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Matt had never been inside the big house at the Bar-S. It was quite a layout, full of art, expensive-looking carpets, and big windows.
Rhoda Williams was quite a woman, too. Tall and slim, about fifty, with just a hint of cosmetic tightness in her face and wearing a green silk shirt over pressed blue jeans, she welcomed Matt warmly. No one resembling John Travolta was in sight.
"I've got a guest for you to interview, Matt. It's a surprise. Go down the hall to the VIP suite, second door on your left, and knock. Go on, now."
She smiled and gently pushed him in the right direction.
He knocked. Someone inside said something, he couldn't tell what, and he turned the knob and entered. Silhouetted against the glare from a window, Darcy was standing there, looking at him.
His knees nearly gave out. If he'd thought, he never would have done it, but he didn't think. He rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him.
"Darcy!"
"Hi, Matt."
"Oh, Darcy!"
"Hi."
His brain had shorted out.
"Darcy!"
He hugged her again. Her face was gaunt and hollowed out, she was thinner and sporting several bandages, but her smile lit up her face. His heart soared. He kissed the top of her head, blinking away tears of joy.
"I was expecting John Travolta!"
"Too bad, Matt. Mrs. Williams thought of that. She was so nice. She said you could tell Crusty that John couldn't make it. I hope you're not disappointed."
"Oh, gosh, Darcy, Darcy. I was so worried about you! Cheryl called me when you disappeared. She’s been worried out of her mind too."
"I'm sorry about that. I had to get away from all that Olympic mess. I was going crazy there."
"I thought you must be. Darcy, you were amazing! Have you seen the cover of Sports Illustrated and The New Yorker? Or Time? You're everywhere. The whole world is amazed at what you did."
"I don't know, Matt. I wanted to become famous like Dr. Sledd advised, but I might have overdone it. I don’t know what happened. Something came over me. I just wanted to win. It was weird."
"Golly, Darcy. You were magnificent. I still can't believe what you did."
"Well, it's done. Please don't tell Cheryl you've seen me, not for another few days anyway. I still want to stay out of sight. I hope all this craziness means people will take me seriously, but I just don't want to be this famous, Matt. I can’t stand it! I need some peace and quiet when this is over."
"What are you going to do next? Have you figured it out?"
"Yes, maybe. I have something planned for Wednesday, two days from now. I don't want to say anything about it yet, but you'll know when it happens. At least, I hope you will."
"I hope so too. Darcy, I'm still holding the story, like I promised. But you are all I've been thinking about. Oh jeez, I'm glad you're all right."
She eased herself down onto the couch. "I'm so tired, Matt. I'm just about worn out. Mrs. Williams told me I could stay here a few days and rest.
“I hate to ask you this, but would you be able stay with me and keep me company? If you have the time? I could really, really use a friend right now."
Matt could never have believed that he would actually sit close to Darcy and put an arm around her and draw her to him.
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I would love to, Darcy," he replied softly. "I would love to."
