A/N: Thanks to all those who left reviews - always much appreciated :) Now, time for a Zade date... and not a book in sight ;)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 13
Zoe raised her hand to eye and realised almost too late that the mascara wand was wobbling badly. She really had no idea what was making her so nervous. Okay, so she hadn't been on a whole lot of first dates in her life, but there had been some. Also, she spent so much time with Wade already, they had even been out to dinner together before, so it didn't ought to be such a big deal.
"Only it really is," she said to herself, recapping the mascara for now and trying to fix her hair instead.
Not that it really needed fixing. Unless she was going to change it again. That would probably only be necessary if she was changing her dress... again. Zoe seriously considered it, then got mad at herself for doing so and turned away from the mirror altogether.
"You're being ridiculous!" she told herself crossly. "It's just Wade. You don't have to get so crazy about it. It's just Wade."
"Now, if I didn't know any better, I might be insulted by that."
His voice from the doorway startled her and Zoe was quite ready to yell at her date for intruding on her privacy without knocking, until she turned and saw Wade standing there. He always looked good, nobody was ever going to be able to deny that, but tonight he really had gone all out in making the effort. Button-down shirt, dark jeans, hair combed back, and face properly clean-shaven. God, he really looked amazing.
"You couldn't knock, just this once?" she snarked, finding it easier than taking this whole night too seriously.
"Well, I guess I could have," he considered, scratching the back of his head and pushing off the door jamb to come closer, "but I figured it's like you said. No need to get crazy about it. It's just you and me, right, doc?"
His eyes betrayed him as they looked at each other then. Zoe could see the same nervousness in him that was in herself and, as awful as it might seem, it made her feel better. They were both in the same boat here, more or less. Neither one used to the idea yet of being more than friends. They wanted it, of course they did, they wouldn't be there if they didn't, but it still felt a little strange, like venturing into unknown waters.
"It shouldn't be a big deal," she said then, shaking her head. "I mean, you and me, we hang out all the time. We've had dinner before, it's just..."
"It's just, it is kind of a big deal, since we're actually calling it a date this go-around," Wade noted.
"Right." Zoe nodded her agreement, and then, they just stood there, staring like they never saw each other before. "Um, you look great, by the way."
"So do you, doc," he assured her. "Been thinking that since the second I walked in. Course I've never seen you look any other way."
He really was a charmer, as if Zoe didn't know that already, but perhaps the point was she knew better than most when he was just saying these things and when he meant them. They had gotten awfully close in the last few months, become real friends. Now they were crossing a line and that was scary, in a lot of ways, but it was also kind of thrilling, actually.
"Uh, so we should probably go, right?" she said, reaching for her purse.
"Yeah, I guess so," Wade agreed.
They walked out together and got into his car without another word spoken. It was agreed from the start that their date would be outside of Bluebell. The gossips would be all over the fact they were finally dating, no matter how they handled it, but both Zoe and Wade were sure it would be easier if they at least didn't have the whole town watching them at some table in Fancie's or worse the Rammer Jammer. That would have been way too much pressure and there was already more than enough of that to go around.
"So, I found this place in Daphne," Wade explained as he drove them in that direction. "Supposed to be pretty nice, at least, George Tucker and Lavon reckoned so. I figured they couldn't both be wrong."
"Probably not," Zoe agreed, eyes fixed on the scenery flying by the passenger window.
It was awkward. So very awkward. She wished that it wasn't, but it just was. Once she and Wade agreed to this date, everything had become kind of weird between them. They handled it okay when other people were around and shared a nice Christmas with Lavon and everything, but when the festivities were over, the concept of their going out came up again.
Zoe suggested they go to dinner sometime before the year was out and Wade easily agreed to finding a decent eatery to take her to. So, here they were, on their way to that dinner, like a pair of frightened deer in the headlights of an oncoming truck, rather than the comfortable best friends they had been for weeks and months before.
"Zoe..."
"Wade..."
They spoke at the very same moment, both laughing when they realised what they had done.
"You go first," he offered, like a gentleman would, something Zoe knew he really was capable of being when he wanted to be.
