Without You I Have Nothing (4 page)

_{“What would you like to drink, fair one?”}

_{Ruth giggled as she gave her order with pretended
modesty. She was no fool but she played along.}

_{Bob was tall, dark and handsome and he knew it. Completely
aware of his attractiveness, he flaunted it. Even his voice was seductive and
his movements were studied carelessness, but his eyes betrayed him. They were
cold and calculating despite the laughter on his face and the hand he had
placed on Karen’s shoulder was blatantly laying claim to her.}

_{Jennifer knew him from the office and had repulsed
his advances several times. His cultured attractiveness and studied behavior
with women did not appeal in any way.}

_{“What will you have to drink, Jennifer,” he asked,
“the same as the others?”}

_{“No, I will have just a tomato juice please.”}

_{“You want tomato juice?”  Bob’s voice dripped
derision. “That’s all?”}

_{“With lemon,” was Jennifer’s sweet reply as she
thought she would fix him.}

_{“Don’t take any notice,” Peter was quick to come to
her assistance. “He’s only trying to be funny.}

_{“How do you like Sydney?  I suppose you're lonely
now. Bob told me you’ve only just arrived from Melbourne.”  Disconcerted he
realized that he had inadvertently disclosed that she had been the topic of
conversation at the bar. He faltered and stopped}

<sub>Actually, Jennifer had guessed that he had inquired
about her and felt pleased. Giving him her full attention, she felt wary about
what he had discovered. She had already noticed that Peter had a friendly face
- pleasant looking - not overly handsome but certainly not ugly. Although his
dark brown hair was rather short, a lock fell partly over his forehead and, as
he brushed it back with his hand, he presented a curious self-defensive, boyish
attitude. His eyes were two powder blue, sparkling gems that flickered and
changed. They were very alert, almost too bright and observant.</sub>

_{Jennifer wondered if he had noticed that the girls
had ordered more expensive, fancy drinks than the ones they had previously
drunk. She sat quietly, adding little to the chatter, unaware that beside her
Peter was already breathing in her delicate perfume, basking in the warmth of
her presence.}

_{When he had seen her arrive, her beauty had
attracted him, but he had not expected the impact of her closeness. Now her
delicate fragrance was urging him to taste. His fingertips tingled as he
battled the thought of touching her skin.}

_{“I’m finding the pace entirely different and the
distances within the city enormous.”  Her answer shook him from his thoughts. “I’ll
be glad when I take delivery of a new car. That will make travelling easier.”}

_{Suddenly, Peter was looking deep into two emerald
eyes of the deepest hue possible.}

_{She was certainly no ordinary worker to be able to
afford a new car as well as move so far from home, and Peter almost fell into
the trap of rudely questioning her history. The steady gaze from those green
eyes unsettled him and minutes of deathly silence followed while he desperately
thought of ways to continue.}

_{Eventually he broke the silence between them. “There’s
a lot of Sydney to explore. I’ve lived here for a few years and still find a
new corner every day.”}

_{Suddenly an explosion of noise and movement broke
over them.}

_{There, in a rowdy Sydney bar, a most extraordinary
sight was about to present itself. Rehearsals at the Australian Ballet Company
were over for the week. Musicians, carrying their instruments, and dancers
poured into the bar looking for some relief from their tiring schedule.}

_{Shrieking and laughing, two beautiful, slender young
women who, obviously, had recognized Peter were pulling him out of his seat and
demanding that he dance with them.}

_{Peter groaned aloud trying desperately to deny them
but they would have none of his refusals. He realized his work at the Westmead Children’s
Hospital just a few brief weeks before Christmas had caught up with him. It had
taken months of constant rehearsals to finalize the Christmas Party.}

_{The children had particularly enjoyed his presence
as Santa and the presents he supplied.}

_{As Peter tried to resist, one of the young women
rushed across the dance floor to organize the Sydney Ballet Company Orchestra
and returned.}

_{Both then linked arms with him in the usual ballet
fashion. As the first bars of the Dance of the Little Swans silenced the crowd
the three of them stood in a line as if statues, waist to waist, with heads
held high and eyes fixed on the same ethereal point somewhere out there over
the heads of the people in the bar. The two women so delicate and slim almost
coming to Peter’s shoulders, stood with this big, strong bear of a man.}

_{The whole gathering was fascinated. They simply
could not believe their eyes.}

_{There was a hush as the three danced, weaving their
magic over the Friday evening crowd, moving through their paces, so graceful
and so familiar with each other as they stepped and swayed as a single body. Then
Jennifer gasped as Peter’s arms stole around the waists of the two ballerinas,
and he raised them off the floor, all the while their six feet keeping time and
their heads moving as one.}

_{The music ended and the applause was deafening.}

_{However, it was not over yet. One of the ballerinas
broke away from the others to pirouette in isolation then swept back towards
Peter who hurled her high into the air, before catching her on one hand above
his head as he spun lazily - while the music crashed to a reprise.}

_{Jennifer could hardly believe what she had witnessed
in such a place. Never would she have believed that Peter was a ballet dancer.}

_{“Thank you ladies and gentlemen, please give
generously as we take up a collection for Westmead Children’s Hospital…”}

_{The announcement died as a gruff voice bellowed out
across the dance floor, destroying the magic of the moment. “Look at that
bloody queer!  Doesn’t he know how to use women?  Crawl into a hole somewhere
you bloody shirt lifter. This place is for real men.”}

_{Ted’s hoarse, quick comment drew Jennifer’s
attention. “Oh, shit!  Now there’s trouble.”}

_{Not deigning to reply, Peter slowly walked towards
the interjector in a slow, soft, toe-heel shuffle as if he were the Principal
Dancer from the Ballet Company. He beckoned, and an ugly brute exploded onto
the floor. Fists flying and red of face, the ruffian, shouting profanities,
attacked Peter with no warning.}

