CHAPTER 231: Fame Is The Name Of The Game

"I think they've gone" said Suzy as she looked out of the living room window.

"Who's gone?" asked Neil.

"The press.  There's no shifty looking men with cameras hanging around outside, no one on our doorstep.  I think the news cycle has moved on and I'm no longer a hot news item."

"Thank goodness!" said Neil.

"I know it's been tough on you, darling, and on some of our friends who've been caught up in this but thanks for standing by me throughout all this and I mean going back to before we were married."

Neil nodded but he didn't feel comfortable being feted.  It was his husbandly duty, as far as he was concerned.  He never had a big ego anyway and always admired how Suzy handled people so well.

"So that's an end of that" he said, eventually.

"Well, not quite..." said Suzy, looking away from the window and going to sit on a nearby seat.  "There's a special event at Hey, Wow! magazine.  I'm one of Sim City's people of the month.  I've got to show my face there, meet more press, have my photo taken and all that..." she didn't seem happy about it.

"I see:  The so-called perks of the job" he replied.

"Some perks...and I feel like I've been too off hand with my friends of late.  Like they're not important enough to pay attention to anymore." Suzy sighed.

"But you were with Summer yesterday" said Neil.

"Yes, but we got to the bar and people kept asking for my autograph, or telling me how they love my work or how they love how I dress, do my hair, do my make up, do I have any tips?  I didn't get much of a chance to actually talk to Summer and she's about to enter a really hectic time as well in the run up to her wedding.  There was so much I wanted to say..."

"Like it or not, Suzy, you're a celebrity now."

"I like it not." she said, pouting.

"But you love to write and write about things people these days are interested in.  That's going to attract attention...I'm sure you'll make it up to Summer but right now you've got to find that balance between your work and your personal life."

"As always you know just what to say" she said, standing up and giving him a kiss.

"But I have to get to this function at the office.  Wish me luck and depending on how it goes I'll either return happy but slightly drunk or miserable and in need of putting back together.  Bye, darling." she said as she grabbed her shoulder bag and headed out the door.

The event was a "faces of 67" photo shoot.  All the people who were tipped to make it big by next year; 1967.  Suzy spotted some familiar people:  Baako Jang, Tiffany Lawson and Vanessa Jeong to name a few but there was one person present she knew about but hadn't met.  Penny Pizazz.  She could be considered a rival; Sim City's #1 fashion expert, but Penny had a TV show and Suzy was still a print journalist.  They had crossed paths at various hot spots and social events but had never properly met until now.

"My chief rival...Suzy Kent.  I finally get to say hello to you" said Penny, a very confident looking who oozed sassiness.  Her greeting was friendly but there was an aura about her that left Suzy feeling she was definitely the junior fashion reporter present.

 

"Penny...lovely to meet you properly at last.  I'm a big fan of your work." replied Suzy.

"As I am of yours.  How come we've not met before given our work?"

"A bit of a mystery" said Suzy, smiling.

"Well, you've added another string to your bow with the crime investigations.  It's not a subject I wish to touch." said Penny, her expression turning serious for a moment.

"That wasn't planned, a story just happen to land at my feet, so to speak.  So what are you currently working on?"

Penny leant in and whispered closely to Suzy's ear.  "A date has been added to The Beatles' American tour.  They are coming to Sim City after all and I've landed an interview with them."  Penny leant back, looked at Suzy's shocked expression and nodded a confirmation.

"Oh my gosh!  Sorry, I'll keep my voice down!  I take it this is an exclusive and to be kept under wraps for now?" said Suzy.

"Yes, if you don't mind.  I don't want to brag but...hey, it's The Beatles."

"I understand and I'm very happy for you.  But do you know what's going to be happening here, today?  My publisher hasn't revealed much about the schedule."

Penny pointed to an older black man standing in the office and who had a faint air of disapproval about him.

"That's Mark Hanson, our photographer.  You may have heard his name before:  He gained fame as one of the first black war photographers in WW2.  Of course he went on to cover Korea, the Cuban revolution and has recently returned from Vietnam."

"And someone thought he'd be ideal to photograph a glossy magazine studio shoot?" said Suzy.

