9/24/2013

Finding Unexpected Love - Chapter 4


Over the next month Meaghan and Bryan spent increasingly more time together. They both had busy schedules and Bryan’s work hours sometimes made it a challenge for them to find the time to spend together, but they managed to squeeze in several dinner dates, another movie, a gallery opening and even a couple of lunches. Meaghan appreciated Bryan’s easygoing demeanor and his warm personality and as she got to know him even better his wheelchair faded into the background and she didn’t think much about it anymore. One thing that was bothering her was that Bryan seemed very reluctant about moving their intimacy beyond kissing. They had not spent the night together yet; the Friday weekend they’d had dinner at a restaurant just about a block from Meaghan’s apartment and she’d suggested that Bryan spend the night at her place. He’d politely declined, claiming he didn’t have everything he needed with him.  Meaghan wished he would open up to her about his disability; he still hadn’t told her exactly why he was in a wheelchair, but she was pretty sure he was paralyzed. His legs appeared to be thinner than normal and the few times she’d seen him transfer from his wheelchair to a different seat it was clear that he couldn’t move them at all. He always used his hands to move and adjust them. 

Bryan’s attraction to Meaghan had grown steadily as they’d spent more time together.  There was one thing he was uncertain about how to deal with; she didn’t seem to be bothered by his disability, but he had a strong feeling she was curious and wanted to know more. She had gently pushed for them to move their relationship into the bedroom, but Bryan was reluctant. He was worried that the AFO braces and the condom catheter and bed bag he wore at night would be overwhelming and scare her away. At the same time he was aware that if he wanted their relationship to progress he needed to be open and honest with her. A Friday evening about five weeks after they first met found them eating dinner at a Thai place not far from Bryan’s apartment and as they were finishing their desserts he decided to take a leap of faith.


9/18/2013

The Store Manager - Chapter 2


At 6:30 in the evening Morten decided it was time to shower and get ready for his night out. He wheeled into his bedroom and transferred to the bed to take off his pants. He had learned how to do it in his wheelchair in rehab, but it was easier to do it on the bed and Morten wasn’t in the mood to struggle. He was naked when he transferred back to the wheelchair and headed for the bathroom. He looked down on his thin, pale legs. Before the accident he’d been in pretty decent shape and he was amazed at how fast the muscles had atrophied over the past few months. When he reached the bathroom he transferred to the shower bench and grabbed a towel from the towel bar and placed it on the seat of the wheelchair. He turned on the water and quickly washed his hair and body. When he was done with that he just sat there for a few minutes; he’d always liked to take long showers, especially when he was nervous; they calmed him somehow. 

9/15/2013

Finding Unexpected Love - Chapter 3


Meaghan checked the time; 6:23 PM. Bryan had said he’d pick her up at 6:30 so she touched up her makeup and looked herself over in the full-length mirror in the hallway. After quickly adjusting her belt she grabbed her purse and cardigan and made her way down to the sidewalk. The moment she stepped out of the front door Bryan pulled into the pickup spot in front of her building. Meaghan made her way over to the car and slid into the passenger seat.

“Hey there,” he greeted her. “You look great.”


“Thanks, so do you,” Meghan looked at him appreciatively. He was dressed in dark dress slacks and a tailored navy blue shirt that showed off his toned torso. He was also clean-shaven and his hair appeared tamer than it had the previous evening. It looked like he’d definitely made an effort to look good, not that he needed to; he was a very good-looking man and definitely handsome in Meaghan’s book.



9/14/2013

Finding Unexpected Love - Chapter 2


Bryan was nervous as they walked around the corner and down the block toward Mr. Yiu’s. He had seen the color drain from Meaghan’s face when she realized he was in a wheelchair, but she’d recovered from the shock pretty fast and insisted she wanted to get to know him. He was curious about what she did for a living. She was dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black top with a gray, tailored blazer; her dark hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail. She looked very professional and Bryan wondered if she was a lawyer or maybe worked in finance. Before he could ponder more about it they reached the restaurant; he held the door open and allowed Meaghan to enter and then he followed her inside.

“Welcome to Mr. Yiu’s, table for two?” the host greeted them, as he grabbed two menus.

“Yes please,” Bryan said with a smile. They followed him to a table by the windows.

“Would you like me to remove a chair for you, sir?”

“That would be great, thanks.”

After he’d helped Meaghan with her chair he removed a chair so Bryan could access the table and left two menus on the table for them.  They both grabbed a menu and studied them in silence. 

Finding Unexpected Love - Chapter 1


Meaghan Barnes had just turned 29 and she was mostly happy with the direction her life had taken. Career-wise she was doing great; she had graduated from Colombia University with a Master’s degree in architecture five years earlier and she had been hired by Weston & Co. Property Development in Washington DC almost immediately after she’d finished her education. She had worked hard and delivered great results on the projects she’d been involved in so far. Her boss was happy and Meaghan was fairly confident that she’d be promoted within the next year, hopefully before Christmas. She knew she just needed to stay focused and keep delivering great results.  

Meaghan’s best friend from high school, Kelly McIntyre, had studied history at Georgetown and despite graduating with honors she’d opted to get a teaching license and was currently working as a history teacher at a DC high school. Her main goal in life was to find a man, settle down and start a family of her own.  When Meaghan had moved to DC the two of them had rekindled their friendship and they were close friends. The only thing that caused occasional conflicts between the two of them was that Kelly kept pushing Meaghan to find a man and settle down too.  She had tried to set Meaghan up with several men, a few of the set ups had led to shorter relationships, but none of them had lasted for more than a few dates. 


The Store Manager - Chapter 1


Morten wheeled through his apartment. He was restless and part of him wanted to get out of there and do something, but that meant venturing out in ‘the real world’ in his wheelchair. While he was in rehab his therapists had forced him to go on a few ‘field trips’ and he hated every second. He felt like everyone stared at him and it made him immensely uncomfortable.  Morten hated himself for being so self-conscious; before the car accident that had left him a paraplegic five months earlier he’d been a very confident person.  Now he didn’t feel anything like the guy he’d been before the accident and he didn’t have much hope of getting back to any semblance of that.