Hi! There you go! The first update ever! I am so thankful to all of you who took time to read the first chapter and to those who even posted reviews, which couldn't have me more happier. Thank you so much. I am sorry if there are any mistakes there, but English is not my mother tongue and it sometimes happens to make a stupid typo. I hope you like this and I look forward to your feedback :)
I do not own Hart of Dixie.
How was it possible that there were so many places to eat in New York that you can be at a different restaurant every single night for the next fifty-something years and not go to the same place twice? But more importantly, how could there be so few places to have a nice dinner date in Southern Alabama? Zoe Hart asked herself these exact same questions as she set foot in one of Mobile's newest restaurants with Joel her eyes immediately zoomed in on her ex-neighbor and his new lady of the night. It was so not like Wade to bring a girl out on a date, but the fact that she was away for five months reminded her that people could and have changed for a lot less time.
She took a couple of deep breaths and entered the room, swallowing the ball of nerves that would settle in her throat every time she was around Wade. It had never been like that – even after they broke up, she was still sort of comfortable around him. Well, yes, it did take time for her to heal, but after the initial shock, she was still able to talk to him or be around him.
Now it was hard to even be in the same room with him, so what was left for engaging in an adult conversation? She watched in well-hidden horror as her boyfriend and her ex made small talk and laughed about something that had happened earlier. She wasn't listening. She didn't want to listen. She wasn't too fond of this new friendship growing between the two of them and she sure as hell wasn't going to encourage it. No way would she be spending her free time with the man that broke her heart just because Joel wanted to make friends with him.
She sounded selfish, but she knew herself best and knew that the more she spent with Wade, the more things would get harder and harder for both of them. She hated to admit it, but from the looks of it he was happy with his girl, holding her hand as he spoke to Joel. Why ruin it when they were both happy now. Or were they?
'Honey, you wouldn't mind, would you?' Joel asked and Zoe only nodded, too lost in her thoughts to listen to her boyfriend. It was only when the dark-haired writer sat across from Wade on their table that she understood what she had agreed to. She took a deep breath and sat between the two men, sharing an awkward smile with the bartender that once both pulled at her strings and calmed her down with just one crooked smirk. The same one he was wearing right at the moment.
'Doc, this is Kendall' Wade introduced them to each other and Zoe shook her hand coyly. The girl in front of her was blond, wore a lot of makeup and was as curvy as a Sports Illustrated model. No wonder she was with Wade. Kendall was right up his alley. For a moment there the fact that Wade hadn't changed one bit shook her foundations and she found herself short of breath.
'Would you all excuse me?' She was already at the exit, gasping for some fresh air when she heard a chair pull back and then some steps approaching her. She sighed irritated that sometimes Joel acted as if he was a puppy, following her everywhere she went. The cool Alabama air, however, made her feel calm and the slight breeze brought the sensation of being somewhere you belong. The thought that she would overcome the mess that were her feelings for Wade came across her mind and she smiled at the nothingness.
Somebody touched her shoulder and she almost jumped, startled at the sudden presence of somebody else.
'I'll be right back, Joel.' But when she turned it was Wade that was standing behind her, not Joel.
'Aren't you supposed to be with Kendra or what's-her-name?'
Her irritation with the presence of the blond bimbo was so obvious it made Wade smile.
'You jealous or somethin'?' The bartender made a few shy steps and Zoe became hyper-aware of his cologne and the fact that he was so close to her for the first time in a really long time.
'No!' She lied. 'How's your back? Is Lavon giving you a hard time with the meds? 'Cause I sure hope so…'
Wade let out a chuckle.
'Thank you for helpin' me back at Earl's. I owe you one.'
Zoe just nodded. There was this weird silence that settled in that very moment. They weren't used to not talking. Or at least before they weren't. Now they were different and everything was different. Or maybe it was just the two of them – two ticking time-bombs.
'Turns out Kendall' Wade emphasized on the name of the woman 'is a big fan of your boy's book. They haven't stopped talking about it for a while now.'
Zoe Hart turned her head and she was overwhelmed with the feeling of defeat as she saw her boyfriend talking and laughing with Wade's girl, not giving a damn about her, alone with her ex.
'Let's get inside.' She suggested and turned towards the entrance.
'Hey Doc, I'm glad you're here. In Bluebell, I mean.' Wade then took a few big steps and for just a fragment of a second, Zoe could swear she felt his hand on the small of her back as she entered.
They took their seats and smiled at each other. Zoe Hart found something weird in the gaze of the bartender. It was as if some lingering feeling was still there – as if he had been trying to hide that but in the process made it more and more obvious.
