"Well, we're almost packed up...let's get the last few boxes into the truck and then we'll head off to our new home!" said Neil, with a trace of excitement in his voice.
Suzy looked around the nearly empty house she'd been living in these last six months and sighed. "Yeah, goodbye old house. Goodbye groovy wallpaper, goodbye kitchen...oh, Neil, we forgot to pack up the coffee machine!"
"Relax, honey, I'll put it in a box and put it in the truck." he said, reassuringly. "Are you very anxious about our house move?"
"A bit...it's funny: I'm supposed to be this up to the minute, it-girl who's into the latest things and yet I feel nostalgic for this old place. This is my first home as an independent woman, away from Mom and Dad and I grew fond of here."
Neil held her in his arms and looked into her bright blue eyes. "I know. I went from the family home to art school to a bunch of short term and cheap garrets until I met you. This place has fond memories for me as well but we're going to make a whole bunch of new ones...together...in our new house." and with that he gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek.
The last things were packed up and whatever they didn't want to take with them got left behind. As they left the house and stood on the porch, Suzy turned around to look into the house one last time. Closing the door was an act of finality: Onwards to the new.
It was a short drive to their new home and they arrived there early enough to help the removal guys unpack the truck and unpack all the furniture to put it into place. The previous week Suzy and Neil had hired painters and decorators to paint and carpet the place. Now they were ready to begin the next chapter of their lives.
"It looks great!" said Suzy, looking around the house.
"Well, it was bound to with an artist and a fashion expert in charge" replied Neil, with a smile.
"Let's relax in our new home!" she added.
The living room was designed to Suzy's tastes: Mod style with white walls and furnishings and black highlights. Neil joked that she could camouflage herself whenever she wore her favourite black and white outfit. Meanwhile he was pleased at how his sketches for the new place had been implemented by the decorators.
"How about we admire our new abode over a cup of Joe?" he asked.
"Sounds good to me" replied Suzy.
As they sat on their brand-new couch sipping some freshly ground coffee Suzy stretched out her legs and took in the surroundings.
"Do you know I think this is the kind of place suitable for my current status with work" she said. "I can see myself entertaining the editor, interviewing celebrity guests, that kind of thing."
"I can just see you swapping jokes with Twiggy in this room" joked Neil. "I wonder what I'll be doing now...working in a shop isn't cutting it anymore."
"You got promoted not long ago to assistant manager" said Suzy.
"Yeah, but I want to develop my painting more. I've sold 3 more of my works in the last month...I now earn just as much money from painting than I do at the shop. Plus, two split shifts keeps us apart too much...I want more time with you, darling. How many chances to we get to go out on a date these days when I have to work an early morning plus an early evening shift?"
"I would love to spend more time with you...and, hey, I'm a follow your dream kind of girl."
"You certainly are! Anyway, I'm still rostered on for today and I'll have to get ready for my first shift so I'll give it some thought. Before I go, I want to christen our new sink!"
"Are you going to be this reverential with all our appliances?"
"Behold! Hot water on demand!"
"Oh my hero!" Suzy exclaimed sarcastically. "The wonders of plumbing! What next? Ode To The Floor?"
"You might jest..." said Neil, wagging his finger playfully at her.
"Thanks, I will" she replied.
"I'm going to finish off an article and then do some sketches for the fall fashion issue of "Hey, Wow!" Suzy replied.
"Well, all the best with that"
"I tell you what, Neil, this street is a lot quieter than our old one. I can't hear any passers-by out there"
"Then have a productive, and quiet, day...I'll see you later" he said, getting up and kissing her cheek.
Suzy then settled down in their new study...finally, she lived in a house that had a study...and began typing up her next article.
If anything, the current trends are only going to become more accepted in the mainstream and that American designers can compete with European ones...
Her writing was interrupted by the sound of the new doorbell ringing and the muffled sound of a woman's voice shouting "Coo-eeee!"
"So much for a peaceful neighbourhood..." muttered Suzy to herself. She stopped typing, stood up and went to see who it was at the door.
"Hello neighbour!" said a very exuberant Eliza Pancakes on the front porch. Right behind her was the slient figure of her husband, Bob.
"Hello, this is a nice surprise" replied Suzy. "Come on in, I'll show you what we've done to the place."
"Oh I can't wait to see!" exclaimed Eliza. Bob seemed more circumspect, so Suzy had to do a bit more coaxing to get him to step inside.
"I am loving it already!" said Eliza, clapping her hands. "This is so you...the black and white, the sleekness of it all. It's all so mod!"
"That was the intention" replied Suzy.
Bob was looking around as well but less at the decor and more at the large stereo system they had.
"Hey, this is a good model...do you mind if I switch it on to check the sound?" he asked.
"Sure" said Suzy "I'm not sure how it switches on yet"
"I got it; used one of these babies before" said Bob.
"YEAH! TOTAL SOUND!" Bob said, excitedly.
