Wheels of Love

"So... you have no life?"

"Liam is right about me. I am boring," she thought.

"Hey, whoa! I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to."

"And, pray tell, what are YOUR oh-so-incredible hobbies?"

"Does eating pizza count as a hobby?"

"More than a hobby is an unhealthy way of killing yourself slowly."

"Well, I ride my bicycle to work every day. So I burn a lot of calories while pedaling. I also take the stairs instead of the elevator."

Jenny couldn't help but think that she would never ride a bicycle again. She would never be able to ride along with Liam if they ever met.

"My other hobbies are reading classic books, playing guitar and singing. I love music. I had a rock band in high school. We were pretty good. We had our fifteen minutes of fame."

"So what happened?"

"Life happened."

Liam's answer was surprisingly short. She sensed there was more to it, but opted for a non-committal comment.

"'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans,'" Jenny typed. "Sadly life has a way of ruining our dreams."

"It sounds like you're talking by experience."

"No, no, no. I won't go there!" a voice screamed in her mind. It was amazing how easily she let her guard down when she was chatting with Liam. She opted for a generic answer again.

"We all have had our fair share of bad experiences."

"True. Some more than others."

She could have asked Liam what happened to him, but she knew it was a question that would come back to her, and she wasn't ready to disclose her disability. Not yet.

"Liam, I'm enjoying our exchange, but it's way past midnight and I need to get some sleep."

"You're spoiling all the fun, but you're right. Can you do me one last favor?"

"What is it?"

"Could you play this song? I like the idea of both of us falling asleep listening to the same song."

A YouTube link followed, and Jenny clicked on it. An old jazz tune started playing.

"Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars..." Sinatra sang.

"Sweet dreams, Jenny."

"You are all I long for all I worship and adore..."

"Sweet dreams, Liam."

CHAPTER 7

Jenny had a hard time concentrating on her classes. Liam was always in her thoughts. They messaged and talked on the phone for weeks. They had so much fun together, talking about everything and nothing and laughing about everything and nothing.

Jenny rolled her chair to join the lunch queue at the cafeteria. She had learned how to maneuver her wheelchair into the line, survey the food, make a selection, and roll her chair back to her classroom. Weather was too chilly to be outside.

She had trouble deciding what she would have for dessert, so she took her phone out of her purse and texted Liam.

"Are you on your lunch break?"

"Yep. Good timing."

"I need your help. Cake, brownies, ice cream? GO!

"What?"

"Pick one! Hurry! A queue is forming behind me!"

"Ah, tough call. How about... a brownie cake with ice cream?"

"I think I just came."

"I am known for my skills."

"Stop it! I'm in my school. Save that talk for later."

"Wait...really?" He added an emoji with eyes opened with surprise.

"OMG! Of course not, pervert!"

"YOU STARTED IT!"

"I need you to pick between cake, brownies, and ice cream."

"Umm...brownies. With chocolate and vanilla ice cream on top. Chocolate sauce drizzled over it. And sprinkles."

"I hate you. I put it all in my cart. It will be your fault when I fall into a sugar coma."

"You can thank me later."

"You promise to come to my funeral?"

"I'll recount all the marvelous memories we've had together, including where I gently pushed you to feast upon magical desserts. I'll lean down to your casket and whisper, 'You're welcome.'"

Jenny picked up the brownie and apologized to the students behind her, and wheeled herself back to her class.

"You are incredibly exhausting," she typed.

"But still awesome."

Liam always managed to make her smile, or laugh like she was laughing now, leaning helplessly against her phone.

"And humble. We can't forget that one. Did you pick the brownie?" he asked her.

Jennie took a photo of the half-eaten brownie and sent it to Liam.

"Are we starting a sex convo? Okay, you showed me yours, I'll show you mine."

Jenny's phone pinged and she cautiously opened the attachment to see a picture of a tongue licking a cone of ice cream. Below the pic, it read, "BESTIES FOR LIFE."

"Are you talking about the ice cream or us?"

"Ummm... Tough choice. Can it be both?"

"No, pick one."

"You're killing me, Jenny. What kind of ice cream are we talking about?"

Jenny laughed and typed, "Oh, my God! You are impossible!"

"I know! I stay up chatting with a beautiful girl I met online, and sleep through all my classes the next day."

"How do you know I am beautiful? I could be a hideous hag with a face reminiscent of a frog's behind!"

"I don't need to see you to know you are beautiful. How could you be hideous with such a kind heart and beautiful voice?"

