Page 68 of It's About Time
I take a seat and situate myself toward the camera. “Is this okay?”
The assistant comes over to me, placing her clipboard under her arm before directing me to turn. “Move your body this direction.” I follow her lead. “Excellent. Do you mind if I adjust your hair?”
“Sure.” I have it up in my signature messy bun and bandana. It started as practicality—since loose hair and working on cars don’t mix—but now, it makes me feel more like myself. So, even if this interview called for a more polished version of me, I wasn’t about to give that up too.
“There.” The young woman smiles and then walks back over to the camera, standing behind the operator while we wait for the interviewer to come in. “Just relax. This won’t take long.”
“I’m relaxed.”
Her eyes drop down to my hands clutching the arms of the chair. “You sure? You seem a little tense.”
Releasing my grip, I lean back in the chair, adjusting my black silk top. I paired it with my nicest pair of jeans and sneakers, since my feet won’t be on camera. Heels are the devil and only worth suffering for on special occasions, like one of my best friends getting married. But that’s about it. “I’m good.”
A few minutes later, Tony Franklin—the man I was most nervous to meet today—enters the set from the right, and it takes everything in me not to jump from my seat and rush over to him. He looks exactly like he does on camera, every bit the industry legend I grew up watching on TV.
“Good morning,” he says, smiling broadly as he walks over to me.
I return the smile and nod, trying not to look as starstruck as I feel. “Hi there.”
He stops in front of me and extends his hand. “Dilynne Clark?”
Shaking it, I say, “That’s me.”
“So nice to meet you. I’m Tony Franklin.”
Nervous laughter bubbles out of me. “Um, yeah. I know who you are.” Tony used to be a host for the auto auctions I watched with Nick on TV. Now, he only does certain events in the automotive space, like Motorlux. He’s a legend in the industry and definitely knows his shit.
Some girls worship pop stars or celebrities they aspire to be like. I worshipped Tony Franklin.
Tony smiles, releasing my hand before taking his seat across from me. “I assumed so, but it’s still nice to introduce myself in person, you know?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re shorter than I thought.”
Tony laughs as the production assistant hands him index cards with the Motorlux logo printed on the back. “No offense taken. I get that quite a lot, actually.”
“And I just want to apologize formally right now if I act a little too much like a fangirl,” I continue, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. “I’ve been watching you since I was a pre-teen, so this is like meeting my idol.”
Tony chuckles. “Now that’s something I don’t hear every day. But then again, it’s not every day that women break into this industry and stick around.” I know his comment isn’t meant to make me feel insecure, but it feeds right into the reason I feel so on edge today.
I haven’t seen Vinnie yet, but I can feel his presence. It’s like my body is still attuned to that man. I’m just hoping I can make it through this interview and back out to my car without seeing his stupid face.
“Well, I have no plans on leaving. In fact, I’m pretty sure after Motorlux, everyone will knowmyname.”
Tony’s grin spreads wide. “I like your confidence, kid.”
“With all due respect, I’m a thirty-year-old woman, Tony. My kid days are long behind me. Now, I’m just a woman on a mission to make a name for herself.”
He nods, smiling from ear to ear. “I love that. So, why don’t we start this interview?”
Feeling myself relax, I lean back a bit in the chair. “Fire away, Tony.”
He asks me about my history, how I fell in love with cars, and what inspired me to enter the restoration competition for Motorlux.
“I wanted a challenge. I feel like I already know so much, but putting that knowledge to use in one full project felt like the ultimate test for me. And at the auction, my goal is to take home the biggest profit.”
“That’s a mighty ambitious goal.”
“Dreaming small only limits you.”
