07-11-2025, 06:09 PM
He stood there alone in the rain, in the park where he was once happy.
His dog tugged on the leash. It was autumn and already bitterly cold.
But he didn't pay any attention to him. He was caught up in the memory of that one afternoon. That afternoon when he had been so happy.
It was a Wednesday, he remembered that clearly. He had arranged to meet his friend here in the park, by the angel statue. He'd been promoted, and now they wanted to celebrate with a picnic.
He had everything with him. A large blanket, baguette, butter, salami, grapes... he had gone over everything in his mind to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. It had to be perfect.
And then he arrived. They had found a spot in the park and made themselves comfortable. They had eaten, talked; yes, they had talked about a future together. They wanted to move in together. With his new job, he now earned enough that they could afford a shared apartment. They had dreamed of the future, had already imagined furnishing the apartment. It had been the best day of his life so far. Simply because HE was there.
Yes, and now what? Where had that laughter, that lightheartedness gone? Where had his plans for the future disappeared to? He was here, alone, with just his dog. Completely alone.
His friend, who supposedly loved him more than anything, had cheated on him.
And he caught him doing it.
Who could have guessed he'd be home early that day? He'd found the two of them in the double bed they'd bought especially for their first apartment together, as a symbol that they belonged together. The thought of the housewarming still brought a blush to his face.
And in that bed, he had cheated on him. He had stared at him in shock and simply said, "You shouldn't be here yet, honey."
Then he left. He took Benji, the dog, and simply left. His world had collapsed. The love he had believed in had been nothing but a pipe dream, a nothingness.
He had moved to another city, burned all his bridges behind him, and wanted to start over. But his thoughts of HIM had always remained with him.
And now he was here again.
He took a deep breath.
He was back.
Cedric Therany was back.
1.
Chapter
–
Christoph
Christoph was excited. Excited wasn't really the word. Today he was supposed to be introduced to his new boss. He'd been working for the company for two years now. And his boss was a legend. But also a mystery. He hadn't seen him once in those two years. But not only he, his colleagues didn't know the boss either, because he hadn't been to their branch for five years.
He had hired someone else. But four days ago, the unbelievable happened.
He received a call from Munich. He was asked to prepare the arrival of Cedric Therany, his boss.
At first, he thought the whole thing was a joke. The mystery was about to be revealed? That couldn't be true. But the assistant on the other side quickly made it clear to him that this was anything but a joke.
So he took everything into his own hands. He was actually a controller in a department at a large software company. And he did his job well. But in this case, he didn't want to relinquish responsibility. Legend Cedric Therany was coming to visit, so he simply had to arrange the best of the best. The best hotel, the best taxi, the best reception committee, simply everything.
And now he stood in front of the mirror, beyond saving. And why all this? Because he couldn't find his tie. His life motto, "Only the narrow-minded maintain order; the genius overlooks chaos," seemed to be failing him today.
Ah, there, indeed, there it was. Who on earth had put it in the kitchen cupboard? Along with the cups. He could only shake his head. He was earning so much money and still didn't have a cleaning lady.
Of course, his parents would have preferred him to find a nice little woman, get married, and have a couple of adorable children. But that hope was dashed abruptly when he was 16. That's when his parents caught him and his then-boyfriend in a biology class of a different kind.
He would remember his parents' shocked looks for the rest of his life. Even now, a grin spread across his face. His parents...they had actually handled it quite well afterward. He was still their son, they had assured him; they just needed a little time to get used to the idea. They had managed that well. Today, they had a very relaxed relationship. He could always rely on his parents.
After taking a final sip from his cup, Christoph left the apartment and hurried down the stairs. Once at the bottom, he looked around. Where had he parked yesterday? By the park? Or perhaps by the high-rise buildings on the other side?
