AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER SO FAR. I HOPE YA'LL LIKE IT. THERE IS A LOT OF ZOE AND WADE IN THERE. YA'LL ARE AMAZING! - KRISTINE.
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER: UH, NO.
CHAPTER THREE: BROCK
- W - & - Z -
Zoe glanced at Wade curiously as they continued down what seemed like an endless road. It was taking just about everything she had to trust that Wade had an actual plan for their date and was not just driving aimlessly wondering where to take her. She'd been on a date like that once in college. They'd travelled the same three blocks four times before she finally mustered the courage to ask if he was lost or something. The guy, Tad or Ted, turned a distinct shade of red and admitted that he hadn't been expecting her to actually say yes when he asked her out so when it came time for their date later that night he'd had nowhere idea where to actually take her. Still that had been in the city where she had a reasonable idea of the layout and could tell when they were basically just going in circles. She couldn't say she had the same feel for South Alabama yet.
"You're dying aren't you?" Wade asked, taking his eyes of the road for a second to smirk at her. It was obvious by the twinkle in his eye that he was amused.
"No," she said so quickly it was clear that she was lying.
Wade chuckled softly and shook his head at her. "Zoe Hart, you have to be the most stubborn woman I've ever met and that is saying something. Believe me I have known some strong-willed women in my time. Southern women like to make people believe they are delicate flowers but believe me they are thorny son of a guns if you make them mad."
Zoe smiled, musing quietly that there was something about the way he said her name that elevated her heartbeat only slightly less than kissing him did. "It's just we've been driving for nearly an hour which just isn't a common travel time for a date in New York. Seriously most of my dates were within walking distance of my apartment."
"Well and I know you already know this all too well, but you aren't in New York anymore. Down here when men think a woman is special we are usually willing to drive a ways to wine and dine here." Wade confided quietly as he pulled the car into the parking lot of the only place he thought was special enough for a first date with her. "And you should know we're here. Now please have the good sense to stay seated so I can open your door for you."
Zoe gaped openly when she laid eyes on a restaurant so beautiful she would have probably guessed it was somewhere a little more refined like Charleston. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Wade opened her door sporting a grin that said he knew she'd be impressed by his choice. Instead of coming up with the kind of snarky response that is obnoxious grins usually earned from her she decided to just smile and let him help her out of his car. When he looped his arm around her waist she noticed just how perfectly they seemed to fit together.
- Z - & - W -
"Hey Wade," the mousy blonde hostess replied, visibly perking up the moment that she returned to her stand and found them standing there. She couldn't have been all that much older than Rose and was wearing wire-rimmed glasses that would have made New York hipsters salivate. It was obvious that despite the fact that Zoe was by Wade's side the girl was practically drooling at the mere sight of him. Zoe glanced up at him and found that if he noticed the way she was looking at him he certainly didn't show it. "We've got your regular table all ready for you," she said as she grabbed two menus.
"Thanks Millie," he said as he removed his arm from Zoe's waist so that she could walk in front of him.
"No problem Wade," the young girl replied, standing there awkwardly for a moment before quickly winking at Wade, scowling at Zoe, and rushing back to the front to her stand where customers were waiting on her.
"Seems you have an admirer," Zoe teased.
Wade rolled his eyes. "She's just a kid."
"That's where you are so wrong. She's a teenager. That's the age where high school boys are definitely not cool enough and all you want is that one particular older guy to look your way."
"And even a driven young girl look you fell victim to such circumstances?"
Zoe laughed quietly, cringing at the memory of the guy who she would have done anything to simply look her way. Just as she opened her mouth to tell Wade the story, their waitress showed up.
"I heard you were bringing a date. I switched shifts just to see if the stories were true." The beautiful light-skinned black woman whose nametag read Jasmine said. Unlike Millie, she kept looking back and forth between Wade and Zoe grinning as though this was akin to winning the lottery. "I'm Jasmine as you probably already know assuming you can read my nametag. Are you that new doctor from New York my Aunt Dot keeps talking about?"
"That'd be me. It's nice to meet you Jasmine. I'm Zoe Hart."
"Wade, how the hell did you convince a beautiful doctor to spend the evening with you?" Jasmine asked. "I figured you were just here with your agent until Mille came in the back whining."
"Agent?" Zoe said not sure if she was more surprised or confused.
"That's just what she calls a friend of mine," Wade told her easily. "Jasmine's all about nicknames."
Jasmine forced a tight smile and nodded. "That I am. Anyway I'll get you guys some drinks and leave you two a minute to look over the menu. I already know Wade is going to want a sidecar, but what can I get you Zoe?"
"Is there any way I could get a Cuba Libre?" Zoe asked not sure how experienced the bartender was going to be.
"Of course," Jasmine said and then she was gone quickly.
Once Jasmine was gone Wade smiled and reached across the table to give her hand a quick squeeze.
"I don't know how you do that," she replied as she continued to look over the menu.
"Do what?"
"Make everyone fall in love with you. I'm terrible at it." Zoe admitted as she finally decided on the Mahi-mahi.
"I have a hard time believing that. You had my attention the moment I laid eyes on you. I can still remember just how angry you looked when you burst into my cottage. I couldn't stop thinking about you for the rest of the night. The two lovely ladies that were keeping me company that night weren't big fans of that."