"I was just... Um, I need you to know that I'm not nervous because it's you," she told him then. "Actually, I guess part of it is because it's you, since you're such a great friend and everything and I know if we screw this up... well, hopefully we won't," she said, shaking her head. "The truth is, Wade, I really haven't dated much" she admitted then. "I mean, you know my history, we talked about it enough. My last actual relationship was basically a study group that turned into a hook-up that turned into six years. I don't really know what I'm doing."
"Come on, Zoe." Wade rolled his eyes. "You know, I don't know what I'm doing any more than you do."
She scoffed loudly at that remark, but Wade was determined.
"Hey, I'm serious here. Sure, I've... well, there have been a lot of women in my life," he said somewhat diplomatically, "but it's not like real dating or anything. None of those girls were... well, they weren't real special to me. Nobody that I really cared about a whole lot, you know?"
His eyes were on the road because they had to be, but also, Zoe suspected, because he felt as strange telling her that as she felt hearing it. She was special to Wade. He really cared about her a lot. That was beautiful, especially coming from a guy like him. Of course, Zoe well understood what he was feeling, because she felt much the same way herself. She really, really liked him a lot. It was why this night was such a big deal.
"Pull over," she said suddenly, but nothing more until Wade had found a safe spot and done exactly that. "Wade, you know I really like you too," she told him, hoping he already knew but feeling the need to say it again, glad to have his full attention now that she was doing so. "What's between us... I don't know exactly what it is or where it could lead, but I'm honestly ready to find out. It's a little scary, for a lot of reasons, but I don't want you to think that I'm not happy to be here, on this date with you, because I am," she promised him with a smile. "I really am."
"Sounds good to me, Zoe Hart," he told her, grinning back at her.
When he leaned over to her side, she met him in the middle, the two of them sharing a brief kiss over the centre console. After that, it was as if they could both breathe a little easier. As if they both understood that whatever happened tonight, everything was going to be alright.
"Okay then," said Wade, settling himself back into his seat and starting the car up again. "Let's do this."
It was a good first date, at least Wade thought so. He had to admit, there weren't a whole lot of examples for him to compare it to in his life. Like he told Zoe, he had been with his share of women, possibly even more than his share, actually, but real dating wasn't something he was altogether versed in. Flirting and sex and all of that stuff was easy, but when you really cared about somebody, the way he cared about Zoe, well, then there was a whole lot more to it than just the physical stuff.
She really did mean a whole lot to him. Wade never could've explained how that happened, but it had. He would do absolutely anything and everything in his power to make Zoe happy, and he believed her when she told him how much she cared about him too. They made good buddies, that was true enough, but their first date more than proved to him they could be even closer than that. That there really was something special between them.
The restaurant was a good recommendation by George and Lavon, Wade couldn't deny it, though most of his attention wasn't so much on the food or the service there. He really only had eyes for Zoe and was happy to find all her focus was on him too. They talked about all kinds, mostly stupid stories and things that weren't so important, but also a little about real stuff. She got him to open up some more about his momma and she told him how she was trying to connect with Harley through his patient files and photos and stuff she found in his office. He promised once again to help her in any way he could with that kind of thing and she seemed happy with that.
As the evening wore on, the alcohol flowed, conversation turned from the serious to the silly again, and Zoe got a real case of the giggles for a while. She was soon ordering coffee, clearly aware that she may have had a glass too many of wine and apologising for it. The last thing she wanted to be on their first date was a sloppy drunk.
"I don't think you could ever be a sloppy anything, doc," Wade assured her with a smile.
"Well, thank you, but I'd really like to be sober if..." she trailed off, a blush rising in her cheeks that Wade didn't entirely understand at first.
When he did realise what she might be implying, he chose not to say anything about it. After all, he hadn't ever thought to assume that a date with Zoe Hart automatically meant taking her to bed tonight. He hoped, of course, but he knew it wasn't necessarily for sure. She just wasn't that kind of girl, and for her, he had decided he didn't want to be the kind of guy that even tried, not on the first date. He had to re-evaluate after she started talking like that.
Even after the coffee, when he was pretty sure she was sober enough to know what she was saying and doing, the flirting continued. The suggestive remarks and meaningful looks that would usually give Wade so much hope for a real nice ending to a real nice evening. Still, he was wary. He wouldn't push Zoe on anything, not for the world.