"Bobby...would you turn that down a little? Suzy and I can't hear each other speak!" said Eliza.
Bob muttered something and turned the volume down.
"Oh this place is just divine! I want to be nosey and look all around!" said Eliza, jumping to her feet and scuttling off down the hall. That left Suzy with Bob and she tried to engage him in some light conversation.
"So........how's the baby? His name is Armand, isn't it?" said Suzy; her opening line.
"Sure is...he's OK." said Bob, nodding.
"And where is he today?"
"At home...with a babysitter. Say, I'm a bit hungry. Do you have anything to eat? Just a little snack will do?"
"Erm yeah, some little bits...we haven't gone shopping yet but I think there's a slice or two of cake in the fridge" said Suzy. Bob didn't seem like a man of many words but the paunch of his stomach told her he was a man of much eating.
SLAM! Went the fridge door as Bob slammed it a little too hard. Eliza came striding into the living room to see what the cause of the noise was.
"Bobby Pancakes! Treat our neighbours' house with a little more respect!" she said, scolding her husband.
"Dang it, woman! This is a solid and well-built appliance! I know what I'm doing." he gave a surly reply.
"I doubt that...and you've still got the stereo on way too loud!"
"Quit nagging me, Liza! I'm warning you!"
"Oh you're warning me, are you? Ooh, I'm scared" she said, sarcastically.
The tension in the room suddenly ramped up and Suzy felt anxious sitting between the feuding Pancakes.
"How about I make us all a coffee?" she asked, both as a way of trying to calm things down but also to give her an excuse to get out of being in between them.
"Got any more cake?" asked Bob.
"I'll see...Eliza, coffee...or...cake?" asked Suzy, nervously.
Eliza shrugged her shoulders but said nothing. Suzy took her chance and scampered off to the kitchen whilst Eliza sat down in a chair that was opposite the couch. Bob looked at his wife and saw she was upset...he didn't know what to do so he made an awkward attempt at flirting to try and make amends.
Eliza just gave an indignant huff and turned her head away.
Suzy returned a few minutes later with coffee and more cake. "Eliza, wouldn't you be more comfortable on the sofa?" she said, not wanting to be in the middle of those two. Eliza got up and sat down next to Bob whilst Suzy sat in the single chair opposite them. Bob didn't seem happy about the seating change.
"So...Bob was telling me a little about Armand? How is parenthood, Eliza?" asked Suzy.
"Busy, busy, busy!" Eliza replied. "Has Bobby told you about our babysitter? Oh she's wonderful! She makes little Armand giggle; it's so cute...you must come and see him again, I think he likes you." replied Eliza.
"He likes anyone who gives him milk" said Bob.
There was a bit more chat about things that wouldn't set the Pancakes off and then Neil returned home.
"Oh, hi Eliza and Bob...how's it going? What do you think of our new home?" he asked the guests.
"We love it!" said Eliza.
"It's pretty neat" said Bob.
"You've got a nice place" remarked Neil. "So...what else is new with you guys?" he added.
"Oh this and that..." replied Eliza. "...mainly the baby though"
"Always the baby!" added Bob.
"I can imagine" said Neil.
"No you can't...unless you've experienced it, you can't imagine..." replied Bob as though he was reliving some traumatic memory.
"But he keeps us on the go and, yes, it can be a lot of fun, can't it, Bobby....I said, CAN'T IT, BOBBY?" said Eliza.
"Oh yes...say, Neil, I dig your stereo system" said Bob, desperately trying to change the conversation to something guy related.
"Thanks, man" replied Neil. "Go ahead, find something cool to play"
Bob scuttled off to have a bop whilst Eliza sat next to Neil. "Do you know I don't think we've really gotten to know each other...I didn't actually meet you until the wedding. I hope we can spend more time getting to know each other..." she said.
"Yeah, OK then." said Neil, innocently. Suzy was out of earshot, however...
Neil made an excuse to clean up the plates and cake crumbs whilst Suzy re-entered the room and sat next to Eliza.
"It's certainly nice to move to a new neighbourhood and have people you already know there" said Suzy.
"Oh we're going to be in and out of each other's houses, I'm sure!" Eliza replied.
"Yes..." said Suzy, a slight hesitation to her voice.
Bob walked over to them and looked at his watch. "We'd better be getting back, we're paying the babysitter by the hour" he said.
"Alright, Bobby, don't fret...anyway Suz, let's meet for coffee sometime soon" said Eliza.
"Sure thing" said Suzy.
"I'll just head back now and pay the sitter...you join me when you can pry yourself away. Thanks for the cake, guys" said Bob.
After the Pancakes had left Neil and Suzy could, at last, get a bit of peace and quiet.
"They're quite full on, aren't they?" said Neil as he checked out a work in progress that was on the easel.
"Eliza's got a heart of gold but she does come across as brash...Bob, I don't know so well but he seems like he carries the burdens of the world on his shoulders." replied Suzy. "But they're our neighbours now..."
