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So “great” is not necessarilythe word I would use to describe the next day, but things did improve between the guys. Their smiles may have still been a little pained, but they both made a concerted effort to be friendly when interacting in front of the public. Luckily the structure of an F1 garage means that they didn’t have to be together while doing their sessions, but they were also careful not to mention the other while on the team radio, a significant improvement from testing, when they were sniping constantly. When all was said and done and Alejandro had set a faster time, Jason actually shook his hand by the cars before going into the back. I knew it was eating him up inside, though.
So no, not great. But not bad either.
I’d worked with the rest of the communications team to come up with some videos we could record over the next several races. We didn’t want to force the “these guys are BFFs” narrative too quickly, so we decided to take things slow with staged games. First up? “What’s in the box”, a pretty common game among motorsports media teams because drivers who needed to pit were told to “Box box”.
“The setup is simple,” I told both men as I walked them over to the filming couch we had set up in the paddock. “There’s a box on the table in front of the couch with an open side facing the camera so the viewer can see what’s inside. One of you will sit on the couch and put your hand in while the other sits to the side. You’ll be seeing who can guess the most items, but really it’s just a chance for the fans to see you both interacting.”
“Do we heckle?” asked Alejandro not so innocently.
“You can’t be mean or unprofessional,” I replied, feeling my blood pressure start to rise.
“That’s not a no,” said Jason, smiling at us as he took his seat on the couch. Jesus, I was going to need a serious vacation after this. I wondered if they’d appreciate the fact that apparently the thing they had in common was giving me an ulcer.
I guided Alejandro to sit next to him for the intro portion of the video. Surprisingly, they did a fairly decent job introducing the concept and then Alejandro slid down to allow Jason the first turn. Jason closed his eyes and I slipped the first item into place and backed away.
“Ok,” said Alejandro. “What’s in the box box box?”
Jason slid his hand into the opening and froze before touching the boba pearls we had put in a bowl. I stifled a giggle. “Is it too late to change my mind?” he asked with a strained laugh. “I actually need this hand to drive. What if something bites me?”
“Nothing is going to bite you, chicken.” retorted Alejandro. Then he arched an eyebrow in a teasing way. “Or is it?” I knew he was shooting for a reaction in Jason, but it was, well, endearing. Alejandro, notorious mystery man and straight face, was playing along. My heart slowed to a cautious thrum.
“Ugh. Ok, here it goes.” Jason pushed his hand into the bowl. “Ack! It’s slimy! Why is it slimy! And squishy?” His face was a mix of disgust and intrigue. “It feels like . . . oh wait, I can’t say that.”
“Can’t say what?” asked Alejandro, leaning in.
“Testicles,” whispered Jason. “Little tiny balls missing the sack.”
Alejandro let out a bark of a laugh. Jason snorted out a giggle and pulled his hand back out, giving the camera a serious look. “It’s not, is it?”
“No! It’s boba.” Alejandro laughed again and I was relieved once more that it sounded genuine and not cruel.
“Oh, ok. That makes more sense.” said Jason, wiping his hand on a napkin and sliding down to his side of the couch so that Alejandro could take his place behind the box. I waited for Alejandro to close his eyes and then switched out the bowl of boba with a plate of smashed avocado.
“Ok,” said Jason, eyes twinkling, “what’s in the box?”
Alejandro looked at him rather sheepishly. “Ok, maybe I do not want to put my hand in there.”
“Too bad, dude,” said Jason. “Now you know how it feels.”
“At least I know they will not hurt us because we have to drive tomorrow,” shrugged Alejandro as he slid his hand in. “Ew!” he shouted and immediately pulled his hand back out. “It is snot!” He held up his hand with green smears on it. “Why would you give me snot?”
“It’s not snot dude,” wheezed Jason through his laughter. He was gripping his sides as he shook with mirth. “It’s avocado!”
“Oh,” Alejandro looked back down at his hand somewhat chagrined but no less grossed out. “That makes more sense.”
We had to pause filming here because we were all laughing so hard. My ribs hurt from it. When I finally managed to breathe I found not just one, but two sets of eyes locked on me. Jason and Alejandro were each watching me giggle.
Embarrassed, I tucked my hair behind an ear. “We’ve got to keep rolling, folks.” I had the guys touch random stuffed toys we borrowed from one crewmember’s kid and fake bugs, which really had them going. All through the filming they seemed to really be enjoying spending time together.Maybe it’s trauma bonding?I wondered. Most likely they heard me when I said it was imperative they sell the story and were just excellent actors. Whatever it was, it was working, and the media team was excited by the footage.
After filming was over their rapport immediately dropped, but I was encouraged by their ability to fake it when they put their minds to it. We ate dinner with the team and both drivers sat with their pit crew, meaning they didn’t have to interact much, then went upstairs to rest up for another day on the track.
On the elevator ride up I stood between the two men and couldn’t help but admire them in the door’s reflective surface. Alejandro caught my eyes in the door and looked down at me. “What is on your mind, Kat. Did we perform well for you today?”
“You both did a great job. Seriously.” I looked over at Jason as well. “If you can keep that kind of energy going all season we won’t have any issues on the marketing side of things.”
Then everyone would be happy. Sponsors, team owners, and most importantly, my bosses.
“Can do.” said Jason. He had a dangerous twinkle in his eyes as he continued. “As long as you keep smiling at us the way you did today, I’ll be happy to do whatever you need.” He bent closer to me, his breath a whisper on my ear. “Anything,” he said with a wink.