It was all no use. His chaotic lifestyle was really taking its toll today. He decided he'd rather try the park. So he set off. And of course, at that moment it started to rain. Had everyone conspired against him? What if his car wasn't at the park and he had to walk all the way to his apartment and then back the other way in this rain? He didn't want to think about it and started running. He had pulled his coat over his head. At least that way he wouldn't get quite as wet. And now he had to go. If he was going to get to work wet, at least he wouldn't be late.
He started running. It was really pouring with rain. You couldn't see more than 10 meters ahead because of the heavy rain.
And then it happened.
At first, he didn't know exactly what had happened. The only thing he knew was that he was lying in the middle of a puddle. But how had he gotten there? He knelt down, turned his head...and looked into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. They were blue, as blue as a mountain lake, even if that comparison seemed corny, that was the only thing that could describe those eyes.
They were framed by white-grey fur and the tongue hung out of the four-legged animal's mouth.
He had actually stumbled upon a husky. Admittedly, this husky was a beauty.
But how did this husky get to his feet? He was dragging a leash behind him.
Now he heard the excited voice through the rain.
"Benji, where are you? Benji, where did you go? Come back to your master."
Well, maybe Christoph should show his owner where his dog had gone.
"Hello, are you looking for a husky? He's here," he called to the voice that slowly approached.
Now he saw a shadow approaching. The shadow turned out to be a tall man with blond curls, a black coat, and...oh wonder...an umbrella.
He immediately held the umbrella over Christoph, who was still sitting on the ground looking at the dog.
“What happened?” the stranger asked immediately.
This brought Christoph back from his trance. Wow, the owner could really take on the dog...yummy.
"Oh, it won't be that bad. I must have tripped over your dog and landed in the puddle," said Christoph.
The dog owner looked quite shocked.
"Didn't you hurt yourself? Is everything really okay?"
"No, no, everything's fine. I'm just completely soaked. But that's what happens when you rush down the street in the rain without looking at the ground in front of you."
The stranger reached out his hand and helped him up.
"I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. I'm going to walk the few steps back to my apartment now and put on some fresh clothes. I really can't go to work in these," grinned Christoph, pointing toward his apartment.
The stranger pulled out his wallet and held out a 20€ note to Christoph.
"Please at least take this. My dog is to blame for everything, and the suit won't clean itself. I owe you that."
"Thanks, that's really unnecessary. My mother washes my suits, so you don't have to pay me for it. But you can always buy me a coffee sometime," said Christoph, and the next moment he felt like slapping his hand over his mouth. His cheeky mouth again. He couldn't just invite a complete stranger over for a coffee.
But his counterpart just laughed and said, "Okay, let's do it like this. How about tomorrow at five at the café across the park?"
Christoph grinned back and nodded. "Yes, I agree."
“See you tomorrow then,” said the dog owner and put his husky back on the leash.
“See you tomorrow,” said Christoph and with these words he ran towards his apartment.
When he arrived at the apartment completely soaked, he first took a towel from the bathroom and dried his hair.
The first thing he had to do was call his colleague and tell her that he would be late and that someone else would have to act as the welcoming committee for Cedric Therany.
His colleague Bianca couldn't stop laughing when she learned the reason for his delay, but promised to personally take care of Mr. Therany until his arrival.
Reassured, Christoph quickly stepped into the shower. The cold puddle and the rain had chilled him, so he needed to warm up. Then it dawned on him. He hadn't even asked the stranger his name. He laughed. It's going to be a kind of blind date tomorrow.
Immediately afterwards, he pulled himself together. The guy was only inviting him for coffee because his dog was in the way and he, Christoph, was so stupid as to trip over him.
But now he didn't have time to worry about the stranger. He had to get out of the shower and change into new clothes. So first he had to finish his shower.
Then I quickly styled myself in front of the mirror, took the next suit out of the box, and put it on. Jacket, umbrella, bag, keys...everything was there.
A little more calmly, Christoph walked down the steps and left with his umbrella.
And indeed, his little Polo was standing in the park, just as he had left it the night before.
He quickly got in and drove off. Mr. Therany was supposed to arrive at the office ten minutes ago. First, he planned to have a quick coffee chat with the local human resources manager.
