CUDDY was on her way out of House's office when a voice stopped her on her tracks.

"Wait!"

"Y-yes?" She turned in the direction where the voice came from and saw House sticking his head out from behind his door, looking over at her. She turned her gaze from him instantaneously. She still didn't have the courage to face him after the chain of embarrassing moments he had managed to flag on her. So much for introductions!

"Tonight is the party. You can't go dressed like that. Get back here 15 minutes before 5."

"What party?"

"Didn't I mention you start today? My bad. Sorry." Cuddy was about to open her mouth to ask him another question when he cut her out saying, "Just be here. It's written in your job description. Number 14: Attend parties with your boss."

"I haven't---"

"Oh, it's okay. I haven't typed it either. Just do as I say or you're fired. Sayonara!"

Gregory House really is strange, was all that she could think to herself as he disappeared from sight.

"DR. CUDDY, do you have a different party to attend to later tonight?" Gregory asked her while she sipped red wine. The sound of his voice as he asked the question seemed to give her the impression that the 'mockery game' was on again. She had decided to wear her favorite dress, a red one that exposed the shoulder. She noticed his eyes glance in her direction every once in a while, every time paying attention to a different part of her body.

"What? Oh, yes. My friends were having a wine party tonight," she lied and turned away.

"You actually look quite nice in that dress. I'm surprised."

She threw him a look and nervously acknowledged his compliment, "Thank you."

"It'll come handy on your mission later tonight."

Her jaw almost dropped to the floor, "My mission?"

"See those two men over there in striped ties?"

"Oh, those men?"

"They're Englishmen."

"I see them."

"They are with an organization willing to close a deal with the company financing my research. So, I need you to get as close as possible to them. Pretend that you can't speak English. Find out everything that you can about their meeting. That's your mission."

"Wait, you're saying… So, you want me to spy on them?" She asked him, refusing to believe the insanity of his demand.

"Isn't research collection data your specialty, Dr. Cuddy? Or something like assessment…" House paused on mid-sentence and added, "You were so good this morning at pretending you couldn't speak English."

"But that was… This morning was…"

"Greg!" A soft voice from a woman from another side of the room caught both their attention. "Well, look who we have here?"

House turned to her and said, "Hey, Nancy." But before he completely left Cuddy alone at the table he whispered "Go ahead" in her ear with a mischievous smile.

Cuddy watched the two blend into the crowd. She could tell that they had known each other for a while. He freely laughed around her and she could take his sarcasm. He looked in her direction one last time and threatened Cuddy with his stare.

"So I get to work, and you get to have fun? Am I some sort of James Bond?" she wondered aloud to herself.

CUDDY had been eyeing the two men with striped ties and couldn't think of a decent plan on how to approach them. How does he expect me to pretend not being able to speak English in America? It was only now that she realized the stunt she tried to pull earlier that day really was stupid.

Slowly she approached the two men, eyeing them up carefully. She had thought and thought, but nothing had come to mind. All of the ideas she had thought over were stupid and predictable. House would kill her if she messed this up… but then again, how badly could she screw up? She hadn't even done anything yet, although that was a problem. It couldn't be that hard. She was a woman after all and well, they were to perfectly good men….

Oh forget it, she thought, it's no use anyway, I'll still mess up and get myself fired. As she ambled forward with her glass of wine she didn't see the figure walk in front of her.

"Oh my! I'm sorry!" Cuddy jumped as she spilled a glassful of wine on one of the men's business suits. She then involuntarily searched for a tissue paper so that she could at least try to wipe some of it off, "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"It's quite alright, these things happen. Are you alright?"

Her eyes grew wide in surprise when she realized who it was she spilled her wine to, "I'm alright. I'm sorry." She looked like she's about to cry.

The Englishman smiled at her from head down, obviously feeling delightful at the site of her before him, "Have yourself a good evening then."

"You too. I am sorry." Cuddy said as he left.

Lisa, you're really on a roll tonight.

"WHAT should I do? I blew my cover." Cuddy said as she approached House in a corner of the room.

"What?"

"I spoke in English!"

"Shit!"

"What do I do now?"

"Figure it out! Steal their documents, if you have to!"

Now, it was her turn to say Shit!

Still, my thanks to Queen Nefertiri Amun --- my good beta. Still, my thanks. It's quite short but another chapter may be coming in this week or the next. Please, review. Actually depends on my muse…