by S. E. Law
14
Ridge
It’s been a little over two months since I first met Summer, and she’s constantly on my mind.
Our daily physical therapy sessions have been sheer torture. I touch her sweet curves, massage her muscles, and stare as she exercises, but I can’t do anything about it. I’m forced to use my imagination, and I do that plenty, believe me. Every night before I go to sleep, I picture her as I rub one out. Sometimes I do the same in the shower in the morning, and on the couch during my days off. It’s getting ridiculous. Summer’s my drug, and I’m utterly addicted.
Today was one of the worst days in a while. Since moving home a couple weeks ago, Summer stopped wearing hospital gowns or sweatpants when she comes to see me. Some days she still does, and it’s a visual reminder that the accident didn’t just affect her physically, but mentally too.
But for the last two weeks, the majority of Summer’s outfits have included jeans that hug her curves so tight they’re basically a second skin. That first day I saw her in those painted-on denims, I had to excuse myself to the bathroom to think of grandmas and dead puppies so she wouldn’t see how turned on I was. Embarrassing.
And today? Even crazier. Summer wheeled herself into the PT room in a sundress that was made for her curves. The straps were thin, and the yellow fabric popped against her tan skin. The skirt flowed over her legs and just the sight made me want to slide my hands up under the hem. My mind raced with visions of her panties. Would they be sweet and virginal, made of white cotton cloth? Or would they be fire-engine red, with just a scrap of lace running between her generous cheeks?
My white doctor coat hid my growing erection, thankfully, and Summer was none the wiser when I had her do her stretches on her own while I tried to cool myself down. Fuck. What to do? There don’t seem to be any solutions, short of becoming a monk.
Locking the door behind me, I head for my car. I agreed to the DD Bar tonight so Leo can enjoy himself. He’s been on call the last three weekends, so it’s his turn to enjoy life, because starting today, he’s on his two-week vacation.
Surprisingly, Leo’s waiting outside his house when I pull up.
“Thanks for driving, man,” he says in greeting.
“No problem.”
We head over to the bar, classic rock low on the radio. I just saw Leo for lunch earlier today, so there’s not much to say.
“Man, I am so glad to be out of that hell hole for two weeks.”
I laugh. Leo can always fill silence.
“What are you doing with your two weeks off, anyway?”
“The world is my oyster!” he shouts through his open window. “But really, I have no idea, and that’s exactly how I like it. No plans, no schedules, no beeper. Just me, a few six packs, and no responsibilities.”
“Beeper? What is this, the 90’s?”
He flips me the bird. “Screw you. You know what I mean.”
We don’t use beepers or pagers. All the on-call doctors have hospital issued cell phones. Everyone else is on their own.
The bar comes up on the right, and Leo gets restless, sitting up straight in the passenger seat.
“I’m so ready for this, man. I can’t remember the last time I had a beer.” It was four weeks ago, his last weekend off, but I don’t bother reminding him.
Our other buddies are already waiting for us inside. We’re back at a not-so-new billiards bar that we’ve chosen as our latest haunt. It’s better than the dive we’d been going to since med school because I got real sick of being hit on by twenty-year-old airheads. I’m too old for that shit.
Evan and Tommy clap our backs when we walk in.
“Took you long enough.”
Leo holds his hands up in defense. “I was ready. Ridge was the one who was late.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s barely after eight.”
It’s eight fifteen, but I was a little busy thinking about Summer before I left. I lost track of time as I dreamed about the sweet girl moaning in my arms. If they got even one glimpse of the curvy vixen, they’d understand.
But since they can’t know about her, I keep my mouth shut. That’s another thing they’d never let me live down: lusting over my patient. I’m the one always saying that professionalism comes first, and here I am fantasizing about Summer.
Damn, how the mighty have fallen.
“How ‘bout a round?” Leo asks the table. I can have a beer and be fine to drive in a few hours, so I agree to this first one. I’ll nurse it all night, enjoying the taste without the inebriation.
Leo orders a round of the craft he saw on tap. It tastes the same to me, so I don’t really care, but Evan is a beer snob. He sips carefully, nods, and takes a bigger swallow. It must be good if he’s accepting it.
Beers in hand, we stake our claim at an empty pool table and get a round going. I team up with Leo this time, who is on his third drink by his second turn. Clearly, this is going to be a long night. Leo doesn’t get to let loose often, so when he does, he goes hard.
Leo and I win the first round. While Evan and Tommy set up the table for a rematch, Leo heads for the bar. I follow him to make sure he doesn’t get himself into any trouble.
“Another?” the bartender asks. She cute, and sure enough, Leo ogles her as he nods. Her cleavage drips from her low-cut shirt as she pours him another round.
“You’re a doll,” he says, tossing a few bills on the counter. Fortunately, it doesn’t go further.
Back at the table, Evan has broken terribly, leaving me a bunch of easy shots to take. I land the first two balls before missing on the third. Evan takes his turn, scratching. I need better friends if I’m going to keep playing pool. Winning so easily gets boring after a while.
After killing Evan and Tommy twice, we decide to head back to our table and order some food.
