Without You I Have Nothing (18 page)

_{“I’ll be gone in a
moment or two. Just let me rest for a while.”}

_{“You're going nowhere.
You're so drunk you can’t even recognize your own apartment.”  For such a
delicate young woman, half Peter’s size, Jennifer knew how to be bossy. “Stand
up, you drunk.”}

_{The laughter in her
words told Peter she was teasing. “What a pitiful sight you are. Lean on me. You’ll
be more comfortable in here.”}

_{Jennifer pushed and
pulled him until he sank into the incredible softness of his bed. There he lay
motionless. She tugged his shoes free and a cool hand swept his hair back from
his eyes. Delicate fingers traced a path across his cheek. The sound of drawers
opening, the rustle of clothing and the spatter of a shower didn’t disturb him.
He was just too drunk to care.}

_{Her warm voice asked,
“Are you all right?”}

_{“My head’s still
on.”  His speech was slurred. “But the bed is rocking. If only the bed would
remain still I’d be perfectly all right.”}

_{“You can’t drink, can
you?”  There was a delicious tinkle to her laugh.}

_{“I don’t know what
came over me. Usually I'm so careful.”  It was difficult getting to his feet
and standing until Jennifer put her arms around him. Automatically, Peter put
his lips to her hair. “Jennifer, I...”}

_{“Stop that,” she
giggled. “You're in no fit state.”  Her push was enough to topple Peter back
onto the bed but he dragged her down with him. “Hey, what do you think you're
doing?”  She was worried, “I didn’t bring you home so you could get...”}

_{“Up to funny
business?”  Peter smiled through those last words. With his arms around her,
his lips on her neck and breathing in her female essence, he passed out.}

_{Sunlight streaming
into his eyes brought Peter around.}

_{Into the pain flooded
the thought, 'My head aches. Who opened the drapes?  The light is too strong.’ 
The thoughts seemed to pound behind his eyes like a blacksmith’s hammer forging
a horseshoe as he staggered under the shower.}

_{He knew his hangover
was causing pain. With the hot needles of spray stabbing his skin, he retraced
the events of the previous night.}

_{'Can’t I get anything
right?  I’ve insulted the one girl who attracted me, whose friendship I want -
no, I need,' Peter actually smiled as he corrected himself. 'Maybe I need more
than her friendship,' he admitted to himself. Pushing that thought aside, he
was too much of a coward to give it room.}

_{‘That girl, I could
only insult by getting drunk. The best thing would be a note of apology,
possibly a gift of flowers and chocolates to say sorry and then never inflict
my boorish presence on her again. Yes,’ Peter straightened. He had made a
decision. ‘That’d be best. I’ll send that note with a present and not see her
again.'}

_{His rumbling stomach
drove him out of the shower. With a shave coat wrapped tightly about him, he
walked towards the kitchen and glanced into what he had come to consider as
Jennifer’s room.}

_{Shocked out of his
hangover, he stood rock still. ‘My God, Jennifer is asleep in the twin bed. She
hasn’t deserted me,’ his mind rejoiced at the thought}

_{Her hair, like an
auburn halo, spread across the pillow and one arm stretched across the blankets.
Her face was relaxed in sleep but what really drew his eyes was her nightdress.
The top sagged open as her small body relaxed inside and the rounded swell of
her breasts was just visible. Pearly white, the flesh contrasted with the light
tan where her swimming costume ended. Peter stood still, hardly daring to
breathe, drinking in the scene of promised delights at hand before coming to
his senses,}

_{“Come on, sleepy
head, wake up.”  His gruff voice roused her.}

_{Slowly she opened one
eye. Then she jerked the second open.}

_{“Put this over you,”
Peter handed her a robe from her cupboard, “otherwise with this hangover, I
might forget I'm trying to be a gentleman.”}

_{Jennifer gasped,
pulling the sheet to her neck.}

_{“Besides you make
that night dress look like the latest Paris Evening dress.”  Grinning, Peter
bent low to kiss her forehead.}

