Suzy Kent struggled with the transition from A flat major to B flat major 7th on her guitar. "Dang it, I'm never going to be Joan Baez at this rate!" A few more attempts and she finally got there, albeit with too long a pause between the two chords. At that moment, there was a knock on her door. "Now's a good time as any to take a break" she said, putting her guitar down.
It was Summer Holiday at the door. Of late Summer had become Suzy's best friend: The two shared much in common...a positive outlook on life, both interested in pop music and fashion and they both had non-starter love lives. "Hi, Suzy" said Summer. "I'm not rostered on at the cafeteria until 2 this afternoon and I was wondering if you'd like to hang out for a bit?"
"Absolutely, Summer" replied Suzy. "In fact I was wondering if you'd like to help me on a little project of mine" she added.
"Oh do tell"
"I need to find a teenager...a specific one" said Suzy.
"And why would you want to find them?" said a puzzled Summer.
"Oh it's a lead on that story I'm working on. I need to find a girl called Gillian to interview...the trouble is the school she goes to won't give out any contact details so we have to 'chance' encounter her. Do you know if the teens still hang out at the Bowl-o-Rama in Newcrest?"
"Yep...some things don't change from when we were their age..." replied Summer.
"Which was only a couple of years ago" said Suzy. "So what do you say? We go there, hang out at the lounge for a bit and see if her or any of her friends show up....oh and we might meet a couple of nice guys there as well"
The girls grabbed their bags and caught the bus over to Newcrest and the Bowl-o-Rama...a popular spot that had been around for nearly a decade. There was a bowling alley, a food court, a cinema and a lounge bar all in the one building. It was a very popular hang out with teenagers and the two ladies swapped stories on the bus about their fun times hanging out there and the boys they went out with at the time. Both Suzy and Summer were 20 years old so High School wasn't so long ago for them...but with the fast change of society these days 1964 already seemed like a decade behind 1966.
"So we're here to play detective, have drinks and check out single guys?" asked Summer, when they finally arrived at the leisure complex.
"...in that order" replied Suzy.
The girls sat in the upstairs bar, near the huge windows that looked down on the street below.
"So what does this Gillian look like?" asked Summer.
"She's skinny, about 17 years old with long, straight strawberry blonde hair with a straight fringe. A bit of a party animal from what I hear" replied Suzy.
"Sounds like me when I was 17....that wasn't that long ago, have we become old maids already?" said Summer with a sigh.
"I hope not! It's just...well....where are all the decent guys these days?"
"Beats me!" said Summer, taking a swig of her white wine. "I sometimes think of moving to somewhere more lively. Sim City can be such a drag sometimes"
"I've been thinking of the scene in San Francisco, or New York" said Suzy
"...or London" replied Summer.
"London would be soooooooo fab! Carnaby Street! The Marquee Club!" Suzy's eyes lit up at the thought of it.
"Tea with the Queen!" said Summer and the both of them laughed.
"Seriously, if it wasn't for this story I'm working on I'd already be looking to move away from Sim City" said Suzy.
The two friends continued to talk about work, relationships...or lack thereof...and Suzy's investigative journalism. It certainly was a far cry from fashion journalism, which is what Suzy was originally hired to do.
"Dang, that girl hasn't shown up yet and I need to get to work!" said Summer, finishing off her wine. "Are you OK to stay here or are you going to give up too?"
"I'm staying for the moment...I know it's only a hunch that she'll show up here but if I've guessed correctly she's the type of girl who'll want to be where the action is and with all these other teenagers hanging around..." and she nodded in the direction of all the teens gathering to go see the new, wildly popular French movie "Un Sim Et Une Simme" "...I'm sure she's going to show up soon"
Suzy ran downstairs and out of the building in case Gillian walked past it. "Hello there...are you Gillian by any chance?" she called out to the girl. The teenager stopped and turned to look at Suzy.
"I am, who wants to know?" she said.
