'Jenna & Luke' - Chapter 12

By the time Jenna and Luke arrived back at the bungalow it was early afternoon. It was clear that Luke was tired; as many quadriplegics he had trouble with regulating his body temperature and spending a lot of time in the sun wasn’t great for him. Jenna had brought a large umbrella and had attempted to keep him in the shade as much as possible and Luke had said that the sea breeze helped keep him cool too. He still felt rather hot when she touched his cheek.

“Are you okay? You feel a little hot and you look tired.”

“I feel a bit uncomfortable,” Luke admitted. “And I am tired.”

“Come into the bathroom. I’ll try to cool you down with a few cold towels. If that doesn’t work a cold shower might.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Luke said with a small, tired smile. He followed Jenna into the bathroom and watched as she filled the sink with cold water and put several small towels into it. Then she unstrapped the straps across his chest and pulled off his shirt.  When that was done she he placed a rubber sheet behind his back so the backrest of his wheelchair wouldn’t get wet and instructed him to recline his chair a bit.

When Luke was sitting slightly reclined Jenna deftly wrapped a cool towel around his neck so it was covering his shoulders and upper back, and a second one across his upper chest.  She kept replacing the cool towels for the next half hour or so, until she felt him getting cooler.

“You feel like you’ve cooled down,” Jenna stated as she removed what she hoped was the final towel from Luke’s neck.

“I feel a lot better now. Thanks, babe. You’re the best.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

“I’m still kinda tired and need a nap. A couple of hours in bed in an air conditioned room sound very tempting right now.”

Jenna nodded as she dried his damp skin with a soft, fluffy towel and then she strapped him into the wheelchair again before she headed into the bedroom.  Luke adjusted his chair so he was sitting upright and followed her.

“Want to put on a t-shirt before I get you into bed?” she asked after he had positioned his wheelchair next to the bed.

“Nah, it’s fine. You can pull off my jeans too.”

“Okay.” Jenna nodded as she pulled the covers back. Then she grabbed the transfer board and positioned it before she moved the left armrest out of the way and unstrapped Luke.  With practiced ease she slid him across the board to the bed. She removed the sneakers he was wearing on his feet before she lifted his legs onto the bed.

Luke blushed with embarrassment when had Jenna pulled his jeans off, as he realized he was just wearing a diaper and a pair of compression stockings. He let a small sigh escape his lips as she removed his leg bag from his right calf and replaced it with a bed bag that she hung on the side of his wheelchair that was parked next to the bed. Jenna didn’t seem to notice his embarrassment; she was humming softly and when she was done she planted a kiss on his lips

“Are you comfortable? How does the temperature feel?” she asked as she grabbed the remote for the air conditioning from the dresser across from the bed.

“I think the temperature is about right. Can you close the curtains please?” Luke felt extremely exposed in the bright sunshine.

“But then I can’t enjoy the sight of you,” she said with a flirty smile.

“Jen, you know I’m not really comfortable with being exposed like this. I know what my body looks like and to top it off I’m wearing a fucking diaper and compression stockings. It’s not much to look at,” Luke grumbled without looking at her.

Jenna smiled and rolled her eyes at him before she walked over to the windows and pulled the blackout curtains shut. Then she slipped out of her linen capris and tunic and climbed into bed, dressed only in her lacy bra and panties. She pulled the covers over them and curled up next to Luke.

“What are you doing?” he asked in a puzzled tone. He hadn’t expected her to join him.

“What do you think? I’m tired from being in the sun too and this is supposed to be relaxing for both of us, right?” Jenna said with a smile. She kissed Luke’s cheek and settled in against his side. He didn’t say anything else and soon his breath evened out; he had drifted off to sleep and it didn’t take Jenna long drift off as well.

…

When Luke woke up a couple of hours later Jenna’s side of the bed was empty. He wondered where she was and a few moments later he got his answer when the shower in the bathroom started running. 

He smiled when Jenna emerged a few minutes later, with a towel wrapped around her body and her hair wrapped in a second towel.  

“Hey babe,” he said with a smile on his face.

“Hey…hope I didn’t wake you up with my shower.”

“You didn’t. I woke up before you turned on the water. I was actually wondering where you were and the sound of the shower solved the mystery.”

“How do you feel?” Jenna asked as she removed the towel from her hair. After brushing it she grabbed an elastic band and pulled it into a messy bun.

“Much better. Rested.” A couple of hours of sleep in the coolness of the bedroom had done wonders and Luke felt more rested than he had in a while.

“Glad to hear it, love.” Jenna pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top and walked over to the bed. “Are you ready to get up?”

“Yeah, I am. If it’s okay with you a shower is tempting.”

“Of course it is,” Jenna said with a smile as she went into the bathroom to get Luke’s shower wheelchair.

…

Forty minutes later Luke was dressed in a pair of beige chinos and a navy polo shirt and Jenna helped him back into his wheelchair. After she’d fastened the straps across his chest she grabbed his brown loafers and put them on his feet.

“There,” she said with a smile as she stood up and gave him a final look over.  “Comfortable?”

“Yeah. I’m good. Thanks love.”

“My pleasure babe.” Jenna smiled and kissed him quickly.

“Do you have any plans for tonight?” Luke asked.

“Not really. Figured we’d see what we had the energy for, maybe just order room service and eat here.”

“Let me take care of it, ok?”

Jenna nodded and smiled warmly at him. “You have something specific on your mind?”

“Wait and see,” Luke said with a sly grin as he maneuvered out of the bedroom. He had an idea of what he wanted to do and he hoped the reception staff would be able to help him achieve it on short notice.

“I’ll probably be ready in about

…

“We can take care of all of that for you, sir. Just make sure you and your girlfriend stay out of the bungalow for the next hour or so.”

