I'm so sorry for the long wait, I went on a weekend trip with my family and then got super busy with work. I am trying to make the chapters longer, but I was starting to feel a bit guilty for the long wait, so I decided to post this one up now, it's not too short, but I plan on trying to keep them longer when I can :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Hart of Dixie

14. Busting Tables

Wade sat on his bed and stared down at his empty wallet. One date with Zoe Hart and he was broke. Was it worth it? He thought back on last night, the way he'd lost his breath when he'd seen here appear on the stairs, the awkward car ride, how easily they had talked and laughed together, how her laughter had made him all warm inside, her awkwardness over feeling bad about ordering the pricy lobster but not wanting to offer to pay if it would offend him, the way he could feel her tense up as they approached her door and how he'd finally felt confident, knowing what he was doing, as he kissed her the most perfect goodbye kiss. Yeah, it had definitely been worth it.

He needed to get a job. His father owned the local garage, but given his state is was a miracle he'd managed to keep it going after Wade's mother passed. It was at least of no thanks to him. He'd barely made it into work for over two years now and his only staff, Lenny, had been the one doing all the work and Wade had helped out as much as he could. Wade, however, was not getting anything out of all his hours at work in the garage. It was all going to keeping the place running for his father if he ever sobered up. If he got a job, he'd have less time to spend at the garage and he wasn't sure if he wanted to do that. His dad had really loved that place and he felt guilty if he would lose it because of him. But he had to get some money, otherwise he wouldn't be able to keep on taking out Zoe and he really didn't want to stop that. Maybe, he could get a part-time job in the afternoons, after school, and then he could use the nights and some mornings when he wasn't up for school, to go to the garage. Yeah, he thought, smiling, that'll work. Now all there's left to do is find a job.

Zoe was sitting at the kitchen table , her textbooks spread out all over it.

"So, how's the paper coming?" Harley asked as he walked in to the kitchen for a glass of water.

"Fine, I'm finally doe with the abdominal descriptions and am moving into the lung cavity" Zoe said, not making the effort to look up at her father.

"Honey, it's a high school biology paper, not your doctoral thesis" Harley said jokingly as he looked at the advanced medical textbooks that Zoe had dug up.

"I know" Zoe said, looking up at her father and his sceptical look she added "I may have gotten a little carried away though" and smiled ecclesiastically up at her father.

"Emphasis on little" he teased as he walked out of the kitchen again leaving Zoe to bury herself back in the books.

When Wade walked into the Rammer Jammer you could see the storm clouds over his head. He'd been turned down by almost every other establishment in this godforsaken town and he didn't really expect anything different here. Everyone in town knew his reputation, that he was the reckless bad-boy. So it was with a heavy heart that he walked over to the bar and took a seat in front of where Wally, the owner, was standing.

"Hey there, Wade, feelin' down?" Wally said when he saw Wade sink onto the stool.

"It's been a rough day" Wade said, trying to think of the best way to make his request.

"Can I get you anythin'? I know you're underage so I can't offer you beer but I've got soda or root-beer"

Wade shook his head and wiped his hands nervously on his jeans. "No, thanks, I'm not thirsty." He paused for a minute and Wally started to turn to walk over to the other end of the bar.

"I actually wanted to ask you somethin'" he quickly said before Wally could leave.

"Yeah?" Wally asked when Wade hadn't actually gone around to ask his question.

"Uhm, I was, uhm, wonderin', if maybe, you might, uhm, want to hire me to work here" he finally managed, staring intensely down on his hands.

"Oh, well, as a matter of fact I recently lost a bust boy and could really use a new one"

"Really?" Wade asked, looking up at Wally, his face glowing with excitement.

"Yeah, I know you, you're a good kid even though your reputation might say otherwise" Wally said, looking at Wade with a fatherly look.

When Wade didn't say anything he continued.

"It's not glamorous, but it's honest work. I'd need you here Thursday through Sunday and maybe sometimes on the other days if we're busy. I know tomorrow's Monday, but if you could come in when you're done with school I could show you the ropes"

"Yes, sir" Wade said as he stood up and shook Wally's hand. He could barely believe this. He'd gotten a job. Now all he had to was to make sure not to spend his salary on something stupid and he'd be able to take Zoe out in style. Speaking of Zoe, as he was walking out of the Rammer Jammer he saw her coming round the corner with her dad and Pauline.