"Hi, I'm Suzy Kent...I'm a writer for 'Hey, Wow!' magazine"
The girl's eyes widened and her face lit up with excitement. "Hey, Wow!' I love that magazine...I get it every week!" she said, enthusiastically.
"Glad to hear it...anyway I'm doing a story and wondered if I could ask you a few questions?"
"Sure! What about? Fashion? I know ALL about fashion! Pop music? I know EVERYTHING about that as well!"
"It's more personal than that....erm" Suzy felt embarrassed to be asking this girl questions about her personal dating life but she was committed to this story now. "...you know, we cover celebrity news as well; who's dating who, who's been seen in the trendiest sports...you know the thing"
"I do" said Gillian, now standing confidently and less bubbly and gushing. "In fact, I know a well known person about town AND have been on a few dates with him....if you're interested" she said, teasingly.
"Do tell!" said Suzy.
"Well....I mean, I don't want to go telling about this guy unless there was something rewarding in it" Gillian looked shrewdly at Suzy.
"I see...well, what can I help you with?"
"I want to be a model...top of the range stuff, the famous fashion houses....well, you must have contacts there...maybe you could hook me up with some of them. I'm the right height, the right shape and I've got 'the look'. What about it?"
Suzy thought about this; the girl was certainly no shrinking violet....she could see why she would incur the wrath of Geoffrey Landgraab.
Suzy thought about what Gillian had asked for...a simple matter of introducing this girl to some of her modelling contacts. There was a risk; if she proved to be a liability and as demanding as Suzy had suspected it might reflect badly on her. On the other hand, if what she had to say was revelatory then perhaps she would be forgiven if the story was good.
"OK, I know people who might help your modelling career" said Suzy, hoping she wouldn't regret it. "I have a business card from a top photographer...it's yours IF you tell me about this guy." She held the card aloft, just out of Gillian's reach.
"Alright....I've been dating Malcolm Landgraab...the heir to the Landgraab fortune" the girl said.
"I know the Landgraabs. Go on" said Suzy.
"Well...he's no angel but then again, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree if you get my drift" Gillian continued.
"This I already know" said Suzy, turning the business card over in her hand.
"OK...here's the dope..." said Gillian leaning in and speaking softly. "Malcolm's been supplying the party scene with some substances that the cops wouldn't take too kindly too: 'Shrooms, acid and especially space cookies. It's his way of 'expanding' the family business with a sideline of his own."
"And the family business is, what, exactly?" asked Suzy.
"The old man's a ruthless business tycoon...as you know. But he's REALLY cutthroat. Putting people out of business, cutting off their water and power supplies. It's less like a corporation and more like a protection racket. But not to be outdone is Mommy Dearest...she's into ALL kinds of criminal activities! She pretty much runs the Sim City underworld!"
Suzy said nothing. She was shocked by this revelation...the Landgraabs were way worse than she had initially suspected. Clearing her throat, she asked Gillian "So are you going to keep dating Malcolm?"
"I guess...depends on him and whether he'll stand up to Daddy" she shrugged.
"Well, if you hear anything new...here's my contact number. And here's that business card I promised as well...thank you Gillian"
The girl looked at the cards she was given and smiled broadly. Suzy walked away Good luck... she thought you're going to need it.
Suzy headed into town for some light relief and noticed that there were bright pink and psychedelic colours decking out the public squares. One look at the signs posted everywhere told her it was "Romance Festival" night. "Oh no!" she thought, remembering how dull it was last time. However, all was not a total loss...a familiar face was present.
"Bakko Jang...always where the party is!" she said, smiling at him.
"You know me, sis" he replied. "Gonna dance?" he asked.
"Maybe later...I'm hungry right now" she replied. Suzy headed over to a vendor for one of this week's special "romantic" dishes but they usually turned out to be regular meals but with more chili sauce on them.
