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

Joel set the bottle and glass on a partially empty table as he wound his way through the crowd. Carrying around a handle of hard liquor in a public place didn't seem like the best look and Tommy warned him there would likely be cameras everywhere for several days. Being portrayed in a negative light wasn't the problem, though. The real problem was grinding in his mind and in his chest. He felt like he didn't even really know these people and at some level felt like he had betrayed himself. Yes, he [i]sort of[/i] knew Marinalia, but in retrospect that was just in a vacuum of a couple weeks. The whole event, the expensive suit and the fancy spread were not his scene. If there hadn't been an internationally televised race to attach it all for publicity, he wouldn't have dreamed of darkening this particular door in a million years. These people didn't know him nor did he think they were in the least bit genuinely interested in what he accomplished. It was all a script to play by while they wined and dined each other. A happy little [i]sideshow[/i]. Winning the race was just a neat bow on top.

He had the elevator in sight and was thinking of how good it would be to go home and relax. They'd been semi-camping out in the hauler since Friday practice and he missed the quiet solitude of the shop. The circus and fanfare of the Winter Party and the race weekend would soon be over and Sol would thankfully be back to normal for a while. He pushed the call button, and heard a voice after him as the elevator started to descend. Turning around to find Sio, he slightly raised one eyebrow suspiciously. Listening to her talk his initial thoughts were something along the lines of... [i]Yea, I bet you do need a mechanic for a '73 Stingray... the front end is loose from the factory, it's overgrown, underbuilt and handles like shit[/i]. He thought about giving her the number to the metal scrap yard, but the thoughts shuffled away in an instant and he was back to his original assumption that she was just fishing for an angle. She was cute enough, but he wasn't in the mood for cute. "Right now I'm just interested in some peace and quiet." He said looking back to watch the elevator descend.

It was about that time that Marlin arrived. Even in the growing crowd, it hadn't taken her long to find him. When she again went straight into trying to justify herself to Sio he shook his head and hoped the elevator would just move faster. Just like the race, everything again hinged on his performance and whatever script these people had prepared for it. He knew full well if he'd just sat there at the counter and laughed away Sio then the rest of them would have gone right along with it and no one would be apologizing for anything. He was just their latest fix. The dark side of him that resisted all her advances beforr was feeling vindicated and he was angry at himself for not trusting his gut right out of the gate. Maybe she did truly have some feelings for him, but the class of people she represented was something he'd fought against most of his life. Her sister had put it all in the open very plainly. He remembered how snooty they'd all been back at the track test, making coy jests and taking bets against him beforehand. They truly didn't believe he could beat her. That particular memory became much more satisfying.

The elevator doors opened up with a happy tone and Joel waited patiently as a few people stepped out. 
 
[@PrinceAlexus][@Almalthia]