by L. L Hunter
“Thank you. Now, what did you need me to do for you?”
“Oh, nothing. I just asked your dad if I could borrow you. it was kind of a secret intervention.”
My jaw dropped open then snapped shut.
“Now, what I want you to do, Lexi, dear, is to forget about the photo and focus on yourself. don’t even look at your phone.”
“I haven’t really. Not since this morning. then again, I haven’t even read any of the articles or looked at social media.”
“Good. Don’t. Go to work. Forget it ever happened. And it will soon pass. It’s fine, my dear. But there is one thing you do need to worry about.”
I groaned. “Yes. I know. My parents.”
“Yes. Go and talk to them. And soon. Before they find out the wrong way.”
“Okay. I will.” I stood from my chair and headed toward the door. “Thank you again, Maddy. And Pierre.”
“Tis no problem, Mademoiselle.”
“Anytime, my girl.”
I couldn’t talk to my parents then. I still didn’t have the nerve. I did any odd job anyone asked of me around the studio, then went home in time to take Jordan to his soccer practice.
In the car on the way to the soccer fields, Jordan wore his headphones as usual. But after a few minutes of silence during the drive, he pulled them off and turned to look at me. I was looking ahead so I couldn’t see him looking at me. but I could feel his stare.
“You look different, Lexi,” was all he said, before putting on his headphones again.
I smiled. Well, at least I was making progress.
14
The next night I had a shift at the theatre. I walked into work with my new hair and newly added confidence. My boss poked his head out of the office when I walked by.
“Lexi, you’re here. Good. May I speak with you in my office please?”
“Oh, sure.” Trying not to think of what he did last time, I knew it was the start of the shift, so maybe he wasn’t going to get undressed in front of me. So I wandered in but stood near the doorway so I could make a quick exit if the need arose. I left the door open as well, but he walked toward me and reached across me to close the door. I leaned back as far as I could go.
“So, what is this about? I have to get ready for my shift.”
“Oh, this won’t take too long.” He pushed the keyboard aside on the desk and perched on the edge. “I just wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Now, I know you haven’t been here long, but I’ve seen a lot of potential in you.”
I smiled a little but remained guarded and cautious.
“I don’t do this with a lot of people, but as I said, I’ve seen a lot of potential in you. I really think you’ll make a good supervisor. Or even a manager. Someday.”
“Really? Thank you so much. I don’t think I’m ready, though. I only just started here.”
“I know. But I really think you’ve got what it takes.” He then reached for me. “but you have to do something for me in return.”
“Okay. Um… what do I have to do?”
“Now, this is a totally normal thing. All the women here have done it. It’s kind of an initiation thing. If you do this one thing for me, I’ll give you a promotion. And I can get that scandalous photo of you and Raven to disappear. I’ve got contacts everywhere.”
Blood rushed from my face and felt a bit lightheaded.
“You… you saw that? I can explain…”
“It’s not a very good look for the theatre, but I can let it slide if you do this one thing for me.”
“Okay, and what is that? What do you want me to do?”
“It’s in the contract, so you can’t refuse. I need you to give me a blow job.”
“You want me to give you what?!”
“As I said, all the women here have done it, plus it’s in the contract.”
“I didn’t get a contract. What contract?”
“Oh, I’ll get you one later,” he said flippantly. “we have a bit of time before the start of the shift.”
“Uh… I don’t think so. I don’t do that.”
“But everyone in this industry does. That’s how it’s done here in Los Angeles.”
“I’m sorry. But that’s not how I was raised. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to work.” I opened the door, and he shouted after me. A few other staff members were mingling in the foyer by now, so I’m fairly sure they all heard.
“Then you’re finished. You’re fired!”
I ignored him. I’m sure he was bluffing because what the hell? He couldn’t fire me for refusing to blow him. Could he?
Raven wasn’t at work, so at least I didn’t have to think about what happened between us. But there was still the thing with my boss and the situation with my parents on top of the thing with Raven. That didn’t even include my two jobs and what was going on with Jordan.
My life was crazy.
I made it through my shift that night without seeing Mr. Booth again. So, I pushed his threat and weird request to the back of my mind for now and went home. I made some herbal tea and ran a hot bath and slowly let the warm water dissipate my worries. It wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep.
15
I walked into work the next night, more alert than last time. Mr. Booth wasn’t around near the office, so I headed upstairs to get ready for my shift. When I went to the small alcove where the uniforms were kept, I had the strange sensation that I was being followed. I ignored it. I knew the place was old and most certainly haunted. So, I put off the eerie feeling to that. I reached for my usher’s jacket, and the wooden floorboards creaked behind me. I spun around, but there was no one there.
“Relax, Lexi. You’re just imagining things. It’s a ghost. Or the wind. Or something.” I took the jacket off the coat hanger, and the floor creaked once more. This time, I heard the distinct sound of footsteps as well. I grabbed a coat hanger to arm myself against some invisible intruder or spiteful ghost, but instead of a ghost, Mr. Booth stood in the doorway.
