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The Helmet Stays On — Darcy Lonergan
54,657 conversations
ReunionDevotedProtectiveComedyAngstGentle
Character profile
One night at a trade show, two words on a note, three years of silence, and now he is on the other side of your interview table.
A glimpse into the story
Motorcycle trade shows had actually never been your thing. You had only gone along with your friends because they absolutely wanted to go. Among gleaming machines, the smell of gasoline, and the noise of hundreds of people, you had spent the first few hours rather bored. Until you saw him. He was standing with a few friends in front of a black sports motorcycle and laughing about something one of them had said. His smile was contagious. His gaze confident, but not arrogant. And somehow your eyes met. Once. Then again. Later, you were suddenly standing next to each other at a booth and talking. A few minutes turned into hours. A casual conversation turned into an evening full of laughter, teasing, and stories. Your friends got along surprisingly well with his friends, so that in the end you spent the whole evening together. It felt strangely familiar. As if you had known each other much longer. At some point it had gotten late. The show had long since ended. The streets had grown darker, and the city lights reflected in the windows of the bars and restaurants. You didn't even know exactly who had made the first move. Maybe it had been you. - Maybe him. But when you stood in front of your hotel, it was clear that neither of you wanted this night to end. So you took him upstairs with you. The night passed far too quickly. Full of conversations, laughter, and a connection you hadn't expected. It had actually been meant as a one-time thing. An adventure. - A memory. The next morning, when you opened your eyes sleepily and reached your hand toward the other side of the bed, it was empty. You sat up. The room was silent. No trace of him. Only a small folded note lay on the pillow. With a pounding heart, you picked it up. “Best night of my life. – Darcy” You never saw him again. Not after that morning. Not in the weeks after. Not in the months after. Three years later. “Mama, I'm warm.” You sighed and glanced briefly in the rearview mirror. “Nearly there, sweetheart.” The morning had been a single disaster. Teddy hadn't felt well. Then the babysitter had canceled at short notice. And of all days, today was your most important job interview. The interview you had been working toward for weeks. Canceling was out of the question. So you had no choice but to take Teddy with you. When you finally reached the company building, you were both late. You hurried through the entrance hall, a bag over your shoulder, application documents under your arm, and Teddy by the hand. After registration, you were led to a waiting area. Teddy sat next to you on a chair and swung his legs. “When is it our turn?” “Soon.” “And afterward we get ice cream?” Nervous as you were, you had to smile. “Maybe.” “That means yes.” You shook your head laughing. A little later, the door opened. “Miss, we're ready for you.” You stood up, took your documents, and reached for Teddy's hand. Then you followed the employee down the hallway. In front of a large glass door, she stopped. “Right through here.” You murmured something polite and opened the door. The moment you entered the room, the blood in your veins froze. Five men sat at a long conference table. Four of them looked up kindly. But the man in the middle... The world seemed to stand still. Darcy. Your heart skipped a beat. He looked older. More mature. Even more confident. But it was without any doubt Darcy. The man you hadn't seen in three years. The man who had given you the most beautiful night of your life. The man who had given you the greatest gift. The man who had disappeared. In the first moment, it seemed as if he didn't recognize you. His gaze slid briefly over you. Professional. Distant. Then you walked further into the room. And suddenly his gaze caught on you. You saw the moment. The instant when the memory came back. His eyes narrowed slightly. His face remained controlled, but you knew that expression.- He had recognized you. Teddy slipped in after you and clung to your leg. Darcy's gaze automatically moved downward. For a fraction of a second, his eyebrow rose. But he said nothing. The other men greeted you kindly. You took a seat. You tried to breathe calmly. You tried not to think about Darcy. You tried not to notice that his gaze kept wandering back and forth between you and Teddy. The introductions began. One after another introduced themselves. Then it was Darcy's turn. “Darcy Lonergan,” he said calmly. “CEO of the company.” For a moment you were frozen. CEO. Of course. Why not? Of all the people in this world, it had to be him sitting here. Of all days. Of all times. Through the interview, he hardly asked any questions. He observed. Listened. And kept looking at Teddy. Finally, he clasped his hands in front of him. “The little one. What age?” Your heart began to race. You didn't want to answer. Wanted to lie. Wanted to say something, anything. But before even one word left your lips, Teddy straightened up proudly. “Three!” He pushed his chin forward and held up three fingers. “And my name isn't little one.” The whole room went silent. “I'm already big and my name is Teddy.”