Log: Sue and Julian: What's my name again?

[x-invisiblegirl.livejournal.com]

Sue runs across 'Otto Henry' at the party and identities are revealed.

It had been described as the party of the year, well maybe of the month, at least the party of the week. It was an odd experience for Sue, her two worlds colliding, her friends from the mansion, and her friends and acquaintances from the parties she attended with her father. It was disconcerting to see people from both sides of her life mingling and chatting, and all because of their elusive host a Mr Julian Keller. The blonde tapped her glass with her finger and scanned the room again, she'd been trying to pick out the man of the hour all night, a difficult proposition since she didn't actually know what he looked like, but Sue wasn't about to let that stop her. No Julian anymore but the teenager did spot a familiar face standing in a corner. "Mr Henry," she piped up crossing the room to stand behind him, "fancy meeting you here."

Her voice made him tense slightly as Julian vaguely recalled giving a fake name to a young blond woman a couple weeks ago, along with his phone number- though nothing had come of it. He turned, subtly motioning for the security guard he'd been speaking with to head to make himself scarce. With a smile and slight head tilt he turned to confirm that it was indeed the woman from the beach- though he was at a loss for her name. "Hey...you," he chuckled nervously, racking his brain for the name she'd given him on the beach.

Sue arched an eyebrow, letting the silence drag out for just a second or two longer, "I hardly expected to see you again, and here of all places, what are the odds?"" the blond paused and looked looked expectantly at Julian letting the silence stretch out before she relented and took pity on him, "You have absolutely no idea who I am do you?"

"Ah, as to that- I know who you are; you're the woman I met at the beach a while ago," he smiled sheepishly. "It happens that it's," he sighed, "your name that is giving me some trouble," Julian grabbed a glass of some purplish liquor off a passing tray and took a sip- it was bitter, his face squished up a bit. "Oh, that is...," his grin returned through the taste, "I may have deserved that."

"Perhaps just a little," Sue agreed with a faint smile, "I suppose I shouldn't expect anything else, a passing meeting on the beach doesn't tend to stick in your head," Sue herself had almost entirely forgotten about meeting him until she'd seen him across the room, but at least she'd remembered his name. "So did you even find that boat or property near the beach you were looking for?"

Julian set the half-empty, purple-filled glass on a passing tray and clapped his hands clean. "No- I decided to funnel my funds, elsewhere. I did purchase a large bit of inland property within flying distance of the beach though. Plus, boats are completely last year," he winked and grabbed two glasses of white wine off a passing tray, "Was your girlfriend able to attend tonight?"

"Philistine," Sue teased gently, "Boats never go out of fashion, they just cycle between becoming retro or contemporary. After all who wouldn't want to spend the day or an expensive yacht, the ultimate in relaxation." At least Sue thought so, but then she had spent her birthday on a yacht so she might be slightly biased. "She couldn't make it, couldn't make it down to the city with class tomorrow. And what about oyu, here alone tonight?"

"By myself, yes," he smirked, "I have only been in the city for two weeks and I've already run into all of my ex's, one of whom is around here tonight." He glanced about for Angelica Jones, but couldn't see her immediately. "It's a small city, I suppose," he made the comment off hand as he turned back to Sue. "So, out to see the newest member of the city's social elite tonight?"

"If he ever shows up yeah, I can't wait to meet the man who everyone has been talking about. From all the stories you'd think he was 7 feet tall and had the looks of Adonis and all the money of Midas himself," Sue told 'Otto' in a conspiratorial aside, "Although I suppose this is a pretty nice apartment." Sue was genuinely curious to meet the mysterious Julian Keller, but she'd seen this hype enough to know that his position as the socialite flavor of the month would soon be over.

Julian/Otto smiled, "You know, I hear he once saved a bus of babies from a burning bakery in Baltimore." He smirked, "Though I do hear he is rather attractive, not to mention quite well off-" he waved around the room, "I hear this is a rental though." With a shrug, Julian grabbed a drink from a passing tray, figuring there was no harm in letting this young socialite think he was someone else for now- despite the fact it was likely to blow up in his face. He studied her for a moment, "Did I mention, that you look absolutely lovely tonight?"

"Why thank you" Sue smiled at 'Otto' and tilted her own glass at him, "I have to admit you clean up pretty nicely yourself Mr Henry. Although it almost sounds as if you admire the man yourself, though the story I heard had him saving a gaggle of giggling girl scouts from a group of grumpy growling gators," she said all in one breath before grinning at him, "trying saying that 5 times fast."

He chuckled, "I think I've already made enough of a fool of myself in front of you this month," he still didn't remember her name. "I was just lucky no one taped my crash landing on the beach the other day. And I do admire the man, quite the story- his father in prison, his family depending on him, and he throws a hell of a party." He grabbed an appetizer off a passing plate and popped it in his mouth, chewing happily.

"I'm sure that's not true, you could make a much bigger fool of yourself if you wanted, I wouldn't judge, honest," Sue assured him. "Don't need to worry about people taping you I mean people falling form the sky, pshaw, happens all the time," the scary thing was it really did, at lest to her, given about 1/2 of those fallers were her brother in his various attempts at flying. "I heard something about that, quite the scandal for him to try to push past. Good luck to him, although if it means more parties like this."