"Dr. Wilkes, Mrs. Lawrence, Zoe" he said, greeting them

"Wade, my boy, what are you doing out on this fine evening?" Harley asked as he shook Wade's hand.

"I was actually just askin' Wally for a job" Wade said, trying to contain his smile. Zoe could see that he was really happy about this and she felt herself fill with pride.

"And did he give you one?" Harley asked, not really needing to ask though.

"Yeah, bust boy, now it's nothin' fancy but a job is a job, right?"

"Absolutely. Well, Pauline and I are heading inside to get a table, I'll order a cheeseburger for you Zoe" he said and they walked inside.

For a minute Wade and Zoe just stood there awkwardly. This shouldn't be so awkward, right?, Zoe thought. She didn't remember having been so awkward with Jonah or Jesse. She quickly dismissed the thought, hoping that if they'd just hang out a bit more it would soon stop being so awkward all the time.

"A bust boy, huh?" she asked, a teasing smile creeping up on her lips.

"Yeah, takin' you out ain't cheap. Got me flat broke after just one date" he said, grinning at her. God, she loved his smiles, they made her all weak in the knees.

"You know, I could've payed" she added, blushing as she recalled her awkwardness when the check had come last night and she'd been waging a major internal battle on whether to offer to pay or not.

"No way. I know I've got a reputation, but I'll be damned before I'll let a girl pay for a date"

Zoe laughed at him and they could feel the tension start to lighten.

"So, Wally got you all booked up yet?"

"He mentioned Thursdays through Sundays"

"So, if you're working all weekends and I'm working at my father's practice most weekdays, plus of course, them being school nights and all, how will you ever find the time to ask me out again?" she was trying to keep her tone light and casual but inside her stomach was tossing and turning like crazy. She was really happy for Wade, but she didn't want to not be able to see him. She'd started catching herself thinking about Wade at all times and whenever she saw him the butterflies in her stomach started going off, and now, standing so close to him, looking at him in the dusk, in his scruffy jeans and T-shirt, with his sandy blonde hair all ruffled she felt all warm and giddy.

Crap, Wade thought. He'd been so excited that Wally had offered him a job that he hadn't thought of this.

"I must get some weekend's off" he said, trying not to sound to down. "I haven't got all the details yet, he'll probably clear 'em up for me tomorrow when I go in to learn the ropes"

"Alright, let's hope he won't hold you hostage forever, because I had a really nice time last night and have been thinking all day about how I can't wait to do it again." Zoe blushed as she fell silent. She hadn't meant to blurt all that out and felt a little embarrassed.

"Really?" Wade said, with a suggestive smirk on his face as he moved closer, almost closing up all the space between them.

"Yeah" Zoe said as she looked up at him.

"Well, I'll just have to work my but off for a couple of days and convince Wally to let me go for one night"

"Seems like that's the only choice" Zoe said, now their lips were only inches apart and she closed the distance, grabbing Wade's neck and diving in. The kiss only lasted a few moments but the butterflies in her stomach went crazy and burst out through her whole body. When she broke away she leaned her forehead on his shoulder for a moment before stepping away.

"I better head inside, they'll be waiting for me. I'll see you tomorrow" she said as she walked off into the Rammer Jammer.

Wade turned around and watched her disappear through the door before turning back and heading towards his house. His life was really starting to look up and he felt like he was on cloud nine and nothing could bring him down.

Zoe was eating breakfast with her father and Pauline the next morning when suddenly there was a loud pounding on the front door.

"Who on earth could be knocking this early on a Monday morning. It must be a medical emergency" Harley said as he got up to answer the door. When he opened it Annabeth nearly fell on top of him in her enthusiasm.

"Good morning, Annabeth, what's got you in such a frenzy?" Harley asked, laughing, as the girl tried to stand on her feet.

"Good mornin', Dr. Wilkes. I just wanted to walk with Zoe to school" she said as she blushed and smoothed her skirt.

"You could've just texted me, instead of giving us all a heart attack" Zoe said as she got up and put her dish away before grabbing her bag.