If traffic continued to flow this well, he should be able to intercept Bianca before the tour of the newly built offices and take over the tour himself.
He arrived at the office completely out of breath. He hurried up the stairs to his office and quickly put down his bag.
Then Bianca came towards him, grinning.
"You're just in time. Mr. Therany and our HR representative are still chatting, but they should be ready in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Bianca. I owe you something for that," said Christoph, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"No problem. I was happy to do it. Now let's go."
Christoph made his way to the HR manager's office. Once there, he knocked on the door.
After the HR manager said “Come in,” he opened the door and entered.
Opposite the HR manager sat a figure with blond curls who now turned around to look at him.
Christoph caught his breath.
Cedric Therany was the stranger from the park.
2
Cedric stared in shock after the departing young man. He didn't even know his name yet, but he'd already arranged to meet him for coffee. Benji sat next to him, staring at his master with loyal, blue eyes. He was probably hoping to escape this cold and uncomfortable environment soon.
"Yes, my little one, we're going."
With that, Cedric left the park and its associated memories behind and headed for his rental car. He had planned his return long and hard. He'd been toying with the idea for six months, but it wasn't until two months ago that his plan took shape. The company didn't know anything about it yet, but this wasn't going to be just a quick visit. No, he wanted to stay and put down roots again.
He had moved to another city five years ago to lick his wounds and find himself again after this disappointment. But now he only wanted one thing: to go back home. This is where he had grown up, lived his life and left his friends behind. Cedric wanted to live this life again. It belonged to him and no one had the right to take it away from him. He knew that some of his old friends were still in touch with Marcus, his ex, and that a meeting at some party was unavoidable. But he felt up to the challenge. If Marcus came, he would be unable to harm him. Cedric had built a wall around himself and no one had been able to break through it in the last five years.
Meanwhile, Cedric had arrived at his car. The person responsible for his accommodation and transportation hadn't spared much effort. Upon his arrival, a silver metallic BMW 3 Series was waiting for him at the airport. A truly beautiful car. Cedric let Benji sit on the dog blanket in the back seat and got behind the wheel. He drove off slowly, joining the traffic toward the industrial park. He was due there at 9:00 a.m., so he still had plenty of time.
And his thoughts immediately wandered back to the young man in the puddle, with whom he planned to go for coffee tomorrow. He hadn't been bad-looking. He was actually quite cute. Slender, with medium-length black hair and bright green eyes. Cedric had a weakness for green eyes. "Green eyes, frog-like nature, no trace of love." That should have given him pause. But even so, he couldn't get the face out of his mind. He immediately liked him, even though they had only exchanged a few sentences. But they had plenty of time for that tomorrow. Cedric noticed that he was already looking forward to the meeting. Something like this hadn't happened to him in a long time.
In a good mood, Cedric pulled into the company parking lot, parked his car, and strolled toward the entrance hall with Benji. Upon arriving at the receptionist, he introduced himself and was immediately led to a comfortable seating area.
"Mrs. Müller will be down immediately, Mr. Therany. Can I offer you something to drink in the meantime?" she asked.
"No, thank you. I'll just look around here a bit while I wait."
With that, she left Cedric alone, and he had the opportunity to take a closer look at the entrance hall. A lot had changed in five years. The entire building complex had been redesigned, appearing modern and simple, but not cold. Cedric liked it. At that moment, a young woman of about 25 approached him.
"Good morning, Mr. Therany. I'm Bianca Müller, representing Mr. Höpfner. Unfortunately, he's unavailable at the moment, but he'll join us as soon as possible," she said apologetically. "I hope you had a pleasant trip."
'Well, that could be fun if the person responsible is already unavailable,' Cedric thought to himself, but replied:
"Good afternoon, Ms. Müller. Thank you for the warm welcome. The flight went very well, and I was greeted here with every comfort imaginable."
"I'm glad. Mr. Höpfner has gone to great lengths to make you feel comfortable. If you'll follow me now, Mr. Steiner is already waiting for you."
