Without You I Have Nothing

Early the next morning Bob was on the phone.

"My word, you and the Ice Maiden are a striking couple. Both papers too. You must have wowed them. Now, have you won your bet? How did you get on? Is she really an Ice Maiden or did I get it wrong?"

Peter was non-committal but Bob didn't notice as he breathlessly continued to ramble on with one of his stories about yet another imaginary conquest.

"That was some weekend. Boy, that Karen has stamina. I'm a physical wreck."

"I'm sorry, Bob, I can't stop. A customer has just come into the workshop and I'm sure she wants me. She's an old friend of yours."

"Who?"

"Mrs. Williams." Peter had noticed her slip into the workshop but Bob didn't wait to hear more. Peter left the office and greeted her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Williams."

"Susie." She corrected.

"There wasn't much wrong with your vehicle, only a loose connection and a dead battery. We fixed both and returned your car." Smiling, Peter tried to keep the conversation on business.

"Peter - about the other night. I've been too embarrassed to see you but I have to pay the account. I'm really not that..."

Abruptly he interrupted her. "You're a lady, Susie." They walked to her car.

"But I don't want anyone to know that..."

Peter's hand on her arm cut Susie's words short.

"Susie, I may have kissed you and behaved irresponsibly but I would never tell."

There was no need for her to worry - Peter was no Bob.

"I drove you home as a friend should. We had a coffee and talked. I returned to work. What else is there to tell? Oh yes, there's no charge. How could I charge a friend who needed my help?" Peter's smile told her so much more than mere words could convey.

"I should've known. You were so gentle and caring. Really I didn't deserve that." Susie's eyes softened. "Thank you for driving me home. I really don't know what came over me. I know that I was terribly lonely, but I'm most grateful that you didn't take advantage of the situation. Thank you, you were wonderful."

Later that morning Peter rang Jennifer's extension but was surprised when her Personal Assistant answered.

"Could I speak to Miss Blake, please?" The male voice was insistent.

"Who is calling?"

"Peter O'Brien."

"I'm afraid she's out." The line went dead.

By the time evening arrived, Peter was feeling more than mystified when he called at her apartment to take her to the dress rehearsal and she wasn't there.

Her eyes were green, unfriendly mirrors when Peter joined her on stage and she played the part of the heroine faultlessly.

Immediately the rehearsal ended Peter headed backstage to collect her.

She'd gone. Peter believed that with the opening night looming this was just reaction to stage jitters. However, each time he called her at the office, she was unavailable.

Until Friday morning!

"Miss Blake, please."

"Who, shall I say is calling?"

Perhaps Peter was suspicious but he answered, "Mr. Brown."

"Please wait."

"Jennifer Blake speaking."

"Jennifer, it's me. Peter."

There was a long silence. Jennifer was clearly determined to say nothing. Peter tried again.

"Tonight's opening night, I was wondering if..."

A frosty whisper cut him short. "I am so glad you won your bet." The phone went dead.

Suddenly Peter felt cold as if frozen fingers clutched his heart. His head dropped and he stared at the floor.

What've I done? His thoughts raced over his times with Jennifer. He sank back into his chair and stared at the wall as if seeking an answer there.

His mind was with Jennifer, Bet? What bet? For heaven's sake what bet?

Trying to sift through the haze of events to solve the riddle Peter thought of their times together. Oh, hell yes! That first night, Bob bet me I'd not get anywhere with Jennifer and I was stupid enough to accept the bet. What'll I do? It seemed a joke at the time. Now what do I do?

Slowly he reached for the phone. Jennifer would understand when he explained.

"Could I speak to Jennifer Blake, please?"

"Mr. O'Brien," Jennifer's Personal Assistant seemed out of patience. "Miss Blake will not take any of your calls. I'm so sorry."

The click of the phone sounded his death knell but he was certainly given no time to feel sorry for himself as he looked up to see one of the apprentices stumble into the office.

"There's a Commander Williams in the workshop, demanding to see you."

Commander Williams - Susie's husband? Do I run? Well, there's not much else that can go wrong now. Peter pushed his thoughts to one side as he strode out of the office.

"I'm Peter O'Brien. Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can."

He was even taller than Peter and he glared down from his pock marked face. His gold braided uniform gave him a most commanding presence and Peter noticed the Navy car waiting at the curbside.

