by Carmen Faye
"Hold on, Sharleen," Maurice said, "I'm trying to hear how the race is going."
"What are you talking about? You can see it right there on the screen. They're going to be coming through the finishing line any minute. We can see them in person then."
"I still want to hear the commentators over the loud speaker, dear," he muttered.
Speed was standing beside them but wasn't going out of his way to talk unless spoken to. He had a lot of respect for the people who were responsible for bringing his wife into the world. The last thing he planned to do was say the wrong thing by mistake and offend them. It had already taken a good six months before they would even accept the fact that Darcy was dating a biker.
Yeah, he was still in The Wild Cards, but they'd gone completely legit now. There were no more crimes being committed by any of its members, not that Speed was aware of, at least, and that was the best he could do.
He actually got along quite well even with Sharleen in the end. Even though Darcy’s mom and dad were hesitant about letting the tattooed biker into their lives, they tried to keep open minds. As soon enough saw the good he did for their daughter and the lengths he would go to for her, it was hard to dislike Speed. He was a handsome man, as well, making it even harder for Sharleen to keep hating him. And what parent could continue to ignore a man who loved their daughter so deeply? All of the money he had helped to win Maurice over, too. He was a pragmatic man who knew a husband needed to be able to provide for a family, and that was well within the reach of Speed. With all the crime in the past, things were looking pretty good to Darcy's parents.
“There she is!” cried out Aubrey, jumping up and down. She'd been acting like it was her race to win the whole time. In a way, it was. Although she’d chosen not to go back to competing, she had been at every one of Darcy’s races over the past year, ever since she got out of the hospital that is.
The mental institution had been legally required to keep her for almost the full year. They didn't take attempted murder lightly. Since Steve had been the one who'd talked her into it and set everything up, they were somewhat lenient on her. She'd been manipulated when her head was already completely messed up. Things weren't really her fault.
“Yes, yes, come on sweetheart!” Speed cheered out along with the rest of them as Darcy rocketed across the finishing line, just inches ahead of the next rider.
“Has she done it?” asked Darcy’s mother.
“Yes!” answered Aubrey,
Darcy came flying over that finish line and she'd never looked more radiant. It had really happened.
"I can't believe it!" yelled Aubrey, but it was almost impossible to hear over the rest of the people in the crowd.
It was thick with spectators from all over the planet and they all had Darcy in their sights. She was their new golden girl, the one who they would compare future competitors against. At least that's what would happen until the next big race came along. There was nothing bigger than the Tour, so the others would have to wait until that came again to try and take the glory from Darcy.
It was unprecedented, considering how Darcy was completely unknown just years earlier. After the whole incident at the qualifying race the previous year, however, things had started to change for her. Sponsors started to beg to support her, but there was no need. Sure, the extra money was welcome, but no one else would become her leading sponsor. Speed’s club held that position tightly, and they offered something more than just money. There was a sense of family and belonging Darcy got from Speed and his The Wild Cards. They were still rough riders, but they’d all learned better, even easier, ways to make money, by doing it legit.
After winning the Tour de France, Darcy got that international recognition she’d been craving since high school. No one could ever take away what she'd achieved. Even if that were the highest point in her riding career, it would be more than enough. She felt that she could have died and been completely happy about her own life's work. Not that she would want to miss out on a single moment the future held for Speed and her. He still had a lot of love and passion to give to her.
Darcy even got to go on all the most popular talk shows, to discuss her rise to fame, and success in the cycling world. At that point in all the hype and publicity, she'd actually forgotten the name of the talk show she was on next. There was something new each day and her agent would call her up to tell her where she needed to be for the following event. The life was starting to get to here and it wasn't leaving any time for riding.
"You don't need to train right now, darling," said Hannah, her middle-aged agent with the big city accent. "Don't you get it: you've already made the big time. You'll have plenty of time to prepare before the next big race, but all those small time competitions are behind you now."
"I need some time to get back to basics, Hannah. I'm a cyclist and that's what I have to do. This has been so amazing and I love what you've done for me. Really, I am grateful for all the attention and the adoration from the fans. But riding is a part of who I am. Without the time to do that, there's a piece of me missing. Come on, what talk show host wants to have a guest on their show who isn't even a whole person?"
Hannah laughed but it was forced, for show to pamper the famous riding star. "You've got a lovely way with words, really. You can see how everyone wants to have their turn talking to you? What TV host wouldn't want you on their show? Look, after this next round of bookings, you're going to be able to do your own thing for a little while. Take that hot piece of husband you've got and get away somewhere nice. You want me to book you something?"
