Chapter 6 - Cosmopolitan
...
Boracay.
It wasn't definitely the type to enjoy a week of sea alone, but he needed to take a break. He had thought to give up that trip when Cuddy had told him that she was going back to Princeton. Actually that trip wasn't even his idea ... it had been tempted to go back in the US with her. He didn't like the idea of her travelling by herself. For 20 hours. But that same thought had been what had convinced him about not giving up on that vacation. It doesn't sound like him. That same thought didn't sound like him. He had been too close to her in recent weeks. Definitely too much. And now he really needed to clear his mind. She would have been fine. And back to PPTH everything would have been exactly like it was before that.
Sun and sea. For a week he didn't want to think about anything else.
He took off his sunglasses as soon as he got out the cab, in front of the hotel. It was exactly as it was on the website and on the brochure Helen had given him. She was the one to insist on him taking a vacation before going back to USA. Actually... she was the one to insist on the two of them taking a vacation.
" Naah, kalokohan... Isa itong masamang ideya..." he had said, looking at her and shaking his head as she put that brochure in his hands, then taking her phone from her pocket to call the hotel and change that reservation.
You're crazy ... and this is a very bad idea.
"Hindi ah... Sa katanuyan nga, isa itong napakagandang ideya" She had replied, smiling.
It's a very good idea.
He took off his shoes as he walked along the path among the trees that led to his bungalow, savoring the feel of the sand under the soles of his feet. A bungalow on the beach, just a few steps from the ocean, in a luxury resort.
House looked around among those wooden walls. A kitchenette and a small table. He smiled and shook his head as he took the note leaning against the ice bucket in which a bottle of Moët & Chandon was plunged, and put that 'Congratulations' in the basket of flowers and fresh fruit.
# Mabuti... Buti na lang, mali ka...!# He typed quickly on his phone, smiling a slightly bitter smile as he pressed 'enter'.
# Beautiful! Too bad you were wrong! #
He moved the pillows from one of the two beds.
Yeah... Too bad you were wrong! He thought again as he looked out of the large window of the bedroom... palm trees... white sand...
Helen's reply came quickly.
# Who can't look back into the past can't reach his destination ;) #
House smiled at that adaptation of 'Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa kanyang pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa kanyang paroroonan...', a famous Filipino saying.
Look back into the past... At what? At those last few weeks? At the messages she constantly gave him just to deny them a second later?
He shook his head and sat down on the bed, leaving his shoes on the floor. For a few days he wasn't going to need them.
...
Cuddy looked out the window, slightly biting her lip as the flight attendant warned the passengers to fasten their seat belts for landing.
She looked around as she exited the airport door, tying her hair in a ponytail. Definitely the heat didn't suit with her clothing. She thought for a moment about stopping somewhere to buy something more comfortable, but she didn't want to risk losing her connection. The last thing she wanted was to lose that connection.
She turned the phone in her hands, watching it long before pressing the key to call that number... but her call was directly forwarded to the voicemail.
For a moment she thought she had been too impulsive and maybe she had made the wrong choice... but swallowed hard and walked through the main door of that wonderful five stars Resort. The receptionist looked at her from head to toe as she approached the desk, but smiled and greeted her, asking her how he could help her.
"Um ... May you call Mr. Gregory House, please?" She said "He arrived a few hours ago... There should be a reservation booked in his name... for two..." she said hesitantly...
She would have simply booked in turn a room, but she wasn't 100% sure of being in the right hotel... And she knew he had a reservation for two... or he wouldn't have asked her that "You sure?" just before leaving...
"Yes, Ma'am" he replied looking at his computer screen and taking the phone by calling probably House's room. She could hear the classic sound of a free line, ringing again and again, but none got the receiver up. He looked at her again "I'm sorry, Madam... he's probably not there... but you can wait here if you want..."
Cuddy bit her lip imperceptibly and sighed. It was clear that he wasn't going to give her other information on where to find him. Certainly the hotel policy was to protect its guests' privacy. She took her phone and dialed House's number again, still having no answer and letting out an exasperated "where the hell are you...".
"It was a reservation for two" she said looking up from her phone and looking at him as he nodded.
"Yes, Madam. Double Room... honeymoon service... " he said, looking at the computer screen and letting out a smirk and a "Well... maybe then he's busy and he doesn't want to be disturbed".
