A/N: Thanks to all those who left reviews on the previous chapter - y'all are great! :) As for the song Wade is writing about Zoe, I don't know if and when you'll get to see/hear that, but never say never. In the meantime, I offer you something that I think you'll like even better... ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 3

"You guys, seriously, I am here for one drink and then I'm headed home. I am so tired!" Zoe complained, even as Gigi bodily dragged her from the cab.

"Zo, stop being such a party pooper!" her friend complained.

"You know you'll wake up when you get a couple of margaritas in you," Victoria insisted, grinning too wide.

"Okay, first, not a party pooper," Zoe told Gigi, pointing a finger at her. "I have just worked a really, really long week at the hospital, lots of double-shifts, and honestly, I'm so exhausted, I may actually be yelling at you in my sleep right now. Second," she said, turning rather ungracefully on her too-high heels to face Victoria. "I do not want a couple of margaritas. Those kinds of drinks lead to bad decisions and no good. If you don't believe me, ask my mother!"

It was sort of pointless her saying all of this and Zoe knew it. They weren't listening because her friends rarely did when she was telling them off for dragging her out to a club on a night when she should really be sleeping. Honestly, if she were stronger, she would just say no and stay home, but she always let her friends (especially Gigi) coerce her in the end. Zoe had to wonder if maybe protesting was just a habit at this point or if she should book herself in for a psych eval. She really did believe she may have some masochistic tendencies at this point.

Taking a deep breath, Zoe straightened herself up and followed Gigi and Victoria into the club. They had barely made it into the main bar when she realised she had been set up and immediately turned to march straight back out again. Her friends seemed determined not to let that happen.

"Zoe, please don't go!" Gigi urged her.

"Are you freakin' kidding me?" Zoe checked, gesturing towards the stage where a very familiar band were playing their own special brand of country rock with abandon. "You did this on purpose."

Gigi put on her best 'who, me?' face, but Zoe wasn't buying, not for a second.

"Come on, Zoe," Victoria started on her next. "This is as much for me as it is for you," she insisted. "You know I had something going with James... or was it Jordan?" she said, frowning as she peered up on the stage.

"Sounds like you made a real connection, Vic." Zoe rolled her eyes, though when she finally bothered to look up at the stage again and saw Wade, she had to admit she didn't hate the fact she had the chance to see him again.

Maybe it wouldn't kill her to thank him for his help the other night, not just dealing with the handsy guy but also providing the car that got her home safe. Biting her lip, she thought seriously for a moment and then sighed.

"One drink," she told Gigi, her pointer finger raised to match the number she spoke of. "Seriously, just one."

Her friends were soon both squealing and cheering like girls half their age as they took an arm each and dragged Zoe to the bar. She had to admit, she didn't mind all that much, and actually, by the time she had a couple of glasses of wine, she didn't feel half so tired anymore. The company was good, as was the music, and the view of the band playing on stage really wasn't bad at all. Whatever else was true of Wade Kinsella, nobody could deny he was a very good-looking guy. Of course, it was also evident that she was not the only one to notice.

"Shouldn't we be over there?" asked Victoria with a frown. "I mean, look at those bitches trying to get their attention."

"Nobody is going to get much joy out of the guy trapped behind his drums," Gigi pointed out to her, "and just because Wade is enjoying the attention doesn't mean anything," she told Zoe next. "You're ten times prettier than any other woman in this place, plus we already know he has a thing for you."

"He does not have a thing for me," Zoe insisted, though she didn't actually hate the idea that Gigi was right. "He goes with anyone that has two X chromosomes. I know, I read about him."

"She's done a lot of research," Gigi told Victoria with a look.

"Shut up!" Zoe told her, smacking her across the shoulder even as she laughed.

It was kind of crazy how much time she had spent reading about Wade online. Zoe knew it was stupid, like, really, really stupid, but she just couldn't help herself. Watching the band over the rim of her wine glass now, she wasn't sure what her deal was. Sure, they played decent music and they were all attractive and everything, but she wasn't that girl, band groupie girl, she never had been.

As Sippin' Whiskey brought their latest song to its crashing ending, the club seemed to explode with cheers and applause. The lead singer announced they were taking a break but would be back soon, and then all four of the guys left the stage.