Then the waiter came and interrupted their awkward eye contact.
'You still like that French Chardonnay, Doc?' Wade asked with a small smile, knowing well that the answer to his question was "yes".
It was a miracle how the night hadn't ended in tears. Or punches being thrown. No matter how hard he tried, Wade couldn't imagine why he wanted to be friends with Zoe's new boyfriend in the first place. Was it his subconsciousness aching for even a little bit of contact with Zoe Hart? He didn't even want to answer to that question.
He was supposed, though, to be aware of Kendall's warm naked body, soundly asleep next to his. He was supposed to feel nice; he was supposed to be excited and glad that a woman this attractive was in his bed, wearing nothing but her perfume. But all he could think about was how good it felt to be around the little brunette doctor and how annoying and completely boring that writer of hers was. He sure had felt nice when he had to punch him in the gut, even if it had been just pretend. It had still been nice.
Kendall shifted in her sleep and let out a small grunt, but besides this she was as asleep as it can get. Wade on the other hand was lying awake, counting all the seconds, the minutes, the hours, until he could make her a breakfast, bid her adieu and never call again. This night he had found out that his bedtime activities were so much less entertaining and pleasant compared to when Zoe Hart wasn't back in Bluebell. He had gone back to being the town Casanova, sleeping around with every girl that would say yes to him, but the moment the petite doctor rolled back in town, his thoughts started trailing off, thinking about that long luscious brown hair, those long legs and enticing curves that were once his. Even tonight he didn't find the pleasure he sought and he thought that maybe he would never find it in anybody else than Zoe Hart. But he quickly banned this thought from his mind and closed his eyes, begging every creature in the sky to gift him one god damn night without dreams of Zoe Hart and her full lips pressed against his.
Her kissed woke him up. No, not Zoe Hart's kisses, but that would have been nice. Kendall was smiling on top of him, her eyes glowing with anticipation as if she was expecting another round of last night's activities. Wade just grunted annoyed with the presence of the girl and quickly climbed of bed.
'You ought to go, Kendall' Wade murmured. Kendall just snorted embarrassed that Wade was practically telling her that this was a one night thing and gathered her clothes.
'I reckon it's that Zoe doctor? I saw how your eyes lit after you saw her and how you watched Joel last night' she asked calmly, already on her way out.
'Yeah' the blond bartender admitted without realizing what he had just said.
'Well, good luck with her. Seems a little too high maintenance for you, though.' She smiled and opened her door ready to leave. 'If you ever need a shoulder to cry on or… you know. You have my number.'
Wade found himself needing a really cold shower. The freezing water didn't really help out his injuries – half of his back was scratched and bruised, his shoulder still sore and his headache hadn't disappeared no matter how many pills he took. The cold shower, though, made him completely numb – both to the physical pain and the dilemmas that were running wild inside his head - which altogether made him feel much better.
He was at the Rammer Jammer half an hour later, and had already polished every single glass and cutlery, getting ready to welcome the patrons. He buried his mind in his work, engaging in small talk with the local fishermen, half-listening to Dash's plans for a new play, this time set for Thanksgiving, and Lemon's rant towards Crickett, who was once again ignoring her.
'Wade, can I get a cup of coffee?' Her voice was as loud as a bell and as sweet as Agnes's sweet tea. He looked up and was glad to find out that there was no sign of her annoying boyfriend. A smirk grew on his face which apparently made the pretty doctor uncomfortable as she shifted nervously in her seat, trying to look anywhere but him.
'Anything for the pretty Doc.' the bartender winked at her. Zoe's cheeks blushed as she tried to hide a smile.
'Do you miss me?' This question shook the very ground he was standing on and his hazel eyes zoomed in on hers. There was some playfulness to her tone, but it was as if she was trying to disguise something else. She looked down, averting his gaze and continued. 'I mean, now there isn't anyone to short-circuit the electricity every time they try to blow out their hair, right?
God, how much he wanted to say that he misses her more than anything or that it caused him almost physical pain to see her with that boyfriend all the time and that he was so incredibly sorry about everything he had done to her.
'Yeah, it's much less fun without you and your nice little short shorts prancing around, blowin' fuses.'
'Where's Kendall, right?' Zoe asked quite shyly.
'Well, didn't really work out, you know.' He blurred out and placed a hot steaming cup of espresso in front of her. The Rammer Jammer usually served their coffee black and bitter, but he had invested in an espresso machine, back in the day when they were still dating just because of her. 'No cream, three sugars, as you always drink it.'
Zoe bit her lip, apparently realizing that Wade still remembered how she drinks her coffee.