A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. I know it's taking a while to get to any real Zade action, but trust me, folks, we're building a foundation here, and it'll be so worth it when we get to the good stuff ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 7

"Sippin' Whiskey? Really?" said Candice with a look of distaste. "How very... Southern," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, that is kind of the point, mother." Zoe rolled her eyes, eating another bite of her delicious risotto. "They are a Southern rock band, and honestly, they seemed to be doing pretty well for a while, you know, playing around all the clubs, cutting a record, the whole nine yards."

She was trying to play this just the right way, which wasn't always easy with her mom. Candice was too smart to be easily duped, she had to be or she couldn't be as successful in her work as she was, especially in a place like New York. Not that Zoe was trying to trick her mother at all, she just needed a favour, and asking for one of those from someone like her was never easy.

"I suppose it has its appeal to some people," Candice considered, picking at her salad. "Do you know who's managing them? They must have representation."

Zoe opened her mouth then closed it again for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"Unfortunately, they might be running into a little trouble in the management department," she said carefully, eyes decidedly on her plate again. "See, the guy they were working with... it was Alan McKenzie."

Candice's fork clattered against her plate as she coughed, seemingly choking on her food a moment, before finally gaining control and swallowing hard.

"Oh, Zoe," she gasped, taking a sip of her drink. "I know there is a stereotype among men from the south, but this man you're seeing-"

"I'm not seeing him exactly," Zoe cut in, though her mom barely seemed to notice.

"He has to be a fool if he's working with Alan McKenzie! That man is an ass."

"Which is what I said," her daughter agreed, "and trust me, Wade would agree with us too. He's been having some problems with Alan, the whole band has, but Wade in particular."

Candice stared at Zoe too hard, convincing her daughter that she knew where this conversation was going long before it got there. Zoe wasn't sure whether to consider that a good thing or not right now. Part of her wished her mom would guess so she didn't have to say it. Another part didn't want her jumping to any awful conclusions.

"Zoe." Candice sighed eventually, folding her hands on the table. "You clearly want my help with something, and quite obviously, it has something to do with Wade, his band, and Alan McKenzie. So, why don't you just tell me before I lose my patience with this whole conversation?" she asked snippily.

Zoe sighed and dumped her fork down on her plate. "Fine," she huffed, like it was such an inconvenience to be asked to get to the point. "Wade had a fight with Alan," she explained, looking side to side to check no-one could hear and lowering her voice a little just in case she was wrong. "Not just a verbal one, a physical one. He didn't actually hit him because the weasel got out of the way, but it was bad. Stitches in his hand bad, actually."

"And his career is in playing guitar?" Candice asked with wide eyes. "Wow, such a smart guy."

"Mom!" Zoe snapped too loudly, lowering her voice again in the next moment. "Wade just reacted, it happens sometimes. Anyway, his hand will be fine in a few days but he's so worried about the band and what all this will mean for them. I'm sure the guys can patch up their differences, given time, but you know as well as I do that as much of an ass as Alan is, he does have pull in the business. Wade didn't say it directly, but I know he's worried about the band losing their deal. I don't know what would happen if they did, but I can only think it's not good."

She looked to Candice with her best, 'Please, be kind, mother,' expression and hoped it worked. Sometimes it did and other times it didn't at all. Candice really did blow with the wind on these things, but if anyone could convince her to call in a favour, it was usually her only daughter putting on her best pleading eyes and fat lip.

"This Wade Kinsella," said Candice eventually. "He clearly means more to you than you told me before."

Zoe didn't want to admit to anything. Honestly, right now, there was very little to confess since she and Wade hadn't even been out on a date or kissed or anything worth mentioning yet, but she was going to have to give her mom something if she wanted this favour. Besides, Zoe had to admit, to herself, at the very least, that she must care for Wade if she was willing to do all this in his name.

"He's... he's a nice guy," she said at last. "I don't know what else to tell you, he just... he's a nice guy," she repeated, shrugging her shoulders helplessly.

Candice smirked a little. "A good-looking nice guy," she said then, a statement not a question, though whether it was a good guess or she had looked up a picture before, Zoe couldn't be sure.

"Yes, okay, he is off the chart on the hot scale. Is that what you want me to say?" Zoe confessed, smiling in spite of herself. "I'm not blind and you're not stupid, so let's be honest here. Wade is insanely attractive and he has been really nice to me so far. He's in a place right now where he needs help and, not least because he got me out of a fix once, I'd like to repay the favour, but I'm going to need your help for that. Mom, please?"

There was a long painful silence as Candice picked up her drink and sipped it thoughtfully. Her gaze drifted to the window and Zoe watched her as she, presumably, mulled over a possible way forward in this situation. She hoped that was what she was doing anyway.

"I'm going to need more information," she said eventually, draining her glass, "and another vodka martini," she said, putting her glass down with a thunk. "Let's see if we can't do something to save the reputation of Wade Kinsella and the wonderfully named Sippin' Whiskey," she said, wrinkling her nose as she said that very name again.

Zoe laughed, even as she signalled the waiter for refills on their drinks. Sometimes, in spite of everything, she really did love her mother.

"Wade, m'boy," said Lavon with a hearty chuckle. "It is good to hear from you. Everything goin' along alright in the Big Apple?"

"Oh, you know how it is, man," said Wade, forcing a smile that didn't come too easy right now. "Things are what they are in the big city. All loud and frantic, all o' the time."

"Well, if you gonna go for the rockstar life, you gotta expect that kinda thing," his friend told him easily. "Still, like I said, always good to hear from you. Nice knowin' you didn't get too famous yet for the likes of us small-time folks."

"Small-time?" Wade echoed with a laugh. "Said one of the greatest line backers the Tide ever had."

