Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

T he hostess greeted Brian. She always had a saucy smile just for him. “Mr. Lockwood. It’s so good to see you.”

“Thanks, Darla.” He ignored the emphasis she put on her words. “Has my guest arrived?”

“Yes, just a few minutes ago.” Her voice was husky. “I personally showed him to your private dining area. I’ll take you to him.”

Brian smiled warmly. “Thanks, but that’s not necessary.”

“I’ll do anything for my favorite customer.” Darla added an extra wiggle to her walk as she led Brian over to his guest.

Darla was cute, but she didn’t hold a candle to Lila, and he was not the least bit interested. Brian thought he’d made that perfectly clear, but Darla was persistent. It was one of the reasons he’d limited his time at the restaurant. Unfortunately, it was the perfect place for a meeting with Mr. Glenmore.

Mac Glenmore stood when Brian arrived at their table.

Brian turned to Darla. “Can you have someone bring me a cup of black coffee?”

She nodded and batted her lashes. “Of course.” Then, she sauntered away.

Brian extended his hand. “Mr. Glenmore.”

Mac did the same. “Please call me Mac. May I call you Brian?”

“Absolutely.” Brian had reviewed Mac’s portfolio, and the man looked exactly like his photo and was almost a carbon copy of his father.

Brian took his seat, as did Mac. “Thank you for coming.”

“Thanks for inviting me. I can’t say Lockwood Racing was even on my radar until Senator Wright mentioned your team.”

Brian was surprised. “Senator Neal Wright? The Senator who represents Illinois?”

Mac nodded. “Yes, one and the same. We were at a fundraiser a few weeks ago, and he mentioned how he’d taken an interest in Lockwood Racing. He hadn’t particularly been a fan until Colby James started to blow up. My apologies, but I wasn’t too familiar with her either. Shortly thereafter, a business partner of mine invited me to Ms. James’s last race. Imagine my surprise when I overheard folks talking about you looking for sponsors.”

Senator Wright? Brian thought that was interesting. Several questions sprang to mind, but he figured now wasn’t the time to ask them. “For once, the chatter was true.”

A waiter came back to their table with coffee. Brian waited for him to leave before continuing the conversation.

“The chatter was pretty loud.”

“As it always is,” Brian said. “I’m sure you’re well aware that I bought the team a little over a year ago, and in that time, we’ve made significant changes.”

“Yes, yes. It was all in the report your team sent over.”

“Good. Then you know there has been a complete overhaul.”

“Yes, I do.”

“That explains why some of our previous sponsors who had agreements with Daughtry Racing no longer align with our vision. We are not looking for just any sponsors, but the right partners.”

“Uh-huh.” Mac didn’t look convinced. He was blunt. “Let’s cut the bullshit, shall we?”

Brian was equally blunt as he leaned back into his chair. “I think you’ll learn fairly quickly that I never bullshit.”

Mac held Brian’s steely gaze before breaking eye contact. “Is it true that Lockwood is on the verge of bankruptcy and that you’ve had to lay off staff to stay afloat?”

“No. But I’ve had to make some hard decisions as I restructured my business. Redundancy is always an issue in situations like this. Let’s make one thing clear—Lockwood Racing will only partner with people we think align with our vision. We are a one-of-a-kind company with a once-in-a-lifetime, generational talent behind the wheel. It is my hope that you see the value in us as we see the value in Glenmore. If you do not, I won’t waste either of our time.”

The silence was loud, and neither wanted to make the move to fill it as they sized each other up.

After another few moments, Mac spoke first. “I appreciate your honesty.”

“That’s all you’ll ever get from me. Now, if you look at the figures on page twenty-two of the report?—”

“No need for that.” Mac steepled his fingers together. “If Senator Wright thinks Lockwood is a sound investment, so do I. That man has never steered me wrong.”

“So, you’re in?” Brian asked to be sure.

“I’m in. We can have the lawyers look over the paperwork and get the signatures on Monday, but it’s a done deal in my mind.”

The waiter returned. “Are you ready to order?”

Mac responded with a wide grin. “I think so. Winning makes me hungry. It might be a little early but bring over a celebratory bottle of champagne for me and, hopefully, my new partner after you take our orders.”

Brian was elated but projected calm and cool. “Champagne with breakfast is always a good idea.” He extended his hand. “Welcome to Team Lockwood.”

The vigorous handshake between them gave Brian a sense of excitement and relief, but he also felt something else— apprehension .

The deal felt entirely too easy. What could that mean?