[H2][center][b]Joel Nicolosi [/b][/center][/h2]

"I think she likes you," Tommy said crossing his arms and leaning back. They both watched her leave. Joel glanced back over his shoulder and shrugged returning to his Guiness.

"Well, if I was a woman, I'd like me too," He said putting down another empty glass.

"You just can't stand that a woman might actually be interested in you," Tommy said with a smirk, "You're really that spiteful?"

Joel reached over the bar and refilled his glass from the tap. He seemed to be mulling over Tommy's words. "Didn't you play before the concussion rule?" 

"That's a low blow,"

Joel felt a small sense of victory in the concession. "I got enough on my mind without having to worry about some high maintenance woman getting up in my business," He said the words, but the first thought to come to mind was Lou's advice back at the shop when he decided to skip out on the winter party: [I]That car not gonna take care of ya when ya get as old as me...[/i] Considering what he could do if they won, Joel thought he could prove him wrong.

"You need to live a little, brother," Tommy said.

"Now you sound like my mom," 

"What I'm saying is there's more to life than sitting in that shop for God knows how long at a time," Tommy said, "Race will be over before you know it, then what?"

"Then I'll count my money," Joel said. He was becoming annoyed. 

Tommy knew when to let it go. He cleaned up the dishes and wiped down the counter. The two of them didn't speak. He knew Joel liked to fight as much as anyone and whatever social convention dictated he would always do the opposite. At the jazz night, he sat outside. The whole town turned out for the winter party and he stayed home. A beautiful woman gave him her phone number and went out of her way to flirt with him and he didn't call. Tommy shook his head and hung the picture before placing the model neatly underneath. 

Joel worked on his Guiness and looked at the model, then at the picture. That was [i]life[/i]. He told himself. He could remember the feeling and it nearly gave him goosebumps. The race and many others before it. He knew most people would never understand. Those few laps. Those amassed seconds of his life. That was [b][i]living[/i][/b]. 

[@PrinceAlexus]