Looking around the festival, it was the same old bunch of middle aged men on the hunt and female fashion disasters as the divorcees attempted to look hip but failing. Still, the food was nice and after she'd finished she headed back to talk with Bakko.
"I'm doing a live spot later...it's open mic night at the bar and I've got me some new material" said Bakko, enthusiastically.
"I look forward to seeing it" said Suzy.
"Hey, it's either one of my fans...or one of yours...coming towards us" said Bakko, nodding in the direction behind Suzy. She turned around to see Nancy Landgraab approaching them.
"Bakko..." Nancy said "I'm very much looking forward to seeing your act later on. I'm so glad the money and time we invested in your career is starting to pay off"
"Thank you, Mrs Landgraab...enjoy the show" replied Bakko.
"And Miss Kent, how lovely to see you again. I rely on your publication to inform me of the latest trends" she said, showing off her latest outfit. A bit racy for a woman of 40 but Nancy had the courage...and the looks...to just about pull it off.
"Pleated skirts are the height of fashion right now" replied Suzy. "Are you with your family tonight, by any chance?"
"Geoffrey's here. Malcolm was invited by he's with friends this evening" Nancy replied, haughtily.
"Yes, I hear he's quite the socialite" said Suzy. "He's been seeing this aspiring model I believe?" Suzy was trying to get a reaction from Nancy and she didn't have to wait long either.
There was a frosty silence between Nancy and Suzy, who realised she'd touched a nerve there. Suddenly, Nancy looked away and over to an area where people were painting. This seemed to snap her out of her mood. "Ah..." said Nancy. "I see someone I'd like you to meet. Neil! Would you be a darling and come over here for a moment?" she said to a young, fair haired man who'd been painting a still life scene. He put down his paintbrush and came over to where Nancy and Suzy were standing.
"Suzy Kent...I'd like you to meet a friend of mine: Neil Humphries. Neil is an aspiring young artist the Landgraab Foundation are sponsoring. Miss Kent here is from 'Hey, Wow!' magazine."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Kent" said Neil, pleasantly
"Call me Suzy" she replied. Suzy thought Neil was a friendly, good looking guy from his smile and honest expression.
"I must attend to other business...until next time" said Nancy, who promptly left.
Neil looked stuck for something to say so Suzy tried to break the ice. "I like your painting over there" she said.
"Oh, that? I haven't finished it yet" he said, looking embarrassed.
"Nevertheless it's looking good...you're good at capturing reflections on canvas. So do you have anything exhibited in any galleries?" she asked, trying to get him to open up.
"Not yet...I still consider myself an amateur at this stage. Hopefully one day I'll have my own exhibition. At the moment I'm just glad to be able to participate in this arts festival..."
"Erm, this is the Romance Festival" said Suzy, correcting him.
"Romance Festival? Oh my god!" the man looked panicked and looked around him frantically.
"Is something the matter?" said Suzy, now looking concerned.
"I...I don't do well at these kind of things. I thought this was an art festival"
Suzy suppressed the urge to laugh. Neil looked so panicked at the idea of being at a romance festival.
"Relax...this place is usually filled with middle aged people looking to cheat on their spouses anyway. I've been to this event twice now and haven't met a single....nice....young...single....man" and as she spoke those words, her eyes met Neil's briefly before both of them looked away.
"I...I...hope you can come to a showing of my work in the future...Suzy" said Neil, putting his hands in his pockets and looking awkwardly at his feet. "In the meantime...I'd better get back to my painting"
Suzy nodded. She didn't know quite what to make of this guy but that brief moment of eye contact was enough to spark an interest in this man who was so awkward he made Jeremy Saint look like a lounge lizard. Suzy went to get some food and found that she was sitting opposite Geoffrey Landgraab. He didn't notice her though; his attention was drawn to a an elegant blonde haired lady wearing a lavender coloured Chinese dress. Geoffrey gave her a wink and a wave...she smiled seductively back at her. This is not the model family thought Suzy.