She led Cedric through the entrance hall and several bright corridors decorated with art prints to the HR manager's office. Cedric knew him very well. He had worked for the company for over 15 years and had been Cedric's mentor when he first started. Mr. Steiner was already waiting for him and greeted him with great enthusiasm:
"Cedric, it's so nice to have you back. It must have been three years since we last saw each other. How are you, my boy?"
"I'm also really happy to see her again. It's actually been two years since we last saw each other at a conference. And even then, we didn't have much of a chance to talk."
Mr. Steiner looked at him attentively and sighed.
"Yes, that's unfortunately only too true. Come on, sit down. Would you like a coffee?" With these words, Mr. Steiner pushed Cedric into an armchair and walked over to a coffee machine at the back of the room. Cedric watched him, fascinated. Mr. Steiner was a member of the company's senior management, but still made his own coffee. He didn't even let his secretary near his sanctuary, the coffee machine.
Benji sat down next to Cedric and laid his head on his paws.
"Now first tell me what you've been doing in Munich all these years, and especially why you suddenly decided to grace our city again. I know you. You're up to something. Otherwise you wouldn't have come here."
With that, he had taken the wind out of Cedric's sails in one fell swoop. He hadn't thought he was so easy to read. His expression must have reflected exactly these thoughts, because Mr. Steiner suddenly laughed.
"My boy, I've known you for a good seven years now, ever since you started here. Believe me, I'm rarely wrong about people. Otherwise, I'd be out of place as HR manager here."
Cedric joined in his laughter. After Mr. Steiner placed the coffee cups in front of them, he sat down in his chair and looked at Cedric expectantly.
"But now it's your turn. Tell me," he demanded of Cedric with a wave of his hand.
How should he begin? Cedric considered this. He didn't want to reveal his plans completely yet. He trusted Mr. Steiner, no question; after all, he had been his mentor in the past, but he hadn't told him everything. His private life and his relationship with Marcus were nobody's business.
"It was a very personal decision to leave here at the time. There had been an event in my personal life that had thrown me quite off track. I felt like it would break me if I had stayed here any longer. So I tried to get a transfer. And at that time, a senior controlling position had just opened up in Munich."
Cedric thought about the lonely nights in his hotel room, tossing and turning for hours without being able to think clearly. Finally, he had decided it was best to draw a line under it and start over.
Mr. Steiner looked at him compassionately.
"You were pretty out of sorts at the time, and there were many rumors about what had happened. But we in senior management agreed on one thing: You had to get out of here, and as soon as possible, otherwise we would have lost you not only as an employee, but also as a person. That was one of the reasons why I supported your transfer, even if it meant losing a really good employee to another branch.
It must have hit you hard. I didn't want to push you any further, so I let you go. But despite everything, I always wondered what must have happened to drive you from your hometown."
Cedric nodded: "Yes, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. Working in the new department was good for me. I learned a lot of new things and gained valuable experience. And on a personal level, I was able to catch myself again, sort everything out, and start anew."
Cedric absentmindedly scratched Benji behind the ears. Memories of situations in Munich flashed briefly before his eyes. The beginning, when he didn't know what to do with his feelings and felt so alone in the new city. Then the challenges in the new department, the first successes. Yes, it had done him a lot of good, and he had changed himself too. Even though he was already 25 at the time, it was still a challenge to build a completely new life in such a strange and, above all, large metropolis. But he had done it.
"And what brings you back to your homeland?"
This question tore Cedric from his thoughts. He looked at Mr. Steiner with a smile.
"Probably just homesickness. Despite the wonderful years I spent in Munich, I haven't forgotten my hometown and have always toyed with the idea of a visit, but never been able to make it happen. And now the time has come."
At that very moment there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Mr. Steiner's sonorous voice rang out and the door opened.
Cedric turned in his chair to see who was coming through the door. A black-haired head with sparkling green eyes peered in.
