Disclaimer: I do not own Hart of Dixie... unfortunately.

When she was a kid, Zoe had loved hot summer days. She would hang out by the pool with her friends, soaking up the sun's rays and diving into the cool water when the heat got to be too much.

But, in Bluebell, she couldn't help but thinking about attempting suicide as she walked the small distance between the carriage house and Lavon's, under the nearly unbearable sun.

She pushes the Mayor's kitchen door open and peers around the room. Wade has his half-naked body thrown on top of Lavon's couch and Lavon stands in front of the refrigerator, his head sticking in it.

"What the hell is wrong with this town?" Zoe leans against the cool counter top, the humidity in the air clinging to her skin. "I thought the heat wave only happened once a year."

Her words brought her back to her first heat wave, even though she had been trying to block those memories for a while. She couldn't blame herself; it was scientifically proved that higher temperatures made people do stupid things. And, by judging Wade's body, it wouldn't be the stupidest thing she'd ever done, not that she would admit it to anyone else.

"Yeah, sometimes it happens more than once a year." Lavon told her, closing the fridge. "We had three heat waves in 2009. It's no big deal."

"That was also the year I married Tansy." Wade spoke for the first time, his body still not moving from the couch.

Zoe rolled her eyes, resting her elbows on the counter top. "I won't survive this heat wave. I just know it."

Her dramatic tone made Lavon chuckle. "You've been through the first one without doing something stupid. I think you'll survive, Z."

Wade stirred to glare at Zoe, for the first time. Her eyes tried to hide from his gaze as she felt her cheeks heating. In other circumstances, he would do anything he could to embarrass her but, at that moment, as he looked at her, he didn't really feel like doing it. He'd blame it on the heat although he knew it was the sheepish look on her face that stopped him.

"I hope so." Her voice is small, as she let her eyes drag through Wade's body. If something happened, if she wasn't able to fight her inhibitions, she hoped it would be with Wade although the little voice in her head said she would probably run to George, this time. "So, Lavon... Brick has a new receptionist. She's pretty... and looking for a boyfriend."

Lavon raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Good for her."

"I'm pretty sure she never left stupid Alabama and never met no one famous, so she'll be thrilled to meet you."

"I don't know if I should be offended or not."

Zoe looks at him sideways. "You should be flattered that you're the only decent single man in Bluebell that came to my mind. Besides, you're a former NFL player. Could you get any cooler?"

"Hey, what about me? I'm a decent guy." Wade exclaims, supporting his weight on the couch to lift him up.

She rolls her eyes. "You're not single."

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot I was dating girlfriendzilla."

Zoe chooses not to answer him. It was too hot for a fight and she didn't know what she might do if Wade kept flustering her. "Anyway, her name is Didi and she just got out of a five year relationship so she's very vulnerable which is great."

"How is that great? She must be miserable."

"It is great for you. Come on, how long haven't you had some intimacy with a woman?" Lavon glares at Zoe, letting his jaw fall wide open. It was outrageous. He was Lavon Hayes; if he wanted intimacy, he'd find intimacy.

"The doctor has a point, Lavon." Zoe stifled a laugh, feeling proud of herself.

"Lavon Hayes doesn't need help to find a woman. And he is certainly not taking any relationship advice from the two of you. You're in a fake relationship, for God's sake."

"Yes, but that's not for long." Zoe retorted, pouring fresh water into a glass. "I met a guy."

Wade tried to hide the hurt look in his eyes as he listened to Zoe's words. So, she'd met a guy. He couldn't say he was surprised. She was Zoe Hart, the hot doctor who refused to stop wearing short shorts. Every guy would fall for her; even Wade Kinsella.

"You met a guy? I thought we weren't supposed to date other people until this stupid lie was over."

"Yes, but Tyler's from Mobile. We won't get caught." She explained, taking a sip of water. "I'm meeting him today; he called me last night inviting me for drinks."

"Booty call." Wade uttered with disdain.

"Shut up, Wade. Tyler's a nice guy. Besides, he's obsessed to anything related with New York. He's my soul mate."

Wade rolled his eyes. Every time he thought he might actually have a chance with Zoe, she always ended up finding someone better than him, more sophisticated, the masculine version of herself. A lawyer and a vet; both of them were guys with a good future, guys who could easily pay for dates and jewelry. Him? He was only a bartender that one took seriously and the son of town drunk, whom Wade was forced to sing down from the roof of Nate's Hardware every single month.

"What does he do for a living?" Lavon asks, taking quick glances at Wade noticing how upset he suddenly had gotten.

"He's a nurse." Zoe tells him, excitedly.

A lawyer, a vet and a nurse. Money, future and a living.

"Now, if you excuse me, I gotta go get ready for my date."

Lavon waited until he heard her leave to start talking. "Are you okay, Wade?"

Wade furrowed his eyebrow in confusion, even though, he knew what his friend was talking about. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Oh, you just seemed a little upset with the whole Tyler thing."

