This one shot turned out different than what I had in mind for it. As I wrote the story it took on a mind of its own. I do like it better this way. I hope you all enjoy it as well.
I make no promises but I feel like this one could have more chapters to it. And if I get inspired I will add another chapter.
You should know that in this one Ethan is Zoe's biological father, it worked better that way, so I went with it. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hart if Dixie or the characters used.
"Why must I do this again?" Zoe asked, playing with the straw in her drink. She really didn't think she had enough to drink to even think about discussing this ridiculous idea. They wouldn't be capable to pull it off. She might be able to pretend if she really had to do it, and it still might not come off believable. It was borderline crazy.
"You owe me big time, Zo. Must I truly remind you of the time I was forced to go to that really awkward dinner with your friends because you had just broken up with Eric, and you couldn't go all alone?" She didn't want to be reminded of that night ever again? "Well this is me cashing in," he explained smugly. She groaned remembering that day in full, but it was different. Majorly different.
"I don't get why you lied to your family for," she said, stealing a fry from him. "Isn't that like morally wrong?"
"Heck if I know," he shrugged. "I didn't lie, at the time I was going out with Pam, but things ended, and I never told them that," he sheepishly told her.
"Why not? It would've been the smart thing to do!" She chastises him. "And they won't be curious to why my name is Zoe and not Pam?"
"No, 'cause I didn't tell them that much, just that I was seeing a doctor, and I didn't want to jinx it," he shrugged, swiping an onion ring from her plate. "I know this isn't ideal, but please Zoe; I beg of you to do this for me!"
"I do this for you then you owe me again, Jesse," she pointed out, using a fry from his plate to point at him.
"No I don't," he stated, shaking his head. "I paid you back already; this is you paying me back."
"And I would accept that except; you are needing me to go with you for how many days?" She questioned, sipping her drink.
"4 days maybe 5 at the most," he winced.
"Pretending that we are dating." He nodded to confirm she was right. "So you owe me," she stated smugly.
"Fine," he gritted out.
"What is it I need to know about your family?" She questioned.
"You've actually met my brother, Wade. What was it 6 months ago now?" He asked himself figuring the month's out in his head.
"I remember so I'm going to go out on a limb and say we started dating after that?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your brother was cute; I actually went out with him when he was here," she smiled.
"Did you sleep with him?" He groaned shaking his head, finding it unbelievable.
"I could lie to you," she said with a small smile, a deep blush coloring her cheeks.
"This could still work," he sighed. "Do you still talk to him?"
"Yes, we have kept in touch, but we're friends as we didn't want to step into the whole long-distance relationship and make it work, if that makes you feel better," she told him. She had a lot of fun with Wade when he was in town. She wouldn't mind a repeat performance.
"Maybe I should just tell my parents the truth. Lying to them is wrong anyway," he caved. How could he make this lie work when Zoe has hooked up with his little brother?
"Then as your friend I will gladly come along with you, to support you," she assured him.
"Thanks, Zoe. Though we both know you're only going to see my brother," he teased. His face fell when the impact of his words hit him. "Yeah, that is something I don't need to know," he said disgusted. Zoe just laughed and went back to eating her dinner.
"You did want us to get along," she reminded him, putting the blame on him.
"Not like that," he said pretending to gag.
"Dramatic much?" She laughed, tossing an onion ring at him.
"What is Bluebell like?" She asked on the way from the airport to the little town in question.
"Home," he replied with. "You'll have to see it," he settled with.
"That's not very promising," she laughed. "Where will we be staying at?"
"You will love this, so I won't say," he smirked.
"Reason 36 to hate Jesse Kinsella."
"Do I dare ask what the other 35 reasons are?" He questioned with a laugh.
"Best if you didn't," she smirked. Honestly, she didn't really have any other reasons. It just sounded better with a number. He knew it too, and that is why he wore a smug smirk on his face.
"This will be our home away from home for the next few days, though Wade does live across the pond if you would rather stay over there," he commented, pulling the front door to the carriage house open.
"I might," she started to say, having a quick glance around the place. "Considering there is only one bed," she replied. "Who's place is this anyway?"