But that was… no mistake… it was actually the young man from the park.
His dog tugged on the leash. It was autumn and already bitterly cold.
But he didn't pay any attention to him. He was caught up in the memory of that one afternoon. That afternoon when he had been so happy.
It was a Wednesday, he remembered that clearly. He had arranged to meet his friend here in the park, by the angel statue. He'd been promoted, and now they wanted to celebrate with a picnic.
He had everything with him. A large blanket, baguette, butter, salami, grapes... he had gone over everything in his mind to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. It had to be perfect.
And then he arrived. They had found a spot in the park and made themselves comfortable. They had eaten, talked; yes, they had talked about a future together. They wanted to move in together. With his new job, he now earned enough that they could afford a shared apartment. They had dreamed of the future, had already imagined furnishing the apartment. It had been the best day of his life so far. Simply because HE was there.
Yes, and now what? Where had that laughter, that lightheartedness gone? Where had his plans for the future disappeared to? He was here, alone, with just his dog. Completely alone.
His friend, who supposedly loved him more than anything, had cheated on him.
And he caught him doing it.
Who could have guessed he'd be home early that day? He'd found the two of them in the double bed they'd bought especially for their first apartment together, as a symbol that they belonged together. The thought of the housewarming still brought a blush to his face.
And in that bed, he had cheated on him. He had stared at him in shock and simply said, "You shouldn't be here yet, honey."
Then he left. He took Benji, the dog, and simply left. His world had collapsed. The love he had believed in had been nothing but a pipe dream, a nothingness.
He had moved to another city, burned all his bridges behind him, and wanted to start over. But his thoughts of HIM had always remained with him.
And now he was here again.
He took a deep breath.
He was back.
Cedric Therany was back.
1.
Chapter
–
Christoph
Christoph was excited. Excited wasn't really the word. Today he was supposed to be introduced to his new boss. He'd been working for the company for two years now. And his boss was a legend. But also a mystery. He hadn't seen him once in those two years. But not only he, his colleagues didn't know the boss either, because he hadn't been to their branch for five years.
He had hired someone else. But four days ago, the unbelievable happened.
He received a call from Munich. He was asked to prepare the arrival of Cedric Therany, his boss.
At first, he thought the whole thing was a joke. The mystery was about to be revealed? That couldn't be true. But the assistant on the other side quickly made it clear to him that this was anything but a joke.
So he took everything into his own hands. He was actually a controller in a department at a large software company. And he did his job well. But in this case, he didn't want to relinquish responsibility. Legend Cedric Therany was coming to visit, so he simply had to arrange the best of the best. The best hotel, the best taxi, the best reception committee, simply everything.
And now he stood in front of the mirror, beyond saving. And why all this? Because he couldn't find his tie. His life motto, "Only the narrow-minded maintain order; the genius overlooks chaos," seemed to be failing him today.
Ah, there, indeed, there it was. Who on earth had put it in the kitchen cupboard? Along with the cups. He could only shake his head. He was earning so much money and still didn't have a cleaning lady.
Of course, his parents would have preferred him to find a nice little woman, get married, and have a couple of adorable children. But that hope was dashed abruptly when he was 16. That's when his parents caught him and his then-boyfriend in a biology class of a different kind.
He would remember his parents' shocked looks for the rest of his life. Even now, a grin spread across his face. His parents...they had actually handled it quite well afterward. He was still their son, they had assured him; they just needed a little time to get used to the idea. They had managed that well. Today, they had a very relaxed relationship. He could always rely on his parents.
After taking a final sip from his cup, Christoph left the apartment and hurried down the stairs. Once at the bottom, he looked around. Where had he parked yesterday? By the park? Or perhaps by the high-rise buildings on the other side?
It was all no use. His chaotic lifestyle was really taking its toll today. He decided he'd rather try the park. So he set off. And of course, at that moment it started to rain. Had everyone conspired against him? What if his car wasn't at the park and he had to walk all the way to his apartment and then back the other way in this rain? He didn't want to think about it and started running. He had pulled his coat over his head. At least that way he wouldn't get quite as wet. And now he had to go. If he was going to get to work wet, at least he wouldn't be late.
