"Jenna & Luke" 2 . 0 - Chapter 2

Jenna spent Saturday doing some laundry at the laundromat down the street from her place and cleaning her shitty apartment. She pretty much hated the place, but it was what she could afford within a reasonable distance from her office.  She was glad she only had a one-year lease and hopefully business would’ve picked up enough for her to afford to move somewhere nicer by the time it expired.

All day her thoughts kept drifting to the dinner at Luke’s place. She was nervous about it, but also excited about it. They had really clicked from the first moment they met and she was looking forward to spending more time with him and getting to know him better. 

Jenna also hoped Luke would open up a about his disability; she had no idea why he was in a wheelchair. She had done some online research on possible reasons; the results ranged from a spinal cord injury to a number of conditions that affected muscles and nerves.

…

When Luke woke up Saturday morning he felt a bit better than the previous evening, but far from good. He’d struggled to sleep; he was nervous about his dinner date with Jenna and his mind had been racing all night. There was no denying he was rusty at the dating game.  Before his accident he’d been pretty confident; he didn’t think of himself as particularly good looking he was aware that his looks weren’t exactly against him. Breaking his neck and ending up as a quadriplegic had changed things. He knew his face still was the same, but his crippled body, strapped into a bulky wheelchair, wasn’t something most women was able to see past. Jenna seemed different and he didn’t want to screw things up.

“Morning, Luke,” Kevin greeted him cheerfully as he entered his bedroom. “How do you feel today?”

“Not too bad. I slept well, but my neck still doesn’t feel right. I think I’ll need the collar today.”

“Got it. I’ll go get your shower chair and we’ll just see how you feel after your morning routine, okay?”

“That sounds like a plan,” Luke agreed.

….

“So, what’s your plan for tonight?” Kevin asked over breakfast.

Luke had told him he’d invited Jenna over a couple of days earlier and he’d offered to help him prepare dinner.

“Jenna’s coming over at six and I’ve planned on cooking lasagna and a salad for dinner,” Luke said.

“You’re sure you’re up for her coming over?” Kevin queried. Luke’s neck was far from 100% and he’d asked Kevin to put on his soft cervical collar as soon as he was dressed and strapped into his wheelchair.  Luke’s doctor had suggested that wearing a cervical collar to support his neck might work as a pain reliever and it had proved to be pretty efficient. Luke knew that wearing the collar for extended periods of time wasn’t good for him, it would weaken the muscles in his neck, but he wore it for a few days from time to time when the pain was bad

“Yeah, it’s just my neck that’s not in top shape, otherwise I’m good. I’m not thrilled about wearing this thing, but it’s either that or a strong painkiller. I prefer the collar. It doesn’t make me feel fuzzy.”

“That makes sense. Why don’t we go over the fridge and pantry and make sure you have all the ingredients. I need to do some grocery shopping today, so if you need anything I can pick it up for you. Or we can go to the store together if you’re up for it.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Luke agreed. “I think I have most of what I need.”

A quick check through Luke’s fridge and pantry showed he only needed a few things and he asked Kevin to pick them up for him. He didn’t want to waste energy on going to the grocery store when he didn’t have to.

...

Jenna was nervous as she walked up to Luke’s front door. His house was nice; it was modern, single level and a decent size. It appeared to be well maintained and the planters with colorful flowers on either side of the front door made it look warm and inviting. She quickly straightened out her dress before she pushed the doorbell.

Luke opened the door a couple of minutes later. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans that appeared to have been through the wash a few times and a navy blue Henley shirt with the top two buttons undone. His feet were clad in sheepskin-lined slippers. The five-o-clock shadow on his jaw gave him a rugged look.

What really caught Jenna’s eye was that he was wearing a soft cervical collar around his neck; it looked like the collar her mom had worn after a whiplash injury when she was a kid, except it was black instead of white. She wondered why he needed it; as far as she could recall she hadn't seen him wear it before.

“Hi Jenna, good to see you. I hope you didn’t have too much trouble finding the place.”

“Good to see you too, Luke,” Jenna said with a smile as she impulsively leaned down and kissed his cheek. “It was pretty straightforward. Can I leave my car there or do you need me to move it?” She gestured at her silver Toyota Prius that was parked on the right side of the driveway.

“It’s fine,” Luke assured her. “Come on in.”

She followed him inside and closed and locked the door behind her. The hall was spacious and the décor was modern and masculine, but warm.

“Nice house,” she said as she followed him through the living room and into the kitchen. She noticed it was obviously adapted to fit Luke’s needs; it had lowered counters that were open under so he could roll all the way up to them in his wheelchair.

