"I'm so sorry I'm late."

She looks up as he sits down and they both freeze. The booth is quiet and secluded, which is why she chose it for what she jokingly called her first venture into humiliation. Jokingly, that is, until James Wilson sinks onto the bench opposite her.

"Lisa?"

"James."

He clears his throat and looks away, staring at the soft red of the menu rather than at her. "Well. This is…"

"It's a single's group. For single people."

"Yeah."

She reaches out and touches his hand, forcing him to look at her. They hold each other's gaze for a long moment before she pulls her hand back. "You're not single."

"No." He manages a smile that breaks her heart, though his voice is self-deprecating enough to make her smile. "They should be clearer, though. I mean, they constantly talk about lonely hearts. My heart is lonely."

"Your heart belongs in a Lifetime movie with a quote like that." She grabs the menu and opens it. "What are you in the mood for?"

"You're going to stay?"

"I'm hungry, and it's too late to find another anonymous date for the night. We might as well enjoy the food."

The club is noisy and crowded as she weaves her way through the press of bodies. Her skirt feels too short, which she thinks might be saying something for her, and her shirt feels uncomfortable tight. She feels old and out of place, especially since she can't stop staring at the girl on the stage who is doing things to a pole that Cuddy is apparently willing to pay to have someone do to her.

"Gorgeous, isn't she?" She feels the hand in the small of her back and stiffens. "You must be my Lady Doc." Her skin crawls as she turns around and she feels older than she did when the door man didn't card her. He nearly chokes on his drink as the lights flash over her face. "Cu…Dr. Cuddy."

"Hello, Dr. Chase."

"I…Oh crap."

She manages a laugh and shakes her head. "And she's really not my type." Her eyes dart around the room. "And neither is this place."

"And neither am I?"

"Not if this place is what you're in to." She shrugs and then looks at him closer. "Is this place what you're in to?"

"From time to time." He glances over at the bar. "You want a drink?"

"I don't know."

He nods. "That's a sure sign that you want a drink." He takes her arm and leads her to the bar, signaling for the bartender. He leans over and orders and she watches his young, lithe form as he turns back to face her. "Vodka all right?"

"Sure." She leans in and shakes her head. "Why did you answer my ad?"

"I have a thing for older women."

"Oh, that is so the wrong answer."

"You seemed nice. You seemed like you'd know how to have a good time. And you seemed like you needed a little fun." He grabs the drinks from the bartender and passes her one. "Your profile read like the diary of a woman on the edge."

"I work with Greg House every day. I am a woman on the edge."

He shrugs. "I thought maybe I could help you take the edge off."

It's her turn to choke on her drink at his sly words and slick smile. She hands the glass back to him. "I think one's my limit."

He tilts his head. "You sure?"

"Goodnight, Dr. Chase. I'll see you in the morning."

She takes a sip of her coffee and smoothes the paper in front of her before picking up her pen and tapping it on the crossword puzzle. Her hair falls in her face and she doesn't bother to move it, though she does reach up and run a hand through the thick, dark strands.

"Three down is Constantinople."

"You've got to be kidding me." She looks up defiantly, registering the quick flash of shock in Foreman's eyes. "Please tell me that this is all some elaborate joke that House has rigged up. Please? He broke into my computer, found my stupid ad and set all of you up for this."

"You think I'd let House set you up for something like this?" He shook his head and blew out a disbelieving breath. "I work for the man, but I'm not his lackey."

"We're all House's lackeys. It's his world, we just run around is circles to make it revolve." She took another sip of her coffee and waved at the chair across from her. "You might as well sit."

"Wow. That's an enticing invitation." He turns the chair around and straddles it, resting his arms across the back. "Anyway, I'm not here because House or anyone else sent me."

"You're not?"

"No."

"You just happened to stumble across my ad, thought I sounded…what? Desperate? Lonely? Wild? Horny?" She takes another drink to stop the flow of words, avoiding Foreman's eyes. "Of course, I guess I placed the ad, so I probably am all those things."

"You sounded like someone who was too busy and too tired to search through bars and singles clubs and coffee shops for someone who wanted more than to just get naked with you."

"And you?"

"What? You read my ad. How do you think I sounded?"

She smiles at his dare. "I thought you sounded like someone who was tired of being used for what he could get someone. Someone tired of not being in control, and who was trying to take control of his life."

