Car Wash

Although Zoe could finally see Wade and have a friendly conversation without spiraling into grief, she still found herself languishing when she was alone. Bedtime was the worst! She replayed events over and over in her mind and tortured herself with imaginary details of Wade having sex with "that girl." She invented conversations to tell him off but her anger always seemed to deteriorate into tears. Eventually, sleep would claim her, but she never woke rested.

Recalling her days as a resident, working until she crashed, Zoe remembered being so exhausted that sleep came without a single errant thought. Staying busy was key to shaking off these break-up doldrums.

Three weeks following this epiphany, Brick put his foot down. She had worked every day and late every night, even if she was just doing the filing that had piled-up since their nurse/receptionist left months earlier. She took the weekend On-Call shifts for the past two weeks and had volunteered to take this weekend's as well. Brick refused, lecturing "You'll be no use to anyone as a doctor if you don't take a break." Damn, Brick!

Apprehensive of a full weekend alone, Zoe stopped by the library during her lunch hour to load up on mystery novels and stockpile DVDs of action films she had missed in the theater. After working late in the office Friday night, she popped in one of the DVDs to watch as she fell asleep. Great movie but Ryan Gosling? Hot! Blond! Great abs! What was she thinking!? She ended up tossing and turning all night, her thoughts on Wade, of course. However, this time, she tortured herself with the details of their own A+ sex.

Zoe awoke the next day to the sun already high in the sky. It looked to be a glorious day; sunny, warm and not too humid if her hair was any indication. Seeing the clear blue sky from her windows, she decided to take a book outside and soak up some sun.

Anyone watching from afar would have thoroughly enjoyed the sight of Zoe Hart fighting with the lounge chair she was setting up in the sun by the pond outside her carriage house. She wore a black bikini with a black scarf slung low on her hips to provide modesty – very little modesty as it turned out. The sheer fabric of the scarf created a peek-a-boo effect with every twist and turn, making for an altogether provocative sight.

Zoe finally settled herself on the lounge chair and opened her book. She was about five pages into the story when she heard a door bang shut at the gate house across the pond. She looked up to see Wade strolling across his deck, shirtless. She forced her attention to her book, but seconds later, her eyes wandered back to him of their own volition. She watched as he set up a bucket with rags, unfurled a hose and wet down his car. As he ran a soapy sponge over the hood, Zoe stared, mouth agape. His skin, damp from the spray, glinted in the sunlight. The muscles in his arms and back flexed and stretched as he worked, reaching and bending. After watching Wade for what must have been ten minutes, Zoe realized her pulse was racing and all her nerve ending were tingling. Again, she forced her eyes back to the book, but to no avail. She stood, folded up her chair and retreated to her carriage house for a cold shower.

Needing to kill time, Zoe strolled into town to grab a sandwich at the Dixie Stop. Several townspeople offered passing hellos, but, to her dismay, no one stopped to chat. When she returned home, she decided to read some more, this time from the safety and comfort of her sofa. She was asleep within moments.

Her dreams were electric. She was reclined – somewhere she did not recognize, and there was a shadowy figure of a man whom she knew and trusted, but could not name. Ever so lightly, he ran a fingertip up her calf. She quivered involuntarily as he brushed against the back of her knee. Mewling, she reached her lithe arms out to him, but touched only air. He continued, achingly slow, up her inner thigh leaving a fiery trail in his wake. With an intense yearning, she felt a tightening in her belly, and held her breath in anticipation. When his touch crossed her hip, she moaned with pleasure, and arched her body to meet his. Still, he held himself back. Writhing in need, she felt his fingertip trace up her stomach, dipping in her navel before proceeding between her breasts. Her body, humming with desire, was desperate for his caress, but he persisted on his path up her neck across her chin to her mouth. Gently, the pad of his finger traced over her lips as if to memorize their bow shape and lush softness. Then, slowly, the shadowy face she could not name lowered his lips to kiss hers.

Zoe awoke breathless and aroused. From the dusky light outside her windows, she could tell that night was fast approaching. She paced her apartment, not sure what to do. Clearly, being alone was making her jump out of her skin. Lavon was visiting his parents in Dallas, leaving no one for her to call. She decided to take a chance that the Rammer Jammer would provide the distraction she needed. She donned a simple white sleeveless wrap dress, a perfect complement to the balmy spring evening, and headed out on foot.

The Rammer Jammer was packed! There was a lively folk band playing and people dancing. She scanned the room and saw George Tucker and Tansy sitting at a small table. "Awkward," she thought and continued to look around the room for someone she knew. Cricket and two other Belles, Ginny and Pearl, were sitting at a large table near the musicians. They looked to be well into their evening, given the number of empty wine glasses on the table. Cricket had been so kind when Zoe and Wade broke-up, calling to check on her and baking a pie. Zoe knew she'd be welcome at their table.

"Red or white." A voice called out next to her. Without realizing, Zoe had moved close to the bar as she surveyed the patrons. Wade was leaning on the bar as she turned towards him. He wore a dark shirt that made his eyes appear a deep, swoon-worthy green.

"White" she said crisply, chastising herself for noticing his eyes. "I'm joining Cricket," she said, gesturing towards the table as he poured. "Can you start a tab for me?" He simply nodded his assent, and she made her away across the room.