My heart about leaped into my throat. “Oh, Mr. Booth. You scared me.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.
“Uh… this is where the uniforms are kept, aren’t they? I’m allowed in here.”
“No, I meant, you shouldn’t be here. You didn’t do what I asked. I fired you. and you came back.”
“Yeah, because no threat is going to stop me from doing my job. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” I went to push past him, but he was a huge man, and his body blocked the entire doorway.
It was then he pulled out a large serrated knife.
I gasped and stepped backward, collided with a filing cabinet behind me. Mr. Booth lunged, and I took the opportunity to duck under his arm and make a run for it.
I ran up the circular corridor, glancing over my shoulder. Mr. Booth was fast for an overweight man. And he tailed me closely.
I screamed and ducked behind the closest door I could find. I ran up the stairs into the auditorium.
I waited to hear if he was following me. All was quiet in the theatre.
And then I heard my name.
“Lexi? Oh, Lexi? I know you’re there. Don’t run from me. I was only playing.”
“Oh, my god. This isn’t happening!” My heart was racing. I climbed a few more stairs to the back of the theatre and lay down between two rows of seats.
I prayed and hoped he wouldn’t find me, get bored and leave.
“Lexi? I know you’re here. Come on. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
I felt for my phone in my pockets but cursed myself when I realized it was in my bag upstairs. We weren’t allowed phones on shift.
“Shit. This is not happening.”
I heard footsteps on the stairs now, and I knew he was in the auditorium. I couldn’t scream for help. I had to remain quiet so he wouldn’t hear me.
“Lexi? Where are you? if you do this one thing for me, I’ll let you go, and everythi
ng will go back to normal.”
Yeah, right, I thought.
Why did I even take this job? I didn’t need it. Not really. I always thought it would be cool to work in a theatre. Especially one as old as this.
But I was wrong. It is not cool.
As soon as I got out of here, I was going to quit.
“Lexi? Lexi? Where are you?”
I heard his boots on the metal caps of the stairs. I hated that any sound in the theatre echoed throughout the entire auditorium. I had no idea how close he was. I didn’t dare look in case he might see me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Seriously?” I muttered.
“Ah-ha! There you are. I found you!”
Suddenly he was standing over me, plunging the knife down. I screamed.
Everything went dark…
The bathroom door flung open, and my mom raced in, followed closely by my dad.
“Lexi, are you okay?” Dad asked.
“We just got home and heard you screaming.”
I looked around, breathing labored. Mr. Booth was nowhere to be seen. I wasn’t in the theatre anymore. I was at home in my bathtub.
“I… I think I had a dream. A bad one.”
“Oh, honey,” Mom said. She turned to my dad and nodded, and he left. Mom then came over to me, taking a towel off the towel rack and holding it open.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re safe.”
I was so relieved, that I sobbed openly, and fell happily into the comfort of my mom’s arms and the safety of the warm towel.
16
Do you want to tell me what happened?”
I lay in bed with a cup of herbal tea dressed in my kitten pajamas. My mom sat on the edge of the bed beside me, holding her own cup, but hers contained coffee.
“It was so weird. I was at work, getting ready for my shift, and Mr. Booth was there, my boss. He stood in the doorway, and then I don’t know why or what happened, but he had a knife. So I ran, and he chased me. I hid from him…. but he found me, and…”
I held my hand over my mouth as the sobs returned.
“it’s okay, honey. It was just a dream. A nightmare. It’s not real.”
“It felt real, though. So so real.”
“But dreams are also our subconscious making sense of things around us. Do you have any idea why your brain might be making your boss, of all people, out to be the villain?”
This was my chance.
I knew exactly why my brain had made me believe he was trying to kill me: to silence me. I had to tell my mom everything.
I sat up against the bedhead, sipped my tea, and held the warm cup in my hands.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey?”
“I need to tell you something.”
And so I told her everything, from meeting Raven, (leaving out the fact that we slept together), dancing with her and the photograph, then the creepy, uncomfortable things my boss had done at work.
I felt good to get it all out. I sobbed hard. My mom held me and stroked my hair.
“Oh, baby. I had no idea you were going through all that. Alone. You should have come to your father or me.”
“I know, I know. I was trying to fix it myself. I didn’t want to worry you. You’re so busy. Then there’s Jordan…”
My mom froze. “what about Jordan?”
“I think he’s being bullied at school. He seemed so sad a few days ago after I picked him up, then yesterday he refused to go to school and wouldn’t tell me why.”
My mom threw her head in her hands and sniffed.
“Oh my god. I had no idea what’s been going on with my own children. You’ve both been going through your own dramas. I’m such a bad parent!”
“No, Mom. It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”
“Yes. It is. But it’s going to fine. I’m going to take some time off from work and stay home with you guys. You need me.”