“Thanks,” he said. “Do you want a drink? Is red wine okay?”

“Oh, lovely,” she smiled.

“Would you mind uncorking it?” he said, gesturing to a bottle and two glasses on the counter. “And pouring a glass for each of us?”

“Not at all,” Jenna replied. She realized uncorking and probably also pouring wine was a challenge for him. After she uncorked the bottle she poured two glasses of wine and handed him one. He grabbed the stem of the glass between his thumb and fisted fingers and brought it to his mouth and had a sip. Jenna followed suit.

“This is nice,” she complimented the wine. “Italian?”

“I made lasagna for dinner, so I figured Italian wine was appropriate. I hope you like lasagna by the way.”

“It’s one of my favorite foods, especially when it’s homemade.”

..........

An hour later they had finished their dinner and after clearing the table they’d moved to the living room. Jenna had settled into one of the two recliners in front of the TV and Luke had parked his wheelchair next to her. She watched quietly as he adjusted his chair so he was sitting in a reclined position.

“If you’re not feeling well I can leave,” Jenna offered.

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “My neck hurts less when I’m in a more reclined position and I needed to shift my weight.”

“Oh…right…” Jenna didn’t know how to respond.

“I invited you here because I wanted to talk to you in a more private setting than the coffee shop or a restaurant. I like you Jenna, I like you a lot. You’re easy to talk to, smart, funny, pretty… I think I fell for you the first time I saw you, when you held the door open for me. Something told me you were special and I really wanted to get to know you.”

“Why didn’t you approach me?” Jenna asked, she seemed genuinely surprised. “I know you wanted to. I didn’t miss the smiles and looks.”

“Busted,” he chuckled, then he got serious. “Honestly I doubted a beautiful woman like you would be interested in a man like me.”

“Why would you think that? “

“There’s no way around the fact that I’ve got a severe physical disability. Being strapped into a bulky power wheelchair is a very efficient chick-repellent.”

“It is a bit imposing,” Jenna admitted.

“I’m pretty sure you have questions you’re dying to ask me, right?”

“I’d lie if I said I didn’t,” Jenna said. “But I want you to tell me when you’re ready. We’ve been on two lunch dates, the questions I have feel too intimate to ask at this stage.”

“I want you to know. I figure it’s better to tell you the extent of it now, so you can decide if you can deal with it or not. If it’s too much, no hard feelings, I understand. I hope we can at least be friends.”

“Luke, you don’t have to tell me anything you’re not ready to share. I don’t mind taking things slow,” Jenna assured him. He seemed to ignore her.

“ I broke my neck about three years ago, two days after my 24^th birthday. I was visiting my family in Michigan and my cousins and I went to a small lake to swim. I dove in without checking the depth first and the next thing I remember is waking up at the hospital in a halo brace.”

“What’s a halo brace?” Jenna asked, she wasn’t familiar with the term.

“It’s a metal ring that’s attached to your head with four screws. The ring is attached to a plastic vest your wear on your upper body by four metal rods. It completely immobilizes the head and neck.”

“Sounds uncomfortable.”

“It is and I had to wear the damn thing for almost three months. My diagnosis is that I’m a C 5-6 incomplete quadriplegic. I’m paralyzed from the chest down. I can move my shoulders and arms, but the movement and strength in my arms is limited. My hands are paralyzed; I can’t move my fingers except for a little movement in my thumbs. I don’t have much strength in them though. Without the splints on my wrists my hands are basically useless; they just flop around.” Luke looked a little self-conscious and paused before he carried on. “I’m strapped into my wheelchair because I don’t have the strength or balance to sit upright unaided. Right after the accident I couldn’t even move my arms; I was completely dependent on other people to help me with everything. It took a lot of hard work to get the movement I have now. The initial prognosis was that I’d always be completely dependent on other people. My stubborn streak kicked in pretty fast and now I can manage with minimal assistance.”

“What kind of assistance do you need?” Jenna asked, hoping she wasn’t prying too much.

“I have very limited strength in my arms, so I need help to get out of bed and get ready in the morning and I need help to go to bed in the evening. I don’t have the strength to transfer in and out of my chair or dress myself.”

“So, you have a nurse or something?”

“I’ve got assistants. Kevin is my roommate and my main assistant.”

“You need a live-in assistant?”

“Yes and no. When Kevin isn’t here, or has a day off, another assistant comes in the evening to help me go to bed. That person spends the night in a guestroom and in the morning helps me with getting ready; shower, get dressed and the other stuff I need to get ready. Once I’m in my wheelchair I’m pretty independent and able to do most things for myself.”

“So why does Kevin live here?”

