you could have hot steamy sex on your brand new desk, but if it's any consolation, he's got floppy blonde hair and an accent, so just shut your eyes and I'm sure he'll relieve you of your tension."

The elevator doors opened and Foreman stepped out and stood in the hallway taking calming breaths. "House, why did you feel the need to hire me an assistant?"

"You'll find out soon enough. And I want you to make sure that he comes to that charity dinner next week. Now be good and play nice." House hung up the phone before Foreman could even reply.

Foreman snapped his own phone shut and made his way to his office. He stopped at the door when an Australian accent called out his name.

"Mr. Foreman."

Foreman turned around on his heel and replied with a pleasant "Yes."

"Hi I'm..."

Foreman pointed his finger at the Australian. "Robert Chase." He said it as if the penny had just dropped. House was up to something and he knew that the only way he would find out would be to play along. He held out his hand Chase took it firmly. "Nice to meet you." He opened his office door and stepped inside while holding to open. "If you'd just like to come and take a seat."

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House was making good use of his new office. He had his feet propped up on the desk, his Ipod turned up high, and The Who blaring from the speakers. Work was not something that he was even going to contemplate. He had hired Foreman to take care of his business, and he would oversee final matters but now he rarely ran his business personally because he didn't see the need to do the donkey work any more. However, the truth was that he was bored at his old office, and the hospital was a fresh place for him. It was a better place for him to study others to try and crack people's puzzles.

Of course he already had Wilson figured out. They had been friends for years. He knew that Wilson's problem was that he couldn't distinguish between feelings of caring and loving. That's why he had been married three times and cheated on his wife. And House didn't just mean by sleeping with other women, but by sharing his feelings and personal demons with other woman and not with his wife.

His ability to read people was why House was a business man. He knew who to trust and who would stab him the back without a second glance, although he knew first hand that he could be wrong. But now he had fresh pool of people to keep his mind occupied. Not only did he have his new manger, Foreman, but the hospital administrator, Cuddy and far, far more importantly and much more interestingly, the young Doctor Cameron. To look at her, he would expect a vulnerable and somewhat shy young woman, and yet, yesterday she had been so upfront and immediate with out formality. She had jumped to defend her gender without hesitation. What was even more surprising was that she had known who he was. She had known that he was Greg House, the important benefactor to the hospital and the new chairman of the board. Yet, she hadn't been intimidated. That was something new for him. For most of his life he had been a withdrawn person who stood in the shadows and watched. People never made conversation with him because they were always afraid of him. And he liked that. He liked the intimidating presence that he gave off. It meant that he wasn't bothered by idiots. Speaking of idiots, his bestest buddy in the whole world walked through the door right at that moment.

"Jimmy! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Wilson furrowed his brow at the amount of noise that was coming from the speakers.

"Do you think you could turn that down?" Wilson slumped into the chair opposite House.

"What?"

"I said do you think..." Wilson leaned over and switched the Ipod off. "...you could turn it down."

"Oh, well, I can't now because you've turned it off. So why are you here?"

"I'm on my break and thought I'd see if you wanted to grab lunch after your eventful conversation with Doctor Cameron yesterday."

House leaned his head back on the chair and looked at the ceiling. "Ah, yes. Doctor Cameron. Glad to know that there is at least one woman in the hospital that you haven't slept with."

Wilson furrowed his brow in confusion. "What makes you say that?" He tried to give it an air of indifference but his curiosity came through.

"Um, you seem a little put out by that. I'm guessing you'd like to spend quality time with young Cameron."

"And you wouldn't" Wilson scoffed. House looked over at Wilson and raised his eyebrows.

"Well, I am a red blooded male after all." He pointed his finger at Wilson. "But you, my friend, shouldn't even be entertaining thoughts like that. You're married."

"Exactly, and entertaining thoughts like that are the only way that I'll get any satisfaction."

House pursed his lips. "True. But you could also entertain it with that blonde accountant in a store room." Wilson didn't even bother defending himself. House would just make more comments, so he decided to change the subject. He rose from his chair.

"So, lunch?" House grabbed his cane and headed past Wilson towards the door.

"Sure, why not." As they made there way to the elevator Wilson couldn't hold back his curiosity any more.

"Why are you here?" House looked at Wilson with a mocking hurt expression.

"Gee, Jimmy. You sure know how to make a guy feel wanted." Wilson rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean. You could just have easily donated this money and gone and retired to a private condo near the Pacific. I'm mean, you have someone else run your business for you and you have no other obligations."

House pushed the button for the elevator. "Come on you should know me by now. Retiring to the pacific is too predictable."

"So what you're retiring to a hospital. Spending your time in an office in a hospital full of sick people is your idea of retiring?"

The elevator pinged and the doors opened. House stepped inside. "Yeah."

Wilson was rather dumbfounded as he followed House inside.

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