"Okay, we're up," Gigi declared, hopping down from her stool. "Come on, Zoe, now or never," she insisted when her friend didn't move.

"What?" she checked, looking from Gigi to Victoria who was also on her feet now, rearranging her ample bosom in the top of the dress that didn't cover quite as much as it might. "You're not serious? You want us all to go throw ourselves at the band? Like three teenagers at a Bieber concert? No way!"

"Yes, way!" Gigi insisted, she and Victoria practically picking Zoe up from her seat and dragging her with them again.

It was shockingly easy for them to do given how petite Zoe was. Sometimes she hated how short and portable she was! Just when she was going to try protesting again, they stopped and she looked up from her own feet that had practically come off the floor, to see what had caused the sudden halt.

"Oh. Hi, Wade," she said feeling just about as awkward as she ever had in her entire life. "You probably don't remember me."

"Are you kiddin', doc? I think you're underestimating how memorable you really are," Wade told her, all charm and a winning smile that Zoe was determined would not make her knees go weak, and yet.

"Ah, the famous Wade," said Gigi, grinning up at him. "I've heard so much about you. Gigi Godfrey," she said, sticking out a hand.

"Pleasure," said Wade, shaking her offered hand, before doing the same with Victoria who introduced herself too. "You ladies need drinks? 'Cause I'm buyin'."

"Oh, not for us, thanks," said Gigi. "Vic and I have somewhere to be, but Zoe here, she would be thrilled to get a drink with you. Right, Zo?" she said, bumping her shoulder.

Zoe looked from Wade to her friend and glared daggers even as she fixed an over-the-top smile in place. "I'm going to kill you," she said too quietly for anyone by Gigi to hear.

"You say that now..." she said, patting her arm. "Have fun, kids!" she told Zoe and Wade then, pushing her way through the crowd with Victoria and leaving the unsuspecting couple behind.

"Your friends are... interesting," said Wade with a look.

"They're the best," Zoe said with fake enthusiasm. "But you really don't have to buy me a drink. I wasn't... I mean, I was hoping to see you, but not because... well, I wanted to thank you, you know, for the other night."

She wasn't sure why she felt so flustered, why this one guy should have such an effect on her. After all, he was just a guy. Potential future rockstar or not, that shouldn't make much of a difference. Given her mother's line of work, Zoe had met plenty of semi-famous people in her life and none of them ever bothered her like this.

"Well, I'll tell you what," said Wade then, smirking some, "you really wanna thank me for what I did, then you'll have that drink with me. What do you say, doc?"

"Okay, if that's what it takes," said Zoe with a sigh, like it was just such a big deal to have to bother to spend time with him.

Still, when she turned back towards the bar, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips. Maybe it didn't entirely suck that Wade might genuinely like her after all.

It had floored him a little when he headed for the bar and ran headlong into Zoe again. Wade hoped it wasn't too obvious that he was stunned and maybe a little too happy that she was there. So far, so good though. Mostly she seemed pretty giddy about seeing him too, so that wasn't nothing. It was an improvement on her attitude the first time he came across her at a bar, but then everybody was allowed to have an off day now and then.

Remembering his manners, he asked her about all the work she had been doing at the hospital and actually listened while she told him about it. Wade never thought he would be all that interested in anything a woman had to say about her job, but then he never met anyone quite like Zoe Hart before.

"Thank you, for this," she said then, picking up her glass with a smile. "And for the other night, like I said, I appreciate it."

"All part of the service, doc," Wade insisted, clinking his beer bottle against her wine glass. "Can't have you thinkin' all guys are like that damn fool back there at that other place."

"Believe me, I don't think that," she assured him. "But it is nice to know there are still some decent people in the world that won't stand idly by."

"Not really my style, doc," he told her easily. "Seems to me that anybody's in trouble and needs a little help, you gotta step in where you can."

The way she was looking at him then, Wade didn't quite know how to take it. She was still smiling, which was great, and yet he got the feeling maybe it wasn't all positive somehow.

"What?" he checked.

"Nothing," she told him, shaking her head. "I just... I guess it's a Southern thing or whatever?" she said, waving her hand in a random gesture. "I don't know, it's just a very different attitude to most people in the city. A lot of minding your own business goes on in New York," she explained.