"Can't argue with that," his buddy agreed, "but it ain't the same as a rockstar."

"I ain't a rockstar yet, Lavon." Wade rolled his eyes, even though his friend couldn't see on the other end of the phone. "I play a few clubs and we put a few songs out on the internet. Not exactly Billboard 100."

"Hey, you'll get there," said Lavon knowingly. "Anyway, everythin' here is just fine. Since I know it's gonna be your next question, Earl is doin' good, no problems there. Of course, everybody sends their love to you. I promised to remember quite a lot of folks to ya, next time you put in a call. Let me see now, Lemon, obviously, and AB, George, Shelley, Tom, Wanda, Delma, Shula, Wally..."

"Lavon, you keep on goin' you're gonna name the entire town!"

As his friend chuckled and admitted he was probably right, Wade wished he felt as inclined to laughing. Honestly, the only thing that made him feel worse about the loss of his so-called music career was the homesickness that came with hearing about all the folks that were missing him.

As Lavon went on, telling stories about what was going on in Bluebell, Wade laid down on his bed, closed his eyes and pictured himself home. Honestly, there wasn't much for him to miss in New York if he went back. Sure, he'd feel pretty stupid about losing this chance to make it big with the band and all, but he could live with that, somehow. It might be worth it to go home to 'Bama, to the places and people he knew best. It was another reason why he wasn't quite so sorry about taking a swing at old Alan the way he had.

"Anyway, enough talk about our small town business," said Lavon then. "You gotta tell me all the excitin' news about playing at clubs and making a record and all. Come on now, Wade, give me all them details."

"Not much to tell." Wade sighed, rubbing his hand across his tired eyes, gaze catching on the gauze plastered to the side of his hand and wrist yet. "I, uh, had a little accident a couple o' days back. Put my fist through a car window, cut myself up some."

"No, no, no!" Lavon declared. "You can still play, right?"

"Not right now, but I should be fixed up in a couple more days," Wade explained. "So, the doc told me anyway."

Though Lavon would have no idea, Wade was certain he had that goofy smile on his face again when he talked about Zoe, even in such a minor way. It might be a short list of things he would miss if he did have to leave New York, but she would be right there at the top. Honestly, at this point, she might just be the whole damn list by herself.

"Well, so long as you okay," said Lavon then. "You got folks looking out for you there, right? 'Cause I know the big city can be a lonely place, in spite of all the people around."

"I'm doin' okay," Wade promised. "Actually, that doctor I was tellin' you about... well, she's pretty special herself."

"She?" Lavon echoed. "You got yourself a lady doctor friend? Oh, I see how it is."

"I'm pretty sure that you don't," said Wade, shaking his head, already knowing very well what his friend was thinking. "She's not like that, Lavon. She's... different."

"Different, huh? Please don't tell me she immune to that ol' Wade Kinsella charm o' yours?"

"Now, I never said that."

It was strange now that Wade thought about it from Lavon's point of view, which he was forced to do as his friend started talking about a woman maybe making an honest man out of him. All his adult life, Wade was pretty good at charming women, taking them home to his bed for a good time, and then moving on to the next conquest. It worked for him, no commitment, short-term flings that never lasted more than a weekend at most.

What he told Lavon was true enough, Zoe was very different. When she seemed less than interested in him, he just couldn't let it go, and now, even though she clearly liked him, she certainly wasn't the one-night stand type. That should've sent Wade running for the hills, but it didn't. He still hadn't quite figured out why that was, what it was about her that kept him coming back for more, but he couldn't help himself. Of course, it'd be an end to all that if things really did fall apart for the band and they had to go back home.

"Wade?"

"Still here, man," he assured Lavon who now sounded worried. "Sorry, I was just... my mind's wanderin' a bit. Things here are a little weird right now. Band stuff, you know how it is."

"Not exactly, but I guess I got an idea from my football days," Lavon told him. "Fame and fortune and all, it's no bad thing, but bein' away from everybody you love and everything you know, it ain't easy."

Wade sighed, knowing how very true that was, and glad to have a friend that understood. Of course, he couldn't tell Lavon that he might be coming home very soon, much sooner than anyone thought, and with his music career in tatters around him. That was a story for another day, when he was more sure of what was happening exactly. Though he and the guys had pretty much made up their differences, what might yet happen with the deals they had, with McKenzie and their contract, that was very much up in the air.

The phone beeping in his ear made Wade stop and look.

"Hey, Lavon, I gotta go. Got another call comin' in that I oughta take, you understand?"

"That's just fine," his friend assured him, "but you call back again soon, you hear? We all like to have you check in plenty, let us know no harm's come to ya."

"I'll call again soon," Wade promised, before they ended their call and he switched to the incoming one from his favourite 'lady doctor' as Lavon put it. "Hey, doc. What can I do for you?"

"Actually," said Zoe with a smile he could just here, "I'm calling about what I can do for you, Wade Kinsella."

"Well, keep on talkin', sweetheart, 'cause I think I'm gonna like this conversation," he told her, even though he was already pretty sure she didn't mean anything like he was implying.

"Okay, first, gross, and you're an ass," she told him, with laughter in her voice, "but being serious for a second, I do have some good news for you, or rather, I might have soon," Zoe explained. "I may have talked to my mom about your situation, you know, with the band and Alan and everything."

"Zoe, I don't-" Wade began, but she barely let him begin before she cut in again.

"Please, Wade, just let me tell you what happened, because I don't think you'll be disappointed."

"That I do believe," he said with a smile. "I don't think you're capable of disappointing me, Zoe Hart."

"Okay, enough with the Kinsella charm since I already did you the favour," she told him. "Like I said, I talked to my mom, you know, Candice Hart, big time PR person, and here's the really good news..."

To Be Continued...