“I hired him while I was still in rehab and when I decided to move back to LA he mentioned that he was going back to school, to get his Masters degree, and that he’d applied to USC. I offered him the granny flat in the back and to keep working for me as much as he is able to without interrupting his studies.”

“Ah, so he doesn’t actually live with you?”

“No. He has his own apartment, but we often end up having dinner together and hang out and watch TV or something in the evening if neither of us have plans. He’s my best friend and we enjoy each others company.”

“Since I’m already prying I’m going to ask another question…”

“Go ahead,” Luke replied with a smile.

“Why does the other assistants spend the night?”

“In case of an emergency. For example; if the fire alarm goes off and I’m in bed I’m not able to get up and into my wheelchair on my own, so if there’s no one around to help me I’m fucked.”

“Oh, right. I didn’t think about that,” Jenna replied, clearly a little flustered.

“I understand if you wanna bolt for the door, Jenna. I am severely disabled and I know it must seem overwhelming to you.”

“I’m not ready to bolt,” Jenna assured him. “Thanks for being so candid and telling me things. Last question; why are you wearing a collar around your neck? I don’t think I’ve seen that before.”

“I figured it’s better to be open about things right from the start.”

“Good thinking,” Jenna interjected with a smile. “I’ve never known anyone disabled, apart from my grandfather who was partially paralyzed after a stroke, so this is all new to me.”

“To answer your question; I’m wearing the collar because my neck is killing me today. I’ve had chronic pain around the site of my injury since the accident. Most days it’s just a dull pain I manage to ignore, but from time to time it flares up. The collar supports my neck and it relieves the pain. I prefer wearing it over taking strong painkillers that pretty much knocks me out.”

“Ah, I see. I hope you feel better soon.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate you giving me a chance. I haven’t dated anyone after my accident. I know I’m not exactly the pick of the litter.”

“I don’t know about that,” Jenna said. “You’re handsome, easy to talk to and you have a good job. I’m willing to give us a chance if you are. We can take it slow and see where things go.”

A smile spread across Luke’s face, he seemed relieved. “I’m all for taking things slow. Come here,” he said as he somewhat awkwardly patted his lap.

Jenna was a bit nervous when she sat down in Luke’s lap and she struggled to find a comfortable position and she was startled at how thin his legs were.

“Hey, you won’t hurt me. I wouldn’t have suggested this if it wasn’t okay,” he said when he noticed she was a bit tense. Then he lifted the left armrest on his wheelchair out of the way so Jenna could sit sideways, which made it easier to find a comfortable position. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he had his arms around her waist. Tentatively she pressed her lips to his; the kiss soon deepened. When they pulled apart a few moments later Jenna kept her arms around Luke’s neck, she was idly toying with the Velcro closing on his collar.

“That was amazing,” Luke said warmly; his dark brown eyes were sparkling.

“You’re a great kisser,” Jenna whispered after a few beats of silence. Then she claimed his lips again and he eagerly reciprocated by deepening the kiss.

…

Luke had been awake for about half an hour when there was a rap on his bedroom door and as usual his assistant entered without waiting for an answer. He was surprised when Kevin entered the room. He wasn’t supposed to be on duty until the evening.

“Mornin’ Luke,” he greeted him with a smile.

“Mornin’ Kev. Um…I thought Warwick was still on duty?”

“I sent him home,” Kevin shrugged. “I know he’s not exactly your favorite and I got home early last night. I figured we could do our Sunday morning routine today.”

Luke grinned.  Kevin was not only his assistant, but also his best friend, and their Sunday morning ‘routine’ consisted of eating a greasy breakfast in their pajamas and just taking things slow.  Sometimes it was well past noon before they were both dressed and ready for the day.  The scent of bacon had penetrated the house for a few minutes, making Luke's mouth water. “You’re already cooking?”

“Yeah, I woke up early and figured I’d get started. How do you feel today?”

“I’m good, I slept really well.”  Suddenly something dawned on him. “How did your date go last night?”

“So-so. I took her to that new Mexican place on Melrose for dinner, turns out she’s not really a fan of Mexcian food.”

“Oh no, that’s a bit of a disaster,” Luke said.

“You can say that again. I don’t really feel bad about it though, because when I asked her out I also asked if there’s some kind of food she doesn’t like and she said she was game for anything.”

“That was stupid of her. If she hates Mexican food she should’ve told you.”

“Exactly, that’s what I’m thinking too.  Ready to transfer to your chair?” Kevin asked.  While they’d been talking Kevin had attached Luke’s catheter tube to an empty bed bag that was hanging from a hook on the side of his wheelchair and he’d removed Luke’s bulky overnight splints from his hands and replaced them with his daytime splints.