"I'll come by the practice after school" she said as she gave her dad a peck on the cheek before heading out the door with Annabeth.

The door had barely closed behind them when Annabeth turned to Zoe.

"So, give me all the details. I can not believe that you made me wait a whole day"

"What?" Zoe just stared at her blankly.

"Your date with Wade, duh" Annabeth said as they started walking down the driveway.

"Oh, that" Zoe said, blushing.

"Yeah, that. Now that we're officially girlfriends I'm entitled to all the juicy bits and as early as the mornin' after"

Zoe laughed nervously before diving in. "Okay, so, Wade picked me up as you know, then we drove over to Fancies. The car ride over was really awkward, neither of us said anything, but thankfully Fancies isn't that far away and once we were seated we quickly got over the awkwardness. Once the conversation started flowing it was great. Wade is so much fun, we just talked about nothing and everything, laughing, it was great. Then when we were finished eating I was a bit awkward because I'd ordered the lobster without thinking, and I know Wade ain't got that much money but I didn't want to offend him or anything by offering to pay, so he payed for the whole thing, but I felt kind of bad. The car ride back wasn't as awkward, but it kind of filled with tension as we got closer to the house, I was starting to get nervous about whether he'd kiss me or not, which is stupid considering we've made out before. When we finally got to my door he was all chivalrous, opening the door and then he gave me the sweetest goodbye kiss, honestly, the night was awesome"

"Wow" was all that Annabeth said. She'd watched as Zoe's face lit up, remembering the date. She was clearly starting to grow some serious feelings for Wade.

"So, do you think it'll be awkward seeing him today at school, you know, first time since the date"

"Oh, it won't be the first time, I saw him yesterday"

"Man, you suck at being a girlfriend" Annabeth said and faked being offended.

"It's not like it was planned or anything. I was going to the Rammer Jammer with dad and Pauline and when we got there Wade was leaving. It was a bit awkward at first, but then we just had a nice chat and then I kissed him goodbye before heading off to eat. Then we got home and I soon went to bed"

"You still could've called, or just texted. I really need to teach you the ropes"

"Guess so" Zoe shrugged.

"So, are you guys like dating now, or what?"

"I don't know. We've only been on this one date, but I really like him and I think he likes me back. At least I don't think Wade Kinsella has actually gone on a real pick-a-girl-up-at-her-house kind of date before. But now he's got this job at the Rammer Jammer busting tables and I'm working for my dad so I don't know how we'll find the time to go on more dates"

"Please, your dad is like the nicest guy on the planet, he'll not stand in the way of true love"

Zoe came to a quick stop. "Whoa, you're getting way to far a head here. Nobody's saying anything about love yet"

"Ahh, you added a yet, so maybe...?"

"Let's just leave it as it is, ok?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever"

"So how's stuff with Simon?"

"Oh, things are great, he's great, we're great" Annabeth said unconvincingly.

"AB, what's the matter?" Zoe asked, not buying her crap.

"I don't know, he just doesn't seem so interested anymore. We last went on a date over a week ago and he barely says hello at school anymore"

"That sucks. Anything happen?"

"No, not that I know of"

"Hey, common, he's just an idiot if he doesn't see what a great girl you are" Zoe said, trying to cheer her friend up, as she pulled her into a quick hug before they turned a corner and arrived at school.

Wade was leaning up against his locker when the bell rang out the last class of the day. He watched as the halls filled with students, some chatting with friends, others still wrapped up in the last lesson and some rushing off to whatever activity awaited. One of them was Zoe. He spotted her as she came out of a classroom at the far end of the hall. She quickly made her way down the hall and stopped half way down when she'd reached her locker. She pulled some books out of her bag to put in her locker only to drag new ones out. The whole thing took her under a minute and she slammed her locker shut and continued down the hall.

"Where's the fire?" Wade asked as he stepped away from the wall to join her.

"Oh, hey Wade" she said smiling at him. "There's no fire, just going to the practice"

"Mind if I walk with you. The practice is on the way to the Rammer Jammer"

"Oh, no, not at all. So, are you excited about the new job?"

"Yeah, surprisingly I actually am"

"Hey, it's cool, you're allowed to be excited"

She took her bag of her shoulder and was going to shift it over to her other shoulder when Wade grabbed it and put it on his shoulder.