Wade shrugged. He was upset; not only because she was going on a date with some dude, but also because he wasn't allowed to have sex with anyone until that stupid prank was over. "Of course I'm upset. I can't go out with anyone until she decides this is over and she's going out with some stupid guy. It's not fair. Do you know how many chicks I had to turn down, last night? Five, Lavon. Five."

"Just think that if Zoe and this new guy actually work out, you'll be free again." Wade nodded. Sure, that made him feel great.

"You know what? We're on the middle of a freakin' heat wave, aren't we? It's not my fault if I end up doing something stupid." The devilish look on his face made Lavon shiver. "I gotta go, man."

Wade pats him on the back and opens the door before closing it behind him. Lavon ran a hand through his face, feeling desperation taking him over; that heat wave was about to get serious.

...

Zoe stands in front of an unfamiliar bar, her heart racing at the thought of her date waiting for her inside. What if she said something wrong? What if he didn't like her? She couldn't afford to lose another guy; if she did, she'd throw a poll about her love life, herself.

She takes a deep breath before going inside. Surprisingly, the bar wasn't as formal as she thought it would be but it still was more sophisticated than the Rammer Jammer. Her tight black dress and her Louboutin heels were too much for that place, though.

She takes the first glance at Tyler and shows him a little smile before closing the distance between them. The suit he wears is too much for that place too; his hair is slicked back as he shows his perfect teeth in a perfect smile. Jeez, she didn't know if it was the heat but he looked even better than the first time she saw him.

"Zoe. It is so nice to see you again." Tyler kisses her cheek, his hand brushing against her waist.

"It's nice to see you too." She smiles, kindly. "I gotta say, I think I'm a little overdressed for this place."

Tyler chuckled. "You look wonderful, Zoe."

"Thanks." Zoe shows him a smile big enough to split her face in two. "I'm so glad I found some time to escape Bluebell and everyone in that stupid town."

"Oh, that's right, you live in Bluebell. I've been there once: hated it." Zoe almost squeaks with such joy.

"I know, right? I miss New York so much."

"I've only been there once but I can't wait to come back." Tyler utters. "My favorite restaurant in NY is Per Se; I went there with a friend and he made me eat this sweet corn risotto. Oh my god, I loved it."

"I know." Zoe yells, before remembering she was in a public place. "Wow, we have so much in common."

Could it be? Did she finally find the right guy? He had everything to be a good boyfriend. For one, he loved New York. The only guy she knew that liked NY as much as her was, well, George. Tyler didn't have an irritating fiancé, which was a point in his favor.

The waitress landed two glasses on their table. "I ordered you a glass of Chardonnay, I hope you don't mind."

That was enough for her. She was breaking up with Wade, the minute she came back to Bluebell and she wouldn't care about their stupid polls because she had a sophisticated nurse.

"No, I love Chardonnay."

"So tell me more about you, Zoe." It kept getting better; if there was something Zoe loved more than NY, it probably would be talking about herself.

"Um, okay... Where should I start?" She giggled. "I went to medical school to follow my father's footsteps, like you already know, and I ended up working at New York Hospital with my boyfriend at the time, which was great, until he dumped me. I can't really blame him, though. I spent more time talking about surgeries than anything else."

"Uh, that must have been tough."

"No, the tough part came after. Long story short: I had been getting these postcards of some Harley Wilkes who had a practice in Bluebell; he kept trying to convince me to work for him but I wanted blood and drama, which you can't really get in that town. Turns out, I don't get the cardiothoracic fellowship because, and quote "I needed to improve my bedside manner", I accepted Harley's offer and here I am in the middle of nowhere."

Tyler laughed. "It must have been hard to adapt to such a small town."

"Yes, especially after finding out that Harley Wilkes was my biological father." The shocked face Tyler shows her is enough to make her laugh.

"Wow, I don't know why you wanted more drama than what you already have." Zoe nodded. She had, in fact, adramatic life. "What about boyfriends?"

"What about them?" Why was her date asking her about boyfriends?

"Do you have one?"

Zoe frowned. "No, I don't have one. Why? Oh my god, do you have a girlfriend? 'Cause I have enough drama in my life, right now."

"What? No!" He yells as Zoe gets up and holds her purse. "Of course I don't have a girlfriend. I'm gay."

Zoe keeps staring at Tyler, as confusion and embarrassment takes her over. Of course he was gay; he was too good to be true. He was single, handsome, loved New York and sweet corn risotto, for God's sake.

"You're gay?" She asks, her eyes bulging as she sits back in her chair. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew. We met at the hair salon." He starts laughing but stops as he notices Zoe's shocked face. "Well, if it matters, I'd still go out with you if I was straight."

"Gee, thanks. I feel much better now." She tells him, sarcastically. "Why did you go out with if you're gay?"

"I liked you... and I needed a straight girlfriend to hook me up with some guys." She can see he's trying to cheer her up, but has the heat takes her over, all she can think about is George and how she should tell him how wrong it is to let her on when he's not emotionally available. She wouldn't do it, though. If she had refused sex with Wade in the middle of a heat wave, she could remain in silence about her feelings for George.

