Rebounds & Reunions (3/12)
Rose hunched her shoulders as she took a sip of her Coke. After she swallowed, she sat back, sighed loudly and stared out the window. That was about all the wallowing Wade - a foot away wiping off the next table - could take.
“What’s wrong now, Four-Eyes?”
Rose turned to him, startled by the interruption to her thoughts. “What? Nothing!”
“OK,” Wade replied, then made a show of starting to walk away.
“Wait!”
He pivoted back around, walking closer to lean against Rose’s table. Lifting one eyebrow, he waited. Rose looked uncomfortable, but finally she spoke.
“Wade, you’re a guy.”
“Last I checked.”
“And - I mean, you’ve…kissed girls.”
Wade shifted, starting to wish he never nudged Rose to get out of her funk. “Sure.”
“Well…how do you get any good at it? Because I think…I’m not.”
Wade sighed, glancing over his shoulder as he scratched at his eyebrow. He pulled the other chair at the table out with his foot and sat down.
“No one is, not at first. There’s no such thing as a natural. It’s weird. It’s a weird thing to do with someone. It just takes practice.”
Rose looked to the side quickly to make sure no one was listening, then leaned forward and said quietly, “Frederick Dean does this lip-biting thing that is really…kind of gross.”
Wade snorted before he could stop his reaction. “Have you told him that?”
“No! How could I? O-M-G, Wade.”
“It’s the only way it’s gonna stop.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Wade explained, “Magnolia must have liked that.”
The look on Rose’s face was priceless, and Wade almost felt repaid for suffering through this conversation. He laughed lightly before taking pity on her.
“Look, when you’re first with someone new, it’s all about trial and error, OK? He doesn’t know what you like so all he can do is stuff that’s worked for him in the past and hope something sticks. Help him out and teach him what you like. Ask him what he likes. Pay attention to his cues and be honest when you send back some of your own.”
Rose still seemed too disgusted to take his advice seriously and he couldn’t really blame her when she went for retaliation with, “So, what? All your moves you learned from…every girl you’ve ever met who still had all her teeth?”
Wade grinned. “Nice one. You’ve been spending too much time with the Doc.”
Rose tilted her head and smiled sarcastically.
“You’re still young so I’ll spare you the explanation for why teeth sometimes get in the way.”
And at that, Wade felt a smack to the back of his head. He turned in surprise, staring at Zoe.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but it doesn’t sound appropriate.”
“When am I ever appropriate, Doc?”
Zoe rolled her eyes and pointed at the seat Wade occupied. He prepared to give her a hard time and - and then he remembered. He looked down as he cleared his throat. Standing up, he stepped aside, avoiding Zoe’s gaze.
“Wine?”
“Um…yeah.”
Wade didn’t have to look to know that Zoe’s face had fallen. A cloud of awkwardness descended over their little corner of the Rammer Jammer quickly; Wade was grateful for the excuse of her order and even more grateful that he could just send Shelley back with it. He started to walk away and then turned back to face Rose again. There was something more he needed to say, something that would never have occurred to him to say even just a year ago.
“Look, just make sure anything you do, you do because you like it. Don’t do something you don’t like or want just because you’re too shy or embarrassed to speak up.”
“I - know.”
Wade tapped the table once and walked away, missing Zoe’s curious glance after him and the way she turned to Rose seeking explanation.
**
“The cursor is mocking me,” Lemon observed, not looking up from the screen of the computer in her lap.
Wade had given up and was now sprawled out on his couch, eyes closed as he attempted to take a nap.
“Whatcha got so far?” he mumbled.
“Sample Business Portfolio by Lemon Breeland.”
Wade said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Several moments later, he asked, “That’s it?”
“Yes,” Lemon replied despairingly.
“That’s…sad.”
“That’s more than you have!”
“Uh, not true. I have the thing I wrote up for the loan-that-never-was and a couple drink recipes from the contest. Stuff to start with, at least.”
Lemon growled and collapsed against her seat.
“I need something like that. Something real, not just my imagination.”
“So, Lemon. You’ve organized a truckload of events. Pick one.”
Lemon sighed and shook her head. She pulled her calendar out of her purse and started to flip back through it. That strategy lasted only a few seconds, with her frown growing deeper with every page.
“Everything on here is wedding plans,” she said quietly.
Before Wade could answer, Lemon steadied herself by taking a deep breath, and moved forward in the calendar instead. And moments later, she inhaled in excitement.
“Wade, that’s it!”
“What is?” He was more than a little concerned by the enthusiastic tone of her voice.
“November. It’s our high school reunion! I’m chair of the committee!”
“Oh, God,” Wade groaned. “Is it here already?”
Lemon was ignoring him, though, already picking up her computer again.
“So many ideas…” she mumbled as she began to type.
**
“He-ey Wade,” Lavon sang, with a broad smile in welcome, as Wade entered the kitchen the following morning.