“Yep, I’m ready.”

Kevin got Luke settled into his wheelchair, first he fastened the trunk support strap across his chest and then the seatbelt across his lap. He left the PRAFO braces on his feet on. He’d take them off when Luke was ready for his shower.

“How’s your neck today? Need the collar or do you want a painkiller?”

“Still aches, but not nearly as bad as yesterday. Put the collar on for now, and I’ll see how I feel later. I’d like to lose it before I meet Jenna this afternoon, but I can’t take a painkiller since I’m driving. It’s not like she can pick me up. My chair definitely won’t fit in her Prius.”

“You’re seeing her again today?” Kevin asked as he fitted the foam collar around Luke’s neck. The pain subsided quickly and Luke sighed with relief.

“Yeah, we’re going down to Venice Beach, I’m picking her up at two.” Luke told Kevin as he followed him into the kitchen. He settled in by the table while Kevin loaded their plates with scrambled eggs and bacon and brought them over to the table.

“That’s awesome. I take it your date went better than mine?”

“It went surprisingly well. I decided to be really candid with her. I figured it’s better to have her bolt for the door early on than a few weeks down the road,” Luke shrugged and turned his focus to eating. 

“She wants to see you again, so that’s a good sign.”

“Yeah, we agreed to take things slow and see how it works out. I haven’t dated since my accident, so it’s kind of unchartered territory for me too.”

“Well, so far so good,” Kevin stated.

“I suppose so. I’m a bit nervous about how she’ll react to being with me in public. People do stare and I don’t exactly blend well with a crowd. I’ve gotten past caring, but I’m sure it can be uncomfortable for Jenna.”

“I know, but it’s something she’ll have to learn how to deal with,” Kevin said matter-of-factly.

“True. I just don’t wanna fuck this up. I really like Jenna and I think the feeling is mutual.”

…

Jenna double-checked the contents of the cooler; she had prepared a Ceasar salad with homemade dressing and flask of fresh lemonade. She tossed a few ice packs into it and made sure she had cutlery, glasses, napkins and straws. When she was sure she had everything she zipped the cooler closed.

She checked the time, 1:55 pm, and decided to head outside to wait for Luke; he was picking her up. She wondered what sort of car he had and how he was even able to drive. It hit her that maybe one of his assistants would drive him. Ugh, that could be awkward.

A few minutes later she got her answer when a large black van came down the street and pulled up to the curb where she was waiting; Luke rolled down the window.

“Hey,” he said with a smile. “Jump in.”

Jenna complied and settled into the front passenger seat. She looked at Luke; she realized he was sitting in his wheelchair and the van was fitted with hand controls and some other adaptations. She impulsively leaned over and kissed him.

“I can get used to this,” he said with a grin when Jenna pulled away.

“Ditto,” Jenna said with a smile as she buckled her seatbelt.

Luke pulled into the street and she looked over at him. He was wearing the same worn jeans he’d worn the previous evening, but his feet were clad in a pair of sneakers and he was wearing a light blue linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It wasn’t tucked into his jeans, so it was covering the seatbelt she knew he had across his lap. He was wearing a collar around his neck, but the one he had on was off-white instead of the black one he’d worn the previous evening.

“Your neck isn’t better today?” she asked, her voice laced with worry.

“It’s getting there. I could probably have skipped the collar this afternoon, but I know from experience that taking it off too soon can make the pain flare up again, so I’ll wear it for the rest of the day and tomorrow morning I’m probably back to normal.”

“I hope so, Luke. Being in pain sucks.”

“Thanks. I’m used to it, my neck always hurts a bit, so…” Luke shrugged a little, then he turned his attention to the cooler that was sitting on the floor between Jenna’s feet. “What’s in the cooler?”

“A late lunch. I made Ceasar salad with homemade dressing and I’ve also got a bottle of lemonade.

“Lookin’ forward to it,” Luke grinned. “You know I like chicken salads.”

…

When they reached Venice beach Luke parked his van in a handicapped space and Jenna quickly jumped out and walked around to the drivers side. She noticed that Luke looked a little self conscious as he rolled onto the lift he’d lowered from the side door and lowered himself to the ground.

“Um, I know the picnic tables here aren’t easy for me to roll up to, so would you mind grabbing that for me?” He gestured what looked like a piece of thick plexiglass that was tucked away behind the passenger seat.  You can open the door on the other side and get it out while I stow the lift away.”

Jenna nodded and a few moments later she returned to Luke carrying what she’d realized was probably sort of a tray table ha could attach to his wheelchair.

