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Chapter 19
Wilson paced back and forth in his office contemplating what to do. He had seen her walk in this morning, surprised that she too had decided to come into the hospital on a Saturday. That had been thirty minutes ago and he assumed she was still here or maybe a better word was hope, he hoped she was still here. He couldn't believe he was so nervous. It should be simple. He had gone over this a hundred times in his head. All he had to do was go to her office and ask her if she would like to have dinner with him but for some reason, asking Lisa Cuddy out on a date terrified him.
He sighed heavily and ran his hand through his sandy blonde hair. He and Lisa had been out together on numerous occasions, but never on a date and he knew what the problem was other than him just being an idiot. It was House. House and Lisa had been toying with one another for years. By asking Lisa out, Wilson felt as if he was betraying his best friend and he was having a very hard time moving past that. However, the past several months, his need to be near her had grown stronger and it had been difficult not letting her or anyone else, especially House, know he had feelings for her. It wouldn't take much for House to catch on and learn what his intentions were, which was a place he didn't want to go, at least not yet.
He stopped pacing and stared out his window. This is ridiculous! He said out loud and in spite of what the evil voice was shouting in his head, he swung open his door with determination and stepped into the hall as if he was going to face the man at the end of the dirt road for a shoot out. He walked towards the elevators but decided on the stairs instead, to take the two flights down. This would take longer, giving him more time to gather his courage that was at the moment, lingering somewhere around his kneecaps. As he approached her door, his hands became sweaty and his breathing shallow. What if she says no? The evil voice said in his head, stopping him just mere inches from her door. He knew if she said no, it would crush him, to say the least. He closed his eyes and told the evil voice to shut up and tapped on her door.
Lisa sat at her desk watching a light spring snow as it fell peacefully to the ground, putting her in a melancholy mood. This was not the best way to spend a Saturday morning but she was trying to find something, anything, to take her mind off of House but being at the hospital hadn't helped. In fact, it had only made her feel worse. She was kicking herself for not going to him last night like she had planned and talking to him. If she had, she might be with him right now or at least have some closure to all the madness that had consumed her the past several weeks. But she chickened out at the last minute and now, she was trying to convince herself to call him and ask him if he would have dinner with her tonight. Why is this so hard? She scolded herself, slamming her hands on her desk in aggravation. She had been dealing with House since college. She knew almost every quirk about him. She had slept with him, partied with him, endured his past relationships, including Stacy and the aftermath of Stacy. She had seen him at his worst and the rare moments when he actually felt something other than anger, pain or denial, but now it was different. Her feelings for him had changed and she thought she could feel something from him too. This is what she needed to find out. If the vibes she was getting from him were real and not her imagination. They had been dancing around each other for years. Maybe now was the time to find out what was inside the package and if there was something in there that could be salvageable, perhaps lasting. She had to find out before she lost what little insanity she had left. She picked up her phone to dial his number when a light knock on her door caught her attention. She looked up to see a smiling Wilson standing at her door. She smiled back, somewhat relieved she had been interrupted and motioned for him to come in.
"I see I'm not the only one who doesn't have a life." Wilson said teasingly.
"Tell me about it. Why are you here today?" She asked, hoping her voice didn't show any signs of anxiety. "Isn't Saturday yours and House's day to play?" She said playfully.
"Cute. Contrary to popular belief, House and I are not joined at the hip. I get sick of him just like everyone else." Wilson said as he moved closer to the front of her desk. "My tolerance level is low today which isn't good if one is choosing to deal with House."
Lisa nodded her head, understanding completely. Why would I want to torture myself with a man like that? She wondered.
Wilson noticed the distant look in Lisa's eyes. "Is this not a good time? I can bother you later?"
Lisa realized Wilson was talking to her. "I'm sorry, what?"
"You seem a little distracted."
"No, no. I think it's because I really don't want to be here today."