_{As the crowd retreated from the scene, women’s
screams and a thundering of footsteps smashed the silence in the bar. Yet over
the hubbub and movement, Jennifer was certain she heard Peter’s quiet words to
the security guards ring across the room.}

_{“He’s mine - call an ambulance.”}

_{She gasped and watched a brief flurry of arms and
legs as Peter hurled the large man into the air and stood back as he crashed to
the floor with a sickening thud. The ruffian screamed as one of his legs seemed
to break under him.}

_{Two more burly men - obviously his friends - blasted
onto the floor and Jennifer was horrified to see knives glinting in the light
as they circled Peter. She heard more screams but she could not believe her
ears when she heard Peter’s roar of laughter as he advised them. “Didn’t your mothers
tell you?  Little boys shouldn’t play with knives. You’ll hurt yourselves.”}

_{He was ready for them.}

_{First, one of them crashed to the floor not to rise
again and then the second, until the three lay stretched out senseless. Security,
none too gently, removed their bodies and Jennifer was still shaking when she
felt the gentlest of hands on her elbow helping her to her feet and a quiet
voice speaking to her.}

_{“How about having a dance to calm us?”}

_{Almost in a trance, she found herself in the arms of
this strange, powerful man, wafting around the floor to the music as he gently
guided her through the throng. Too soon, it was over and she found herself once
again back at her table.}

_{“Thank you, Jennifer. I enjoyed that – you’re such
an accomplished dancer.”  Peter bent low in a bow as he assisted her back to
her seat.}

_{The noise in the bar resumed as members of the
ballet company passed through the throng collecting donations for the
Children’s Hospital as if there had been no interruption although Jennifer had
thousands of questions to ask Peter.}

_{This man who had demolished those thugs was so
gentle, so considerate and his voice so soft with her. He made her think. ‘This
man is so different to any I have met. Dangerous he had been yet was so careful
with her - how different - and yet so considerate.’}

_{They sat, and Peter had resumed their conversation
when Bob broke into it loudly.}

_{“Ladies!  Ted, Peter and I are off
for a Chinese meal and then we're going to the trots. Ted has some hot tips so
perhaps we can win tonight. Would you like to join us?”}

_{Ignoring Jennifer’s coldness and
responding to the nods and warmth of Karen and Ruth he continued. “That’s
settled then. We're going to the trots.”}

_{Noticing Jennifer’s expression,
Bob quickly added for her benefit, “Harness Racing. First we’ll have a Chinese
meal and then go to the trots.”  He made sure everyone knew, so
enthusiastically he began to pair everyone off.}

_{Karen had held Jennifer to her
promise to spend the evening with them but this was too much.}

_{Their further planning paused as
two uniformed police officers arrived to lead Peter off to a quiet corner where
they questioned him about the scuffle.}

_{When the two officers left, as
quietly as they had arrived, the group made their way out of the bar but Jennifer
was unimpressed by the planned entertainment. The stiffness with which she held
herself and the reluctance with which she allowed Peter to take her arm made
that painfully obvious. Her silence was icy. To her surprise, Peter seemed to
understand.}

_{His consideration for her feelings
showed as he leant towards her to ask, “Would you rather not come?  I will
drive you home if you prefer. Frankly, trotting is not my scene either. The
others have never managed to drag me along before. I’ve always found an excuse.
Tonight will be my first time too.”}

_{Astonished, Jennifer found herself
becoming interested in Peter. She liked his sensitivity. Of course, it could be
his stock-in-trade – his ‘line’ – but she resolved to wait and see so she
allowed them to persuade her to go along.}

_{“I brought a trade-in which we
finished detailing this afternoon. It’s big enough so everyone travels with
me!”  Peter took command waiting for his vehicle to arrive.}

_{Jennifer looked at him and laughed
at Bob’s comments, “My God, Peter’s brought a bus to town. Bet the company is
paying for the tightwad’s petrol. Peter, you lead, we’ll follow, you bloody,
bossy bugger!”}

_{Instead of a bus, a large SUV had
arrived and Peter made his two friends get in the rear seats before helping
Karen and Ruth into the second row of seats. He then assisted Jennifer into the
front seat.}

_{“I don’t want any misbehavior by
you two hooligans. You’ll give me a bad name,” was his excuse.}

_{The trip to Chinatown was quick
and as they walked the streets, Bob reassumed leadership. “You should all
realize that Peter has a sixth sense when it comes to food. He may not drink
much alcohol but he sure knows how to eat. Peter, select the restaurant and
order for all of us.”}

_{Unwilling to display his language
abilities in front of Jennifer, but realizing he must do as Bob had requested,
Peter looked ill at ease. Yet, although obviously embarrassed, he made no
comment. Instead, he studied the Chinese signs above the shop doorways as if
reading them.}

_{This was not the time to pretend
ignorance. Dragging Jennifer by the hand, suddenly he dived into a non-descript
doorway and led the way up a flight of narrow creaky stairs.}

_{Jennifer drew back. There were no
tablecloths and there was no sign of English anywhere. The place was garish with
its red lanterns, while in the far corner was an altar where joss sticks burned.
Although not a single European face was visible, Peter seemed perfectly at
home.}

_{The headwaiter, in excruciating
English, tried to inform them that no tables were available but Peter would
have none of it, answering in a bark of guttural Chinese that seemed to flow
endlessly off his tongue. Backing away, the waiter rushed off to the kitchen
while Peter slowly made his way to the altar in the corner where he knelt. Lighting
three joss sticks he seemed to bow his head in prayer, completely ignoring his
party.}