Cricket and her friends welcomed her with open arms, literally, which normally made Zoe uncomfortable but not tonight. The spritely songs had the ladies bouncing in their seats eager to dance. Soon, Cricket's and Ginny's husbands arrived and the two men amiably danced with the four women all night. For the first time in weeks, Zoe smiled and laughed with sincerity. The flow of drinks certainly helped with her mood. With table service being as poor as ever, Zoe found herself ordering wine for her friends and herself directly from the bar, directly from Wade. With each trip to the bar, her smile grew genuinely friendlier and his manner more relaxed.

"How many this time?" Wade grinned.

"Just three." Zoe smiled back. "I guess we're slowing down."

"I don't know about that! Seems to be a whole lot of dancin' goin' on in that corner over there." Wade observed.

Zoe's eyes widened and twinkled "I know, right! Those two guys are dancing machines! They haven't taken a break all night!"

"You've been dancing plenty yourself." Wade commented pleasantly.

"You noticed?" Zoe said playfully.

Wade just chuckled as he continued to pour, "I'm glad you're having a good time." That grin of his always made her insides warm.

She careful picked up the three glasses of wine and with a quick "Thanks" was on her way back to her friends. When Zoe set the glasses on the table, she glanced back to see Wade's eyes on her for just a second before his attention turned to another customer. She blushed and with a warm smile, turned to answer a question from Cricket.

As the evening came to a close, Zoe and her new friends said their goodnights, each making sure the others had a safe ride home given the amount of alcohol consumed. Luckily, the men had cut themselves off a couple hours earlier, knowing the ladies were too far gone to drive. Zoe had walked. "No safer way home than that," she assured them. As the group made their way slowly toward the door, Zoe kept glancing at Wade. It wasn't until she was just about to depart that his eyes met hers. She smiled. He nodded.

As Zoe walked home alone, her mind whirled through images of Wade, shirtless, washing his car, of those deep green eyes, of the hazy but titillating dream. By the time she reached her carriage house, she was on fire. She could not stop thinking about Wade, about being with Wade. She wanted to feel his hands on her body and his lips on hers. A+ sex was out there. She just had to go get it.

Less than fifteen minutes after Zoe reached home, she saw a light turn on at Wade's. Still in her white dress and heels, she ran to his door and knocked. Wade opened the door, surprised to see her.

"Hi" she said breathlessly, walking in.

Closing the door behind her, Wade asked "Is everything okay?"

Zoe seemed a bit nervous as she looked around, "Are you alone?"

"Yah," Wade started to respond as Zoe launched herself at him. Arms around his neck, lips locked with his, she kissed him with all the pent-up desire she felt.

Taking a giant step backwards and raising his hands to his shoulders in a show of innocence, Wade warned, "Whoa there, Doc. You've been drinking."

"Yes, I have been." She grinned mischievously as she approached him, running her hands over his strong chest and kissing his neck.

"I really don't think this is a good idea." Wade said trying to dissuade her.

"Don't think" she whispered in his ear before kissing down his neck to the v of his shirt. Her hands were everywhere, along his chest, across his hips and down his thighs. "Oh, my," she chuckled knowingly. "You are happy to see me!" Pressing her body flushed to his, she kissed him full on the mouth again.

Shuddering, Wade took her by the shoulders and held her at a distance. "Zoe, you don't want to do this," he said firmly, belying the fire in his eyes.

She wiggled her way out of his restraint and said seductively, "Yes, I do, and so do you." Looking him boldly in the eyes, she untied her dress. It fell open to reveal sheer white bra and panties that revealed move than they covered. Wade's eyes nearly pop out of his head and his mouth went dry. Moving toward her, he quickly recovered and wrapped the dress back around her tiny frame. "Zoe, we can't." He whispered desperately. "Not when you've been drinking. You'll hate yourself in the morning. And you'll hate me even more than you already do." He explained regretfully.

Zoe, still undeterred, grabbed his hands and kissed them, saying "I told you. I don't hate you."

"But, you will if this happens. So, this cannot happen." He said, untangling his hands from hers.

She slid her hands up his chest with a sardonic chuckle. "This is what always happens with Wade Kinsella: drink, flirt, sex." She whispered this last word into his mouth as she kissed him.

Wade was suddenly ill at ease with Zoe's description of him. Holding her at arms length again, he said more harshly, "Well, not anymore. This is all wrong … for you, for me, for us."

"Wrong?!" Zoe scoffed. "Now, you suddenly have morals?!"

A slap across the face couldn't have doused Wade's desire any more thoroughly than these words. "Clearly, you still don't like me very much. Under the circumstances, it's probably best that you head on home, now."

"Wade Kinsella turning down sex? Will wonders never cease." She fumed.

"Sweetheart," he said maliciously, "you are not the only Ex I've turned down when she's come sniffin' around for post break-up sex. I've turned down Tansy, and Lily Ann, and …"

"YOU BASTERD!" Zoe yelled.

"You know what?" Wade paused. "I do not have to put up with this in my own house. Now, please leave." He said gesturing to the door.

"Fine." Zoe said unoriginally and stomped out.