Jenny's heart jumped a little. "Could it be true? Could Liam love her for her soul? Wouldn't he mind her useless legs?"

"You say that because you're trying to get inside my panties," Jenny typed with trembling fingers.

"Is it working?" he replied. She laughed at that, and sent an emoji rolling its eyes.

"Well, it may work on other girls, but you need another angle with me."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that I like romance."

"Romance, huh? Maybe it's time to meet face-to-face. It's hard to romance someone on the phone."

A quiver of panic ran through Jenny's body. She put her hand to her chest and felt the pounding beneath her palm. She could barely breathe.

Liam had no idea how badly she wanted to meet him in person. She had never met anyone like him. She realized she had fallen for him. How could she not? He was nice and witty. He had a sense of humor, something she appreciated, and he was honest.

"Far more honest than I am," she thought

They couldn't meet in person, not yet.

She had to find a valid reason to postpone their meeting. She watched through the window. The chilly wind was shaking the empty branches of a tree.

"The weather is so unpredictable in winter around here. I wouldn't want you to get stuck in the snow, or get a cold," she finally typed.

It was a lame excuse and she knew it. Liam wouldn't mind the cold. She wouldn't either if roles were reversed.

Her heart sank when she read his message.

"Okay, Jenny, the ball is in your court now. I have to go. Bye."

Obviously, Liam didn't believe her. For that, she could hardly blame him. She wouldn't believe herself either.

She had hurt him. She hated herself for that. And for being such a coward.

CHAPTER 8

A couple of weeks later, Kara entered Jenny's room and sat on her bed. Jenny quickly hid her phone from her.

"Come on, Sis. Spill it!"

"What do you mean?" Jenny asked, trying to act innocent.

"You don't fool me one bit. Time to come clean. This is the happiest I have seen you since the accident. Who is he?"

"Who is who?" Jenny said, still trying to act as if nothing unusual was happening.

Kara snorted. "The guy who has you all smiley."

Jenny knew she couldn't fool her sister.

"His name is Liam. He is just someone who met online."

"Aha! So there was someone!" Kara beamed at her sister. "And, you're..."

"Texting," Jenny completed the sentence.

"Just texting? Wait--have you ever seen a pic of this guy?"

"No. We haven't exchanged pictures. He didn't ask for one, so I didn't either."

"Why not?"

Jenny pointed at her legs. "Because I don't want to ruin things between us."

"You didn't tell him you're in a wheelchair," Kara said, shaking her head. The tone of her voice was accusing.

Jenny looked at the floor, "No, I didn't."

"Jen, you care about this guy."

"I do, but I told you, he is just a friend."

"Yeah, right. And I'm just your roommate. If you want to be happy, you need to start being honest with yourself, Jen. You have feelings for this guy."

Jenny shrugged, admitting nothing. This was the reason why Jenny hadn't told Kara about Liam. She wanted him to be her secret. She didn't want the family's comments. She wanted to keep Liam all to herself.

However, Kara was right. There was this pull to Liam. He made her feel special. He was the one she turned to when she needed a laugh. He made her heart race with anticipation any time she talked or texted with him.

He was the first person she texted in the morning when she woke up, the last person she texted before she went to sleep

"Earth to Jen."

"I'm sorry, Sis. I zoned out for a moment."

"I asked you how exactly did you start this... texting relationship with this mystery guy?"

"I met him playing Scrabble online. We clicked, and he gave me his phone number. I called him and, well, we started chatting and talking- It has been going on for weeks now."

"Texting like... naughty stuff? Please, Jen, remember this person you meet online, however familiar he may seem to you, is a stranger"

Jenny pushed her sister, laughing, "No, not naughty stuff. Normal things. We share jokes, and thoughts, and music links. He helps decide what to have for dessert at school."

"You were always terrible at that," Kara said.

"I know. We're having fun, keeping it casual, not labeling anything--not that there is anything to label. We're--"

"Getting to know each other?"

"That sounds about right."

"Is he single?"

"I think so. His Scrabble game profile stated he was." Jenny made a mental note to bring up the subject the next time she talked with Liam.

"Not the most reliable source of information about a person. Most people lie about themselves online."

Jenny sighed. Kara was right. She was living proof of that.

"Are you going to meet him?" Kara asked.

"I don't know. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I feel I want to meet him in person and see what will happen, but on the other, I'm afraid to cross that line. I'm... I'm afraid of being rejected again."