He started running. It was really pouring with rain. You couldn't see more than 10 meters ahead because of the heavy rain.
And then it happened.
At first, he didn't know exactly what had happened. The only thing he knew was that he was lying in the middle of a puddle. But how had he gotten there? He knelt down, turned his head...and looked into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. They were blue, as blue as a mountain lake, even if that comparison seemed corny, that was the only thing that could describe those eyes.
They were framed by white-grey fur and the tongue hung out of the four-legged animal's mouth.
He had actually stumbled upon a husky. Admittedly, this husky was a beauty.
But how did this husky get to his feet? He was dragging a leash behind him.
Now he heard the excited voice through the rain.
"Benji, where are you? Benji, where did you go? Come back to your master."
Well, maybe Christoph should show his owner where his dog had gone.
"Hello, are you looking for a husky? He's here," he called to the voice that slowly approached.
Now he saw a shadow approaching. The shadow turned out to be a tall man with blond curls, a black coat, and...oh wonder...an umbrella.
He immediately held the umbrella over Christoph, who was still sitting on the ground looking at the dog.
“What happened?” the stranger asked immediately.
This brought Christoph back from his trance. Wow, the owner could really take on the dog...yummy.
"Oh, it won't be that bad. I must have tripped over your dog and landed in the puddle," said Christoph.
The dog owner looked quite shocked.
"Didn't you hurt yourself? Is everything really okay?"
"No, no, everything's fine. I'm just completely soaked. But that's what happens when you rush down the street in the rain without looking at the ground in front of you."
The stranger reached out his hand and helped him up.
"I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. I'm going to walk the few steps back to my apartment now and put on some fresh clothes. I really can't go to work in these," grinned Christoph, pointing toward his apartment.
The stranger pulled out his wallet and held out a 20€ note to Christoph.
"Please at least take this. My dog is to blame for everything, and the suit won't clean itself. I owe you that."
"Thanks, that's really unnecessary. My mother washes my suits, so you don't have to pay me for it. But you can always buy me a coffee sometime," said Christoph, and the next moment he felt like slapping his hand over his mouth. His cheeky mouth again. He couldn't just invite a complete stranger over for a coffee.
But his counterpart just laughed and said, "Okay, let's do it like this. How about tomorrow at five at the café across the park?"
Christoph grinned back and nodded. "Yes, I agree."
“See you tomorrow then,” said the dog owner and put his husky back on the leash.
“See you tomorrow,” said Christoph and with these words he ran towards his apartment.
When he arrived at the apartment completely soaked, he first took a towel from the bathroom and dried his hair.
The first thing he had to do was call his colleague and tell her that he would be late and that someone else would have to act as the welcoming committee for Cedric Therany.
His colleague Bianca couldn't stop laughing when she learned the reason for his delay, but promised to personally take care of Mr. Therany until his arrival.
Reassured, Christoph quickly stepped into the shower. The cold puddle and the rain had chilled him, so he needed to warm up. Then it dawned on him. He hadn't even asked the stranger his name. He laughed. It's going to be a kind of blind date tomorrow.
Immediately afterwards, he pulled himself together. The guy was only inviting him for coffee because his dog was in the way and he, Christoph, was so stupid as to trip over him.
But now he didn't have time to worry about the stranger. He had to get out of the shower and change into new clothes. So first he had to finish his shower.
Then I quickly styled myself in front of the mirror, took the next suit out of the box, and put it on. Jacket, umbrella, bag, keys...everything was there.
A little more calmly, Christoph walked down the steps and left with his umbrella.
And indeed, his little Polo was standing in the park, just as he had left it the night before.
He quickly got in and drove off. Mr. Therany was supposed to arrive at the office ten minutes ago. First, he planned to have a quick coffee chat with the local human resources manager.