“Lavon,” Wade replied somewhat suspiciously, never taking his eyes off his friend as he grabbed a coffee mug from the counter and walked over to the pot. “You’re in a good mood.”
“I am,” Lavon said. “Delia Ann canceled her appointment with me this morning.”
“Well, that will do it,” Wade acknowledged.
“Yeah, I thought I’d…take a drive.”
Wade leaned his forearms on the table and pressed his tongue against the side of his mouth in amusement.
“Uh-huh. Where to?”
“Um, no place.”
“Uh-huh,” Wade repeated skeptically.
“You know,” Lavon realized, his shoulders tensing up as he looked around the room nervously.
“Of course I know, Lavon,” Wade all but yelled.
“Oh.” Lavon exhaled. “And you’re - OK with it?”
“Hell yeah!”
“Oh. Well…good.”
Wade shook his head and lifted his eyes to the ceiling.
“I think, um, I think you and Lemon are…you know. Good too.”
“Say what now?”
**
“Morning, Zoe Hart,” George greeted Zoe with a grin when she pulled open her front door.
Zoe immediately reached up to her head, patting at her hair and hoping it didn’t look too out of control. Her other hand clutched at her robe to make sure it was closed.
“George. What are you doing here so early?”
His smile widened as he reached forward, handing her a cup of coffee. “Just wanted to wish you a good morning.”
“That’s - so sweet, George,” Zoe replied, a dopey smile finally appearing on her face.
“And I wanted to say that I think it’s time we took this to the next level. We gotta put the past in the past and move on. If you’re ready.”
“Oh!” Zoe surprisingly felt herself blushing. “Yeah. Um, yeah.”
“Good.”
“What’s the next level again?” she asked nervously.
And George stepped forward, wrapping one hand low around her waist and tugging her forward. His head dipped and Zoe found herself lifting her own in response. Their lips touched, followed closely by George’s tongue nudging her mouth open. Zoe sighed softly, her free hand rising up to hook into George’s elbow. George pulled her closer, tilted his head and - Zoe broke the kiss suddenly.
“I’m sorry!” she said, eyes shut tightly as she clearly fought something between a shudder and a giggle. “I’m just…a little distracted.”
“OK,” George said, laughing lightly. “What are you thinking about?”
“Wade!”
George’s laughter ended abruptly. “What?”
Zoe shook her head quickly. “I mean, Lemon. Wade and Lemon.” She lifted her free hand to her face and moaned. “Stop talking, Zoe.”
“I’m…really confused.”
“And my ex,” she mumbled.
“What?”
Zoe inhaled and then breathed out loudly. “Something Wade said to Rose. About exes.”
**
“Annabeth, thank you so much! Are these all the boxes?”
“Yes, can you believe there are so many?”
Lemon laughed as she stacked the last box in the corner next to her couch. “The Memory Matrons always have gotten a little enthusiastic when there was an event to photograph.”
“Definitely,” Annabeth agreed. “And do you need any help? Tell me what to do. I’m so excited about the reunion,” she added, clenching her fists and rocking back and forth in a little cheer.
“Um…not right now. I need to just take stock of everything first,” Lemon said evasively. “By myself.”
“OK. Sure,” Annabeth replied, sounding suddenly less cheerful and more like she planned to shine a bright light into Lemon’s face to make her talk. “You sure you’re not gonna work on it with anyone else?”
“Annabeth, don’t be silly. Who else would I work on something like this with?”
“Wade Kinsella!”
Lemon stared at her.
“Lemon, the whole town knows about you two!”
“What?!”
“Yes, and you shoulda seen George Tucker’s face when he heard Tom Long and a couple other fellas talking about it. It is killing him!”
“I’m - I’m - I don’t know what to say.”
Annabeth laughed and shook her head. “You don’t have to say anything to me! I’ve seen him without his shirt on. Way to go, Lemon!”
“Um,” Lemon managed to reply.
“I’m just jealous you got there first! Oh well, there’s always Mayor Hayes…”
Lemon whimpered.
**
Lemon stormed into the Rammer Jammer and headed directly for the bar. Wade glanced up and smiled at her.
“Don’t smile at me,” she hissed, looking around the room quickly.
“Oh, you heard,” was his only reply.
“Yes, I heard! What are we gonna do?”
Wade shrugged. “You don’t want to tell people the truth, do you?”
“No! Not yet anyway.”
“Me neither.”
Lemon sighed as she pulled out a stool and sat down. She bit her lip and stared at Wade, at a loss. And just then the front door opened again. She glanced over and saw George and Zoe walk in. Zoe looked over at them - Wade in particular - and then quickly turned away, hurrying to a table at entirely too fast a pace. George stared for a second longer; Lemon had known him better than herself for the last 15 years and unless she was crazy…
She turned back to Wade who was studiously ignoring the new arrivals, focusing instead on wiping an already clean glass.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked.
Wade looked up. A nervous expression grew on his face.
“I’m thinking the last time I saw you looking like that we turned a guy blue.”
Chapter Four