"The Mayor's. Come on and meet the man," he told her, laughing on the inside, knowing just how big of a fan she is. He never outright told her he was friends with the man himself. Hinted a few times that he had gone to the same college as him, never once mentioned he grew up and was best friends with the guy; he had to surprise her somehow.
"Jesse my man." Zoe froze hearing the voice that sounded so familiar.
Zoe stepped out from behind Jesse to get a better look. Seeing him before her very eyes, she smacked Jesse in the arm. "Reasons 1-35 on why I hate you, because you know Lavon freaking Hayes and never said a single word!" She hissed.
"I did say I went to college with him," he remarked, holding his hands up. That only got him a glare. "Lavon meet your crazy number-one fan, Zoe Hart," he introduced with a chuckle.
"I have followed your career since the beginning…" Jesse covered her mouth, muffling what she was saying.
"Ever need an ego boost find Zoe, she can tell you your stats better than you can," he said, amused.
"I wondered where you went," she finished, Jesse's hand no longer covering her mouth.
"Home," he replied with a chuckle. "Lavon likes you already, big Z."
"No wonder," Jesse teased. "I will make sure she comes back later to stroke that ego of yours, but we must be on our way," he replied, pushing Zoe.
"You know you can't make me do anything against my will, right?" She questioned with a pout walking back to where Jesse parked the car.
"You agreed to come with me; you will have plenty of time to spend with the greatest football player here in Bluebell," he teased.
"We are going in there as friends right?" She asked, climbing into the car, ignoring his jab at being a fan of Lavon's.
"You can walk in there saying you are Wade's girlfriend for all I care," he told her seriously. "I will be upfront with my parents; I don't know what I was thinking lying to them about dating a doctor. No offense to you, Zo, but I don't think they would believe it."
"No offense to you, Jesse, but they would never believe that you could date someone like me," she joked.
"But my little brother can?" He asked with an amused voice.
"Hey, I thought we were going to your parents house?" She questioned, ignoring his question. She wasn't dating Wade; they were friends who have fooled around but nothing more. Besides Wade and Jesse could be with any woman they wanted.
"Change of plans, so you Dr. Hart must be on your best behavior," he smirked, turning the key off.
"Me?" She shrieked lightly. "You are the one that got us kicked out of my favorite place, and I can no longer go there with you," she stated, sticking her tongue out, climbing out of the car.
"Real mature of you, Doctor," he laughed.
Instead of replying she pushed Jesse towards the door of the restaurant. Like she would be on anything other than her best behavior, she was meeting his parents and maybe just a tiny bit Wade had something to do with that. She tensed up as they walked to the table. She didn't know what to expect but seeing Wade there, his arm draped over a pretty redhead, wasn't it.
"You okay?" Jesse whispered.
"Fine," she gritted out, tightening her hand on his arm.
He let it go as they approached the table. He smiled hugging his parents. It was when his eyes landed on Wade, and the woman with him did he understand what was going on with Zoe.
"Mom, dad this is Dr. Zoe Hart, my…"
"His girlfriend," she finished cutting him off.
"My girlfriend the doctor," he said, shocked. That hadn't been the deal now that they were here. Not that he was going to come out and say otherwise. He'd talk to her about it later. "Zoe, this is my Dad, Earl and my Mom, Jackie. You know Wade," he said, pulling the chair out.
"How long have you two been dating? Was it while I was visiting or was it after that?" Wade asked, glaring at his brother and Zoe.
"Green is not your color, Wade," Zoe fake smiled at him. "Who is your date?" She asked, turning her attention to the redhead.
"Ariel, you know like the mermaid, but I'm not a mermaid because mermaids don't actually exist," she quickly said, shaking her head.
"Huh, is that so?" Jesse asked. "There went my years of schooling, wasted a lot of money for that degree just to learn that mermaids don't exist," Jesse said seriously, hiding his laughter from everyone.
"And he says that I need to behave," she said under her breath, nudging her now fake boyfriend. Jesse and Wade hearing her.
"Zoe, what made you want to be a doctor?" Jackie asked, quickly changing the topic, before they had a fight on their hands. No matter the age her two boys had to act like the children they once were.
Wade went to say something but Earl kicked him under the table. He didn't know what was going on with his two son's and Zoe, but he would figure it out by the end of the night.