"I'm going to end up alone, Tyler." She complained, resting her head in her arms.

"No, you're not." Tyler tried to comfort her. "You're a beautiful, funny and intelligent woman. Any guy would be lucky to have you. Well, one who's not gay."

Zoe laughs. "Thanks."

"Can we still be friends, Zoe?"

"Of course." She uttered. "But I seriously need to get more girlfriends."

Zoe left the bar, after a couple more drinks. It turned out, she actually enjoyed talking to Tyler and about his last boyfriend who apparently was a drama queen. She hided between her words and her smiles what was really going through her mind and refused to let her tears fall.

By then, she was pretty sure she would die alone.

...

Wade was done with Zoe. That's why he promised himself he would go home with the first woman who approached him. Even if it was Shula Whitaker. Okay, maybe not Shula Whitaker but still, he was not going to be picky.

Joelle Sugarbaker was the first to support her body on top of the bar, her tight shirt showing a deep cleavage. Wade had been with her before; it was no secret. They still got together, from now and then, for drinks and, well, sex. So, it was perfect; Joelle was hot and on top of that she knew Wade wasn't one to keep girlfriends. Well, expect for stupid Zoe Hart.

"Hey Wade." He can see she's trying to sound sexy. "I heard you and the doctor are a couple now."

"That never stopped me before, did it?" His look is teasing, as he leans on top of the bar.

Joelle nods. "When does your shift end?"

"Shelley." Wade calls. "Would you cover for me for the rest of the shift?"

Shelley gazes at him, her eyes jumping from him to Joelle. "Come on, Shells. I'll do your night shift tomorrow."

"Okay. But behave."

He knows she's talking about Zoe. But he doesn't care, he's going home with Joelle and he hopes the whole town notices. And by the whole town, he means Zoe.

...

She doesn't know why. Maybe it was the heat luring her to Wade again; maybe she was officially out of her mind. Either way, when she entered the Mayor's plantation she went straight to the gatehouse.

Like she expected, he wasn't home. His shift wasn't over yet and she decided to head home. It wasn't like Wade could comfort her. But instead, Zoe sat in his porch, her mind drifting through the previous events until she heard a car approaching.

...

Zoe Hart had the gift of screwing with his plans. There she was sitting in his porch, at the same time he was bringing Joelle over to his house. It wasn't fair. If she could go out on a date with some dude, he had the right to bring freakin' Joelle to his house.

Wade thought he wouldn't care; he was going home with Joelle, anyway. Sure, Zoe would yell but it didn't matter. It wasn't like they were together. But, once again, the look on her face stopped him. She looked sad; sadder than he had ever seen her.

So, he sent Joelle home. He told her that he would make it up to her, said he was sorry but he needed to take care of something. He needed to take care of Zoe.

He parked his car in front of the gatehouse. Zoe lifted her eyes from the floor and he noticed the black spots under her eyes; she had been crying.

"Doc? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk." He nods, sitting beside her.

"How was your date?" He tried to look like he didn't care even though the thought of her with another man haunted him, through the whole day.

She chuckled, painfully. "It could have been better. Tyler's gay so... we're not exactly getting married."

"I can't say I'm surprised. The guy's a nurse, Doc." No, he wasn't surprised but he was relieved.

"And I met him in the hair salon." They both break into laughter until, suddenly, Zoe let out a tear. "Am I going to end up alone, Wade?"

Wade stared at her not knowing what to do or what to say. Should he hug her? No, she would probably push him away. "No." He can't say anything else.

"Then why do I think I am? I'm twenty-eight years old and I've only had one boyfriend, Wade. One." She cleans her tears. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"Of course not, Doc." You're perfect, he wanted to say. "He had to be gay not to like you." His voice is different; more serious, less proud.

She allows a little smile to play across her lips. "I never thanked you for doing this for me. I know it messed up with your life, too."

"It's fine, Doc. I'm sure I'll find a way for you to repay me later." She rolled her eyes as she watched him wink.

"Well, I better go to bed. I have a long day at the practice tomorrow." Zoe uttered before getting up, her shoes in one of her hands.

"Sure."

She watches him get up, standing in front of her and she thinks 'Why not?'. He's standing right there and he wouldn't push her away. So she let the heat win her once more and glued her lips to Wade's.

Wade froze for a split second before his hands found their way to Zoe's hips, deepening the kiss. Her hands were thrown around his neck, escaping to grab his hair. She can feel his heart quicly beating against her chest, his hands now cupping her face as the kiss slows down to a stop.

She's the one who stops it. Pulling away from his embrace, she stares at him, watching as his face flooded in confusion. Honestly, for the first time ever he doesn't know what to say; he keeps waiting for her to say that she heard someone coming, that the kiss was only to maintain the disguise. But she didn't say anything.

"Good night, Wade." She told him before heading to the carriage house, leaving behind an astonished Wade.

She nearly kissed him on the first heat wave; she kissed him on the second. She was afraid of what might happen on the third.

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