“No problem,” Mason says affably.
“I’m just going to ask you some general questions,” I say. “Maybe something silly, too.”
He makes a face. “We can do better than that. Want me to give you a tour of the garage?”
“Oh, I was going to have Chris do that,” Catherine says.
“Come on. It’s better if I give the tour. Nothing against Chris, but he doesn’t have the same charisma that I do. You know the camera loves me.”
Then he grins wickedly at Catherine, and to my surprise, a pretty flush colors her ivory skin.
“Oh whatever,” she says, playfully rolling her eyes at him.
“But you know it’s true.”
“Would you mind?” I ask hopefully. Mason giving me a tour is another content gold mine for me.
“Not at all,” he says cheerfully.
“Thank you, this is fantastic,” I say happily. I explain how Catherine is going to film with my iPhone, and we’ll have to share the mini mic. Mason nods in understanding, and then I retrieve the equipment from my bag.
“We can store your bag up here, next to the monitors,” Catherine says. “Here, I can do that for you.”
“Oh, thank you,” I say, handing her my tote.
She places it up on the bench, tucking it behind a monitor, and then I hand her my phone.
“I’ll do a little intro, and then you can show me around,” I say to Mason.
“Sounds good.” He turns to Catherine and flashes her a grin. “How do I look, Catherine? Camera ready? Be honest.”
The mischievous smile dancing across his rugged face tells me he knows he’s more than camera-ready—not in an arrogant way, but rather in a playful, fun way.
Catherine stares at him, and it looks like she’s blushing again. There’s a noticeable flush up her neck, and pink blooms in her cheeks. But it’s hot here in Miami, maybe it’s just heat.
“Yes, you’re good,” she reassures him.
“All right. I’m trusting you,” he teases.
I move next to Mason. “Okay. I know what I’m going to say.”
“Let me know when you want me to start.” Catherine holds up my iPhone. She takes a second, adjusts something on the video, and then nods. “I’m ready to record when you are.”
I smile in front of the phone. “I’m ready.”
“Okay, recording.”
“Hello, this is Isla Foley, and I’ve got a special treat for you today. I’m inside the garage for Collings Motors here at the Miami Grand Prix. In a few hours, this place will be buzzing with activity as the cars take to the track for the first practice session of the day, but for now, I’m going to take you inside the garage for a tour with Mason Clark, and we’ll finish with an up-close and personal look inside the race car of Caleb Collings.” I turn to Mason. “Mason, thank you for meeting with me today.”
“Pleasure. It’s your first time in the Collings Motors garage, right?”
“Yes. And it looks like things are getting busy.”
“Yes. This is a busy weekend. We have practice and qualifying for the sprint race tomorrow, so there’s a lot happening. Let me show you around.”
Mason seamlessly shifts gears from plotting strategy to giving me a tour of his side of the garage.
“You know what blew my mind about the garage? It’s shipped all over the world in containers, and it takes twenty people to set up the garage at each track we visit. And we try to keep it looking the same for each race, but of course, that depends on the facility at each track. We even have the floors painted before we arrive to ensure they are clean. Reduces the risk of falls from a dirty surface.”