A Date

Foreman was making his way through PPTH with determined walk and a pissed off air. House had not returned any of his calls and Foreman was still annoyed that he hired this Chase guy to be his personal assistant with giving him any explanation. He was walking with such determination that he didn't see the very attractive, slim brunette woman who was walking towards him. He was so determined on hunting House down and she was so busy reading a file, that they ended up bumping into each other and Cameron spilled the file onto the floor.

"God, I'm sorry." Foreman bent down to pick up the papers.

Cameron tucked a loose hair behind her ear and bent down also. "That's okay. I should have been looking where I was going."

Foreman looked at her and smiled. "I shoulda been looking, too."

Cameron looked at him and smiled in return, taking the offered papers from his hand and standing. Foreman also stood he shook his hand out. "Eric Foreman."

Cameron placed the papers rather messily back into the folder and accepted his hand. "Alison Cameron." He released her hand and she rested on the reception desk and sorted out the file. "Um, are you looking for anyone in particular?"

"Yes, yes I am. I'm looking for Gregory House. Do you have an idea where he is?"

She handed the file to the nurse and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Um, yeah, he was heading to the cafeteria with Doctor Wilson. I was just heading there myself, so I could take you there."

"Please."

She lead the way to the elevator and pressed the button. "So, how do you know House?"

"He's my boss." The elevator binged and the doors opened. Foreman gestured for Cameron to step inside first.

"Oh, so what is it you do?"

"I'm the manager of his business since House kind of took a back seat role."

"How long have you been working for him?"

"Almost six months."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened and they both stepped out and made their way down the corridor. Cameron pursed her lips, wondering if it was a good idea to discuss House with one of his employees, but she figured that it wouldn't hurt to ask. "So you know him well?"

Foreman could help small laugh escape his lips. "No, House is an enigma and I can't tell you anybody who knows him well."

"Well he's friends with Doctor Wilson, have you met him?"

"Yeah, he's come to the office once or twice when House used to reside there. He's a good guy but I can't figure out why anyone would want to be friends with House."

"House doesn't seem that bad."

Foreman gave Cameron a knowing look. "You don't know him yet. He's an egotistical S.O.B."

Cameron gave him a smile. "If you say so." Somehow, she didn't quite believe him.

Foreman cleared his throat. "You going to that charity dinner that House's PR machine is throwing this Friday?"

"I was thinking of popping in. You?" She looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, I kinda have to."

Cameron continued with a smile. "But it's a bit sad to go to one of those things without a date."

"Well we could go together." He looked over at Cameron who's expression was unreadable - he thought that he had misread the moment, so took a more neutral approach. " We could turn up together and if you get sick of me you could just lose me in the crowd." Foreman added with a smile. "And vice versa."

Cameron stopped and smiled. "That's an excellent idea. We turn up together so we don't look like typical workaholics with no social life and if it turns out we can't stand each other, there'll be other people there that we know so that we could just ditch each other without hurt feelings." They reached the threshold of the cafeteria and Cameron stopped and took out a pen from her breast pocket. "Do you have a piece of paper?"

Foreman dug in his inside pocket knowing that he kept a diary there. He opened it at the back and handed it to Cameron. She took it from him and sat in a vacant chair just inside the cafeteria. When she finished she stood and handed it back to Foreman.

"If you want to catch me at home, I normally finish work at about 5:00." She turned from Foreman and looked about the cafeteria, spotting House sitting in the corner. She stuck out her finger and pointed to him. "And there's your boss." She turned to Foreman and stuck out her hand. Foreman took it gently. "It's been nice talking to you, Eric."

"You, too, Alison."

Foreman couldn't stop himself from admiring her as she walked away. He was quickly shaken out of this when a rather large shadow loomed over him carrying an unmistakable gruff voice.

"Foreman, shouldn't you be at work?" Foreman's little interaction with Cameron hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Lunch break."

"Which you decided to spend with me." House clutched his hand to his chest and faked holding back a sob. "I'm touched."

"Don't flatter yourself, House. I'm here because you don't answer your phone and you've been ignoring me for a week about this Chase guy. Now I know that you're planning something. I can tell."

"I am most offended by that accusation." He walked past Foreman with Wilson in tow.

"House." Foreman walked quickly to keep up with his boss. "Does this have anything to do with Vogler?"

"House." Wilson asked with warning in his voice. "What have you done?"

House stopped with an aspirated sigh and took out his Vicodin, popping two pills. "You all know that Vogler has been really original and bought a newspaper?"

Wilson and Foreman looked at each other and then at House. "Yes."

"Well, this Chase guy works for him." He turned on his heel and carried on down the hallway.

Foreman closed his eyes and, as if begging to God asked, "Please don't tell me that he's done what I think he's done."

"That he's gone and hired a reporter that works for Vogler who's trying to destroy him." Wilson shook himself of his disbelief and followed. "House!" Foreman following behind him.

"Wilson, relax I know what I doing."

"I beg to differ", mumbled Foreman.

"Look, you know as well as I do that he isn't going to find anything that can damaged the business."

"So why hire him?", asked Wilson. House had a devilish grin on his face.

"Oh." It had clicked for Foreman - he understood what House was doing. "But you're going to give him something to find."

House raised his eyebrows and simply smiled.

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There was a tentative knock on the door. Cameron peeked her head in. "Mind if I join you?"

"No, come in Alison."

Alison made her way to the chair opposite Lisa's desk. "You know you can go somewhere else for lunch. The hospital will be here when you get back, you know."

"I know, I know, but if I work and eat at the same time I can get a lot done."

"And spend that 100 million faster."

Cuddy smiled. "100 million. God, I knew that man wanted publicity but 100 million! I feel that at any moment I'll wake up from a dream."

"And don't forget that he's also spending money on that charity dinner." Cameron bit into her sandwich.

"Yeah, well I think that's more his PR people than House himself. He seems a rather..."

"Withdrawn person?"

"Yeah, like even breathing the same air as other people is annoying to him."

Cameron mumbled through a mouth full of food "And yet there's something else." Cameron vaguely waved her hand in the air. "Like, I don't know, that he can't help watching people, that..." She looked at Lisa who was looking at her with an amused expression. "...what?"

"Nothing." Cuddy looked back to her work in front of her.

Cameron sat forward in her chair quickly swallowing her food. "No what is it?" She saw Cuddy's smile broaden. "Come on what is it?"

"He's gotten to you, hasn't he?"

"Oh, what!" Cameron could help but laugh. "Please."

"And you've gotten to him, too." This got Cameron curiosity going.

"What?" She said more calmly. "What are you talking about?"

"He came here the other day requesting your personnel file and your medical records."

"You didn't give them to him, did you?" She asked, somewhat panicked.

"Your personnel files, yes, as he has a right to them, but I didn't give him your medical records."

Cameron let out a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. "I managed to get myself a date for the charity dinner."

"Oh yeah, who?"

"An Eric Foreman… he works for House."

Cuddy looked confused. "Where did you meet him?"

"Today, here at the hospital. He came to see House about something and I literally bumped into him."

Cuddy stopped writing and rested her hand under her chin. "He good looking?"

Cameron pondered it for a moment. "He's very good looking and I'm absolutely sure that under his business suit is a body to write home about."

Cuddy put her hand over her chest in mock shock. "Doctor Cameron, this is side to you that I've never seen before and I thought you were a person all about character and personality."

Cameron smiled and rolled her eyes as she stood. "I'm not looking for anything serious. I need to have a bit of fun and to let my hair down once in a while when it come to relationships. I think that this Eric understands that."

Cuddy smiled at her friend. "Good. Now go and do your clinic hours."

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