"I'll never complain about Action and Julia ever again" said Neil. "How do you like this drawing? It's just charcoal on canvass at the moment but I want to move from just doing landscapes to doing portraits"
"I love it! And we get to work together in this room as well! Me on my typewriter and you at your canvas"
"I'll work on this later...Right, I'm just going to get a bite to eat...that is, if Bob hasn't eaten us out of house and home. Then I have to briefly pop into the shop to hand in my notice and work out my remaining time there." said Neil.
"You're serious, you're going to quit your shop job and turn full time artist?"
"Yep, made up my mind and I want to do this. Are you OK with that?"
"I think that's wonderful news...your talent shouldn't go to waste." said Suzy, kissing him on the cheek.
That made Neil's day.
Once again Suzy found herself alone but only briefly...there was another knock on the door. "Who is it this time?" she sighed.
It was a woman; an auburn haired, tall and slim woman in her late 20s who had an air of refinement about her.
"Hello, there" she said. Her accent was English and sounded very upper crust, almost aristocratic. "My name's Emma and I live just across the river there. I see you've just moved in and I wanted to say hello."
"That's kind...you're English, aren't you?" asked Suzy.
"Correct. I've only just moved to Sim City with my...erm...associate; Steed."
"Steed? The name rings a bell...wait, I met a man named John Steed at the Humour and Hijinks Festival recently. Dapper chap, wears sharp suits and a bowler hat?"
"That's the fellow. So you've met Steed, eh? Interesting..." said Emma with a wry smile.
"Well do come in...I still have some fresh coffee in the pot" said Suzy.
"I do say I like the decor here...did you choose all the furnishings?" said Emma, looking and sounding impressed at the surroundings.
"I did...I work in fashion and my husband is an artist so we chose all the decor and furniture with an eye for a total look." replied Suzy.
"I can tell you work in fashion; you're up to the minute in style." Emma said, looking Suzy up and down. "That dress: Cardin? Quant?"
"J.C. Penney, I'm afraid. I can't quite stretch to getting an original Quant." replied Suzy, sheepishly.
"But I love your boots! I have the same pair...they have to be originals!" Said Emma, showing off her white go-go boots which she wore with beige and tan pants.
"Yes, these I did get from a boot makers in Chelsea...but I had to mail order them though. Did you get yours there?"
"In Chelsea, yes, it must have been the same boot maker. So you're interested in Carnaby Street fashions, are you?"
"Oh yes! I'd love to go there one day"
"It's worth it. I used to go there every weekend before our work, that is, Steed and myself's work, took us to America."
"What line of work are you in, if you don't mind me asking, Emma?"
"Oh we're troubleshooters you might say. We go wherever we're needed." was Emma's nonchalant and uninformative answer.
"And what about yourself, Suzy, what do you do in fashion?"
"I'm a fashion reporter for a magazine but I sometimes dabble in other kinds of journalism...you know, investigative."
"Wait, are you Suzy Kent? I read your article about Malcolm Landgraab! I found it very informative."
"Yes I am and thank you"
"You should do more investigative pieces...I'm sure there's a lot in Sim City that could do with an expose."
"Oh there is...I'm working on something right now but I need to get my facts straight with it because some of it sounds fantastical on the surface."
"Now that does sound interesting!" said Emma.
When Neil came home from his second shift he found Suzy with some strange Englishwoman sitting, laughing and conversing in their new study.
"Hello, Suzy, another visitor?" he said.
"Oh yes, this is Emma from across the river...she came to say hello. Emma, this is Neil, my husband."
"Pleased to meet you: Suzy's had a lot of nice things to say about you." said Emma, with an effortless grace and charm that was accentuated by her accent.
"Well, I must be heading off now...no doubt Steed's got some problem that needs dealing with urgently and I must help him. Goodbye, Suzy and Neil. Lovely to meet you." she said, getting up to leave.
Once she had gone home Neil looked at Suzy and said "It's like a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company has graced our home."
"Now, now, she's lovely and such an interesting person...she's actually married to a test pilot but he went missing two years ago and no trace of him has ever been found!"
"This sounds like the basis for your next article..." he said, drolly.
"Now let's lock the door, pretend like we're not in so no more people will disturb us, and let's snuggle down to some nice dinner and a cosy night in." she replied.
"I like the sound of that" said Neil.
"I'll just go and freshen up" she said, leaving the study and going to the bedroom. There, she checked herself up and down in their new, large wall mirror. She felt great and excited by their house move and after all the chaos of having visitors she had only one thing on her mind...Neil.
By way of coincidence, Neil had only one thing on his mind and it wasn't dinner... When Suzy sauntered back into the study he grabbed her by the waist and drew her close to him.
"Neil! This is most unlike you!" she said. "But I like it"
"Only you can get me all hot and not bothered at all" he replied. "Let's skip dinner..."
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