Chapter 7

That same night, when he returned to the workshop, Peter's mind was so busy with the work at hand, he couldn't even think of women until, waking from a nightmare, he noticed that the workshop was flooded with light. sun light. Sunday

woke up, her body aching, her mind black with self-loathing. However, Bob and Ted still expect him to go surfing with them.

Peter arrived at the house earlier than the elevator reached his door. “God, you look terrible. On the tiled floor all night, huh? "Bob plunged his cheery face into Peter's dark face." Okay, where is she? "" The bed was made and he was still wearing the same clothes as last night. Oh, huh? So she took you home. You're sure it's a calm.

He yelled back at Peter as the elevator doors closed behind him. "Hurry up, shave and change." We will wait. Today is a beautiful day. "

Throwing a towel over his shoulder, wearing a T-shirt and sarong with a swimmer underneath, Peter slowly walks out into the street realizing he hasn't slept yet.

"You don't look happy this morning. Going to bed on the wrong side?" Ted waved him out of the car. "Look who's with us."

Peter doesn't know who he hates the most or himself.

If it weren't for Jennifer's date with this man, dancing with such glee in his arms, he wouldn't be in the studio and wouldn't be fooling himself with Susie, who must now consider him an immature fool.

Pierre felt miserable, unable to bear it.

"This car is full." Peter knew it was true. Karen, Bob, Ruth, and Ted are a burden to any car, especially when Bob is trying to fend off Karen in the back seat.

"Pick Jennifer in your car and follow us." Ted did his best to be helpful.

Bob stopped talking to Karen long enough to add, "Jennifer, go ahead and calm the bear if you can. He looks like a thundercloud going."

Jennifer put her cold hand on Peter's and he winced, pulling away as if burned. "What problem? "

" Nothing! " The growl showed that Peter could hardly be polite.

"Is that me?"

Peter could only shake his head. "Oh my God, why would anything you do affect me?" No, of course not, you just go on dates with any ex that I don't care about.Uncontrollably, his anger flares up.

He knows he's wrong, but he can't do it. Although the words of both fathers about being a control freak still rang in his mind, he had lost his self-control.

"Is this what I did?" Jennifer persisted.

"How can what you're doing affect me?" Peter had to stop the car because he felt weak.

His caustic taunt surfaced before he could control it. "You're a freelance agent, you do whatever you want. Dance with whoever you want. Don't date me, date everyone." Realizing he had said too much, he quickly added, "Nothing you do affects me."

While driving, he half-heartedly concluded: “It's just work pressure.

Jennifer was sitting curled up against the door, forehead lowered, not wanting to look at him.

How Peter wanted to hug her, stroke her worried expression and brush the hair out of her face. If only he could erase the memory of last night from his mind. “I enjoyed the practice but…” She notices Peter's shoulders straighten but continues to whisper softly, “then I got scared and had to call you in to ruin everything.” She began to cry softly against the window.

Oh, no, you don't. Peter's mind responded. You are a block of ice and the Ice Maiden does not cry, his thoughts chill his heart. "Vapor." He is still bitter. "You didn't do anything." She would receive neither sympathy nor confession from him.

If the others noticed Peter's exhaustion as he lay on the sand with his regular T-shirt tucked behind his back, they said nothing, they would rather drag Jennifer frolic in the waves than break the wall. is Peter built around him.

It was time for lunch, and the inundation of cold water roused Peter roughly. With a roar, he threw himself into Bob's grin, perfectly prepared to avenge him, but Ted and the girls attacked him from all sides until he was stuck on his back with a smiling Jennifer lying on his chest, his smile. face a few inches away from him. .

"For God's sake, Pierre is behaving well. Pull yourself together. Ted whispered in Peter's ear, trying to wake him up as he lay there caught.

“What happened last night? Jennifer was there to dance with you, "Peter thought he was going to faint," and after you were kicked out, I had to drive her home. morning and now you tried to kill Bob. Listen, big bear, hold on tight! What happened last night? "

" I suddenly remembered that a car was due to be finished on Monday and we were holding back for parts. These didn't arrive until Friday, so I spent the night working on them. "

They received no satisfaction of the truth from him. What else is he going to say? No, he couldn't admit that he was so jealous he wanted to break that smiley face when he danced with Jennifer.

"I was just getting home when you arrived. I was beaten up but at least the customer will be happy. His car is ready for the final touches and should be finished by the end of Monday."

"You're about to commit suicide. Been twice recently since you worked all night. Remember that all the work and no part makes Peter a boring boy. Ted laughs. With a roar, he grabbed Peter's leg. “Go on. Throw it in.”

Peter did not struggle. They were his friends, and besides that, two soft, cool, feminine hands had cupped his head.

The water jolted him in the consciousness of a puzzling bastard he had been working on all morning.

As soon as he surfaced, he threw himself at Jennifer, who was screaming, trying to dive for cover. Even though she was slippery and struggling, Peter lifted her high and she wrapped those long legs around her waist to keep Peter from throwing her in the waves.

