A/N: Thanks to those who take the time to review - good to know you're finding this convoluted situation realistic and glad to know you're excited for what might happen next. Hope you stick with me, reader-peops :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 4

Wade was putting all his concentration on the task at hand, down on the floor of the hallway, his head deep in the electric cabinet, as he tried to figure out how to fix things in there. That was why, when somebody suddenly spoke to him out of nowhere, he was startled enough that he slammed his head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry... again," said Zoe, as he turned and looked up to see her standing there, waving her hands and wincing horribly on his behalf. "I really did not mean to do that."

Injury notwithstanding, Wade couldn't say he wasn't pleased as punch to see her, even if she did seem to be apologising, before the accident ever even occurred.

"Nice of you to come on by, Zoe Wilkes," he said, rubbing at his head yet, "but you coulda left your 'sorrys' at home. I don't need an apology from you. Well, maybe for the bump I'm gonna get, but what do you think you did to needed to be so sorry for before that?"

She made a face and came a little closer, lifting his hand away from his head and making a fairly professional inspection of the place he had hit before. Her light touch was soothing enough and Wade certainly didn't object to the attention or her being so close. It put him in mind of the way they had shared the night a few days before. Those were certainly some real nice memories.

"You're probably not wrong about the bump," she said, stepping back again, expertly balanced on ridiculously high-heeled shoes, "but no blood, no broken skin. Just if you start to get any symptoms later - you know, headache, dizziness, nausea - maybe see your GP."

Wade smiled at that. "Startin' to sound a little like your daddy there, doc," he teased her gently. "Not that I don't appreciate the attention, but again, I gotta ask, what was the apology for, before the head bump?"

Zoe sighed, folding her arms then unfolding them again, looking uncomfortable as all hell.

"For Sunday," she said, shifting awkwardly in place, glancing left and right as if to check nobody else was about to appear in the currently deserted hallway. "I swear, I had no idea you were the friend Lemon and George had invited to lunch. How could I? Up until the second we were introduced, I didn't even know your name, so-"

"Hey, breathe already," he told her, when she seemed to forget she should. "Gonna give yourself one o' those panic attacks or some such, and there's no call for that," he insisted, finally levering himself up from the floor. "Way I see it, what happened was one of those crazy coincidences that the universe throws up sometimes. No harm, no foul, from where I'm standin'. We had a deal that one night, right? No regrets. I stand by what I said. Now, you obviously didn't want Lemon and George to know about that whole thing and that's just fine with me. Like I said, I don't need an apology from you, alright?"

Somehow, she almost looked as disappointed as she did relieved, if Wade was reading her right. That was a surprise. Not that he wouldn't be up for another round of what they had going last weekend, but Zoe had seemed certain enough she was only looking for a one-night stand. Had he been surprised to realise she was Harley Wilkes' daughter? Hell, yes, but it was none of his business how she chose to be.

"I appreciate you being so understanding," she said, nodding her head. "I just didn't want you to think I was... well, ashamed of what we did or anything. I'm not. It's only that I... I don't really do that a lot, or ever, actually."

That particular statement caused Wade to frown. "You never had sex before? 'Cause, sweetheart, you seemed as if you knew what you were doin' when-"

"Of course, I had sex before!" she said, so loudly that she got the attention of two people walking across the end of the hall, both of whom turned to stare.

Zoe went beet red and glanced away. Wade did his level best not to bust up laughing.

"Okay, well, that's something, I guess," he said then, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, you just meant you're not exactly the one-night stand type?"

"Really not." Zoe shook her head definitely. "I was just in a weird place, you know, emotionally and everything. I needed someone and..."

"And I was right there," said Wade without hesitation. "Relax, Zoe. I'm not judgin', and I'm not pissed at you or whatever. That night, it was what it was. The deal still stands, if that's what you want."

"It is," Zoe confirmed. "And thank you, Wade, again, for being so understanding."

"No problem," he assured her, watching as she turned to walk away.

She had gone maybe two steps before he gave into the temptation for a parting shot.

"'Course if you ever decide you wanna change that deal we made, maybe go for an encore on that night of fun we had, you know where to find me."

She stopped walking, but she didn't turn back. Wade wasn't sure whether she would or not, nor even if he really wanted her to, actually. Last Saturday night sure had been a real good time, but it wasn't as if he couldn't find that elsewhere. Besides, probably best he didn't go getting into anything too heavy with Dr Wilkes' daughter. That could end up leading to no good.

In the end, the choice wasn't his to make. Zoe started up walking again, as if maybe she never even heard what he said in the first place. Wade was willing to bet she did, but maybe it suited her better to pretend otherwise. It was kind of disappointing to realise he probably wouldn't get the chance of another night with her, at least, not any time soon, but never say never.

Wade smirked to himself, knowing that if Lemon was as determined as she seemed to be Zoe's best friend for as long as they were at U of A, that would keep on throwing Ms Wilkes into his path too. She could only have so much willpower, after all, and after that night they shared, Wade knew exactly how to handle her, in every sense of the word.

With a smile on his face, Wade went back to work, not feeling the pain of the bump on his head at all anymore.

Zoe really hadn't come to college looking for a date. She hoped to make a few friends, of course, but mostly, her plan was purely educational. In the breaks and holidays, she also wanted to get to know her father and his home town as much as possible, but Zoe's attendance at the University of Alabama was supposed to be all about the academia and nothing else. So far, it kind of wasn't working out that way.

On her first night, before she had even started classes, she had slept with Wade Kinsella, the janitor/bartender, denizen of Bluebell, who was also the friend of the first friends she had made at school. Now, she was walking back to her dorm from her latest class with a young man so handsome, she just could not stop smiling about it.

