Starbucks

Cameron inhaled deeply and held the smoke. She blew it out slowly. Her head swam and she enjoyed the gentle buzz as she flipped through her magazine. Chai tea and clove cigarettes made a good combination.

The café table was just big enough to hold the magazine, her cup and the ashtray. The orange box of cigarettes hung precariously at the edge of the table, waiting for someone to jostle them off.

Each glossy page of Allure gave her tips on new things to do to her appearance. The bag at her feet contained a highlighting kit, eye-shadow, three lipsticks, bath salts, shampoo, blue nail polish and Red Vines. Her evening stretched before her.

One more drag on the cigarette. The filter tasted sweet on her tongue and the smoke plumed up as she sucked on it; tars and resins depositing themselves on the rough paper.

"You know that's really bad for you." She looked up. Wilson stood in front of her with a very stupid-looking golden retriever. The dog panted and wagged his tail. She smiled slightly at the idea of dogs resembling their owners.

"I remember something about that in school," she admitted. She stubbed it out in the small plastic ashtray, "Guilty pleasure."

"Don't let me stop you." He felt bad; it was probably her only vice.

"I've got the rest of the pack and a weekend ahead of me. I'm pacing myself. Who's your friend?" She indicated the dog, who decided to lie down on the cool sidewalk.

"This is Rex. Our dog." Rex glanced up at the mention of his name.

"Hello, Rex." Cameron addressed the dog.

Rex moaned and rested his head on his paws. "He's a bit tired. I was taking him to the P-A-R-K, but maybe I'll just sit here and hang out. Would you watch him while I go in for a coffee?"

Cameron waved her hand, "sure. Why not?" She went back to her magazine and Wilson disappeared into the store.

She decided that she wanted to smoke another. The best part of the cigarette was the lighting of it anyway. She reached for the pack with her left hand while turning a page. It had moved. She looked up and saw House holding her kretecs. She wished that she had something brilliant to say; instead she turned back to her magazine, face burning red in embarrassment.

Rex got up and put his nose in House's crotch. "Get away you flea bag." He muttered at the dog, while patting him on the head. "Dog watching?" he asked, pulling up a chair at her table.

"Momentarily," she sat back and closed her magazine. She sipped her tea, waiting for him to say something.

House took in the scene. There were so many conclusions to leap to. Where to start? "So what's your oncologist say about the cancer sticks?" He shook the pack and inhaled their aromatic aroma.

Cameron sipped her tea and smiled enigmatically, what was he thinking?

"May I?" He shook one out and reached for her box of matches.

"It's your funeral." She watched, fascinated, as he inhaled.

It occurred to him that it was so easy to become addicted. The quick hit, the sweetness, the complexity. "Interesting choice of words."

She shrugged. He puffed and watched her. Rex closed his eyes. Wilson came out carrying two cups. "Here. I saw you arrive." He handed a vente coffee to House.

"No cake?" The two men sat down, eyeing each other suspiciously. Cameron leaned down to pet Rex.

"Didn't realize you were staying." Wilson said affably.

"I am." House leaned back, taking another drag on the cigarette. "Cameron, how do you stand these things?" She noticed that he was still smoking it.

So many smart-assed remarks. I like all kinds of caustic things. They seem harsh, but they're sweet once you get to know them. She dismissed them. She wasn't in a glib frame of mind. She just exhaled in his face, smiling.

He put his in the ashtray and took a sip of coffee. "You know Wilson it's funny running into you here. Isn't your Starbucks across town?"

"I was out running an errand; it was close." Wilson reached for the burning cigarette and murdered it under his flip-flop on the pavement. "Makes my eyes burn," he explained.

House sipped and said nothing. Cameron exhaled again in House's direction and made no move to extinguish hers. She kept it in her hand, daring Wilson to assault her for it.

"So Allison, what brings you out?" Wilson asked.

She motioned to her bags and smiled, again inhaling. She batted her eyes at him while she held the smoke. Truthfully, she was slightly giddy, but she enjoyed messing with their perceptions of her. She let it dangle delicately from her fingers. Rex experimentally sniffed at it, but expressed no interest in exploring any further than that. Slowly she exhaled. Waiting.

"Oi!" Four head turned in the direction of the greeting. Chase regarded the scene, it looked friendly enough.

"G'day mate!" House said, affecting a bad Australian accent.

"Cracking onto Cameron here? What's with the durry?" He indicated the cigarettes.

"What?" House squinted at him in confusion.

"Sorry. Thought you savvied the lingo. Back in a mo." He disappeared into the store.

Now House and Wilson were confused. Cameron continued to drink her tea and smoke at intervals. Saying nothing.

Wilson turned to House, "Doing anything later?"

House shook his head, "Nope. Come over, keep me company." Help me drag my shopping into the house.

"You want to come?" He politely invited Cameron.

She snapped out of her reverie, still groggy from the cloves, "'scuse me?"

"Do you want to come over to my house?" He asked, enunciating each word.

