Chapter 9 Come Back Home
Lavon called Wade and set up a time for the four of them to go on a late lunch. Their hotel was just a few blocks away so they would meet at the penthouse and uber over to the restaurant together. They decided they would meet at 2:30 since Wade had to be at Madison Square Garden at 9 that night.
Zoe rolled over with the covers barely covering her body. She opened her beautiful deep brown eyes and asked,"Do you wanna go another round?" Wade chuckled, " You know it, but don't be going and stealing my lines" The two of them were in heaven, back in each others arms. "But Doc, we gotta talk, what we are doing now is what we are good at. It's some of the other stuff where…"
Zoe knew how to shut him up. An hour later, Wade was in the kitchen making eggs with some sliced strawberries. There wasn't much else in the frig. She strolls in wearing Wade's shirt from last night. He can't help but light up at the sight of her. He served her breakfast with some Creme Brulee coffee. There was no plain black coffee around so he just drank water with his breakfast. He would get a cup on the way to his hotel to get some clothes.
"Wade, there are so many things I need to say but I don't know where to start."
"How 'bout the beginning?"
"So George?" Wade nodded his head yes. " I need you to know that all we ever did was kiss, so according to your standards, he never got to first base! Maybe he was tagged out somewhere between the batters box and first." Wade let out a small laugh.
" Let's fast forward to our first night together, the night of the storm"
"A night , I will never forget Doc." uttered Wade
" It was like nothing I have ever experienced. The sheer passion but yet not like having sex, it was so much more. It was more of that slow, fire burn. The next day when you let the cat out of the bag to George and I was relieved because you know I would have gotten all twisted up. I told George in that very moment that I may have feelings for you. Then I walk over to you and you acted like it was purely sex. I don't know how, at that time, you knew every button of mine to push but you did. I was having real feelings for you and you squashed them. Looking back, I know it was because you didn't feel like you could beat out 'Golden Boy", feeling like you weren't good enough for me. I kept having sex with you and we both developed real feelings. Yes we snuck around but when I asked you to be my boyfriend and I saw your reaction, I knew you wanted this. I did too but I thought I still had feelings for George."
Wade sat there, looking into her the whole time, even though it all still hurt. He thought about how hard it was loving someone that liked me but had strong feelings for someone else.
When Zoe continued, she grabbed Wade's hands and said " Wade, I am sorry, I treated you like you were 2nd because I had this picture of what my life should be. Remember shortly after we were sneaking around sleeping together and we went to your dads to catch the armadillo? Later at the office, you told me off. It was what i needed to hear, you said 'wanna be happy Doc? Change your picture . change your life.' You, Wade Kinsella, are great reading me, you see things in me before I do, you have always known that I needed you. You have always known that you make me happy."
"Doc, I love hearing all of this, but can we get back to George? You say you love me. But you know what I NEED to know.? Loving me is not enough for me. I need you to only have feelings for me."
" Sorry, I told you I have so much to say to you. Back to George. I went to George and told him I did have feelings for him and he told me that I had feelings for you and he was with Tansy. He said I had every chance in the world to be with him and I never took any of them so I was so confused. My heart knew he was right but my head was a jumbled mess. I was going to drink away my worries but guess who shows up? You, the one person in the world that I needed was you and you were there for me."
" Doc, sure I was there for you but I had some selfish reasons too. I wanted you back and I would take any little part of you. I would take whatever you could give me. But after that night, I knew your feelings were strong for me, When I said I love you, you smiled. You were happy I said it, even though you didn't say it back. Then a couple of days later,you are in New york and with George at the weddin."
"Wade I explained that!"
"I know Zoe but please tell me how you feel about George. I mean he came last night. SO he knows how I feel about you and I think how you feel, but I can't guess anymore. I need a straight answer. I can only do this with 2 people in this relationship."
Zoe gets off of her stool and walks to Wade on his. She positions her tiny frame between his legs and puts her arms around the back of his neck, looking straight in his eyes, "Wade, I have no romantic feelings for George. We kissed a couple of times the first couple of weeks here and there was nothing there for me. Do you remember the night you asked me to think about how you and George each make me feel?
Well I thought about it and I actually went on a date with him after that conversation so I could make sure that my feelings from the night of the wedding were still valid, just friendship. I came home from the date early and wrote in my journal. I started writing how I felt about you two and how you made me feel. I realized what I had known all along, George and I were friends and that is all."
"Does George know this? Did you tell him?" asked Wade.
" I made it clear without saying it directly but I will if you need me to. Believe me he knows. I tore into him over sending Dash the wedding picture and I told him I was pissed that he was deliberately trying to hurt you and that wasn't the George I thought I knew. I made it clear that you and I were in touch." She paused "I mean I did say I love you in front of him and about 500 other people so I am pretty sure he knows"
"Okay good. I just had to ask. Other than my mistake, George was the other main issue. "
" Wade we do have other issues but we tackled the ones that were standing in our way. We have plenty of time to work through anything else. I am all yours Mr. Wade Kinsella"
" Music to my ears, Doc. Now how about we shower and then run to my hotel for clean clothes and then meet Lavon and AB back here."