He bit his tongue as soon as he looked up from his computer meeting the very annoyed gaze of Cuddy. Well .. actually that wasn't a professional comment at all.
Honeymoon service? Cuddy shook her head, biting her lip to avoid from letting out that half-smile somewhere between annoyed and amused. And she rubbed her neck. God, she just wanted to take a shower and take off the damned blouse. And those even more damned heels.
"He... wasn't him alone?" She asked without getting an answer, but only a half shrug. Again definitely not very professional.
That guy wasn't very cordial. Or maybe he had just had a bad day. But sincerely she doubted that his day could have been worst of hers.
She reached into her purse taking her passport and placing it on the desk.
"Listen ..." she hissed, seriously staring at him with a look that could have frozen him despite that sultry heat "... I'm tired and sweaty and I'm not going to let my husband fuck some stranger during our honeymoon just because an idiot doesn't want to tell me where the hell he is! " She added, raising her voice slightly in her best bossy tone, resting on the reception desk also her bottle of Rifampicin.
She watched him as he looked at that amber bottle and then at her passport and again at that bottle, before returning them to her.
"Oh... I'm sorry, ma'am... I do not... I really don't know if he was..." he stammered typing something on the screen, "I'm just replacing a colleague here and... I-I didn't mean to allude to..."
Cuddy's gaze silenced him instantly and he swallowed as her gaze froze him again with a silent I-don't-give-a-damn-so-just-shut up-and-make-your-job-if-you-know-how-to-do-it!
House would have recognized the amused glint in her eyes behind that apparent annoyed bossy look. But he wasn't House. And he handed her an old-fashioned key hanging on a wooden keychain.
"Your room key, Mrs. House"
...
Cuddy stood on the terrace in front of the bungalow door and looked around. The sun was already low on the horizon, giving way to a beautiful sunset.
She hesitated before entering, turning that key in her hands. She couldn't enter.
What if the reason for which he didn't answer the phone was that he was really busy in... er... something... with a beautiful woman?
She shook off the image that appeared in her mind. Definitely now it was too late to go back... She took off a pump rubbing her ankle, then doing the same with the other one before knocking at the door.
She knocked once and then again, slightly biting her lip as considering whether to enter or not. She put the key in the lock, hoping with all herself not to find him really naked in front of her eyes. Um ... not to find him really naked in front of her eyes and busy in a certain activity with a woman...
She sighed and took off the key from the lock. She couldn't do it. Yes, he had asked her to join him on that holiday, but he didn't even know she was there... Maybe he really was with a woman ... or in the shower... They were friends but she couldn't violate his privacy in such a way.
And... friends? Was that what they were? Friends?
They weren't really friends... Wilson was a friend. House was... She couldn't find a word fitting for their relationship. It was definitely more than a boss-employee relationship... it was more than a relationship between colleagues... She cared about him and not as a boss care about an employee or a colleague. She would never have perjured herself in front of a judge for any of her colleagues... But... they were not friends yet... not in the strict meaning of that word. He trusted her and she trusted him. They turned to each other in times of real need, but... they didn't confide in each other... they didn't open up one with the other one... on the contrary she was definitely very careful not to open up to him or to give him some details of her private life. She knew that in a sense he would have used them against her... or he'd make fun of her...
And yet... a month spent together, and she felt like their relationship was now completely different. Would she show up on the door of that bungalow one month before? To spend a holiday week with him? With how many co-workers would she be willing to share a bedroom? Admitting it or not, even to herself, she wanted to spend that week with him. She wanted that the alchemy that had characterized the last few weeks wouldn't end...
She still didn't know how that could have happened. How was it possible that the jerk who had sent her in the second class on that flight just to tease her and then had sent her straight to take care of Peng as he nonchalantly sipped Shirah, could be the same man who had held her hand while she was unconscious. He wasn't compelled to do that. He didn't have to and she wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't... if he just went back to USA... But he didn't... and not only he had stayed in Manila with her... he had been there, by her bed... every night... And he had taken care of her... made her laugh when she just wanted to cry... No, he wasn't a friend because ... even if she kept to deny it, the last thing she wanted was him to be a friend.
She looked at the key in her hand. Passing off herself as his wife certainly didn't give her the right to enter without asking for his permission. For a moment she consider to sit on one of those bamboo armchairs looking at the ocean and just waiting for him to come back, or for his phone to be reachable again, but the grumbling of her stomach suggested her that, despite of her uncomfortable high-heeled shoes, it would have been better for her to eat something in the meantime.
