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

Admittedly without Sio around, Joel was pretty bored. Though there were times where he wished she would just shut up, he had become rather used to her regular company and since they’d become exclusive in their relationship, rather used to things that came with that territory as well. As he sat in the Coffee Pot alone at a table towards the back with his laptop open he was alternating between the race-team email traffic, an article about the Air Force using the Hubble Space Telescope for Military usage, his personal email, Youtube, and a thank you letter to Maxamillion Olympus in MS Word for the original Ayrton Senna steering wheel sent to Joel as a gift after winning the Sol City Grand Prix.

[hider=Letter]

[i]Maxamillion,

I wanted to take the time to write you back and thank you for the extremely thoughtful gift. I have to say, of all the many things that have come my way since the day of the race, your gift may be the most special to me. 

In my life there are few things that truly bring out a passion in me and I have to say, of those few, racing is most likely at the top of that list. I know some may consider it odd or uncouth, but I find that there is no other time I feel more alive than when I am pushing a car to its absolute limits, sometimes beyond. I honestly can’t state that enough and based on your letter, I think you can understand the sentiment. 

I consider myself lucky, at thirty-three, to still have several good years of driving left in me and with the opportunities presented to me, put in part by your sponsorship of our car, I intend to make the absolute most of every single one. This is a career path that only a few weeks ago, remained confined to my dreams and imagination. 

At present I find myself embarking on a season with the World Rally Series (WRS) that will take me both far and wide across the globe. It would be a pleasure to catch up again with you some time. I don’t consider myself wise and for someone who enjoys flinging cars along dirt paths at high speeds, not very smart either. Your counsel would always be appreciated.

I hope this letter finds you well and thank you again sir,

Sincerely,

-Joel Nicolosi
[/i]
[hider]*Included in the final envelope is a picture of Max, Joel and Tommy in front of the car with the Winner’s trophy after race day[/hider]
[/hider]


Inside the Coffee Pot with all the Saturday night hipsters, Joel knew he didn’t need to worry about anyone remotely recognizing him. Wearing his standard cargo shorts despite the cold and an old, faded Tyrrel F1 sweatshirt he tapped along with one headphone in and black coffee steaming in the cup next to him. There were still a solid few hours before the art showing would be over with and Joel was too firmly practical to drive all the way back to the shop, nearly forty minutes and then all the way back out to Park View. Instead, he brought his clothes with him, changed after practice at the team’s lodge on the mountain and eased back into town in no particular rush. With the mist outside settling into steady rain, he was annoyed that he hadn’t got to drive his new car since before the snowstorm, however, it was going to be comical seeing Sio attempt to get into the Jeep in that dress and he brought a step stool for her. 

Taking a glance up at the dark river and the city lights reflected off the water he noticed his phone vibrate with a message from Sio. 

[hider=text from Sio][color=fff200][b][indent]FYI Just to let you know it has been speculated that you were dating Marlin and got dumped by her in favor of her new girlfriend. I squashed that with a quickness. I’ve heard like three different stories as to who said it first...give you three guesses as to who I think said it. First two don’t count.”[/indent][/b][/color][/hider]

Joel’s eyebrow cocked about halfway up his forehead when he read over the words and once finished, he read them a second time. [i]What the hell was she thinking?[/i] He thought to himself. There was no doubt in his mind where the rumor started and it didn’t make a lot of sense or even seem necessary. He shook his head feeling more justified than ever in his decision not to go. A curt reply flashed through his mind, but he thought better of it. In all honesty, the next emotion that flashed through his mind regarding Marlin was mostly pity. She just seemed to fall whichever way the wind was blowing at the time. If she decided to have a [i]girlfriend[/i], that was none of his concern, but if she was running around telling people they were dating and that she dumped him, it seemed to imply that she was just crying out for his attention. He typed a reply back to Sio:

[b]It’s a shame, I just finished this letter to her granddad, I don’t know what happened to the rest of the family tree after him[/b]




Joel’s Playlist
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5zUKY3qf2E[/youtube]