Plus, on top of being what could only be described as dreamy to look at, Judson Lyons was going to be a veterinarian. That was practically a doctor, albeit for animals instead of people, and Zoe was completely in love with his work ethic. She was also getting lost in his eyes and feeling all kinds of girly when he told her how amazing he thought she was for correctly answering so many questions in their biology class today.

"It was obvious that Dr Grant was impressed too, and let me tell you, that is not easy to achieve," he said of the professor leading said class. "I've spent three years already trying to get on the right side of her. Never does seem to get me very far."

"I'm sure she likes you," said Zoe definitely. "I mean, how could anybody not like you?"

She replayed that question in her head and immediately winced. That was not something she ever meant to say out loud and was certain her face was burning when she looked back up at Judson then. Of course, he was smiling at the compliment. She only hoped he didn't get the wrong impression and think she was coming onto him. College boys could be kind of dumb about stuff like that. Not that Judson seemed like the Animal House type or anything, but first impressions could be wrong.

"Well, I'd have a hard time imagining that anybody could not like you either, Zoe Wilkes," he told her smoothly. "You know, it's so rare to find a young woman as smart as you who is also so beautiful."

Zoe couldn't be sure, but she almost believed that he pushed himself to be brave in his compliments because she had just done the same. Poor Judson certainly turned an impressive shade of red in the next few moments. Maybe it shouldn't have made her feel better, but she had to admit that it did.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... That wasn't a line, I swear," he told her then.

"Oh, I didn't think it was, and thank you, you're very sweet... you know, in a manly way. Sorry, I know guys don't like being told they're sweet, I didn't mean..."

"It's fine," Judson assured her, laughing lightly.

Zoe was soon joining in, sure the both of them were being just about as dumb as each other. It was probably better if she just walked away already, only that would be hard to do, given she was headed for her dorm and only knew the one way to get there. Either Judson was going the same way by coincidence or he was really determined to stick to her like glue.

"You know, I was thinking, maybe, if you're not too busy with studying or anything, you and I could go out together tonight?"

Zoe opened her mouth to reply but immediately found herself floundering, something Judson clearly noticed.

"If you already have a boyfriend, then of course, I understand."

"I don't," Zoe told him, shaking her head.

The smile was back on Judson's face within a second. "Oh, okay then. So, how about dinner tonight? Or even just a drink maybe?"

"Judson, that's very nice of you to ask, it's just... I don't know."

She felt like an idiot. An inarticulate, ridiculous idiot. Zoe really never got so tongue-tied in any other circumstances. Not in class or when it came to public speaking, not with strangers or anything. It was only guys that could render her dumb or cause her to babble so much. Specifically, guys that she liked and/or that tried to ask her out. She felt so pathetic.

"Okay, let me try this one more time," said Judson then. "I'm headed out to this real nice place I know tonight, have a drink, get some dinner too. If you wanted to join me, for either of those things, I would be more than happy. So, say I come by your dorm at around eight o'clock to see how you're feeling? If you wanna come along, that's fine, and if not, that's okay too. No pressure, just a friendly invitation. You think that would be okay?"

It was too sweet an offer to pass up, Zoe couldn't help but nod her head.

"I think that would be okay," she told him, already more than sure that when he came calling for her, she would be ready to go out with him in some capacity or other. "And speaking of my dorm..." she trailed off, gesturing to the door which was all of a few paces from where they were standing.

"Then I know now where I'll be at eight o'clock," he said, smiling down at her. "I'll see you then, Zoe Wilkes, at least, I hope so."

Reaching for her hand, he took a hold, raising it to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

Zoe was watching him walk away when she heard an already familiar voice behind her.

"Was that Judson Lyons?"

"Yes, it was," she said, turning to face her friend. "I didn't know you knew him."

"We were in the same English class last year." Lemon nodded, up on her toes and craning her neck to catch one last glimpse of Judson's rear-view apparently. "I always found him to be very nice, awfully smart, and I don't mind admitting, extremely handsome."

"He is that," Zoe agreed without pause. "Although, George Tucker is certainly not unhandsome."

"Oh, my George is the most handsome of all men," Lemon told her fast. "Do not misunderstand me, Zoe Wilkes. I like to window shop as much as the next girl, but my heart only belongs to one man."

That made Zoe smile, though she wasn't entirely sure why. She would like to say it was because she found it sweet to hear of such commitment. Unfortunately, she knew it was really that she just believed such things were amusing and ridiculous. Relationships like that didn't last. Marriages usually ended in divorce. What seemed like love was most often proved to be an illusion, nothing more than lust or desperation, some misguided attempt to make something out of nothing, to avoid being lonely.

"Zoe?"

"I'm sorry, what?" She shook her head, hoping the worried expression on Lemon's face would fade fast, so she wouldn't have to explain where her mind had wandered too.

"I was just asking if you were busy tonight," Lemon repeated slowly. "My sorority sisters and myself are headed out to a bar together. Kind of a welcome back affair. Now, I know you're not one of us, but I also know they will just welcome you with open arms."

"Oh, Lemon, that's so sweet of you to ask, but I actually have plans tonight," Zoe explained. "The very nice, smart, and handsome Judson asked me out, and I think I'm going to go," she said definitely, a genuine smile on her lips.

Lemon wasn't offended, in fact, she seemed almost as happy at the idea of Zoe's date as she was herself. Not that Zoe really expected it to go anywhere, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy a nice dinner with a guy that seemed a notch above some of the more juvenile college kids she had met around the place so far. In fact, when she gave herself a chance to think about it, she started to really look forward to Judson coming by to pick her up at eight o'clock. Now, she just needed to spend the next five or six hours figuring out what the wear!

To Be Continued..