Other girls, he would see how far he could get, cajole and such in the hopes of them giving in, but that was all just a game anyhow. There was rarely a woman who went someplace with Wade Kinsella expecting anything other than to fall into bed. Zoe was so different. She had been different from about five seconds after he first met her and Wade wanted to treat her the way she deserved to be treated. If that meant holding off on making any kind of real move tonight, then he would. It might kill him, but he would do it all the same.
The drive home from Daphne was quiet. At one point, he thought maybe Zoe dropped off to sleep altogether, but her face was turned to the passenger window, so he couldn't be sure. The radio played low in the background, just about every country ballad about the love of a good woman that you could name. Wade wasn't sure whether that was a good sign or just pure dumb coincidence, but he had to admit that what was between him and Zoe, especially on his side, well, it could be love and it probably could be the making or the undoing of him, depending on how things panned out.
"We're back," said Zoe softly as Wade drove onto the plantation at last.
"Yes, ma'am," he agreed, pulling around back of the house, parking up between his house and her own, and killing the engine. "Well, I don't know about you, doc, but I call this date of ours a success."
"I can't argue with that," she replied, smiling across at him. "I had a really great time, Wade Kinsella. Thank you for that."
"You are more than welcome, Zoe Hart," he replied, smiling back, "but don't go letting me take all the credit now. I picked a restaurant and drove the car is all. This night was only what it was because you were there, believe me."
He almost thought he made her blush again, but it was hard to tell in the dim light. What Wade was more certained about was hearing the click of her seatbelt unbuckling and then Zoe's beautiful face coming closer to his own. When she kissed him, he kissed back, and when she didn't stop, he was all for giving in to whatever the hell she wanted. Not that he was expecting too much, not until her lips left his and she spoke softly in his ear.
"I can't believe I'm about to use this phrase but... your place or mine?"
Wade felt his eyes widen at the question, his throat going so dry he wasn't sure he could've answered, if he even knew what the words were. When Zoe pulled back to look at him then, he realised he really did have to say something, because she was starting to seem a little freaked out herself.
"You sure about this, Zoe?" he asked her seriously. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all for it, I just wasn't expectin'..."
"I know," she said, smiling a little again, thankfully. "I'm not actually sure that I was expecting it either, but I trust you, Wade, and I want this, if you do?"
"Oh, hell, yes," he told her without pause, pulling her close all over again and kissing her for all he was worth.
Of course, they had to get out of the car and pick a place to go, just like Zoe had said. It was tough to let her out of his arms for a second, but Wade knew he should. Meeting up again outside of the car, he reached for her hand and started to lead the way to her place. It was a conscious decision, mindful as he was that his own house wasn't exactly good enough for the likes to Zoe. That and she would probably feel more comfortable in her own place. He only wanted things to be right for her.
When they got inside the carriagehouse, there was one awkward moment of pause, before she reached her arms up around his neck and the kissing started up again. Things moved pretty fast once they started, after all, this whole thing had been a real long time coming, as far as Wade was concerned. That said, when they were sat together on her bed, buttons starting to get undone and all, and he realised Zoe was shaking just a little, he made a point of putting on the brakes.
"Hey, you know, if you changed your mind..."
"No, I didn't," she assured him, swallowing hard before she went on to explain. "Wade, I really do want to, I swear, it's just... Um, I'm not... I mean, I have, obviously," she said with the kind of emphasis that made her meaning pretty clear. "There have been guys in my life that I've been with, it's just kind of a short list, and you..."
His finger gently placed on her lips cut her off before she could elaborate too much on the vast difference in their experiences. Wade didn't need her to tell him how many places he had been, he knew even better than she did, but absolutely none of that mattered in a moment like this.
"Doesn't mean a thing, Zoe," he promised her. "This ain't about anythin' from before. It's just you and me, okay?"
Nodding her head, she found him a smile, her hand coming up to his cheek as she leaned in and kissed him real soft. "Just you and me, Wade Kinsella."
From there on out, there was no more awkward and no more stopping them from getting exactly where they wanted to go. The sparks between Zoe and Wade turned into pure fireworks in her bed that night, passion exploding between them as they spent a good amount of time getting to know each other in a whole new way.
To think that they had both been so nervous when they started out that night. By morning, though just about everything between them would be irreversibly changed, they were sure they would have no regrets at all.
To Be Continued...
