CHAPTER 6

You kissed him because you had to put him in his place. That's all. There's nothing else.

Then why are my nipples tight, my panties wet and my stomach flipping?

Because it's been too long since you got some. SNAP OUT OF IT DREA!

Eileen rushed back to her office to get ready for the next surgery. She knew the situation was serious when she called herself by her late father's nickname for her, Drea. When she was younger he'd called her by her full name, Eileen Andrea, when she was in trouble. The older she got, and the more trouble she got into, the more he yelled at her. He eventually shortened the name to Drea, and it stuck, especially when he discovered how much she hated that nickname.

To call herself that wasn't good but it was the perfect name to give ONR. It was a name that only stayed in her family so no one else knew it. Her late husband didn't even know about it, as her immediate family had died before she married Charlie Simons and he never heard it.

What about ONR? Her mind drifted to the man she'd been conversing. She'd known him only a day but already she liked him. He listened to her and he was already very different from any man she'd ever known. Truth be told she was already ready to meet him.

And that's what happens when you refuse to start dating again. You become completely irrational.

*****

House stood, stunned, as Cuddy raised an eyebrow and walked to her chair. He didn't look at her as he asked, "What the hell just happened?"

"If you don't know what that was I won't ask what you've been doing all these years." House didn't acknowledge her response as he stood up. Cuddy called after him. "Where are you going?" But he was out the door without looking back.

*****

Wilson smiled into the phone. "Really? And what color are your Pradas?" He paused and this time laughed aloud. "Oh, yeah. Red is very sexy. I prefer…" Wilson jumped when House threw open his door, marched in, closed it with a BANG, slammed his cane across his desk and sat down.

"Jimmy, she kissed me!" Wilson, who sat watching House with horror, gulped and blinked. House leaned forward out of his chair and snapped his fingers in Wilson's face. "Hello?? Are you in there? I said she kissed me."

Wilson seemed to have snapped out of whatever overtook him and, without taking his eyes from House, said into the receiver, "I'm gonna have to call you back." He didn't wait for whoever was on the other end to acknowledge him as he hung up the receiver. Wilson cleared his voice and pointed to the chair where House was seated. "And hello Dr. House. It's nice to see you too. Please have a seat." He rolled his eyes as House huffed again.

"She kissed me."

"You said that three times. Who is she? Sheila from the lunchroom?" Wilson shook his head. "Is she even talking to you after you asked her why her buns were furry?"

"That was a misunderstanding. How was I to know those were her real buns? Come on!"

"Then what do you want? And who is 'she'?"

"Eileen Simons!"

"The anesthesiologist, the one you called fat?" House nodded. "How did you go from calling her fat to her kissing you?"

"I have no idea."

"House," Wilson shook his head and looked down at the papers on his desk. "I don't have time for this. I need to…"

House shot up out of the chair and leaned over the edge of the desk, his face no more than two feet from his. "Oh you have time to talk to me, Mr. Rebel in Hush Puppies."

Wilson froze with his pen in mid-word. House watched Wilson's jaw work as he considered House's words without looking House in the face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Damn it Jimmy. If you're gonna lie to me at least look me in the eye. There might've been a chance I'd believe you."

"How do you know about that?"

"That's not important Jimmy. What is important is: what am I gonna do about Simons the Devil Woman?"

"Whoa. You're coming to ME for love advice? Ran out of 900 numbers to call? Surprised to find they charge by the minute even for advice?"

"It's not love; it's irritation. Besides, I have another someone in the wings and this one is nothing like the Fat Cow."

"Stop calling her fat. She's not fat and you know it." Wilson paused then finally looked at House in the eye. "Just how do you know about the Hush Puppies?"

"I have my ways." House turned and limped to the door. "Oh and I make fun of your loafers because they're comfy and I want to wear them. We can't wear them both at the same time. Ta ta."

Wilson wasn't sure what he should do but now he knew he had to be more careful. It just wasn't fair; he'll never be rid of the man.

And he was never going to live this Shoe Board fetish thing down.

*****