"He's done fashion as well:  Paris, Milan...You might remember that Suzy Parker shoot for Vogue back in '61 or '62, I can't remember exactly when."

"Before my time, Penny."

Hanson approached Suzy with a scowl on his face.  "Are you Suzy Kent?" he said, gruffly.

"Yes...well, Suzy Humphries to be exact.  Kent is my maiden name..."

"I haven't time for that.  Is that the outfit you're going with?" he said, looking her up and down.

"Well, yes.  Is this acceptable?" said Suzy nervously.

"Black and white on a multi-coloured background?  Sure...sure..." he said but Suzy wasn't sure if that was a yes or no.

A little while later and Suzy was in full swing as a fashion model.  Hanson snapped off reel after reel of film and by the end he managed to crack a smile.  "You're very good at this, Suzy.  You have a natural poise and grace often lacking in young people these days.  You look like Grace Kelly and you have a style like Audrey Hepburn."

Suzy blushed at the comparison but thanked him.  "Am I done?" she asked, politely.

"Yeah, OK, let's get these other kids on set..."

In a break between photo shoots Suzy and Penny found themselves seated next to each other again but before they could continue their conversation from earlier, Mark Hanson came over and sat next to them.

"You know..." he began to speak, before even any pleasantries were exchanged, "...I've seen all kinds of beautiful women pass through my lens; some great, some shy, some with that magic quality not easily put in words but you know it when you see it.  You two definitely have it.  You both have style and grace...not like pin-up girl, what's her name, over there!" he said, nodding towards Tiffany.

"Suzy...you could easily be a professional model.  If you want to make a career move and earn some serious money, I can put you in touch with the right people"

Suzy blushed at the compliment but said "thank you, Mr Hanson, but I prefer to write about the fashion, not model it."

"Yeah, you've got smarts and I respect that.  But just one word of advice....why not grow your hair long?  You've got that Louise Brooks thing going and that died out with the stockmarket crash in '29"

Suzy laughed.  "Mr Hanson, I like my geometric bob just fine.  It's making a comeback."

Hanson shrugged and stood up.  "Young women today...they know what they want.  Sheesh." he muttered.

Penny looked at Suzy and smiled as well.  "Let's slip away from here and head on to a groovy bar I know..." she said.

"I couldn't agree more..." Suzy replied.

The place Penny chose was quieter and the two young women could sit at the bar and converse without being disturbed.

"I'm starting to get fed up with being feted all the time.  I've got reporters outside my home, I'm sent by the magazine to do photoshoots and interviews, one after another...you're famous in this town, does this happen to you?"

"From time to time...the thing is, Suz, is that you chose to work in the media and that comes with expectations from others.  You could always up sticks and become a teacher in a small rural town if it gets too much." Penny replied.  

"How do you cope?" asked Suzy.

"This..." Penny said, raising her glass.  "Well, seriously, I ask myself what do I want to do?  I want to be at the heart of the social life in this town.  I look on, observe then comment on what I see and I accept that my wish to be at the heart of things comes with this cost of fame and dealing with it.  The press intrusion is only occasionally:  They move on to the next story at the click of the fingers.  But the fame grants you access to more things."

"I wanted to write about fashion and I took this turn and ended up becoming an investigative journalist."

"Yeah, and you took on the Landgraabs.  I'd worry less about the press intrusions and more about what they're going to do for revenge."

Suzy took a sip of her wine and nodded.  "I fear this is merely the beginning of something much bigger.  You see, Penny, my next piece is going to be about the Fengs."

"You don't make life easy for yourself!" said Penny, looking astonished.

"I know...and I wonder how much I can put my husband through yet another investigation  of the rich and powerful.  You see, there's that matter of an attempted assassination of Lily Feng a few months back which is linked to that theft of your fashion portfolio...."

Penny went wide eyed in shock at that reminder.  "You're going revisit that?  The police couldn't even get any leads...except for that obnoxious British photographer who took the pictures and he vamoosed back to England when he found out the cops wanted to talk with him."

"Maybe I'll have to travel to England then..." said Suzy.

"Girl...you really are crazy!" said Penny.