Smiling, Peter slowly slid her down his body until he almost made her sit in his excitement.

Surprised, she opened her mouth to scold him, wondering what chaos he was about to cause. Her eyes were the bottomless blue lake that Peter wanted to drown in.

Her head moved closer and she didn't turn away. Her struggle stopped, and she remained staring until their lips touched.

Pierre staggered. Their light touch of lips burned him but he was careful not to scare her as his arms tightened around her neck.

Unable to breathe, she let her foot unlock and stood on tiptoe, facing Peter.

"You're a big bully." Sparkling green holes sparkled with joy. "I wanted to take advantage of an innocent young girl where she couldn't fight or she would drown."

Peter did not point out that the water was only knee deep.

Jennifer pushed him away but he only moved closer to her. The pain in her embrace was urgent and he had no intention of fighting her.

There in waves, he kissed her repeatedly, oblivious to everything, until her body sagged against his own. Only then did he release her.

Holding her hand, he brought her back to the others.

"You'll get a sunburn. Lie down on my towel. Peter loves to dictate to Jennifer like she's his own and he starts putting sunscreen on her shoulders and back. the inside of her thigh. He knew he was insulting as his muscles contracted but he moved closer to whisper in her ear. “Turn around and I'll do the front.

With an arm raised to retrieve it, she turned around but Peter's laughter as he turned away surprised her.

"You're an asshole," she smirked. “You are crazy. You know very well what you are doing. Becoming a small and shy girl, she shyly added, "A girl is not safe with you."

"But you're safe with me Jennifer - always safe." Peter stopped her with his kiss. She made no effort to push him away.

"You're coming home with me," he whispered as he lay down beside her.

Although he raised his head in protest, he ignored it and continued, "Oh, I know." It's not funny. Do you think I'm as stupid as I look?

Jennifer's head retracted as she stared at Peter trying to read her mind.

"You can listen to music while I cook. I promise you a meal like you won't find anywhere else. All the charcoal and offerings burned."

He laughs when she giggles. "I'm not promising you a funny deal. I'll make the deal now."

They kissed again and again and there was a change. No redirection, no reluctance, and Jennifer used her fingers to trace a slight line down her jawline.

The return trip is different. They talked and laughed but did not mention the previous night.

As they entered Peter's apartment, he went into the third bedroom. “I take a shower first. The door doesn't lock so I'd appreciate any help I could get.

He laughed at his surprise. “The second bedroom can be locked. Use the shower there. In the closet and drawers there are clothes that can fit you.

Jennifer couldn't believe her ears and moved into the second bedroom. When she entered the closet, she gasped.

The screen is full of matching clothes. The shoes with the most subtle colors and sophisticated taste are neatly arranged on the floor. She opened a drawer full of bras.

Someone has filled one drawer with matching flimsy panties and another with matching lingerie sets of various colors and varieties.

She checked and everything is right for her. What is happening? This Pierre has some questions to answer. Furious, she burst into Peter's room without knocking.

He was standing with only a sarong wrapped around his waist, his bare back facing her.

Hearing her gasp in horror, Peter turned, white-faced, on his knees, hands over his head. "Oh my god. No. No. No. Noooooon! Was all he could say before he started to cry.

She rushed to drop down beside him. "Peter, Peter, your back. Oh, your poor back. What happened? "

" Please, Jennifer, don't ask. Please don't ask. "

Slowly, she stood up and pressed her head against his thigh while hugging him tightly." Peter, if you wanted to have a future with me, I would ask and you would answer with the truth. I have a question and I demand answers for the truth, listen to me.

She was standing on top of him, hands on her head, trying to comfort him by adding, "These clothes." You said you've never had a woman other than me in your apartment, yet those clothes... "

Slowly he looked up as he painfully stood up and his eyes reflected the pain. in his soul. "Please, Jennifer. The clothes are yours. Wear them with my love."

She looked at the terrifying ruins of the Rock she knew and her heart sank. "I'll wear them with pride, if I get honest answers to my questions."

"I promise you, my dear." Peter's lips quivered as he spoke the words for the first time in his life. Not only did they sound good, they felt good, and he found the strength to keep going.

"For God's sake, don't drop that sarong, or I'll pass out." Jennifer tried to calm the mood.

"I'm going to shower and change, but there are too many clothes to choose from. It could take hours." Jennifer was stunned. Her shampoo is there, her perfume, her makeup, her lipstick. All! She chose a simple t-shirt and jeans. Barefoot, she walked over to Peter.

She saw him prostrate before the small altar with pictures of his parents on it, oblivious to his presence. Praying, he seemed to be asking their permission for something. Then, unseen, as if it were a robot, he entered the master bedroom. Kneeling again, he began to say the Our Father. What kind of person is he? I need answers and I need them before I go. Jennifer couldn't believe what was happening.