If traffic continued to flow this well, he should be able to intercept Bianca before the tour of the newly built offices and take over the tour himself.
He arrived at the office completely out of breath. He hurried up the stairs to his office and quickly put down his bag.
Then Bianca came towards him, grinning.
"You're just in time. Mr. Therany and our HR representative are still chatting, but they should be ready in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Bianca. I owe you something for that," said Christoph, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"No problem. I was happy to do it. Now let's go."
Christoph made his way to the HR manager's office. Once there, he knocked on the door.
After the HR manager said “Come in,” he opened the door and entered.
Opposite the HR manager sat a figure with blond curls who now turned around to look at him.
Christoph caught his breath.
Cedric Therany was the stranger from the park.
2
Cedric stared in shock after the departing young man. He didn't even know his name yet, but he'd already arranged to meet him for coffee. Benji sat next to him, staring at his master with loyal, blue eyes. He was probably hoping to escape this cold and uncomfortable environment soon.
"Yes, my little one, we're going."
With that, Cedric left the park and its associated memories behind and headed for his rental car. He had planned his return long and hard. He'd been toying with the idea for six months, but it wasn't until two months ago that his plan took shape. The company didn't know anything about it yet, but this wasn't going to be just a quick visit. No, he wanted to stay and put down roots again.
He had moved to another city five years ago to lick his wounds and find himself again after this disappointment. But now he only wanted one thing: to go back home. This is where he had grown up, lived his life and left his friends behind. Cedric wanted to live this life again. It belonged to him and no one had the right to take it away from him. He knew that some of his old friends were still in touch with Marcus, his ex, and that a meeting at some party was unavoidable. But he felt up to the challenge. If Marcus came, he would be unable to harm him. Cedric had built a wall around himself and no one had been able to break through it in the last five years.
Meanwhile, Cedric had arrived at his car. The person responsible for his accommodation and transportation hadn't spared much effort. Upon his arrival, a silver metallic BMW 3 Series was waiting for him at the airport. A truly beautiful car. Cedric let Benji sit on the dog blanket in the back seat and got behind the wheel. He drove off slowly, joining the traffic toward the industrial park. He was due there at 9:00 a.m., so he still had plenty of time.
And his thoughts immediately wandered back to the young man in the puddle, with whom he planned to go for coffee tomorrow. He hadn't been bad-looking. He was actually quite cute. Slender, with medium-length black hair and bright green eyes. Cedric had a weakness for green eyes. "Green eyes, frog-like nature, no trace of love." That should have given him pause. But even so, he couldn't get the face out of his mind. He immediately liked him, even though they had only exchanged a few sentences. But they had plenty of time for that tomorrow. Cedric noticed that he was already looking forward to the meeting. Something like this hadn't happened to him in a long time.
In a good mood, Cedric pulled into the company parking lot, parked his car, and strolled toward the entrance hall with Benji. Upon arriving at the receptionist, he introduced himself and was immediately led to a comfortable seating area.
"Mrs. Müller will be down immediately, Mr. Therany. Can I offer you something to drink in the meantime?" she asked.
"No, thank you. I'll just look around here a bit while I wait."
With that, she left Cedric alone, and he had the opportunity to take a closer look at the entrance hall. A lot had changed in five years. The entire building complex had been redesigned, appearing modern and simple, but not cold. Cedric liked it. At that moment, a young woman of about 25 approached him.
"Good morning, Mr. Therany. I'm Bianca Müller, representing Mr. Höpfner. Unfortunately, he's unavailable at the moment, but he'll join us as soon as possible," she said apologetically. "I hope you had a pleasant trip."
'Well, that could be fun if the person responsible is already unavailable,' Cedric thought to himself, but replied:
"Good afternoon, Ms. Müller. Thank you for the warm welcome. The flight went very well, and I was greeted here with every comfort imaginable."
"I'm glad. Mr. Höpfner has gone to great lengths to make you feel comfortable. If you'll follow me now, Mr. Steiner is already waiting for you."
