Southern Hospitality ❦ Hart Of Dixie

☤2; The Mayor

Zoe and Madison were dragging their suitcases down the scruffy road to the plantation.

Clearly, they needed someplace to live, so Mrs. H arranged for them to stay at the Mayor's Plantation. Madison wasn't too fond of sleeping at some old Confederate guy's house, as her lovely sister put it, but it was either that or the sidewalk. So...

As they stood in front of the door, Madison was seriously contemplating running back to the airport. Zoe, probably sensing her hesitation, grabbed her arm. "If you leave me alone in this, I will hunt you down," she glared at Madison.

Madison sighed heavily and looked at her. "I'm not leaving you; I'm just a little nervous about meeting the mayor." Okay, she lied, but still, she thought she was an awesome sister for sticking around all the way to Alabama.

Zoe stared at her blankly, probably seeing through her lie but thankfully let it go. She rang the doorbell. The door opened, and Madison couldn't believe who was standing there. "Hey, aren't you that guy that played in the Super Bowl?" Zoe said, recognizing him from the countless times Madison forced her to watch it.

"You're the Mayor? Lavon Hayes, the linebacker? Two Super Bowls, five Pro Bowls?" Madison said in astonishment, flailing her arms around. This was a dream come true. She was trying so hard to keep her composure.

"Four, actually," he corrected. Madison laughed at his modesty and his handsomeness because damn, this man looked even better than on a flatscreen TV.

"Well, I rounded up. You got robbed in '06." She remembered that game; she was so mad at that foul that she actually threw the remote at the TV. Not realizing the amount of strength and speed she put into it, the remote went straight through the thing. Her mom got so mad, not so much about the TV than the fact she missed an episode of Project Runway. Anyway, back to the topic.

"Oh. Lavon Hayes likes your math. You must be Madison and Zoe," he asked, looking at them, more like down upon them, seeing as they were a lot shorter than he was.

"Yeah," Zoe nodded, smiling, her brown eyes sparkling a little. Madison was so glad her sister was able to find a happy moment since her release from the hospital.

"Alright, let me show you to your quarters," he said, inviting them in.

"Alright!"

"I got it, I got it," he said, grabbing their bags like it was a feather.

"Are you sure? I have a lot of bags?" Madison asked him in reassurance.

"Lavon Hayes will get your bags," he said like it was nothing. Maybe this place wouldn't be as awful as it seemed.

"Thank you!" Zoe said to him in gratitude, probably from knowing firsthand how heavy their bags can be.

-

Madison, Zoe, and Lavon were walking up the plantation.

"You know, you being the Mayor here is the first thing about Bluebell that I actually like," Zoe said, smiling happily. Madison loved the fact that she was warming up to the town, they were going to be here for a hot second, so she'll take anything good at this point.

"Thank you."

"How'd that happen?" Madison asked curiously. I mean, how does a person go from playing in the NFL to becoming a mayor in a small town in Alabama? First the lawyer now him? Did this place just collect people destined for better things?

"Well, after ten years in the NFL, I was a little lost. So, Lavon Hayes moved back home. Having played for the Crimson Tide, I was quite popular around here. I ran... I won." They stopped right in front of a small cottage that looked kinda old. Maybe it would be better on the inside?