"I can only imagine. Still you, Lavon, Rose, and George are the only four people in the whole damn town who doesn't seem ready for me to go back to New York."
"I didn't say I wasn't ready for you to go back to New York. I was just saying that you certainly captivated my attention." He joked.
She rolled her eyes and gently kicked him under the table.
"Ya'll know what you two want?" Jasmine asked as she set their drinks down on the table.
Both of them quickly ordered and Jasmine turned to leave before pausing to reply, "You two sure are cute. I mean damn near adorable even."
- W - & - Z -
Zoe groaned softly as they left the restaurant. She could already hear her mother chastising her about the amount of high calorie meals she'd been eating lately. "That was amazing," she murmured as she held his hand and followed his lead out of there.
"It's not over yet. I have one more surprise for you." He said as he led her around the back of the restaurant to where there was a small harbor. "Have you ever gone for a moonlight boat ride?"
"Can't say that I have," she admitted as they neared his boat. She'd been expecting something significantly smaller. Instead what she found was more like a small yacht. "This is your boat?"
"Hey don't sound so surprised," he said laughing as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. "I may not be a doctor but I do okay for myself."
"I'm sure of that. I just hope that this was not attached to your trailer when you ran over Earl." She said, laughing softly. "Brock?" she asked as she neared it.
"Just an inside joke," he managed. He caught her off-guard and lifted her up before climbing up himself.
"Why do I feel like you've got all of these secrets you aren't sharing with me?" Zoe asked noticing that he seemed a little tenser now. "I've never heard someone called Agent as a nickname."
"Let's make a deal," he said trying to sound upbeat. "You tell me about the guy who was too old for you but you wanted when you were a teenager and I'll share my biggest secret with you."
Zoe stared at him for a second before clearing her throat. "His name was Gordon and he was training under my father. He was so passionate about surgery and impressing my father that I thought he was my soulmate. I decided that the night of my parent's annual New Year's Eve party I would make sure he was my midnight kiss. Instead he showed up with his fiancée Claudette. I was devastated of course."
"What'd old Gordo look like?"
"He was maybe 5'8" and if I'd paid enough attention I would have noticed his blonde hair was thinning."
"I'm going to guess that even as a teenager you were too good looking for him."
"Probably," she agreed. "But you couldn't have told me that then. Claudette had a think French accent and talked about all sorts of philosophical concepts that to this day bore me to tears, but at the time I thought that was why he didn't look my way."
"It probably had more to do with a desire to avoid jail time." Wade pointed out, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Then again if I had been old Gordon I would have risked it for you."
She laughed knowing full well that he was telling the truth. "Your turn," she said, reminding him of their deal.
"What if I told you I was a professional outdoorsman with my own television show?"
"I'd probably laugh. Is that even a job?" She asked thinking that he was just teasing her.
Wade smiled and nodded. "It's a pretty good one too. I am one of the stars of the most popular outdoors shows on television right now. Well I was one of the stars. I walked away from my show when my best friend and co-star Brock died. This boat was renamed for him."
"How could you not tell me this before?"
"Because I liked the idea that you were attracted to me even though I was your lovable loser next door neighbor who paid the bills by bartending at the Rammer Jammer. I liked the idea that you liked me for me and I was afraid that this knowledge would change things for us. Does it?"
"Maybe," she admitted softly. "I just I need to wrap my mind around all of this."
Wade's face fell. It was obvious that he was hoping for a different reaction. "That's understandable. I'll just take us back to shore."
Zoe nodded, but didn't say anything. Instead she just stared at him and realized that she didn't really know Wade at all.
- W - & - Z -
"Listen Zoe I can understand that you're upset that I kept such big information from you. I can get that, but please know that the guy who is on television is not the real me. The real me is the guy who has made it is his business to torture, kiss, and flirt with you. So please wrap your mind around all of this and then agree to go on a second date with me."
"You think we should do this again?" She asked, obviously surprised. She couldn't imagine that he would be willing to put up with a girl who ran as hot and cold as she felt like she was running since he dropped such dramatic news on her.
"Of course I do. Zoe Hart you are the most beautiful and interesting woman I have ever gone on a date with. I'd hate it if this was a onetime thing."
"Night Wade. I had a lot of fun tonight. You really do know how to wine and dine a girl. I'm sorry that I'm not better at taking exciting news. You have to understand that this is just another curveball someone has thrown at me in a count where I was obviously expecting a fastball." She explained before gently brushing her lips against his cheek and then rushing into her cottage before she could think about kissing him somewhere else.
- W - & - Z -
AUTHOR'S NOTE: WADE DRIVES A REALLY NICE CAR. OBVIOUSLY HE MUST HAVE MORE MONEY THAN THE SHOW LETS ON. I EXPLAINED HOW THAT COULD BE. HAHA. I HOPE YA'LL LIKED THIS CHAPTER. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR THOUGHTS. I'LL TRY TO UPDATE AGAIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I'M IN GRAD SCHOOL AND REALLY IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE AMAZING REVIEWS I'VE BEEN RECEIVING I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MAKE AS MUCH TIME FOR THIS STORY AS I HAVE BEEN. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YA'LL HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS CHAPTER. YA'LL ARE REALLY AMAZING! - KRISTINE.