Three's a Crowd

Chptr One ☆ Pleased to Make Your Acquaintance

Suzy hoped that she hadn't made herself look like a groupie in her attempts to doll herself up for the very special occasion of meeting the bands. But then again, what groupie would wear something with such a high neckline? Probably none of them, at least none of the good ones, but still, surely the makeup was a bit off?

Her thoughts ran away with her as she pressed her back into the driver's seat of her Mercedes, her hand anxiously kneading the handle of her cane. The walk from the parking garage to the office building was about a fifteen minute one, so she knew she'd better quit her moping soon if she didn't want to be late. She let out a huff of surrender and popped open her door, pushing it agape and letting her legs swing out.

During her walk through the garage, she found herself a bit paranoid: checking the rows of cars for any she didn't recognize. Any that could belong to a rockstar.

But, when she failed to spot whatever otherworldly ride she was looking for by the time she'd reached the sidewalk, she let the muscles in her face rest as she continued on her still-unfamiliar walk to the office building.

"Downtown sure does know how to make you feel small." The girl remarked, voicing her amazement at the sheer size of the building she was gawking up at. And, within the time of a short elevator ride, she was walking around nearly at the top of said building, greeting the receptionist with a kind smile.

"Suz! You're here!" Called Raul, who'd heard the elevator ding from his office, in a projected whisper.

Suzy opened her mouth to return the greeting, confusion etched on her face. Why is Raul being quiet? Raul is never quiet.

"Shhh!" The man hushed her violently, his expression panicked as he extended a ringed finger to about a centimeter or two before her lips. "They're here!" He wheezed harshly, blue eyes nearly bulging out of his face.

Suzy immediately matched his consternation, her stomach dropping at the realization setting in.

The bands are waiting, separated by only a wall.

"Who's all here." She said, attempting to collect her anxieties.

Raul straightened up from the hunched position he hadn't even realized he'd assumed, tugging on his undone blazer with a quiet clearing of his throat. His hand rested on Suzy's shoulder, guiding her gently closer towards the elevator near reception.

"Okay. We've got all of Def Leppard, half of G'n'R, Jon Bon Jovi alone, all of KISS except Gene Simmons, and David Lee and Alex Van from Van Halen." The man whispered, checking the watch on his left wrist and causing the loose papers in that hand to crinkle. "Alex says Eddie Van is waiting downstairs in the lobby somewhere. He won't come in until after David leaves."

Suzy slightly freaked at that news. It meant that there was possibility that Eddie had seen her when she hadn't seen him. Her thoughts quickly began to spiral. Had he seen her anxiously chewing on her lip? Had he seen her make those little comments to herself under her breath? What about when she grew frustrated with the elevator because it didn't immediately open for her when she repeatedly slapped the button.

So much for a first impression.

Instead falling into her familiar cycle of self-consciousness, the woman chose, instead, to focus on the nicknames Raul had seemed to have given the Van Halen boys.

"Eddie Van, huh? You must be close." The brunette quipped in a low voice. "What, are you all fans of A Clockwork Orange?"

Raul's face fell at her sarcasm, all traces of worry being immediately replaced with an unamused press of his lips. "Haha, very funny. Suzy the comedian. Let's go."

He'd grabbed her bicep before she'd even had a the chance to process what he'd said, but quickly let it go as they reached just outside his office door, aware of how'd it'd look to clients to drag the assistant manager into the office by her arm. He gave the girl a generous second or two to pull herself together, then grandiosely shoving the slightly ajar door wide open.

"Well, well, well, fellas, looks like the second in command has finally arrived!" He shouted, causing the attention of the ten or so men in the room to abruptly snap towards the pair. Raul's watch thumped against the wood as the blowback of his forceful push of the door against the doorstopper sent it crashing back into his forearm.

Suzy slightly chuckled into the weary silence, her laughter seemingly giving the musicians permission to join in.

"Alright, alright." The man started, trudging back to his table with Suzy in tow. He slapped his papers onto the surface, the brown haired woman sitting in his seat as she often did in their Mercury days. Raul took a few steps forward, settling down on the corner of his desk with a sigh.

"This is the incredible Suzy Vogue, whom I was telling you about. She's gonna get you a lot of hits." He spoke, gesturing behind him to the buoyant woman laying her cane across her lap.

Suzy forced a kind smile as she felt herself grow stiff from all the eyes looking at her. Boy, do they stare.

She knew all their names, even the guys from that new band. Axl was the ginger, Slash was the one with the top hat, and Steven was the happy blond. As for the others, there was, of course, Jon Bon Jovi, David Lee Roth (whose eyes felt like lasers) as well as 'Alex Van' from Van Halen, Bruce, Paul and Eric of KISS, and Phil, the Ricks, Joe and Steve of Def.

Then there was Eddie, but he was down in the lobby.

David was the first to speak.

"Nice to meet ya!" He called out, earning a chuckle from the bandana wearing redhead.

"You look nice." Axl added, a suggestive rasp woven into his friendly tone.

Those two seem similar, Suzy thought. Noted.

"Nice to meet you, too. And thank you." She smiled, slightly bowing from her seat.

"What's the first order of business, Lady Cap'n?" Eric piped in, a welcoming smile on his lips.

Raul leaned back on the desk, retrieving his previously discarded papers to hide his lips from the rockers.

"This one has insisted on calling me Cap'n and it's caught on with the rest. Don't expect them to let up any time soon." He mumbled, quickly turning his attention back to their clients.

"Well, firstly..." Raul started, knowing he hadn't quite told Suzy the day's plans yet. "We've got to get your each of your pictures — just for the record."

There was a tall camera off to the right side of the room by the door, set up in front of a wooden stool. It looked like one of those cameras you'd see when you went to get a passport photo taken.

"Suzy here will be taking those pictures." He continued, looking back with puppy eyes as if asking for the woman's belated blessing.

She offered a small smile of concession, hoisting herself up with one hand on the desk and situating her cane in the other.

"Alright, boys, who wants to go first?" She inquired, an expectant smile on her lips.

The poodle haired blond, Steven Adler, was the most eager volunteer, his hand shooting up as if he were a student in a classroom as he shouted a loud 'me!' with goofy grin.

Suzy acquiesced, calling him over with a flick of her hand.

He sauntered over to the lone stool, hopping up onto it with his big smile never leaving his lips. The woman began setting up the camera, fiddling around with the settings since they hadn't touched it in a while, even at Mercury.

"Okay, buddy, what's your name?" Suzy asked, deciding to play coy to keep a cool façade.

He happily obliged her request, giving her his full name with a slightly shy chuckle afterward. The girl couldn't help but smile at this.

"Alright then, Steven. Say cheese."

But before the blond drummer could even utter the first syllable, he bursted through the door like a bat out of hell.

"Eddie?"

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