"You're to tiny to carry this much weight" he said, teasing. She punched him lightly in the arm but just continued walking, allowing him to carry her bag.

They continued walking, chatting about school and the other kids and before they knew it they'd reached the practice.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow" Zoe said and started to turn when Wade grabbed her arm.

"Not so fast. If we have limited time the least we can do is use it to the fullest" he said as he pulled her in for a quick but intense kiss. Then he reluctantly let her go and carried on.

After a short walk he reached the Rammer Jammer. He went in and found the place almost empty. The only guests were a couple of tourists. Wally was standing behind the bar, chatting with the waitress.

"Wade, glad you could make it" he said when he spotted Wade. "This is Trina, the waitress"

"Hey" Wade said as he grabbed her outstretched hand. He'd actually seen Trina a few times before when he'd been in here. She was from the neighboring town, Filmore. She was just a few years older than Wade, in her early twenties, tall, well built, with a mass of hair so dark it was almost black.

"So, like I said to you yesterday I'll need you on Thursdays through Sundays, on Thursdays and Fridays you can come in when you're done with school and you'll stay until closing, or at least until the rush hour is over, on slow nights you may get off early. Then on weekends you'll either take morning or afternoon shifts, alternating from weekend to weekend, so this weekend you may take the morning shift, from opening til midday, and then next weekend you'll take the afternoon, from midday til closing. I'll pay you 10$ per hour and then at the end of each day the tips are split between the staff, your cut will depend on how you work. This good with you so far?"

"Yes, sir, sounds good" Wade said, still taking all of it in.

"Good. Now let's show you around. This isn't a complicated job. You come in, clock in, grab a basin and walk around the tables clearing the dirty dishes then bringing them in the kitchen. Sometimes you might also be asked to wash them"

He stopped and looked at Wade who just nodded, implying that he got what he was saying.

"Alright. Now I know it's Monday, but since you're here maybe you'll stick around for a bit, trying it out, learning by doing"

"Yes, sir"

"And please, it's Wally"

"Yes, sir, I mean Wally" Wade stammered and Wally just laughed at him and handed him his basin.

It was 7 o'clock when Wade walked down his street. He saw families eating dinner through the windows in most of the houses, but when he walked through his front door all that welcomed him was Earl's heavy snoring from upstairs. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a soda and a bag of chips and went into the living room. He threw himself onto the couch, put his feet up on the coffee table and turned on his gaming console.

He'd been playing for almost an hour when his cellphone rang. He got it out of his pocket and was pleasantly surprised when he saw Zoe's name on the screen.

"Hey" he said as he answered.

"Hey" she said back. "I was just wondering how you did today, at the Rammer Jammer"

He could picture her blushing as she said it. He felt his stomach tighten and warm up a bit, knowing that she cared about him and wanted to know about his day.

"It went fine, just as expected. And I got good news. Apparently, Wally want's me to work the weekends alternating' between mornin' and afternoon shifts, so every other weekend I'll be free in the evenin' to take you out"

"That's great" she said.

"Yeah, and I'll start by takin' the mornin' so you better scratch whatever you had planned for Saturday evenin'"

"Damn, I guess I have to cancel on Brian then" she said, teasingly.

"Hey, now, when you got the town playboy into goin' on dates and workin' everyday the least you can do is stay away from other guys"

"So, you're saying you want to be exclusive?" she asked, the triumph clear in her voice. Damn, he thought. He'd walked straight into that one. Not that he had anything against being exclusive. He had no intentions or longing to see anyone else, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to shed his bad-boy image just yet. It had some advantages.

"Don't worry, I wont tell anyone it's with you" she said jokingly, guessing his thoughts.

"It's only been one date. Don't wanna let years of hard work go to waste 'til I'm sure it'll last more than a couple of weeks"

"Hey, I get it, gotta protect your image and all"

"But if I'll see anyone standing to close to you at school, I'll smack 'em"

Zoe just laughed at him.

"I'll give them a heads up not to come to close. But I gotta go, still got a bit of homework to finish, I'll see you tomorrow" she said and hung up after Wade had said goodbye.

Wade sighed happily and turned back to his video game.