"No, I just want to go back home. We bought that orchard so we could go and live a peaceful life now that I've achieved my dream. I'm going to have to pull back from the spotlight soon, okay?"
"You've got my word on it. Just do your thing and charm the rest of the bastards, okay? I know you'll do me proud, darling."
So Darcy did the rest of the shows, appearances, magazine features, and more. It was a good month more before she was finally at the last appearance. It was on the Jacky show, the latest hit that all the networks wished they could get their hands on. The host was in her early forties and looked like she could still be thirty. She was beautiful, charming, but also had a way of cutting right to people's centers if they got on her bad side.
“There’s one thing that I think everyone in our audience wants to talk about, especially the ladies,” said Jacky. She had perfect hair as always, styled up tonight but a little fancy. She was wearing a red power suit that had a kind of sci-fi feel to it. It didn't matter what she wore because the fans always adored her. And she looked good anyone.
Darcy had been intimidated at first and held herself back so that she didn't make a wrong move or say something to earn Jacky's ire.
“Tell us more about your husband, the sexy biker man with a heart of gold.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say his heart’s gold,” said Darcy. She was dressed like a million bucks in designer clothes that had been given to her for free. Her eyes were wide with the sparkle of a winner. “He’s definitely all flesh and blood, but he sure is a real man.” Every woman, and some of the men, in the audience made a swooning sound and clapped.
“And what woman wouldn’t want to find out just how big that flesh was, am I right ladies in the audience?”
“Well, you’ll just have to stick with your fantasies, because he’s all mine.” She flashed her wedding ring, a solid gold band with a small Wild Card’s emblem tastefully engraved on it.
“I can see that. Sorry, gals, Speed’s taken. But there’s talk of a book deal, is that right? A tale about the previously diminutive cyclist with big dreams, and the muscular biker who won her heart, and helped her achieve those dreams. Could you tell us more about the book launch, Darcy?”
It turned out Jacky was a big fan of Darcy and Speed. After they'd cut to commercial, she asked Darcy some private questions. "Do you think your husband would be interested in coming on the show? You don't have to be wit
h him if you'd rather not."
"You're not the first person to ask. Sorry, Jacky, but he's got a firm policy against stepping into the eye of the public. There's nothing that could tempt him."
"But what if you were to ask him to do it?"
"I wouldn't want to try to change him."
Once all of that commotion had finally died down, and Darcy had finished all the interviews and appearances, she and Speed flew out to their villa in the French countryside. It was not too far removed from the romantic excitement of Paris. They enjoyed heading into the city for secluded sessions of decadent food and drink, followed or preceded by hidden bouts of public sex. They thought they were obsessed with fucking each other's brains out before. That was nothing compared to the fun the now married couple had the time and money to get up to.
Their new home was still far enough to get away from it all. Europe wasn't such a huge place compared to a country like the United States, after all. What seemed like a brief trip back home would take you into a whole new country over the water. It was a quaint place — quaint, but far from small— standing at the top of a hill that overlooked a large orchard. Neither of them had any interest in becoming farmers or working too hard out in the sun. They allowed some locals to use the land in exchange for a sample of their high quality produce when it was harvest time.
Speed and Darcy were more interested in going for long rides through the countryside, when they weren't destined for Paris. Speed had taken up cycling as a hobby. Darcy had bought herself one badass fucker of a motorcycle. They were like one person in so many ways that it was hard to think about their extreme differences.
“You happy?” Speed said to her, walking up to the balcony where his wife had been looking out at the late afternoon sky.
“I didn’t think I could ever be this happy,” she answered. Speed put her arms around her and nestled his chin onto her shoulder.
“Me neither,” he said.
They stood and enjoyed the breathtaking sunset, without saying much. They didn’t find the need to talk all the time, which had been a strength in their marriage so far. Darcy and Speed finally had everything they could have ever hoped for.
Speed didn’t even realize that this was what he’d been looking for, and not more booze, sluts, and ways to make dirty money. All he’d needed all along was someone who would love him for who he was, without lowering themselves to what he used to be.
Darcy never thought in a million years that she’d end up taming one of the most notorious MC presidents in the country. She always knew there were great things ahead of her, since she first decided to make a go and being a professional cyclist. But she had never considered that the best thing she’d do in life would have more to do with a motorbike rider than cycles.
“Hey, do you wanna go for a ride?” Speed said once the sky was dark and stars were twinkling above them. It was too dark to go racing through the sleepy rural area without disturbing the pleasant locals. But what he was thinking had nothing to do with leaving their home. "I'm feeling the itch and I only know one person who could ever scratch it properly."
“You read my mind,” Darcy replied, as Speed pulled her down onto the floor on top of him, and they embraced with fire and passion.
THE END