“I’m starving,” Leo slurs, already feeling the effects of his intoxication. “I haven’t eaten all day.”
“You had lunch,” I point out. We ate at Sam’s at eleven, before Leo’s last surgery of the day.
“That was at least five hours ago,” he whines. “I’m starving.”
Food will hopefully soak up some of the alcohol, so I order a round of nachos, wings, and fries for the table. I get larges of all three, knowing my friends can be utter pigs.
As expected, the food disappears as quickly as it arrives. I order another round of nachos for my drunken buddies, and sit back to enjoy the show.
I’ve never been big on getting wasted. I like a beer now and then, maybe even some whiskey if it’s been a bad week, but I’m good being mostly sober most of the time. I like it because it gives me a chance to observe, and tonight is no exception.
Leo tries to throw fries into Evan’s mouth, missing every time. Tommy ignores them both, focusing on his phone, playing some game that has a lot of brightly-colored fruits. It’s a normal night out for us. Their antics are interesting, but not enough to keep my attention.
My mind drifts back to Summer.
What is she doing tonight? She never mentions her personal life during our sessions. A couple times she’s slipped and made a comment about her friends, but she keeps herself closed off. Does she have a boyfriend? That’s the burning question.
Shit. It’s possible, after all, and that would be so depressing. I’m over here unable to get her off my mind, while she’s hooking up with some other guy.
“Dude,” Leo says. He’s trying to whisper, but it comes out at full volume. “Check out the crew that just walked in.”
We swivel our heads to the door. A group of three women, probably a few years younger than us, looks around, trying to find a table.
Once Leo sets his sights on someone, he’s a goner. His pupils widen as his eyes focus on the tall blonde in the center of the group and then sure enough, he lurches to his feet and stumbles over to her. We’re close enough to hear him introduce himself.
“I’m Leo,” he says casually.
“Cat,” she simpers with a red-
lipsticked smile. “These are my friends Darcy and Lane.”
“Nice to meet you. My buddies over there are Ridge, Evan, and Tommy.”
They nod in our direction and we nod back. To my surprise, after a quick, quiet conversation, Leo is back at our table.
“Alright, Cat’s mine, but she said Darcy is eyeing you, Ridge.”
“Not interested,” I say immediately.
Leo stares at me. “Dude, you’re single. You can hook up with anyone you want. Have you seen her? She’s hot.”
Darcy is good looking with her long hair and sleek body, but she’s not my type. She’s not Summer.
“Um, no thanks. You better go before Cat finds someone new.”
Leo glances over his shoulder. Cat and her friends have moved to a new table, and the other guys in this bar have their eyes on the fresh meat.
Leo implores, “Come with me to talk to them, dude. I’m begging you. I don’t know why you’re moping around when you don’t have some chick tying you down anymore. Live a little!”
“Just drop it, Leo,” I say with disgust.
“I don’t drop things, I pick them up.” He probably thinks this sounds snappy, when really it sounds lame. But he’s not giving up. “Look at the friend. You’re really not gonna hook up with Darcy tonight?”
I don’t have to look again to answer. “I’m not hooking up with anyone tonight.”
“Why not?”
“Shut up, Leo.”
“Tell me why.”
“Because there’s someone else!” I finally shout, fed up with his questioning.
Leo blinks at me a few times. “Really? Why didn’t you say? Who is she?”
Evan and Tommy are back at the bar, so I’m alone with Leo. He’s so drunk that he’ll probably forget tomorrow, anyway.
“Her name is Summer, and she’s one of my patients.”
His face lights up. “I knew you were hooking up with a patient! Way to go, big boy!”
I shush him, frantically looking around. I don’t see anyone from the hospital, but you never know. The hospital board could be lurking. “I’m not hooking up with her.”
“Damn, my man. Why not?”
“Because she’s my patient, what else?”
Leo waggles his tongue.
“Not for long though, right? You’re in PT. Can you hook up after her sessions end?”
If only. “It’s still a gray area, and she’ll likely be my patient for a long time. She’s paralyzed and we think it’s psychosomatic.”
“Oh, damn.” He thinks for a minute. “Go for it anyway. What do you have to lose?”
I squint at him.
“My license, for one?”
Leo huffs a sigh.
“Do you really like her?”
I don’t answer at first. I’ve only known Summer for about two months but she’s sexy and sweet. We may not talk about her personal life, but we always talk about random things like current events, the latest movies, and all that good stuff. She’s taken up more space in my mind than Candy ever did. “Yeah, I do like her.”
“Then I don’t see the problem, man. If I were you, I’d go for it.”
He leaves me with that thought and stumbles away to talk with his new conquest. I watch him depart and think a bit about what he’s said. Even drunk, Leo is always sincere. He really would go for Summer if he were in the same situation. So what’s wrong with me? Why won’t I do it? Oh that’s right, because I have ethics. I’m insanely attracted to the curvy girl, but something called a conscience and a medical license are stopping me. So what do I do next? I want her, but is she really out of reach?
15
Summer
“I’m glad to see you so excited for physical therapy,” Danielle remarks when I wheel myself towards the hospital entrance. “I don’t think I’ve seen you smile that big since I’ve known you.”