...
She sat down on one of the bar stools in front of the desk and ordered a drink. Alcohol wasn't really what her stomach needed at that time, but it was what her nerves needed.
She turned between her fingers the stick on which the fruits decorating her cocktail was skewered then bringing it to her mouth, still looking at the now virtually empty glass in front of her. The key of the room on the counter next to her phone... waiting for him to call her back.
"A Gin tonic and anotheR Cosmopolitan foR the lady" a voice behind her said.
Cuddy looked up from her drink and then at the guy who had just sat down on the bar stool next to hers, then looking at the barman.
"Er... no, thank you" she said looking at that man and smiling slightly "I'm good with this, thanks"
God, he was at least ten years younger than her. Italian. Because of the unmistakable accent and that strong R. A handsome guy... tight jeans and an Emporio Armani t-shirt highlighting his muscles and tan... but... she was definitely not in the mood...
"If such a beautiful a woman sat here all alone, staring at what's left of her drink... she's definitely not good with that" he said looking at her with piercing dark eyes reaching for her then shaking her hand.
Marco.
She could barely hear his name as an arm wrapped her shoulders making her nearly jump.
"I can't leave you alone for a couple of hours that you already cheat on me, honey?"
She froze at the feeling of his stubble against her skin as he kissed her cheek. And she couldn't tell if the sudden chill that ran down her back despite of those 100°F was due to that contact or to the look in his eyes as the blue of his met hers.
"Greg House" he said, reaching for that guy and shaking his hand, then looking at Cuddy again "The receptionist phoned me telling my wife had arrived" he said, raising an eyebrow, staring at her "Sorry, babe, my phone battery went off" he said squeezing her shoulder in his hand and looking at her and then again at that Marco, who gestured them a goodbye.
Cuddy couldn't help but biting her lower lip holding back a smile as she watched Mark walking away, then looking at House.
"Couldn't you help it, could you?" She said failing to hold back a laugher as he shook his head and sat down beside her, ordering a Scotch and another Cosmopolitan for her. And this time she didn't refuse it.
...
"So?" He asked, sipping his Scotch and watching her as she took in turn a sip of her drink "Did you decided to wait another seven days before filing for divorce?" He said, smiling and raising an eyebrow.
Cuddy shrugged slightly and put her glass on the counter before looking up at him.
"Er... sorry" she said, smiling "It was the only thing that came to my mind to know where you was" she added, reaching out for her drink again and taking another long sip.
House looked at her and smiled, shaking his head slightly and giving a nod to the barman, who nodded back and placed in front of him two small bowls. Olives and a mix of nuts.
"You told him you're my wife, and he bought it?" He asked smiling and pushing towards her those two bowls.
Cuddy laughed and nodded, taking an almond and turning it between her fingers.
"Er... actually I think the exact words were... I'm tired and sweaty and I'm not going to let my husband fuck some stranger during our honeymoon just because an idiot doesn't want to tell me where the hell he is!"she laughed, rubbing her neck and looking into his eyes with a slightly embarrassed look then bringing that almond to her mouth "...apparently I can be very persuasive sometimes" she added, laughing again.
"I know that" he laughed in turn.
He looked at her as she finished that drink and finished his in turn in a long sip.
"So? Ready to fulfill your marital obligations, honey?" He said, standing up and looking at her with an extremely mischievous look, deliberately emphasizing again that 'honey'.
"Dream on, House!" She replied glaring at him but failing to keep from laughing.
God, she had drunk too much. Actually only two drinks... but on an empty stomach that was enough to make her feel slightly euphoric.
She took off her pumps before standing up. God... she felt lightheaded. Not so much not being able to stand up, but enough to have difficulty walking on her heels.
House continued to look at her out of the corner of his eye as she walked beside him, barefoot, holding her shoes in one hand.
"Where did you leave your luggage?" He asked turning toward her and slipped his hand into his pocket to get the key, then slipping it into the lock.
"Probably at 38000 feet above sea level by now. Or still in Japan waiting for the connecting flight. I don't know" she said, shrugging and smiling slightly.
House shook his head and smiled, looking at the door, and not at her. Irrationality was certainly not one of her features. But apparently the control freak he knew had remained on that flight from Singapore to Newark. The one in front of him was barefoot, disheveled, with a now creased blouse from the long day and... absolutely beautiful.