"I'm Bill Williams, Susie's husband." His voice rumbled out of his barrel chest and he reached forward to grip Peter's hand.

His black hair was close cropped and he seemed a walking, talking, gigantic pile of muscles. As he continued talking, Peter realized his glare was really a lop-sided grin.

"I want to thank you for looking after my wife when her car broke down and especially after that affair following rehearsals. It's been hard being a sailor but in three month's time..." The Commander hesitated, slightly embarrassed, "I will be a civilian looking for a job like everyone else."

With his naval cap on his head once more, he turned as if to leave.

"One moment, Bill, if I can call you that - or should I address you as Commander?"

"Bill will do perfectly, thanks, Peter."

"You'll be looking for a job? I may be able to help you."

Peter took him into the office and made a hurried phone call, then, holding the phone to his chest, he quickly outlined a proposition.

"Bill, I am talking to a company that is headhunting and I believe you have the managerial qualifications they need, else you would not be wearing all that gold braid. Would you be interested?"

Seeing the excited look on Bill's face and his firm nod of agreement, Peter gave the phone call his full attention.

Making no further comment to Bill, Peter proceeded with the call that largely involved listening, along with the occasional interruption where he mumbled positively into the phone. When Peter finally spoke up at the end, Bill Williams could only be surprised at the authority in his voice.

"You have an appointment tomorrow morning at 9am. No thanks, say nothing." Peter held his hand up as the Commander tried to interrupt. Peter handed him a card with the details and pushed him out the office as if afraid he had already said too much.

Opening night was on them and Peter took up the challenge with his usual strength, storming onto the stage and gaining the attention of the audience immediately.

Boos, foot stamping and shouts greeted his every word but his voice boomed over the noise so the audience didn't miss a single word. His malevolence and crude licking of lips as he glowered across the stage at the cool, distant, innocent heroine growling, "A tasty morsel" was met with howls of derision and thunderous boos.

The audience went mad and the cast froze, not moving until the noise abated. Only then did Peter stride across the stage to sweep Jennifer into his arms -- and the audience erupted.

Jennifer struggled, her lips remained firmly closed and she refused to look Peter in the eye.

When the villain lay mortally wounded, Jennifer walked across and gave him a hefty kick. Again, the audience went crazy. No boos, but loud cheering, clapping, and cries of 'encore, more, bravo, more, more' as if demanding she kick the villain again.

The stage crew lowered the final curtain and Peter formally congratulated Jennifer for her performance, but she was too busy chatting with the rest of the cast to do more than nod.

Work and performances filled the following days. Nothing changed.

Jennifer played the part of the heroine to perfection while Peter stormed about the stage muttering curses and plotting the success of his dastardly deeds.

Saturday night was the final night and as it approached, Peter seemed to undergo a change.

Tired of Jennifer's kicks each night, tired of Jennifer's coldness, furious at the treatment meted out to him over what had been a very silly bet, he rang the director.

They argued furiously but Peter would not back down to accept the director's demands.

That evening it was almost curtain time when the director called the cast onto the stage.

Glaring balefully at Jennifer, he delivered an announcement.

"Peter will not be the villain tonight. He rang me early today and explained that the situation between the heroine and the villain had deteriorated to such an extent he refused to be part of the play tonight.

"He apologizes to you all. It was not his choice to spoil the evening and the party. I have secured a stand-in and I hope he is sober enough to play the part. Everybody do your best, I'm sure the stand-in will be on time for his first entrance. Enjoy tonight and the party."

Jennifer was ashen. Her anger over the 'bet' gone, dispelled by the feeling of empty panic that replaced it. She couldn't go on without Peter there, couldn't adapt so suddenly to a different actor. She needed Peter as the villain.

The rising curtain interrupted her thoughts.

Just as in the previous performances, her presence on the stage brought whistles and cheers but then there was a sudden hush and for the first time in any performance, the audience sat quietly.

No cheers, no boos just silence. Jennifer turned to recoil in horror.

The villain, the stand-in, had taken to the stage - a bent, filthy, misshapen caricature of a man, his hunchback, the terrible dragging of his feet and his filth turned her white. His grey hair was long, lank and dirty and as he spoke dribble rolled from the corners of his mouth.