"Oh, I don't know…" She looked at her bags, her evening of indulgence on one hand, or an opportunity to spend time with House on the other.

"Do it tomorrow. It'll keep. Unless you plan on going to church." He gigged her just to keep a hand in.

"We'll see," she said, reminding him of his mother.

Chase returned with an iced coffee and grabbed a chair. "So everyone just showed up here?" He seemed relaxed and happy; taking big gulping swallows of his coffee through a straw.

Wilson chuckled, "apparently. It's a popular place."

Cameron had smoked most of her cigarette, so she stubbed out the rest of it. She smiled drunkenly at the men, who regarded her warily.

"What's next on the agenda? Quart of bourbon? One-night-stand?" Someone really should have brought him some cake.

"Is that what you're offering?" She smiled sweetly at him.

"Wait until he throws in the pizza." Cuddy said from behind her. "What smells like Christmas around here?" She set her bag on the table next to them. "Watch this for me while I get something inside." She didn't ask.

"I guess we're watching that for her." Wilson confirmed. They all looked at the bag. "You know a pizza doesn't sound half bad. We could watch the game."

"What game?" House asked.

"There's always a game." Cameron said.

"What's your game?" House asked, his eyes giving the sentence at least four meanings.

Cuddy returned with Foreman in tow. "Here's the rest of the party." She said, indicating that he should sit at the table with her.

Foreman laughed quietly, "fancy all of you being here." He slurped up his Frappucino. "Ow!" He rubbed his forehead.

"Breathe in hot air." House instructed. Five mouths opened slightly to say something obvious. "Oh, get an imagination," he groused.

Cameron was torn. On one hand she wanted to follow him home, like a puppy, all enthusiasm and naïveté. On the other, would it be better to just walk away slowly?

Foreman's headache subsided, "did someone forget to send me the memo?"

"It's kismet." Cameron pronounced.

Cuddy swallowed and took a slurp of her coffee. "It's not that big a place. Bound to happen some time."

"Luckily it's not awkward or anything." House said, gently crushing his empty cup.

Cuddy fixed him with a glare, "what makes it awkward?" She put another piece of pastry in her mouth and chewed. Savoring the sweetness.

Cameron reached for another cigarette, but House took the pack and moved them beyond her grasp. "You've had enough."

Chase concurred, "you look like a koala; all high on eucalyptus." He laughed.

"Koala's get high on eucalyptus?" House asked.

"Yeah. They just stay in the trees, stoned out of their little minds." Chase did an impersonation of a stoned koala.

Cameron and Wilson laughed.

"There's something to try." House said to himself.

"House." Cuddy despaired.

"What? I'm not allowed to have fun? What am I supposed to do between forbidden liaisons?" He might have gazed too long into her eyes. Cameron might have noticed. Wilson might have groaned.

"House." Cuddy warned.

Foreman hit Chase on the arm, "Hey, I'm meeting some fellas for basketball, you want to come?"

Chase nodded and slurped up the last of his coffee, "Yeah. How do you play basketball?"

Foreman smiled indulgently. "We'll teach you."

House watched wistfully as the two prepared to leave, "Don't you mean you'll school him?"

Foreman nodded at the remaining group as he left. "See you Monday."

"Well Cuddy, it looks like the popular kids have left. I guess it's just us, a pizza and a ball game." Wilson smiled in anticipation. Rex got up and stretched. Cameron rolled her eyes and vacillated.

"Gee House, that sounds great, except I've got plans tonight." She balled up the bag and handed it to him to put in the trash can behind him. "Thanks for the offer though. I'll take a rain check." She rose; her handbag elegantly looped onto her arm.

"That's the one thing you can count on. There will always be a rainy day."

"Thank you Doctor Doom." Wilson intoned.

House stood, as did Wilson. "So, what's it going to be Allison? Coming with us, or another night listening to vagina music and taking bubble baths?"

She held out her hand for her cigarettes. He handed them back reluctantly. She leaned over to get her bag, giving both men a quick peek down her dress. She stood and was about to decide when Wilson's phone rang. "Hey. No, just stopped at Starbucks. I was thinking about hanging out with House for a while."

"Hi Julie!" he shouted into the phone. "I'm his alibi," he informed Cameron.

Wilson turned around and put his finger in his ear.

"Oh. What do you bet that he's being summoned home?" House said conversationally. Cameron shook her head. She was hungry and thinking about some leftover salad she had in her fridge. "So?"

Wilson flipped up his phone. "Apparently Rex and I promised to go to Home Depot to pick out cabinetry for the mud room."

It was House's turn to be confused. "Those are all English words, but they mean nothing when you put them in that order. I'm being ditched then?"

"Pretty much." Wilson rubbed his shoulder, "Come on Rex, we have to go home."

"Oh well, I still have Allison here." He waited for her to confirm. "Don't I?"

"You still want me to come over?" She clutched her bag.

"Or I can come to your place." He offered.

"For the game?" She started walking towards her street.

"If that's how you're playing it." He said.