She led Cedric through the entrance hall and several bright corridors decorated with art prints to the HR manager's office. Cedric knew him very well. He had worked for the company for over 15 years and had been Cedric's mentor when he first started. Mr. Steiner was already waiting for him and greeted him with great enthusiasm:
"Cedric, it's so nice to have you back. It must have been three years since we last saw each other. How are you, my boy?"
"I'm also really happy to see her again. It's actually been two years since we last saw each other at a conference. And even then, we didn't have much of a chance to talk."
Mr. Steiner looked at him attentively and sighed.
"Yes, that's unfortunately only too true. Come on, sit down. Would you like a coffee?" With these words, Mr. Steiner pushed Cedric into an armchair and walked over to a coffee machine at the back of the room. Cedric watched him, fascinated. Mr. Steiner was a member of the company's senior management, but still made his own coffee. He didn't even let his secretary near his sanctuary, the coffee machine.
Benji sat down next to Cedric and laid his head on his paws.
"Now first tell me what you've been doing in Munich all these years, and especially why you suddenly decided to grace our city again. I know you. You're up to something. Otherwise you wouldn't have come here."
With that, he had taken the wind out of Cedric's sails in one fell swoop. He hadn't thought he was so easy to read. His expression must have reflected exactly these thoughts, because Mr. Steiner suddenly laughed.
"My boy, I've known you for a good seven years now, ever since you started here. Believe me, I'm rarely wrong about people. Otherwise, I'd be out of place as HR manager here."
Cedric joined in his laughter. After Mr. Steiner placed the coffee cups in front of them, he sat down in his chair and looked at Cedric expectantly.
"But now it's your turn. Tell me," he demanded of Cedric with a wave of his hand.
How should he begin? Cedric considered this. He didn't want to reveal his plans completely yet. He trusted Mr. Steiner, no question; after all, he had been his mentor in the past, but he hadn't told him everything. His private life and his relationship with Marcus were nobody's business.
"It was a very personal decision to leave here at the time. There had been an event in my personal life that had thrown me quite off track. I felt like it would break me if I had stayed here any longer. So I tried to get a transfer. And at that time, a senior controlling position had just opened up in Munich."
Cedric thought about the lonely nights in his hotel room, tossing and turning for hours without being able to think clearly. Finally, he had decided it was best to draw a line under it and start over.
Mr. Steiner looked at him compassionately.
"You were pretty out of sorts at the time, and there were many rumors about what had happened. But we in senior management agreed on one thing: You had to get out of here, and as soon as possible, otherwise we would have lost you not only as an employee, but also as a person. That was one of the reasons why I supported your transfer, even if it meant losing a really good employee to another branch.
It must have hit you hard. I didn't want to push you any further, so I let you go. But despite everything, I always wondered what must have happened to drive you from your hometown."
Cedric nodded: "Yes, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. Working in the new department was good for me. I learned a lot of new things and gained valuable experience. And on a personal level, I was able to catch myself again, sort everything out, and start anew."
Cedric absentmindedly scratched Benji behind the ears. Memories of situations in Munich flashed briefly before his eyes. The beginning, when he didn't know what to do with his feelings and felt so alone in the new city. Then the challenges in the new department, the first successes. Yes, it had done him a lot of good, and he had changed himself too. Even though he was already 25 at the time, it was still a challenge to build a completely new life in such a strange and, above all, large metropolis. But he had done it.
"And what brings you back to your homeland?"
This question tore Cedric from his thoughts. He looked at Mr. Steiner with a smile.
"Probably just homesickness. Despite the wonderful years I spent in Munich, I haven't forgotten my hometown and have always toyed with the idea of a visit, but never been able to make it happen. And now the time has come."
At that very moment there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Mr. Steiner's sonorous voice rang out and the door opened.
Cedric turned in his chair to see who was coming through the door. A black-haired head with sparkling green eyes peered in.
But that was… no mistake… it was actually the young man from the park.