“What do you want me to do with it?”

Luke instructed her on how to attach it to the armrests of his wheelchair and when that was done he told her to hang the cooler from the handles on the back of his chair when she protested and said she’d be fine carrying it Luke shook his head and said firmly; “What kind of a gentleman would I be if I let my date carry our food? Hang the strap over the handles, it’s fine.

...

Luke couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face as he and Jenna strolled along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Jenna had grabbed his left hand with her right. It felt a bit surreal that he was walking, well rolling, hand in hand with a beautiful woman. It felt so normal.

“How about some lunch?” Jenna’s voice pulled him back to reality. “There’s an open picnic table over there, with a concrete path leading to it.”

“Sounds good to me,” replied Luke.

They made their way to the picnic table and Jenna grabbed the cooler from the back of Luke’s wheelchair and set it on the table. He watched as she unpacked the contents; there were two plastic bowls with lids on them, a smaller bowl that was also covered with a lid, a thermos and some cups and cutlery. 

Jenna popped the lids of the three bowls; the two larger ones held the salads and the smaller one held the dressing. She added about half of the dressing to each salad, popped the lids back on and gave both bowls a good shake before she removed the lids again and added a crutons and a shaving of parmesan to each salad. She placed one bowl Luke’s wheelchair tray and put a fork down next to it. Then she poured lemonade from the thermos into two thermal plastic cups with lids and slid a straw into each cup. Luke thanked her as she put a cup to the right of his salad. Then he turned his attention to getting the fork attached to his fisted fingers.

 “Wow! This is really good,” he exclaimed after a few bites.

“I’m glad you like it. The dressing is my grandma’s recipe.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had homemade Ceasar dressing before; it sure beats the store bought crap.”

“I’m glad you like it. What’s your favorite food?”

“It’s hard to pick, really. I like spicy food, especially Indian food.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had Indian food,” Jenna admitted.

“Really? We’ll have to do something about that. I’ll take you to my favorite Indian restaurant. The food is to die for and best of all; it's accessible.”

“Sounds great.”

They finished their meal in silence and after they were done Jenna packed everything into the cooler and hung on the back of Luke’s wheelchair again.

“Thanks for lunch,” Luke said as he watched her clean up.

“My pleasure. I actually love to cook, but cooking for one feels like such a waste, so I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like.”

“I like to cook too, but for the same reason as you I don’t cook very often either. Doesn’t help that Kevin is more of into calling for deliveries, I don’t manage to persuade him to cook with me very often.”

…

Jenna resumed her position on Luke’s left side and grabbed his left hand as they headed back toward his van. She noticed that people were staring at them; many of them had pity in their eyes. Jenna did her best to ignore them, but it annoyed her that people couldn’t stop themselves from gawking at them.

“You’d better get used to it,” Luke said.

“What?” Jenna didn’t quite follow him.

“The staring; that and occasional rude and ignorant comments comes with the territory of being a cripple.”

“I just can’t believe how rude some people are. Staring at us like we’re some kind of freak show.”

“I know, but it is what it is,”  Luke took a deep breath and sighed while he tried to gather his thoughts. He didn’t really know how to respond, he dealt with prejudice on a daily basis and he was finally at a point where he had stopped caring much about it. It had taken him a long time to get there and he hoped Jenna would get there too. He just hoped it wasn’t too much to ask for.

“I know it’s not pleasant, but it’s the harsh reality of how people perceive me, Jenna. Let me ask you something; what was the first thing you noticed about me?”

“Your wheelchair,” Jenna admitted. “It’s kind of hard to miss.”

“Exactly. And some people manage to get past it, I guess they just file it in the same category as the color of my eyes or what I’m wearing, and treat me normally. Others let my disability color every perception they have about me. I’ve worked for the same company for about two years now and I have several co-workers that are still as awkward around me as they were the day I started.”

Jenna didn’t answer and they continued to make their way toward Luke’s car in silence. Jenna seemed to be lost in thought.

.

…

Luke pulled up to the curb outside Jenna’s building and turned off the engine. Jenna wished their time together wasn’t coming to an end, but she had to tackle a couple of loads of laundry and she had promised her mother to call her as well.

“Thanks for a wonderful afternoon,” she said and leaned over and kissed him soundly; he eagerly reciprocated and did his best to wrap an arm around her. When they pulled apart they were both panting slightly.

“Thank you. This was definitely the best Sunday I’ve had in a long time,” Luke said sincerely.

“Will I see you at Starbuck’s tomorrow for lunch?”

“Definitely. Noon?”

“Sounds good to me. Have a good evening.”

“You too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

…to be continued…