"My dad is a cardiothoracic surgeon. Ever since I was a little girl, he was my hero, and I wanted to be just like him. When I was nine I broke my arm, and he was there every step of the way, telling me about the process and I knew right then and there I wanted to follow in his footsteps," she explained with a smile on her face.
"That's very sweet," Jackie commented. "How did you meet Jesse?"
"Ma, you don't want to hear that story," Jesse said quickly.
"What did you do?" Earl chuckled, interested in hearing the story now.
"You don't have to share, not all of us want to hear it," Wade retorted.
"Jesse was a patient of mine. He was in tears the whole time," Zoe laughed, telling them the truth on how they met. She saw no point in lying about that, her eyes catching a glimpse of a tensed up Wade. "I tended to kids who got twice as many stitches as he did, and they were laughing by the end, not in tears," she added on.
"I wasn't crying because it hurt, I was pretending to cry, so you would feel sorry for me and accept my offer of coffee after your shift was over with," he remarked with a smirk. "And it did work, not only did you go out with me that night; you're still here. I can be a sensitive guy when I have to be."
"That is cute. Why did you need stitches for?" Jackie asked, worried for her son. Jesse didn't tell her about that experience.
"Yes Jesse tell us what happened for you to be in the emergency room that led to this sickening love story," Wade prodded.
"I tripped, hit my head on the end of a steel pipe; it took 5 stitches to close the wound," he shrugged, like it was no big deal.
"The first time being clumsy ever worked for ya, boy," Earl joked.
Wade said nothing, leaving the table. Jesse went to go after him, but Zoe stopped him. Seeing that Wade's date didn't know what to do, she went after him. She watched him pace around.
"What is it, you want, Wade?" She asked, needing him to stop; she was getting quite dizzy watching him pace in circles.
"You," he replied holding nothing back, spinning to face her. "But I can't have you, now can I because you are with my brother. Where did that come from?"
"Who says you can't have me, Wade?" She yelled at him. "It came from seeing you with that redhead," she said under her breath, loud enough for Wade to hear her.
"You were jealous?" He questioned with a smirk, backing her up against the side of the building, boxing her in. "My, my, Doc," he smiled, twirling some of her hair around his finger. "Who would have thought that?"
"I wouldn't look so pleased with yourself, Wade. You were mighty jealous when I said I was your brother's girlfriend," she pointed out, her hands resting on his muscular shoulders.
"Is that so?" He questioned, trailing his lips over the bare skin on display. Zoe nodded her head, digging her fingernails into his shirt. "You promise there is nothing going on with you and Jesse?" He asked, skimming his lips over hers.
"Nothing," she lightly moaned out. "What about you and Ariel?"
"Nothing," he repeated her words, hiking her skirt up. "Didn't know you would be here to take as my date to this thing," he husked, in her ear, grabbing her ass, lifting her up. Zoe was quick to wrap her legs around his waist, lightly grinding against him.
"Fuck!" Was being cursed.
Zoe buried her head into Wade's shoulder, Wade lightly chuckling into Zoe's ear.
"Good thing I explained that hey, I don't know what came over my friend, Zoe, but she is not my girlfriend, and I think she might have this thing for Wade," Jesse smirked from his spot.
"You didn't?" Zoe gasped, glaring at him, her embarrassment gone.
"No, but I did tell them the truth, that we are only friends, and that they shouldn't be mad at you since it was my idea. I won't make either one of you go back in there so please take that little X-rated show to a private place. Bluebell does not need a scandal like this one."
"That is an excellent idea," Wade smirked. Zoe nodded her head agreeing with Wade. She didn't know what was going to happen when she left the little town, but she wasn't going to worry about it now. She was going to enjoy her time, every second of it.
"And don't worry about Ariel, she's not as dumb as she was pretending to be," Jesse smirked, leaving the two of them alone.
"I'm starting to think you knew I was with Jesse, and you were trying to make me jealous," Zoe commented.
"Maybe I was and perhaps I wasn't," he laughed, pulling her to his car. "For the record it worked," he smirked.
"Worked so well, that you made yourself jealous," she laughed, pulling him to stop a foot from his car. "But I'll take it," she whispered, dodging his kiss. "And you have to work for it," she winked, standing next to his car.
"Work for it, huh?" He questioned, with an evil smirk. "Careful what you wish for there princess."