Jennifer felt sick knowing what was to come.

"A tasty morsel..." snarled this vile creature and a female voice rang out from the audience.

"Oh noooooo!"

The audience went mad as this filthy cripple dragged one misshapen leg after the other to shoot his over-long arms around the heroine in order to bend her back as croaking, he drooled, "Come, a kiss to seal the bargain!"

The audience exploded and Jennifer was frantic.

She noticed his misshapen teeth and the gaps in his rotten molars. Looking into his eyes, she was horrified to see - not Peter's loving, blue - but the red, bloodshot eyes of an alcoholic.

Jennifer fought and struggled, she moaned and shrieked, but still that mouth came closer and closer. She tried screaming even louder but the mouth closed on hers and his tongue dived deep into her mouth. It seemed to rape her mouth as the kiss continued and she was horrified at the passion that the lips and tongue were transmitting.

Unable to struggle any further, she bit his tongue and bit hard.

Roaring in agony, the villain threw her to the stage, and spitting blood from the capsule concealed in his cheek, and with more blood streaming from his mouth he continued muttering his lines, much to delight of the audience who cheered the heroine as she clambered to her feet.

"Serve the bastard right," was one woman's shout.

The villain glared across the footlights at the audience. Then to emphasize Jennifer's mortification and horror he shuffled quickly once more to snatch the heroine into his arms and kiss her again.

Jennifer couldn't struggle any harder as he again put his lips to hers. He used no tongue this time but he forced her lips open, and he seemed to suck her whole being into his mouth. As if tiring of the kiss, he stormed off stage.

The hisses and boos of the audience followed him.

The hero shot the villain and the heroine, as in previous performances, advanced to kick him -- this time with much more than vengeance on her mind. Alas, her utter loathing of this creature had given her a confidence that reduced her actual awareness of what was actually happening, and she didn't see the ghastly hand shoot out to grab her ankle and pull her down to the level of the dying villain. The audience heard his loud snarl.

"A final kiss my tasty..."

Wrapping his arms around her, he expired as he kissed her. It took three cast members to free her and the audience almost rioted.

As usual, the cast took the curtain calls over the body of the dead villain and the cast trooped off to the party in the green room.

Only then, did the villain rise and sighing sadly, slowly limped his way to the men's dressing room dripping blood to mark his passage. He carefully removed the contact lenses and the lank grey hair had gone when there was a knock on the door.

The director walked in, pleased but muttering angrily.

"You really are an infuriating bastard, Peter. You almost caused a riot tonight and that was before the show started. I do wish you and Jennifer could see the trees in the forest. It would make life so much easier for all of us.

"You can't see how much she cares for you and she can't see how much you love her. Now get yourself respectable and come on down to the party."

"I'll finish getting cleaned up and then I'll just go. No party for me." Peter was so sad that the director just shrugged, turned and left.

Barely had Peter finished dressing and cleaning his face of makeup when the cast burst through the door and dragged him out to the party. He looked about but could see no Jennifer. His heart sank.

The director held court. "Ladies and gentlemen, I must introduce the stand-in for the villain tonight. No-one guessed that Peter had decided to push the villain's part even further tonight and, yes, the villain tonight in all his hideousness was Peter."

Seeing Jennifer's livid face appear from amidst the crowd, he continued.

"I'm sorry for not informing you prior to the open curtain but you all acted brilliantly - although I am afraid Peter did go a bit overboard at times."

Furious at Peter's success at hoodwinking her, Jennifer marched up to him and before the startled cast could react, hauled back and slapped him not once but twice.

Peter's eyes changed from a smiling blue to a blood red and he seemed to grow in stature as his anger exploded within him. His change in mood was such that she retreated, unwilling to risk his ire any further.

"You scoundrel," she spat her words at him.

"You allowed me to believe that creature was a stand-in. How could you?" She turned away with tears in her eyes.

The party sounds died at this interchange between the two leads.

Trying to break the tension, Ted and Bob who had brought Karen and Ruth to the party celebrating the end of a successful show, stepped in.

"I really couldn't recognize you," admitted Karen as she clung to Peter's arm. "Your voice, your walk and that terrible drooling and spitting. Even your eyes were different. How revolting. You didn't look evil - you were evil!"

Ruth joined in.

