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∞∞∞
I rub my eyes and face as the hotel room door opens.
“Are you tired?” Jake asks. He’s wearing a bowler hat and an obvious wig. Last week, he chose a giant gray beard.
“That fake disguise is more obvious than you in normal attire.”
“You would think so, but I’m world famous. Packs of rabid fans follow me everywhere.”
I roll my eyes and drop the pen onto my nearby notebook. Writing isn’t necessary, but the act keeps me focused and improves my memory. “Sorry to correct you, darling. They were running away in fear.”
“You called me darling,” he says. I glower, bringing out one of Jake’s smiles. “Also, you never answered my question.”
“I was cyber-stalking Pierce Boylan based on something Boone told me.”
Jake’s expression turns serious as he sits on the edge of the bed and leans back on his arms. “What did your brother tell you?” I give him the update from both Boone and Julian. “He’s losing interest,” Jake says as a guess.
“He may not be,” I say, wanting to give hope while not believing it. “Boylan is the primary investor in some new start-ups. He’s also put his house on the market, and it’s rumored he plans to relocate.” Pierce Boylan already lives in North Carolina, which means a physical move would take him away fromBP Racing. “You can expect leaks to appear in the media soon. There’s nothing yet, but there will be. You need to be ready for questions.”
“What do I say?” Jake’s arms give out as the impact of what I said grows over him. He falls back on the bed with a loud huff. “This explains my one-year renewal. I mean, what the fuck is that?”
“Say your focus is driving the best that you can, and you’reproud of your team’s performance. No matter what, doing your best is where your energy goes. Refer people to Public Relations. Pretend to be ignorant.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t have an answer yet.”
“You will.”
“Not yet. How close are you and Bert? Does he think of you as only an asset or more?” Jake draws back, trying to understand my question. I try again. “Do you trust him to be honest with you? Will he give you a rehearsed line that all is well, or will he care enough to give you the truth?”
“He would be honest with me,” Jake says, with a hint of doubt. “I think he would. He cares about me; I’m sure of that much.”
If Boone were asked about the future ofRivers Motorsports, he’d turn surly and intimidate the person until they retracted the question. My father would use magic words until the questioner felt embarrassed for asking. “You need to ask Bert. Don’t approach him like an employee worried about his job. Go to him like he’s a trusted mentor.”
“He is a trusted mentor.”
“Good! Use that. He’s someone you care about, and you’ve heard a few things. You want to reassure him as much as the reverse. You’re on his side but also want to know the truth.”
“I’m not that good of an actor,” he says.
I launch a crumbled-up piece of paper at him. Jake catches it.
“You could charm NASCAR officials to hand you a win when you don’t finish. You can do this.”
Jake beams at my backhanded praise. “That’s true, I could. Okay, I’ll ask, and then what?”
“You’ll give me all your financial information, and I’ll tell you what’s possible.”
“All of it?”
“Even the change in your piggy bank.”
“I spent that on rent years ago.”
“That’s good. It makes my job easier. Pennies always get so dirty.” I rub my fingers together, pretending to wash them.
“You’re enjoying this.”
