When Harry Met Suzi

Chapter One: In the Beginning

"Ian," she dragged out, "Iaaannnn!"

The man in question was not paying the petite girl any attention. He was too busy checking his phone for the very busy group chat he was in.

"Dammit, Clyde, I already mentioned it was gonna be in Hollywood!" he groaned, banging his phone against his head. Frustrated, he looked at his sister. "What?"

"Ian, listen," she said, "just let me go. Please, just let me go with you!"

"Suze, no!" he groaned again. "No, no, and no!"

Suzi fell onto her brother's lap dramatically, her legs dangling over the side of the couch where he sat. A hand went up to her forehead, as if she fainted. She gasped. "Dying ... brother ... please ... pa-aaaaa-rtty!" She pretended to die.

"You know," her brother sighed, "for a grown adult, you act like a seven-year-old."

"Yeah, but I get what I want, right?" Suzi said, coming back to life. "Okay, I'll be ready by 10!"

The party in question, was just a regular work party Ian attended regularly. No one would be there besides his coworkers and a few other special guests. But Suzi was excited either way. She was finally going to one of the parties her brother talked about so often to their parents! She'd finally be ... one of the adults.

By 10:30 p.m., Suzi was almost ready. Ian was only waiting for another thirty minutes, no big deal. But Suzi wanted to make sure her outfit was appropriate. She wanted to come off as an independent twenty-something who definitely wasn't there with her brother. No, she was invited.

By 11:07 p.m., Suzi and Ian were finally on their way to the party. Suzi opted for a dress she bought a few days ago, but thought about returning it because she actually had no occasion for it. She figured this was the right occasion. She was still going to return it though.

Suzi made sure to tell her brother that they absolutely did not know each other.

"Everyone knows you're my sister, Suze," he said dryly, parking the car. "You come to like, every show."

"Okay, but listen," she reasoned. She thought to herself for a moment as her brother stared at her. "Yeah, okay, nevermind."

They walked into the venue briskly, for it was cold in Hollywood and there were also a lot of bums that Suzi was afraid of. It was a nice-looking club, or something. The security was tight. Lots of tall, muscular men in tight-fitting black shirts and sunglasses. But it was almost midnight, so Suzi thought it was funny that they were wearing sunglasses at night. Suzi and Ian walked up to the front. The only things in between them were four large men, a podium, and four rows of velvet ropes. She was so close.

"Hey, Rod," Ian said, digging through his pocket for his phone. Beside Suzi, Ian looked supremely underdressed. Clad in a pair of plain black slacks and a plain black button up, Suzi, in comparison, was dressed to the nines. She wore a tight bodycon dress; it was the type of dress you'd see celebrities in when they walk out of a club at 4 a.m. and half a boob was hanging out. She paired it with thigh high boots, gold jewelry—fake, of course—around her neck and wrists, and the most contoured face of life.

Rod looked Suzi up and down. "I.D.?" he asked gruffly.

Suzi fiddled in her gold-painted clutch for her I.D. and handed it to the man with a smile.