"I don't know how you could bear to have him kiss you." Ruth dragged a reluctant Jennifer back into the group.

"I don't know either." Jennifer stared through Peter and he knew she wasn't thinking only of the play.

Ruth giggled. "Your eyes said so much more than the words when you looked across at Jennifer and said 'a tasty morsel'. Everyone hated you, Peter. Heavens, as the hunchback approached Jennifer I shouted louder than the rest. You looked positively revolting. What a villain you are!"

"When Jennifer bit you and you reeled away bleeding so profusely from the mouth I think I cheered louder than anyone," Karen enthused.

Jennifer glared at Peter, adding her piece. "I suppose you didn't have to act all that much. No wonder you got the part. Type casting I suppose."

Peter tried to break the tension between them.

"If I was good, it was only because you were perfect. You made it so easy. Jennifer, any time you want to..."

It was useless continuing - she had walked away to join another group where her normal vivacity and liveliness surfaced. The others didn't notice her departure as they discussed the play and they were more cast members into the conversation.

Peter went nowhere for the rest of the weekend. Only his music drew him. Nothing else could wipe Jennifer from his soul. Everywhere he looked, he could see her and he could smell her perfume. She had permeated every corner of his life.

On Monday, he was glad to work - the noise, dust and smell of welding and spray painting helped clear his mind. Every day was busy and he didn't notice the time passing.

Week followed week and it was work only that kept Peter sane - work and music -- with seemingly endless trips to Bathurst delivering vehicles for the latest contract, followed by more work. Peter drove himself hard.

"Where have you been?" Bob called in to inspect the repairs on a customer's car. He was worried. "You haven't been in for a drink for weeks since the play and you've not been to tennis either. We've all missed you."

He laughed at his own joke as he continued.

"Now tell me you've been working."

"I have been." Emotionless, Peter was insistent as the words flowed.

"There's wages to pay and I've just put on two young female apprentices and you keep well clear of them. They are mere children."

Peter's stance warned Bob that his behavior around the new apprentices would need to be exemplary. "That's all I seem to do now - work."

"You missed out on some fun." Bob's eyes twinkled as he outlined the past weekend's doings. "Are you coming this Friday? Everyone wants to see if you're still alive."

"Everyone?" Peter's hopes rose.

"Ted, Karen, Ruth. The new group."

"Have you seen Jennifer?"

"The Ice Maiden?" He guffawed. "You should have seen that 'Ice' melt when I..." Pausing, he stared into Peter's face trying to judge his reaction.

"You did what?" Peter almost shrieked his mind whirling in confusion. No, no not Jennifer, not that. The idea burnt into his soul and he could feel his hatred and anger beginning to control him.

"Well," for the first time Bob seemed at a loss for words. "I accidentally mentioned our bet."

Peter looked shocked but at the same time, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"She said nothing, but I thought she was going to explode. I've never seen such anger in a woman. That's one woman I'd like to stir. She'd be a tigress if..."

"Lay off," Peter was furious. Talking this way of Jennifer was more than he could stand.

"Keep that for Ted. He loves to hear the hows, the whens and the whys." Peter's voice rose to a shout. "I'm not interested"

"Steady on." Bob completely misconstrued Peter's outrage. "You've been working too hard. Give it away."

He began organizing Peter's life. "If you're not at the bar on Friday night, Ted and I'll come to drag you off - paint, grease, overalls and all."

Bob knew he was pushing Peter's limits. He watched to see if Peter would accept his organization and, hearing nothing but ominous silence, he decided he'd better change the topic before something dangerous happened.

"Hey, there's Mrs. Williams. She's just what the doctor ordered. Isn't she gorgeous?"

Preening himself, he dashed out. "See you Friday."

Peter could only smirk as he watched.

Seeing Bob approaching, Susie turned away. Undeterred, he took her arm that she quickly snatched out of his grasp. Bob could see his charm was having no effect. Repeatedly she shook her head until tiring of his overtures she left.

"Win some, lose some." Bob started his car. "Don't know what's got into her. Hubbie must be home."

Peter smiled - he wasn't going to tell Bob the facts.

"Be there Friday night."

The bar was just as noisy, smoky and dim as usual. Nothing had changed.

"Welcome back, stranger." Ted slapped Peter's back and ordered another round of drinks. "Help me carry these."