"Sounds like a plan" They raced each to the shower.
Lavon and AB came to the penthouse. Edward had just come back on duty. He was happy to meet more of Zoe's friends. He also got Lavon's autograph. Edward was the one who made Zoe become a fan.
They arrived at the restaurant, both couples hand in hand. It was a beautiful moderate summer day in New York. Lavon and AB caught Wade and Zoe up on what they missed after they left last night.
AB said " Lemon texted me when she landed in Mobile and said she and Adam were up all night canoodling and talking, Then he drove her to the airport this morning. He promised to call her and they exchanged a few more kisses. Lemon looked happier last night than I have seen her in a long time." Lavon agreed. " Oh and George stayed the night with your friend Gigi." Wade glanced at Zoe to see her reaction. He was pleasantly surprised that it didnt affect her at all. In fact she said. " Good , George needs to have some fun. Maybe he is changing his picture" Zoe smiled at Wade and squeezed his hand.
Zoe said " Why didn't anyone tell me that I am dating a superstar?" Wade looked at her and smiled. He liked the way that sounded, not the superstar part but the dating part. Zoe continued," That was the first time I had heard Wade sing other than kind of humming while he was strumming. I mean I had heard him sing but not lead. Remind me to talk to you more about that later Wade"
Lavon and AB couldn't quit talking about how Wade ended up on stage with Lady A . Zoe realized that she didn't know how this all came about. Lavon and AB were filling in all the details.
"Lilly Anne? Wade" asked Zoe, scrunching her nose a little.
" Baby it was my only option or refund thousands of dollars"
Then Lavon said," Wade man, I am proud of you. You could have fallen apart but you stepped up and got an opening act, You knocked it out of the park so much that Lady A asked you to fill in, then you hit another home run and they asked you tour with them for a week. When you found out NYC was their destination, you decided you were ALL IN for Big Z. You laid it all on the line. You were great last night and at the Rammer Jammer!"
"Guys, come on, you know I don't like the spotlight but I needed it last night to win this little firecracker over" as he laughed. " Now, Zoe is coming to MSG tonight to the concert. Do y'all want to come or do you want to have a night in the city to yourself?"
" We would love to come! But we have some sightseein' to do. Is it ok if we come at 10?'
"Sure, we wont start until about then anyway. The opening band starts at 8:30pm. Alright Zoe, are you ready to head back to the penthouse and leave these two lovebirds alone?"
" Uhhh, yeah. I know two other birds that want some more alone time too" Zoe said giggling as she knew she was being cheesy. " Wow Wade is really rubbing off on me."
Zoe and Wade spent the rest of the day just chilling out.
Wade decided they should play truth or dare. Zoe was prepared for some really crude dares. But Wade wanted her to go first. She said, "I dare you to eat a strawberry off of one of my body parts". Wade went to the frig mumblin' , "well , well well, look who went for the sexual dare right away!" He grabbed a strawberry and placed it on her shoulder and slowly cupped his lips over the strawberry, barely grazing the tiny peach fuzz on her shoulder which sent a shiver down her arm. "
Now it is Wade's turn. "Truth Doc - have you had sex with any other man since you left for New York?"
"Thats easy , absolutely not!" This put a grin across his face.
This time Zoe said 'Truth- when did you know you loved me?"
" I think when the heat wave hit Bluebell. You when you said you weren't that kind of girl. You looked so beautiful before the rain, and in the rain. I wasn't ready to admit it but my body was tryin to tell me. I would get these knots in my stomach anytime, I saw someone flirting with you."
"OK Doc - Dare- I dare you to do a strip tease for me!"
" I thought you would never ask" Zoe said as she hopped up and stood in front of him starting her exotic dance. She was being silly but the result was the same.
The concert was wonderful. They didn't play as many covers but they still did Picture at the end. This version did not include the private verse to Zoe as it did last night. It wasn't lost on Zoe though. She is thinking to herself:
Is he asking me to move home to Bluebell? Wait did I say home to Bluebell. He hasn't asked me except on stage in the song. Has he assumed I will?
Zoe starts biting her bottom lip on the side as she, Lavon and AB wait for Wade to come out. He finally walks out the door and wants to know if they want to get some ice cream. Zoe tells him it is 1 in the morning and she has to be at work in 12 hours. But she agreed they would stop at the 24 hour market and get a pint to take home. Lavon and AB were leaving tomorrow morning. Wade has to go home because Lemon has been taking care of the Rammer Jammer. He could maybe wait until Sunday. They all hugged and promised to see each other again soon.
Zoe and Wade stopped at the market. She wanted pistachio and he wanted Rocky Road. "Lets mix them together" She wanted no part of it, saying the flavors were polar opposites. He said "yeah just like us!"
When they sat on the couch eating their mixture of pistachio / Rocky Road. Wade finally asked," Zoe,Will you come back home ?"
She fed him a bite of ice cream making sure to get some on the corner of his mouth so she could kiss it away. And she did. When she finished, she looked at him, and said ' There is no place I would rather be."
"Are you kidding Doc?, don't tease me."
"Only if you sing to me every night"
And the deal was sealed with a kiss.