That same night when he returned to the workshop, Peter's mind was too full of the job in hand to even think about women until, as if waking from a nightmare he noticed the workshop was flooded with sunlight.
Sunday had dawned, his body was aching, his mind was black with self-disgust. Yet, Bob and Ted expected him to go surfing with them.
Barely had Peter arrived home when the lift arrived at his door. "God, you look terrible. Out on the tiles all night, eh?" Bob thrust his cheery face into Peter's somber countenance. "All right, where is she?"
Pushing past Peter, he walked straight into the first bedroom. He checked each room in turn.
"The beds are all made and you're still wearing the same clothes as last night. Oh, ho? So, she took you to her place. You're sure a quiet one."
He shouted back towards Peter as the lift doors closed behind him. "Hurry, shave and change. We'll wait. It's a beautiful day."
Towel over his shoulder, wearing a T-shirt and a sarong with swimmers underneath, slowly Peter walked into the street realizing he had not slept.
"You don't look too happy this morning. Get out of the wrong side of the bed, eh?" Ted waved from his car. "Look who's with us."
Peter didn't know whom to hate most - Jennifer or himself.
If it hadn't been for Jennifer's date with that man, dancing with such pleasure in his arms, he would not have been in the workshop and wouldn't have made a fool of himself with Susie who must now think of him as an immature idiot.
Peter felt wretched, unable to be pleasant.
"This car's full." Peter knew that was the truth. Karen, Bob, Ruth and Ted were a load for any car, particularly as Bob was trying to wrestle Karen on the back seat.
"Take Jennifer in your car and follow us." Ted was doing his best to be helpful.
Bob stopped mauling Karen long enough to add, "Jennifer, off you go and calm the bear if you can. He looks like a walking thunder cloud."
Jennifer placed her cool hand on Peter's and he winced, drawing away as if burnt. "Whatever's the matter?"
"Nothing!" The snarl showed Peter could barely be civil.
"Is it me?"
Peter could only shake his head. "Oh for Christ's sake, why would anything you do affect me? No, of course not, you just have dates with any old person while I just don't count. Whatever could be the matter with me?" Unchecked, his anger rose unbidden to the surface.
He knew he was being objectionable but he couldn't help himself. Although his two fathers' words about being a control freak echoed in his mind, he lost his self-restraint.
"Is it something I've done?" Jennifer persevered.
"How could anything you do affect me?" Peter had to stop the car, as he felt faint.
His caustic sneer aired before he could control it. "You're a free agent, you do as you like. Dance with whomever you wish. Don't date me, date everyone else." Realizing he'd said too much he quickly added, "Nothing you do affects me."
As he drove he lamely concluded, "It's just the pressure of work."
Jennifer sat huddled against the door, her forehead dropped, unwilling to look at him.
How Peter ached to hold her, smooth her worried frown and brush her hair from her face. If only he could wipe the memory of last night from his mind.
"I've enjoyed the rehearsals but..." She noticed the squaring of Peter's shoulders yet continued in a soft whisper, "then I became frightened and had to ring you and spoil it." She began to weep quietly against the window.
Oh, no, you don't. Peter's mind replied. You're a block of ice - an Ice Maiden doesn't cry, his thoughts froze his heart. "What rubbish." He was still bitter. "You did nothing." She would get neither sympathy nor confession from him.
If the others noticed Peter's exhaustion as he lay on the sand with the usual T-shirt covering his back, they said nothing, preferring to drag Jennifer off to gambol in the surf rather than break through the wall Peter had built around himself.
Lunchtime arrived and cold water drenching him rudely awakened Peter. With a roar he hurled himself onto the grinning Bob perfectly prepared to wreak his vengeance on him but Ted and the girls attacked him from all sides until he was pinned on his back with a grinning Jennifer lying across his chest her smiling face just inches from his.
"For heaven's sake, Peter behave. Pull yourself together." Quietly Ted whispered in Peter's ear, trying to bring him back to sanity, as he lay there captured.
"What happened last night? Jennifer was there to dance with you," Peter believed he was about to faint, "and after you were tossed out I had to drive her home."
Looking at Jennifer for confirmation Ted continued with his growl, "You've spoilt everyone's morning and now you've tried to kill Bob. Listen, you great bear, behave! What happened last night?"
"I suddenly remembered a car had to be finished by Monday and we'd been held up for parts. These only arrived on Friday so I spent all last night working on it."
They were not getting the satisfaction of the truth from him. What else was he to say? No, he couldn't admit he was so jealous that he wanted to smash that grinning face dancing with Jennifer.
"I'd only just driven home when you arrived. I was beaten but at least the customer will be pleased. His car's ready for the final touches and will be finished late Monday."
"You'll kill yourself. That's twice recently you've worked all night. Remember all work and no play makes Peter a dull boy." Ted smiled. With a roar, he grabbed Peter's legs. "Come on. Let's throw him in."
Peter didn't struggle. They were his friends and, besides, two soft, cool, feminine hands held his head.
The water shocked him into the awareness of what a cantankerous bastard he had been all morning.
As soon as he surfaced, he threw himself towards Jennifer, who, screaming, attempted to dive for safety. Slippery and struggling though she was, Peter lifted her high and she wrapped those long legs around his waist to stop Peter throwing her into the surf.
Grinning, Peter slowly slid her down his body until he almost seated her on his arousal.
Shocked, she opened her mouth to admonish him, wondering what mayhem he was about to cause. Her eyes were bottomless pools of cool green in which Peter wanted to drown.
His head drew closer and she didn't turn way. Her struggling stopped, and motionless, she stared until their lips touched.
Peter reeled. The light touch of their lips scalded him but he was careful not to frighten her as her arms about his neck tightened.
Breathless, she allowed her legs to unlock and, on tiptoes, she stood facing Peter.
"You're a big bully." The cool pits of green twinkled and sparkled in merriment. "Fancy taking advantage of an innocent young girl where she couldn't struggle or she'd drown."