"Awww, Sis," Kara hugged her sister tightly. "If he already knows the amazing person you are, he won't mind you being in a wheelchair."

Jenny was now on the brink of tears. "How can you be sure about that?"

Kara sighed. "Just a hunch. But, you need to come clean with him asap."

CHAPTER 9

It was Saturday night and Jenny was in her room, lying on her back, listening to some music links Liam had sent her. She couldn't help but check her phone every five minutes waiting for a text from Liam. She had sent him a brief text a couple of hours ago, just a 'Hey! Are you up for a game of Scrabble?', and had been waiting for a reply since then.

"I'm pathetic," she said aloud, "Why don't I just call him?"

She gathered some courage and hit the icon. The phone rang a couple of times before Liam picked it up. There was a lot of background noise. It sounded like he was at a party.

"Hi, Jenny," he yelled. "Let me look for a quiet corner."

It was a miracle she could hear him over whatever was going on in the background.

"Hi, again. I went out to get some fresh air. How are you?"

"Bored," she said honestly.

"There is nothing inherently wrong with being bored. Believe it or not, I'm bored too."

"It doesn't sound like you're bored."

"I am hanging out at a bar with some colleagues from work. If not, I'd love to get bored with you. Between you and me, crowded and smoky bars are not my scene. Never have been, but they think I need to get out and get back in the saddle after my breakup."

That piece of news caught Jenny's attention. It was an encouraging detail.

"Stop it, you idiot! Hope is a luxury you can't afford. You and Liam will never be together as a couple!" a voice yelled in her head.

"I went through one of those, too. Is it something recent?" she asked, trying not to sound too interested.

Liam's voice sounded more serious than his usual self. "Ish? The night you first called me was when we broke up."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Who broke up with whom?"

"She did."

"May I ask what went wrong?"

"It's a long, fascinating story. Perhaps I'll tell you about it another time." Liam's voice had recovered his usual playful tone. "Your interest in my love life is cute, Jenny. Are you already falling for me?"

"YES!" she screamed in her mind. "Not exactly. I'm looking for a boy toy, and I was checking if you could apply for the role."

"Boy toy! Interesting... Maybe we could strip together at your club."

They both laughed.

Jenny heard the sound of steps, and then a slurred male voice saying, "Liam, stop looking at your phone and be in the moment with us, man. You've barely downed three drinks in the hour since we arrived."

She heard Liam's voice saying, "I'll be with you in a minute, Andrew." Then, he whispered, "Sorry about that, Jen. These idiots brought me out. Deemed it 'good for me'."

She loved when he called her Jen. Made her feel special.

"Help you heal your broken heart with alcohol?" Jenny offered.

"Supposedly. Every time I try to explain to them that I'm fine and feel good about the split, it's a waste of breath. Shit! That sounded horrible. I didn't mean it like I don't care or anything like that. It's--"

"I know exactly what you meant, Liam. I'm the last person you need to explain anything to. I understand."

"Thank you. I felt like an ass for a moment there."

"Just a moment?" she teased him.

Liam ignored her jab and asked. "So, you went through a recent breakup, too?"

"A breakup, yes. Not so recent though." Jenny pressed her lips together as if forcing herself to not say anything else. "Are you behaving yourself?"

"Define 'behaving.'"

"Not doing shots off the waitress's stomach. Not making out with a strange woman that turns out to be a man. Getting a weird tattoo."

"That's quite a list. The answers are no, no, and hell no. Did that last one happen to you?"

"I had to witness it, if that counts for anything. A girl I met in college was a bit... let's say social."

"I'm mainly babysitting here tonight. I plan to drag my colleague's asses out of here at a decent time. After taking pics, of course. I plan to use them to blackmail them. I'm still refusing to anchor."

"You're evil," she giggled.

Before Liam could answer, a male voice sounded loud and clear again, "Could you drop that darn phone, Liam? Here, have another drink..."

Jenny heard a muffled sound of struggle and then the call ended.

There was a knock on Jenny's room's door, and she said, "Come on in, Kara."

"Are you okay? I heard you talking and I came to check on you."

"Yeah, I was talking with Liam," Jenny's face lit up with a smile. "He told me he likes to get bored with me."

"Wow. Sounds like a keeper," Kara exclaimed, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "What kind of man tells a girl she's boring? How will that help him score any points?"

Jenny smiled at her younger sister. "One, Liam is not trying to jump into my pants, so there's no need to score points. Two, it was a compliment. He knows I like stuff other people find boring, like staying at home cuddled up on the couch watching a chick flick surrounded by junk food. I'm not wild. Not anymore. I like to read. I play games online. I like being bored. It's... comforting. One day you'll get it, Sis."