_{Blushing, she
understood from his smile he had seen more than she intended.}

_{A few minutes later,
he was back. “Here is some tea, toast and tomato juice. Sorry, there’s not more
but I’ve been so busy I'm like Mother Hubbard. I’ll have to shop this morning
if my head stops aching so I can think.”}

_{They chattered and
ate while he struggled to keep his eyes from wandering as the sheet slowly slid
from under her chin. He obviously failed as Jennifer slapped him on the arm. “Your
eyes will fall out if you stare,” she admonished him as she tugged the sheet
back up.}

_{“Jennifer, there’s
something I must say.”  She tried to interrupt but Peter ignored her, “About
that bet. It just happened. Bob was boasting and I got cranky. He always talks
about how successful he is with women while I...”  His tongue failed him.}

_{“I know all about the
bet.”  She stiffened as she spoke.}

_{“No, you don’t. You're
not within a bull’s roar. You could never know the truth. I’ve never had a date.
I’ve never had anyone I could call mine. Not ever!  When Bob and Ted bet me, I
was so angry. I wanted to see you again and again and again and I exploded
without thinking and accepted the bet.”}

_{Her eyes widened but
she didn’t try to interrupt.}

_{“I didn’t mean to
hurt you. I wouldn’t do that for anything. I’d rather hurt myself. I hurt you
then, and embarrassed you last night. The one person in the world who means so
much to me, the one person I want to call mine... I'm such a fool.”}

_{‘The one person he
wants to call his own.’  Jennifer’s mind reeled at the revelation. ‘This great
loveable bear of a man who has wormed his way into my heart has just made a
serious admission.’  She continued staring at Peter for a few moments as if
trying to assess his words, then gave him a push off the bed.}

_{“Look at the time. I
must fly, get out while I dress.”}

_{She saw Peter’s eyes
cloud as she insisted on leaving. “Don’t get angry but I have a date and so
have you.”}

_{Peter’s spirits
lifted only to crash.}

_{“You're playing
tennis.”}

_{“I don’t know if I’ll
go.”  Peter searched for an excuse to retreat into his loneliness again.}

_{“You’ll go if you
know what’s good for you - you great bear.”  Her eyes twinkled merrily. “If you
don’t go I’ll be back to thump some sense into that thick head of yours.”}

_{“Promise?”  Peter
grinned. “The thought makes my mouth water. I’d have to protect myself and...”}

_{“Take that look off
your face or I’ll get frightened,” Jennifer hugged a pillow to herself in mock
alarm. “The twinkle in your eyes is so mischievous that...”  She did not finish.
“Oh, get out. I'm getting up.”}

_{It was just a few
hours later, when Bob and Ted drove into the car park at the tennis club and
parked beside Peter where his taxi had dropped him. Together the three friends
walked to the clubhouse.}

_{“How’s the head?” 
Playfully, Bob slapped Peter’s shoulder. “Three whiskeys and you were paralytic.
God, you must be the cheapest drunk in town.”}

_{“And you must be the
biggest fool,” Ted was still annoyed. “Fancy giving Peter three whiskeys. You
should have more sense, especially when he is so interested in Jennifer.”}

_{Peter reddened and
spluttered a denial - but Ted, ignoring him, continued. “Oh, don’t deny it. We're
not blind. Everyone knows it but you.”}

_{“How did you get on
last night?”  Bob leered, wanting a running commentary on Peter’s progress. Then
without waiting for an answer, added, “No wonder you’ve got a spring in your
step.”}

_{“Peter was far too
drunk. Even a fool like you should know that,” Ted firmly closed the subject.}

_{“I’d like you three
ruffians to meet a new club member,” the President took them into the Members'
Lounge. “I don’t want any of you criminals dragging her off into a dark corner.
She’s here to play...,” he paused and grinned before adding, “tennis.”}