"Me either but I thought I'd better catch up on some paperwork I keep pushing to the side." He stood there, feeling like a lump on a log and placed his hands in his front pant's pockets. He noticed she was dressed very casually, a white button up shirt with the first four buttons left undone and a pair of jeans, which if she stood up, he was sure fit her body nicely. She looked good. He realized he had been standing there, not saying anything. "I was just going to grab a snack." He lied. "Are you hungry for anything?" He hated that he sounded timid.
Lisa pointed to an empty pretzel bag and a candy bar wrapper. "Not really. I've been snacking all morning but thanks."
"Okay. Well, I better let you get back to work." His throat tightened as fear consumed him, not letting him say what he really wanted to say.
"I'm actually thinking about leaving pretty soon."
"Be careful. Streets might be bad. I'll see ya later." He turned to leave, hating himself, when a feeling of hope shot through his veins. He stopped and shook his head. Don't leave. Ask her. The voice of hope spoke softly in his head.
Lisa saw the hesitation and wondered what was wrong. "James, is something wrong?"
He took a deep breath and turned back around and blurted out the words so fast, he wasn't even sure what he said. "Wouldyouliketogoouttodinnerwithme… tonight?" He felt relief surge threw him. Yes, I said it! He was cheering in his head.
Lisa sat up straight and stared at him for a couple of seconds trying to comprehend what he had just asked. "You mean, on a date?"
Wilson breathed in deeply. Yes, a date. Is that too weird for you?" The evil voice started creeping back into his head shouting doubt.
"No, it's not weird at all. I'm just surprised."
"Surprised in a good way or a bad way?" He asked cautiously as he moved closer to her desk again.
Lisa realized how nervous he was and this warmed her. "In a good way. It's just that, all the times we have gone out together, it has never really been a date."
"I know, we usually have House with us or a charity banquet to go to. Tonight would be just you and me, hopefully enjoying each other's company." He moved even closer to her desk and looked down at her intently. "I would like to spend an evening with you Lisa. No House. No banquets." He said in a quiet but strong voice that surprised him.
Lisa's heart skipped a beat when she heard the sincerity in his voice and saw the way he was looking at her. She suddenly felt all giddy inside. "I would love to." She answered surprising herself that she said yes so quickly. "It sounds like a wonderful way to spend the evening. What time?"
Wilson's heart fluttered. "How about six thirty? Do you like French food? I know of a nice French restaurant. Not too fancy but a little more than casual."
"That sounds delicious." She said leaning slightly forward now with a sparkle in her eyes.
Wilson liked how she said delicious. "I will pick you up at six thirty then."
A smile crossed her face but this time it wasn't only on the outside, it was on the inside to. "Okay. I'll see you then."
Wilson rounded the corner and gave a soft Yeah! Jumping slightly in the air. He would have been so embarrassed if someone had seen him. Suddenly, the thought of going back to his office to do a little work wasn't so bad any more. He had something to look forward to. He glanced at his watch and saw it was almost noon. He would stay a little longer and then head home. He heard his phone ring and pulled it out of his pocket and saw that it was House. He hesitated for a second before answering.
"Hey."
"Where are you?" House said in a crisp voice.
"I'm at the hospital trying to catch up on some paperwork. Where are you?"
"Well, you must not be working too hard at it."
A curious look crossed Wilson's face. "Why do you say that?"
"Because I'm in your office and you're not here. Thought you could buy me lunch."
Alarm bells started going off in Wilson's head. He had to get House away from the hospital. If he stayed he would no doubt find Lisa and if he saw him and Lisa together, he would smell that something was going on. House had a sixth sense that was amazing.
"I just stepped out for some air." Wilson lied in a nervous tone.
"Liar. You've been to radiology, haven't you? You're trying to pick up on, what's her name, Marcy?"
"Melissa and no I haven't been to radiology. I don't even know if she is working today. Why are we talking on the phone? I'll be in my office in two minutes."
"You answered." House said and hung up.
Wilson stared at his phone and shook his head. He ran up the two flights of stairs thinking of what would be the fastest way to lure House away from the hospital without making him suspicious. That's easy, he thought, food. The difficult part was getting away from him later without telling him he had a date. He leaned against the door frame, when a thought came to mind and he quickly dialed Cameron's number, praying she would answer.