"Was I wrong?" He gets up and walks to the register, watching her as he orders coffee. A few moments later, he sits back down, sipping from his cup. "Was I?"

"You weren't wrong."

Foreman smiles and sets his coffee down, reaching across to rub one fingertip across the back of her hand. "Neither were you."

He's sitting on his bike outside her house when she walks out. He shakes his head and doesn't bother to stand. "You know, if you wanted to ask me out, you just had to do it. You didn't need to disguise it all in this cloak and dagger."

"I'm sorry, how does an anonymous dating service qualify as cloak and dagger?" She crosses her arms over her chest. "I'll have to talk to them, though. I thought they promised to weed out all the riff raff."

"Hey, I'm way above riff raff on the social scale. Riff raff can't afford to buy you flowers."

"You bought me flowers?"

He smirks at her skepticism. "Well, no. But I can afford to."

"I'll have to look into your payroll tomorrow." She walks up to him and stops in front of the bike. "What are you doing here, House?"

"'Looking for adventure, fun and an escape from the real world of life and death. I like a man who can stand on his own, but doesn't mind leaning on someone'." He waves his cane in front of her eyes. "Something, technically, but still, I think I qualify."

"I knew I should have added no physical and emotional cripples need apply."

"They frown on that sort of language."

She laughs and shakes her head. "And how exactly does "fun-loving, light-hearted but serious man with a love of the outdoors and adventure' fit you?"

"The same way early 30s fit you." He leans forward. "Everybody lies."

"How did you know it was me?"

"You suggested we meet at O'Malley's. You're the only doctor I know that actually goes to O'Malley's." He shrugs. "Process of elimination."

"So why are you here? Why didn't you just stand me up?"

"And miss an opportunity to try and get into your panties?" He looks shocked. "As if I would do that." He stands up and straddles the bike. "Get on."

"I'm not getting on that thing. Unlike you, I don't have a death wish."

"Ah," he turns his head and smiles. "But you do want adventure." Reaching behind him, he grabs the second helmet and hands it out to her. "You want a wild ride, don't you, Dr. Cuddy? Or do you just want a drink at O'Malley's?"

She grabs the helmet out of his hands. "Fine. Just don't kill me."

"Of all the things I can do to you, I can assure you, killing you is the furthest from my mind."

"What are you doing?"

She looks up as Wilson leans against the doorjamb and crosses his arms over his chest. "I've decided that an on-line dating service isn't for me." She turns off her screen and leans back in her chair. "Too many unknown variables. Everybody lies enough in real life. I don't need to add virtual lying to my life."

"You didn't meet anyone nice?"

"I met four perfectly nice men. None of whom I could imagine having anything more than a one night stand with." She gets to her feet and walks toward him, grabbing her purse and coat off the coat rack. He takes the coat from her and holds it for her to slide on. "And I can do one night stands perfectly well all by myself."

"I really rank as one night stand material?"

She shrugs the coat on, out of his hands and over her shoulders. "Sadly, being married takes you off the market for those too." She turns and smiles at him. "I want someone I can date, not pine over."

"Pining has its advantages." He falls in step beside her as she leaves her office, walking toward the main entrance. "You don't have to split holidays, you don't have to find out what their morning breath smells like. You always see them at their best. You always look good for them. They think you're beautiful all the time."

"They don't think about you at all while they're with their wife."

"Now that's not true."

She stops and turns to look at him. "I want something with a future."

"So do I." He shrugs and starts walking again. "Sadly, my marriage doesn't seem to have one."

"And you're so afraid of being alone that you're looking for wife number four?" She shakes her head. "No thank you."

"I thought it might be nice to have a friend."

"A friend."

He shrugs one shoulder and gives her a small laugh for her skepticism. "If you're asking if I'll expect you to put out for me just because you did for Foreman and House…"

"Because I what?!"

He catches her arm and steers her toward her car, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing. She jerks her arm away as they reach it, turning to face him. "Is that what they told you?"

He frames her face with his hands, his thumbs rubbing over her bottom lip. "They didn't tell me anything."

"James…"

"Friday night, Lisa." He watches her with dark, serious eyes. "Say yes."

"No."

He doesn't kiss her, though he leans in and she can taste him on her tongue. "Say yes."

She swallows and reminds herself she really does need to cancel her membership as she nods. "Friday night."