_{He knew of their
escapades at the Christmas Party when Bob had pinned some mistletoe in the most
remote corner of the clubhouse and they had vied with each other to take every
female at the party under the mistletoe. Bob even managed to get the
President’s wife there under the pretext of discovering some vandalism.}

_{The group of players
parted and the President introduced them to Jennifer.}

_{“Oh, I’ve already met
these ruffians.”  Her laugh at Peter’s surprise was delicious. “I'm so pleased
you’ve recovered. You look almost like a new person from the last time I saw
you.”}

_{Obviously, she did
not want the others to know where she had spent the night - not that anything
had happened.}

_{“I can’t remember a
thing.”  Peter could only grin sheepishly, inferring that her secret was safe
with him. “I was way too drunk. I'm sure Bob spiked my drinks.”}

_{“Come on, we’ve been
called.”  Bob dragged Peter away. “We're to play the club champions.”}

_{What a pleasant
afternoon it was. Jennifer was even paired with Peter twice and although her
short white skirt and white frills distracted him, Peter played like a man
possessed, determined to impress her.}

_{“You play a good
game,” Jennifer toweled the beads of perspiration from her forehead. “What
other games do you play?”  Her twinkling green eyes calmly studied him.}

_{For a split second,
Peter thought of a Bob-like response - ‘try me.'- but he would have had to leer.
Besides, this was Jennifer and he was not going to offend her - not
intentionally. His answer was most circumspect, “I didn’t know you're a tennis
player. I’ll have to improve my game if I want to play with you.”}

_{“Play what?”  She
laughed impishly. “You're being rude.”  The ice green of her eyes sparkled and
danced in merriment. “Whatever do you mean?”}

_{The more she teased,
the more Peter blushed.}

_{It was later when Peter
asked Jennifer for a lift home, “but I have to do my hair and a myriad other
things ready for the new week so...”}

_{Peter smiled and
agreed, “Of course it will be a pleasure to be driven by you.”  On the way, they
stopped at a Thai Restaurant. “You’ve a lot to do without cooking so...”}

_{Jennifer allowed him
to take her arm and again was amazed when he greeted the waitresses in their
native language. He used no menu but ordered in Thai and seemed more a welcome
guest rather than a customer.}

_{Eventually, Peter
escorted her to her door and cupping her chin in one hand tilted her lips to
his. So softly did his lips brush hers, she could hardly believe this was her
Peter.}

_{Suddenly Jennifer
snaked her arms around his neck and, whispering, “You can do better than that,”
she kissed him with a ferocious passion, thrusting her tongue into his mouth
and savoring his ardor, which suddenly burst over her.}

_{She wrapped one leg
around his hips as if she could not get close enough to his body and still she
locked herself to him. With long tastes of her mouth, she drugged Peter making
him reel, teasing him with little nips of her teeth, but still she enticed him
with her sexuality until his hips moved against the smoothness of her body. For
the first time in her life, she relished this power over a man, her love, as
she drove him mad with his need for her as his body screamed with its desire
and his love of this - his woman.}

_{Peter’s senses reeled
and he stood back.}

_{Jennifer giggled, “I
owed you that - you ‘stand in villain'. I’ll ring you later this week.”  She
turned and was gone.}

_{The working week
started when Peter was in the office answering the phone.}

_{“Mr. O'Brien?  Could
you accept a call from Miss Jennifer Blake?”  Peter was sure Jennifer’s
Personal Assistant was giggling.}

_{‘What?  As if I could
not accept a call from Jennifer,’ was Peter’s reaction but he replied, “Most
certainly, I’ll take all her calls.”}

_{“Peter, can you help
me?”  Jennifer’s sweet hoarseness made Peter’s heart pound.}

_{“Jennifer, I’ll do
everything possible to help you. Do you want a full moon tonight so I can
serenade you?”}

_{Jennifer giggled. “Peter,
be serious. Can I make an appointment to see you this week?  I need your
assistance.”}