"Yeah, I noticed that." Wade nodded, leaning on the bar a little closer to Zoe, just so they could better hear each other, at least, that's what he told himself it was for. "It's a whole different thing to bein' home in Bluebell. You walk down the street there, just about everybody knows your name, says good morning and everything. This place is just... well, crazy as all get out if you want the truth."

Zoe laughed at that and it sounded like music to Wade.

"Nobody has time for good morning here, they all have places to go and people to see. There's a reason why they call it the city that never sleeps."

"Yeah, well, maybe it should take a nap once in a while," said Wade with a smirk, sipping his drink. "I'm not knocking New York in general, I mean, I'm happy enough to be here, gettin' along so well with the whole music thing, but... well, it ain't home, that's all."

"So, where is home? You said Bluebell, right? I've never heard of it."

"You wouldn't have. Tiny little place compared to here, down in Alabama, right by the gulf. Real pretty though and full of good folks. Lot of real good people."

Wade cleared his throat then and tried to think of a good subject change. Talking about 'Bama didn't do him any good at all, just made him home sick and that was not a good look. Funny then that when he looked at Zoe he found her staring back at him with this soft gaze and a real genuine smile.

"You know, you should've tried being this natural a few nights ago," she told him, leaning in a little as the interim music being played during the band's break got too loud. "It's way more attractive than the whole 'I'm with the band' thing," she said with a look.

"Attractive, huh?" said Wade, biting his lip. "See, now, I knew you weren't entirely immune to me, doc."

"Yeah, well." Zoe chuckled. "Just because you seem to be a nice guy and you did me a favour and everything, does not mean I want to be your groupie, okay, cowboy?" she said, downing the last of her drink.

"Hey, did I say that was what I wanted?" asked Wade, smirking hard.

Zoe didn't have an answer for that, which made him a little proud. She was a little more quick-witted than some women he had known, that was for sure, but he liked that about her. So far, he hadn't really found anything he didn't like, except the part where she seemed determined to give him the slip any chance she got.

"Well, we had that drink," she said, hopping down from her stool, "and now, I'm headed out. Good night, Wade," she said, moving past him.

"Hey, hold on a second," he urged her, glad to see she turned back without him having to give chase. "You're seriously leaving already? It's early yet."

"Not when you've been working long, unsociable hours in the ER all week long." Zoe shook her head. "I need sleep, Wade, and before you make me any bed-related offers, that's a place I will definitely be going alone, thank you very much," she said definitely, though she was smiling all the same. "Maybe I'll see you around."

She was leaving again and Wade barely had a chance to put his beer bottle down on the bar and squeeze through the crowd on the dance floor before he lost sight of her. He caught up to her close to the exit, having to call her name to stop her leaving altogether.

"I can't offer to walk you home, I got my other set to play," he explained, "but you can borrow the car, like before, if you wanted?"

Zoe looked like she was considering it and also like she was probably going to say no. Eventually, she sighed.

"You're sure that's okay?" she checked.

"Sure, I'm sure." Wade grinned. "It's no problem. Can't have a lady like yourself walking the dark streets alone at night, right?"

"I would've got a cab," Zoe told him, "but I have to admit, your car is nicer. Also, the driver already knows my address after the last time so, thank you, I'll take that ride."

Wade felt his eyes go wide and had to shake himself into action a second later to arrange the car for Zoe. He couldn't believe how dumb he was. For a week, he kept on wondering if he would ever see her again, and all the time, his driver had her damn address! Maybe he could use that to his advantage from here on out. After all, she definitely seemed interested now, or so Wade thought.

"Thank you... again," she said as they stood on the sidewalk together, him opening the car door for her to slide on in, but she didn't move at first.

Instead, Zoe shifted closer, went right up on her toes, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"My pleasure, doc," he assured her as she stepped away again and finally got in the car.

Closing the door behind her, Wade stepped back and watched the car move away from the kerb, just as a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Wade, man, what are you doin'? We're supposed to be on stage already!" Clayne said urgently.

Wade shook himself, turning from the sight of the car's tail lights to face his friend and band-mate. "Well then, let's get to goin'," he said definitely, playfully shoving Clayne ahead of him back into the club.

At the door, Wade looked back into the dark street one more time, the car no longer in sight, and yet he smiled. So, Zoe had gone home early tonight, but there would be other nights. At least, he really hoped so, anyway.

To Be Continued...