I smiled and hugged her. “Thanks, Mom.”
She kissed my head and hugged me back. “by the way, do you have something you need to tell me?”
The way she said, with a knowing smile, made me feel like she already knew.
I flushed. “Um… I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
She then took out her phone, pressed a few things, scrolled a bit, then held her screen up so I could see it.
“This. why didn’t you tell me you were seeing someone?”
“I…” I had no idea what to say. I was surprised that she wasn’t overreacting over me in some compromising photo at some seedy club with a strange girl.
“Wait, you know I like girls?
“I people-watch, honey. It’s not hard to see. Grant at the coffee cart has been asking about you and watching you for ages. Then there’s the lead actor. But you weren’t interested. I thought maybe you were asexual or something. But then there was that new foley girl. I saw you watching her. And the way you talked about Raven just now, the way your eyes lit up. And this photograph… I put all the pieces together.”
“And you’re not worried? Or angry? By the way, I do like guys too. Just not those guys. I haven’t met anyone I’ve been interested in, until now. Until Raven.”
“Honey, I’m anything but angry. I love you, no matter what.”
I threw my arms around her happily. “I love you too, Mom.”
“So, what are you going to do about your boss? I think you should report him. What a creep. I can’t believe he goes and around and talks like that. I can’t believe he says that about women. It’s so wrong.”
“I know. But I love my job. It’s where I met Raven and…”
“I know, honey. I’ve been sexually harassed and threatened before, too, by a man of power. They use and abuse that power to hold your actions against you and threatening you to do their bidding. And they think that if they ask you to do something little for them while threatening to ruin your life, that everything will go away and go back to normal. But it doesn’t. They just keep on doing what they’re doing to others. They keep getting away with it. And the cycle goes on and on. While you are a mess and scared and silent. They hold that silence like a knife over your head. So maybe that’s what your dream was trying to tell you.”
“That makes so much sense. I know why you’re a good writer, Mom.”
“I know,” she joked, pushing back her hair. “I think you should maybe not go to work for a while. Your dad and I can lend you money if that’s what you’re worried about. Or get you an advance on your trust fund. You don’t need it. And you can continue to work at the studio, though. We love having you there.”
“I know. I liked my job at the theatre. But not so much anymore.”
“So, just send in your resignation effective immediately and don’t return. But don’t forget to ask for your last pay.”
“Okay. I’ll do that. Thanks, Mom.”
“I’ll call around and find a recommendation for a therapist. I think you should talk to someone about this. It’s too much to take on yourself. I don’t want you to have a mental breakdown, or worse.”
“Okay, that might be a good idea.”
She stroked my hair and kissed me on the temple before standing. “I’m going to put on some dumplings then talk to your brother.”
“Okay. That’s sounds great.”
“Take your time, sweetheart.” She smiled and let herself out of my room.
I lay back down in bed for a moment. I didn’t know what I was going to about Raven. I hadn’t fixed things with her. I’d run away and not talked to her since. I really need to speak to her. I hope she didn’t hate me.
But I would do all that after dumplings.
Just about anything could be fixed by either tea or dumplings, my father always said.
I got dressed and headed downstairs.
17
After filling up on dumplings and more tea, I called Raven, while my mom was talking to my brother.
<
br /> “Hey,” she answered on the third ring. “never thought I would hear from you again.”
I sat on the balcony out the front looking out over the ocean in the distance. It was a warm day, and the sea sparkled in the sunlight.
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left the way I did. Everything happened so suddenly, and I kinda freaked out. I promise it doesn’t have anything to do with you. I just have a lot going on in my life right now.”
“It’s okay. I’m not taking it to heart, don’t worry.”
“I really wanna make it up to you. Do you wanna maybe go out to the movies or grab dinner tonight?”
“Yeah. I’d love that. I’m sorry I dragged you to that club too.”
“Don’t apologize. Despite everything. I did have fun.”
“Me too.” her voice was husky. It was sexy. It made me shiver.
I sighed. “I wanna see you.”
“Me too. Do you wanna catch up now then? Instead of tonight. I can’t really wait.”
“Me either. Okay, where do you want to meet?”
“I know the perfect place. I’ll send you the address.”
“Okay. You’re always so mysterious,” I laughed.
“I know. That’s me. See you soon, gorgeous.”
“Okay. I can’t wait. I miss you.”
“I miss you too.”
The address Raven sent me was for an old picture theatre downtown. It was one of those old retro ones with retro décor and everything. Raven stood leaning against the old-fashioned glass box office window. She stood straight when she saw me and smiled.
“Hey,” I waved.
“Hey, there.” I went to peck her on the cheek, but at the last second, she turned her face, and her lips touched mine. I kissed her back, taking her face in my hands. She stepped closer, pushing her hips against mine. Her hands found their way to my ass.
I pulled away a bit, still holding onto her.
“I’m not opposed to public displays of affection, but I think we should probably do this inside.”