Foreman prepared Amber's bagel and slid her plate over to her. He took a bite of his own, chewing, and it turned out to be a good thing. He could shake his head and chew instead of answering her right away. It was a simple question, but one that threw a shadow over him, reminding him that none of this could last. "I start on Monday," he said when he'd swallowed. "I'm free until then." He mostly meant in terms of his time--more and more of which he was thinking of spending with Amber--but the implication was there, too. After Monday they wouldn't be able to continue like this. Eating breakfast together and talking about work. Even if Foreman wanted to go against his own common sense to date someone he worked with, and even if Amber brushed off the way he hadn't told her the whole truth, Foreman wasn't interested in dating anyone on House's watch. House couldn't stand it when Wendy had dared to ask for some of Foreman's time on Valentine's Day, not to mention the fact that House had dug into Wendy's life just because he thought she was Wilson. House had pulled the same shit on Chase and Cameron, mocking them and sneering at them for trying together. It was only of the many reasons he'd left in the first place.

He sighed. As much as he'd been dreading working for House again, now there was one more reason why it was a shitty situation. He took a sip of coffee, trying to clear those thoughts away. "Maybe you could help me put it off," he said. "Can I take you out for dinner tonight?"