"I always did like how comfortable in your skin you are. You never try to come up with something clever when people ask about your life," Kara said proudly.

"Thank you, Sis." Both sisters hugged tightly. "I could never thank you enough for everything you have done for me."

Kara playfully punched Jenny's arm. "That's what younger sisters are for."

Jenny's phone started ringing again, and Jenny saw it was Liam.

For a moment, all she could hear was a chorus of male voices chanting in unison, "Shots, shots, shots!"

"Liam, are you there? Liam!" Jenny screamed into the phone.

"Hey, gorgeous," he greeted her. His tone was amused, his voice slurred and drowsy.

"Liam, be a dear and grab our shots," a female voice asked. Jenny felt a pang of jealousy that reverberated through her entire being.

"I'll puke if I have another shot, Sandra."

"That's not an excuse. You never go out. This is supposed to be your night out to forget that snob idiot who dumped your ass," Sandra insisted. "Andrew get two more shots!"

"Can you give me some privacy, Sandra, I'm on a call."

Jenny heard background noise for a couple of seconds.

"Hi, Jen. Sorry about that. Pray for me. Sandra wants to do shots," Liam sounded positively drunk. "She is the gym teacher."

"Shots are never a smart idea. Listen, Liam. Do you have a designated driver?"

Liam made a pause as if he was looking around, and then he said, "I think he passed out. Don't worry. I'll manage to get home."

"No, no, no, no! This is all wrong!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Jenny, you need to tell him," Kara whispered to her sister.

Jenny nodded.

"Liam, listen to me. Pay attention, please! This is serious. A friend of mine was in the same situation you are in now. She and her friends went out and got drunk. One of them got behind the wheel. He was in no condition to drive. None of them put on their seat belts. There was an accident. The driver killed himself and my friend ended up in a wheelchair. She was paralyzed because no one had the guts to say 'No, you're not okay to drive.'"

Kara caught Jenny's eye and mouthed, 'Coward.'

Jenny ignored her sister.

"Liam, did you hear what I said?" She asked, raising her voice.

"Yes, Mom, I heard you!" he laughed a drunken laugh. "If you drink, don't drive."

"That's right. You should call a cab. And let me know when you get home."

"Will do."

"Promise?"

"Promise... Where is my wallet?!"

"Liam, what's going on?"

"I can't find my wallet! I had it in my back pocket!" Liam's voice sounded agitated.

Jenny heard a slurred male voice say over the speaker "I'll drive you home, Liam. It's just a few blocks."

"NO! YOU ARE NOT CLIMBING INTO THAT CAR!" Jenny screamed.

"Okay... Sorry, Andrew, my mom doesn't let me ride with you..." Liam said to this Andrew guy.

"Where are you, Liam?" Jenny asked.

"Why? Are you coming to fetch me? How do you know we even live in the same state?"

"We do. You live in Tacoma. The Scrabble game, remember? Besides, I can see your area code on my phone. We aren't that far from one another."

"No way? I never even thought to investigate," Liam slurred. "Clever girl."

"Now, where exactly are you?"

"The Mule Tavern, Mom."

"Give me five minutes."

The noise of the bar came back in full force. Jenny looked at her sister and she went out of the room to grab her phone. Kara came back in a minute and whispered, "It's done."

"Listen, Liam, a cabbie will be there in five minutes. He'll help you get you and your colleagues in the car. The fare and tip are all taken care of. If he doesn't arrive, call me and I'll handle it."

"Jenny, you didn't have to do that!" Liam's voice sounded more alert now.

"Are you kidding me? Did you hear what I told you? I wasn't going to let you climb in a car full of drunkards, so I went with the next best option."

"You'd have driven all the way here just to take me home?

"In a damn heartbeat."

"You're sweet..." he slurred. "Oh, the cab is here! Thank you, Jenny. I owe you one, sweetie."

The call ended and Jenny let out a sigh of relief.

"You did a good thing today," Kara approved. "Except for the part when you chickened out and didn't tell Liam that the girl in the accident was you."

"It wasn't the right time, Kara. He was drunk. He won't remember a thing tomorrow," Jenny looked away with shiny eyes.

"I won't argue with you about that, but you're playing with fire. The longer you wait, the more upset I think Liam will be. I don't think he'll appreciate finding out about your disability in your first meeting face to face."