I quickly hide my grin. I didn’t mean for anyone to notice my excitement, considering it’s entirely due to the physical therapist and not the therapy itself.
“No, no, don’t frown now. I know you’re capable of smiling so I’m going to expect it from here on out.”
I can’t help but laugh. It’s been a little over two months since the accident, and I’ve started to feel better emotionally. It helps that I’ve seen Ridge five days a week almost every week because he definitely brings light into my life. He’s insanely hot with intense blue eyes and a sharp mind too. We’ve been chatting about all sorts of things, and he’s smart with insightful comments and an incredible sense of humor. What woman wouldn’t fall head over heels with him?
“That’s my girl,” Danielle says. “But just to let you know, Dr. Maddox is running a bit behind schedule today, which is fine because Dr. Rogers wants to do another X-ray on your wrist to make sure it’s totally healed up.
I scrunch my nose.
“Another one? I thought we were done with those last time.”
She shrugs. “Doctor’s orders. I’m supposed to bring you down to radiology.”
It’s not like I can argue with Danielle. If the doctor wants an x-ray, then he’ll get an x-ray. Fine. But as I wheel myself down the hallway, I know it has something to do with their suspicion that my injury is psychosomatic. After all, I’ve had x-rays, CT scans, MRIs and every other scan in the world. There’s still no physical reason why my legs won’t work.
In fact, my team of doctors want me to consider going to a psychiatrist if Ridge’s efforts don’t start working soon. Can you imagine it? They want me to see a shrink but I don’t see how talking to someone is going to help make my legs work again. It’s not about any childhood trauma, okay? I just want Ridge’s exercise plan to get me into a place where it doesn’t come to that.
On the radiology floor, I follow Danielle towards a private room where they’ll x-ray my wrist. I’m a pro at this by now, so it only takes a few minutes for them to get the weird heavy apron on me and my arm set at just the right angle for the x-ray.
“Smile for the camera!” the technician says from her safe post outside the door. The machines click a few times, and she walks back in to get me out of the lead contraption. “You can go ahead into the doctor’s office while we prepare the scans.”
I check the time. It’s twenty minutes after my physical therapy was supposed to start. Am I going to miss out on a session because of this pointless x-ray? I hope not. It’s Monday and I haven’t seen Ridge since Friday. I really want to feel his hands on me.
“Summer!” Dr. Rogers says, spotting me outside his makeshift office. I know from experience that his real office is upstairs, but he uses a pop up one down here in radiology when he has to go over scans with patients. The x-ray technician scurries into the office holding a manila envelope with my name on it, and Dr. Rogers puts the x-rays up on his light-up board and examines them. They look like bones to me. Nothing more, nothing less.
But Dr. Rogers nods and turns to me with a smile.
“This looks great, Summer. I was worries about you wheeling yourself around because that can put a strain on recently injured bones. Have you had any pain?”
“Not in the last couple of weeks,” I say. “It hurt for a week or two after I got the cast off, but it feels fine now.”
“Excellent. Thank you for coming down here to verify. Your wrist is in tip-top shape.”
“Thanks for double checking,” I say.
Danielle appears in the door. “Good news! Dr. Maddox is ready for you. Shall we?”
I keep my body language as casual as possible even if inside, I’m vibrating with anticipation.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
She gives me a weird look. Is it possible that she knows about my crush on Ridge? I thought I was being really covert about it, but she’s staring at me like she can see into my soul. “Let’s go, then.”
“That’s okay, I can go by myself. You don’t need to escort me.”
Danielle rolls her eyes while we wait for the elevator. “And miss out on talking to m
y favorite patient? Not a chance.”
“I bet you say that to all your patients,” I quip. Danielle winks.
“Shh, I don’t want the others to hear.”
I laugh again. There’s something about this nurse that makes me want to be a better person. Sure, she may be a bit too bubbly for my taste, but she means well and I’m glad she’s my nurse.
It does make me wonder, though. Did I annoy people the way Danielle sometimes annoys me? Was I overly bubbly during my job at Lalique? It’s definitely food for thought.
The elevator dings, alerting us to our arrival on the third floor. I wheel myself ahead of Danielle so she can’t see my blush as my heart races with excitement. I’m going to see Ridge again! I hate the weekends because I have to go two full days without seeing the gorgeous man, even if that sounds pathetic. I wonder if they offer physical therapy on weekends? I wouldn’t mind seven days in a room with Ridge, come to think of it. Or my entire life.
The physical therapy door is open and Ridge welcomes us with a smile. Oddly, Danielle only sort-of smiles back, which isn’t like her usual sunny self.
“I’ll be here to get you in an hour,” she says, turning towards me. But somehow, her words feel more like a warning than a promise. “Then the van will take you to your apartment.”
We’ve been through this before like a hundred times already, but I nod like it’s the first time. “Thanks for bringing me here, Danielle. It was good to see you.”
“You’ll see me again in an hour,” she reminds me. “Have a great session.”
With that, the nurse leaves for the elevators, and I wheel myself into the room.
“Hey Summer. It’s good to see you again. Sorry I’m running a little late. My first patient was late and my second ran over, so my whole day is off.”