“I think I can manage that. Jenna mentioned she wanted to take some pics in the area, maybe capture the sunset, and I know she’s keen to try the ice cream place down by the pier. That should keep us away for at least an hour.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me. And do you have the ring?”

Luke fumbled a bit to get the small box covered in black velvet out of the pouch under the armrest of his wheelchair, where he’d been keeping it for the past couple of weeks, since he’d picked it up from the jeweler. He handed it to the receptionist.

“We’ll take good care of this Mr. Hilbrook. It’s not the first time we help our guests with this kind of thing. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, that’s all. Thanks for your help and for setting it up on such short notice. I really appreciate it,” Luke replied with a genuine smile.

“No problem, it’s what we’re here for,” the female receptionist said with a smile.

“I still appreciate it,” Luke said with a genuine smile as he placed his hand back on the joystick of his wheelchair and steered towards the door.

He had made it a few yards down the path leading to the bungalow when a vaguely familiar voice got his attention and made him stop.

“Holy shit! Luke Stevenson? Is that really you?” The vaguely familiar voice made Luke cringe. Great, just what I want. An awkward encounter with a college friend I haven’t seen for a decade. He took a deep breath and looked up at the man that was coming toward him. A smile spread across his face when he realized it was his roommate from UCLA, Adam Myers.

“Yeah, it’s me. How are you, Adam?” Luke asked, trying to disguise his nerves.

“I’m good, man! How about you? You look great! The rumors floating around suggest you’re in a nursing home, helpless. I’m so glad to see that’s far from the truth.”

“Sheesh, is that the rumor?” Luke cringed, then he added dejectedly; “I don’t know about looking good, I look like a fucking cripple.”

“You haven’t done anything to stop the rumors, Luke. Apart from the statement your family made right after the accident; that you’d broken your neck in a diving accident, there were permanent nerve damage and you would not return to football, you just vanished. People just assumed the worst.”

“I guess you have a point there. It was just so much to deal with at the time. Media was the last thing I wanted to deal with.”

“I can’t imagine... It must have been hard. But you do look good, Luke. Healthy. Happy. So what have you been up to for the past few years?”

“While I was still in rehab I enrolled at University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor where I’m from. Got a Masters in Accounting and I’ve worked at an insurance company in LA for the past four years.”

“So you’re living in LA?”

“Yep. Got a house in Glendale. What about you?”

“I played a few seasons for the Broncos, but I busted my knee a couple of years ago. Took me a while to recover, had a couple of surgeries and went through a few months of rehab. I really hoped to be able to return to playing football, but after a while I realized it wasn’t realistic.”

“Shit! I’m so sorry to hear that. So what are you up to now?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m good. Coach McGill called me while I was in rehab and offered me a position at UCLA.”

“And…?”

“I’m the assistant coach in charge of defense. Have been for about a year.”

“That’s great, Adam. I’m sure you’re one hell of an asset to the coaching team with your experience.”

“Thanks, Luke. Hearing that from you means a lot.” Adam smiled genuinely and slapped Luke’s shoulder lightly before he carried on.  “A few of the guys from our class still live here. We get together about once a month. You’re more than welcome to join us if you want to. I know everyone would be happy to see you.”

Luke took a deep breath; a year earlier he would’ve declined without hesitation, but lately he’d realized he missed his buddies from UCLA and he’d wondered how to re-connect. This was his chance. He looked up at Adam who was waiting for his reply with a hopeful look on his face.

“I’d like that, Adam. Thanks,” he said as he got a business card out of the pouch under the armrest of his wheelchair and held it out to Adam. “My contact info is on there. Just send me the details and I’ll join you if I don’t have anything else planned.”

“Luke Hillbrook?” Adam said, sounding puzzled, his brows knitted together.

“Hillbrook is my Grandma’s maiden name. I signed into rehab using that name and just stuck with it. Made it easier to stay under the radar.”

“I see,” Adam nodded with understanding as he dug a business card out of his wallet and handed it to Luke. “Well, I’m happy I ran into you today.”

“Feeling is mutual. To be honest I’ve thought about how to get back in touch with you guys for a while.” Before he could say anything else Jenna approached them, with her DSLR camera slung over her shoulder.

“There you are, babe,” she said with a smile. She bent down and kissed him quickly on the lips. “I was wondering if I had to send out a search party for you.”

“Sorry love. I lost track of time.”

Jenna looked over at Adam who was watching them with a curious look on his face and it dawned on Luke that he should probably introduce them.

“Where are my manners,” he exclaimed with a smile.  Then he made his introductions. “Jenna, this is Adam Myers. We were roommates at UCLA. Adam, this is my girlfriend Jenna Garrity.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jenna said with a smile as she shook Adam’s hand. “You played football too, didn’t you? I seem to remember your name.”

“I did. Mostly defense, I was never as good as Luke. You’re UCLA alumni too?”

“I am, I graduated a couple of years after you guys.”

“Jenna went to the art faculty,” Luke interjected. “She’s a graphic designer.”

“Nice! Well, I’ve got to get going. I’m meeting my fiancée and her parents for dinner and don’t want to be late. I’ll call you next week with the details for the next meet, okay?”

“Sounds good to me,” Luke said with a smile as he extended his right hand to Adam. “Good to see you, man.”

After a moments hesitation Adam grasped Luke’s hand and gave it a firm pump.

“Good to see you too. And nice to meet you, Jenna.”

Jenna and Adam shook hands as well and after saying their goodbyes Adam hurried down the path toward the boardwalk. Jenna and Luke headed in the opposite direction, toward the ice cream parlor Jenna was eager to try.

To be continued….