Page 15 of Octane

“Sawyer, listen to me,” Vic begins. “I wasn’t going to tell you this, partly because I don’t agree with it, but partly because I hate when you get down on yourself. However, you need to know that very few of the other team owners that I spoke to showed any interest in you.”

“Because of my driving skills?”

The room falls silent for a moment, then I hear Vic sigh.

“The few who wanted to see your tape would never consider signing you, no matter what it showed. You know this is a man’s sport. No one wants to bring a female on to their team.”

The room goes silent again. I’ve always wanted to take this wall out and replace it with glass. I would give anything to see her face, but I’m glad I haven’t changed it yet. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation. I feel a little guilty eavesdropping, but I need to know more about this girl.

“But here’s Jackson. A decent guy, and a great team owner. Heisinterested. As much as you may not like him, he’s the only choice. And he’s an excellent choice. Plus, he’s willing to take a chance on you. I think it's only fair for you to do the same for him.”

Silently, I cheer Vic on from my place outside the door. I don’t hear a response from Sawyer, but when Vic speaks again, it confirms that she must agree with him.

“Okay, I’ll go ask Jackson to join us again.”

Before he sees me, I dart into my office and stand in front of my bookshelf, pretending like I’ve been here the whole time. I wait until I hear Vic knock before I turn my attention to the doorway.

“Hey, you ready for me?”

“Yeah, thanks for giving us a minute.”

“It’s no problem at all. Hey, before we go back in there, I’ve got to ask. Where is this self-doubt coming from? The times I’ve seen her before this, she’s been full of fire and determination.”

“Honestly, I don’t know for certain. She’s very private, so we really only talk about her driving. I kind of get the feeling that she doesn’t have a ton of support. Don’t let her behavior in there dissuade you from wanting her on your team. That badass spitfire that you mentioned? That’s the Sawyer Stone you saw on her tape.”

“Then that’s all I need to know,” I explain.

I follow Vic out of my office and back into the conference room.

“Okay, if you’re ready, let’s all have a seat and we can discuss things further, shall we?”

I stay where I am as both she and Vic take their seats once again. She still looks uncomfortable, and I want to do anything I can to ease her mind. I walk to the small refrigerator in the back corner of the conference room and pull out some waters. Handing one to each of them, I take my seat. This time, instead of sitting at the head of the table, I choose the seat directly across from Sawyer. I want her to look into my eyes and see that I truly want her as part of my team.

CHAPTER SIX

SAWYER

The rest of December and the beginning of January flew by. Daniel and I celebrated the holidays with family in Cabo San Lucas. It was nice to get away for a while, and it helped keep our minds off of work and racing.

I stayed away from Daniel as much as possible when we weren’t around anyone else. I can’t stand the act that he plays in front of people, the way he turns on his fake charm. God forbid someone thinks we’re unhappy or imperfect. It’s disturbing. I don’t understand how someone so devoid of emotion can make it appear effortless as he wins people over.

Once we got back to real life, however, I had an email waiting for me from Jackson with details about my test drive. I met him out at the speedway where he had me drive some laps for him. Not to say it was easy, but the test wasn’t nearly what I’d been expecting. When he called me into the pit after my twentieth lap, I thought it was because he was going to dismiss me. Instead, he told me he wanted to see me the following week to sign a contract.

I didn’t mention anything to Daniel until after I’d signed. He wasn’t happy at all and voiced his extreme displeasure the night that I broke the news to him. It’s been a couple of weeks since then, and though he’s still very upset with me, Daniel is doing a fairly good job of hiding his feelings while in the presence of my family, as he usually does.

Today is the first day of the season. The first time I am going to be meeting my teammates in person. I am scared shitless. I’ve been telling myself over and over that I belong on the team just as much as they do, and I think I’ve finally convinced myself. However, I’m worried that they will need even more convincing than I did. They’re some of the top drivers in the league, and I know I’m going to have to prove myself to them. To everyone.

Driving through the tunnel and onto the center of the track, I park in front of one of the garages. As I get out of my car and step foot on the asphalt, I get the same feeling as I had all those years ago, seeing the grand arena for the first time. I can smell the rubber permanently burned into the track. I can hear the echoes of the engines roaring in my ears.

“Sawyer. Wonderful to see you again.”

I hear Jackson’s voice in the distance as he walks toward me from the garage. Facing him, I wave my hand in greeting. He seems a bit more reserved than he’d been the last few times we spoke. Less of a joker and more like a businessman. Like the boss he is.

We haven’t seen one another since my test drive at the beginning of January. I’d thought for sure we would run into one another again before today. I now wish we had—maybe I wouldn’t be so nervous right now. I haven’t had to introduce him to Daniel yet, and I’m thankful for that. I know it will not be a good day when that time finally comes.

“Thank you, Jackson. You too,” I offer him a slight smile.

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

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