After I’d finally left Lowe’s this morning, I’d done a little of my own rallying. Luckily, Murray and Beulah both took my call and agreed to meet me here after I’d given them the low-down of events, and my decision to formally announce my ownership.
I wanted them both there as my support; Murray to answer any financial questions, and Beulah to field the legal stuff. I wanted to show this board that I meant business, that there was going to be a significant change in the way this club was treated, run, and how we would conduct ourselves.
Starting today, we were going to behave as winners.
I would give them that belief.
A blacked-out Range Rover drove past the guard gate as the barriers lifted, and under the stone arch where two lions roseup on either side as though checking everyone who entered, and protecting those inside. It stopped in front of me, the back door opening after it came to a halt. Beulah stepped out from the left, Murray from the right.
“Afternoon, boss,” Murray grinned, rubbing his hands together. “Ready to get this show on the road?”
“You bet,” I replied, kissing Beulah’s cheek. “You ready?”
She nodded. “I am, though only if they stick to contract questions. I can bullshit with the best of them, but I do not have the depth of knowledge for any baseball questions. That’s your job.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” I winked. “Can’t have anyone thinking that I’m surrounded by idiots.”
She pursed her lips hard and pinned me with a look, though I could see amusement twinkling in there somewhere. Beulah was anything but an idiot, and she’d made that very clear to me when I’d called her earlier and requested that she’d attend this meeting. She acquiesced only on the condition I answered anything she couldn’t. She’d also given me two non-negotiables: that her old assistant, Blake, needed to come with her, and I had to give her a proper crash course in baseball asap, or she wouldn’t be starting as my Head of Legal, something I couldn’t wait for her to do. She was exactly what this club needed for the hard negotiation I was anticipating on my imminent shopping spree.
Murray was a little more up to speed.
When my grandfather had announced he’d bought the club, I sent him and Rafe to go through all the paperwork and finances, as my financial and legal representatives. He’d spent time with my grandfather’s C.F.O. and his advisors, and I wanted him by my side because I knew there would be questions about my plans for buying new players. And it wasn’t that I couldn’t answer all the questions myself, but having a team and being flankedby two of the most successful people I knew in their respective fields added a lot of weight, because this meeting could go two ways - mutiny or acceptance.
I was expecting both.
“Where’s Lucian?” Murray asked, as we made our way to the entrance of the executive suites of the stadium.
“He’s already gone in with Maypole.”
“Oh yeah? What was he like?”
“Seemed happy I was bringing it forward, desperate for me to take it off his hands. Kind of an ass.”
“No wonder it’s in the state is it then.” Murray held the door open for Beulah and me to walk through ahead of him.
“Exactly.”
My grandfather and Maypole were standing in the atrium of the entrance hall; Maypole looked smaller than he’d done outside against the statuesque physique of my grandfather.
“Ah, here they are,” boomed my grandfather. “Murray, Beulah, good to see you.”
He leaned down to kiss Beulah’s cheek, followed by a handshake for Murray.
“Good to see you too, Sir. Exciting times.”
“Indeed, they are.”
“Let’s get this over with, shall we?” grumbled Maypole again as he headed toward the elevator, like none of this was his choice.
“What’s he so pissed about? He’s making a tidy billion out of this,” Murray whispered in my ear as Maypole and my grandfather walked ahead.
“Probably because he’s just realized what a shit show he’s made of it, and now I’m going to come in and revive it. Or he’s desperate to fuck off on vacation, and I’m holding him up by calling this meeting.”
“Yeah, you are.” Murray slapped my palm as subtly as he could.
We rode up to the Chairman’s floor in silence, stepping out to find two Lions executive staff greeting us. Maypole walked straight past, not bothering to acknowledge them or introduce us, so I did it myself.
“Hi, I’m Penn Shepherd.” I shook the hand of the man nearest to me.