"I spoke with him earlier, he said we can expect more next time and that he was disappointed with how this had turned out...something about not enough paparazzi outside," he shrugged and turned toward Sue. "Personally, I was expecting something grander too, but he's new to the city so i wouldn't be too hard on him."

"Wait hold on, you actually met him?" Sue turned to face 'Otto' an exaggerated look of mock surprise on her face, "Where? When? How? He actually exists? I was almost sure that Julian Keller was some kind of group delusion. 'Let's go and have a party at Julian Keller's place' would make a great excuse, 'I didn't do it Julian Keller did," the blonde continued making air quotes in the air, "That's actually a good idea, I may have to try using that it later."

Julian leaned in, "Rumor has it that his father actually went to prison to cover for his son's crimes." The secret host accentuated his fabrication with a waggle of his eye brows. It was completely untrue, but a few rumors were good for business, and he was curious to see what people were really saying.

"You think? I'd heard that it was all a ploy by the family to force Mr Keller to take a holiday," waggling her eyebrows in turn as she dredged up the most unlikely rumor she'd heard at the party.

"He didn't come across as over-worked to me," he shrugged, "assuming it was actually him and not someone just dressed up like him, right?" Julian was having fun with this conversation- as he had at the beach- of course, it was too good to continue. The music stopped and the crowd began to hush, it was time for his speech. "Will you pardon me a moment, miss...?" He tried one last time to get her name out of her before he'd have to reveal himself.

Sue took a sip from her glass, an amused smile on her lips, "Storm, Susan Storm," she introduced herself finally relenting, "You have to leave so soon? Things were just getting interesting, not another jail house interview I hope."

He grinned like the cat who caught the canary, "Unlikely, unless I'm visiting my father." The DJ was calling him up to the stage, "I'll be around though, it wouldn't be a party without me." Julian handed her his glass, "Hold this a moment, please."

Julian walked backwards as a spot light hit him, giving Sue a wink as he turned and passed through the crowd of new friends, shaking hands and bumping fists as he made his way to the stage.

Julian Keller! The man she'd met at the beach was Julian Keller, Sue cast her mind back to replay their meetings barely listening as Julian took his place on the stage and launched into his speech. Nope, he'd never mentioned or given any sign of his real identity...just calling himself Otto. Not that Sue hadn't been tempted to do the same in the past, name recognition was a tough thing to get around at times, but she'd never actually done it to anyone. Twice. The blonde narrowed her eyes as she stared up at the stage her fingernails tapping as she turned a level gaze on the party's host

"So, without further interruption, enjoy yourselves!" The applause and cheers that followed made Julian dizzy, apparently people were enjoying themselves- thoroughly. He raised the glass that the DJ had handed him to the crowd and finished it off. Scanning the area Sue had been, he spotted her staring daggers into him. He smirked and gave a little shrug and wink in her direction, hopping off the stage and starting towards her.

Sue raised her glass to her lips as she watched the parties host thread through the crowd towards her, using the brief time it took her to drink to re-arrange her thoughts, "Mr Keller I presume," she said coldly, her eyes flicking up and down Julian, measuring him like you would something you weren't to happy to see before a mischievous twinkle appears in the corner of her eye, "I always assumed you'd be taller."

"It's amazing how often I hear that," Julian smirked, "eminently sorry to disappoint, Miss Storm." He wondered if she'd put something in his drink while he was up stage, "For what it's worth, I am sorry for the deception," with a shrug, "or I am sorry now. Honestly, after you turned down my invitation to dinner, I doubted I'd see you again." He held up a finger before she could say anything, "You know my family's history, recent history in particular, can you really blame me for not wanting to be me when some pretty woman came up to me on the beach?"

Sue actually took a moment to consider that tapping a finger against her glass before she shook her head, "I get where you're coming from, I really do. God knows there have been time the family name has a burden, but you can't really hide from it. Sooner or later it always come back to get you. Might as well own it, besides I'm sure to most people the adventures of the Keller family just aren't that interesting. Sorry," she gave Julian a wan smile, "Although I have to admit, giving false names is a common tactic, but I'm pretty sure the idea is to come up with something better that Otto Henry." she teased.

Julian scoffed and feigned injury at her comment, "And here I thought it was very clever for not having anything prepared. Otto being short for Octavian, which would be the adopted son and successor of Julius Caesar- which is what the name Julian is derived from."

Sue smiled and tipped her glass at Julian acknowledging a point well played, "So we see you know your history, and have chosen an interesting character to draw your inspiration from. And Henry, does that mean something too, or do you just like the sound of it?"

"Truthfully, Miss Storm...for once anyway. I just couldn't think of anything- it was the first thing that came to mind." Julian smirked as he finished his champagne, "I am very glad to have run into you again, Sue."

"That seems...unusual for you," she might only have met him twice but Sue could tell that Julian Keller was rarely ever at a loss for words. "It's certainly been interesting running into you again 'Mr Henry'." Sue replied with the mischievous sparkle in her eye.

Julian snickered and set his glass down on what he thought was a passing tray, however the attendant slowed down and whispered something into his ear. He nodded and the server scampered off , "If you'll pardon me, Sue, I'm needed in the kitchen...please, do enjoy yourself tonight." A devious grin crossed his lips, "Do let me know if I can assist in your enjoyment in any way." The host have her a wink and started away toward the bustle of the kitchen.