by L. L Hunter
Raven laughed and took my hand. “Come on. I have the tickets.”
“Okay.” I entwined my fingers with hers and followed her inside the theatre.
The film we were seeing was a thriller, which I didn’t mind. But it made me jump out of my skin in parts. I also grabbed Raven’s arm, after which she took the cue and kissed me in the dark.
After that, we spent the remainder of the film making out and cuddling in the seats. I was glad the armrest between us slid up.
After the film, we went to a café around the corner and Raven ordered us sodas. We sat in the corner near the window and held hands across the table while we drank our drinks. She also ordered a slice of apple pie, which we shared.
“You know, I’m going to leave the theatre,” I told her after a little while of just sitting and enjoying her company in silence.
“What? Why? You just started.”
“I know. I don’t want to. but… something has happened. Something to do with Mr. Booth.”
“Did he hit on you? Please tell me he didn’t pick on you too. You’re new, for fuck’s sake. He usually waits until at least a year.”
My head spun with her words. “is that common? Does he always hit on his female employees? Does he undress in front of you? Threaten to fire you if you don’t suck his dick?”
“Yep.” Her eyes widened with my answer. “I can’t believe it. He’s a fucking moron.”
“Raven, how long has this behavior been going on? It’s wrong. And gross.”
“I know. But you don’t understand. He has all the right connections. He’s best friends with some of the top studio executives and directors. Many of the young girls here have gotten starring roles in big productions.”
I thought about that. That would be nice. To finally become my own star, not in the shadow of my parents. Shining bright on my own. But my conscious won the internal argument.
I shook my head.
“No. It’s so wrong. On so many levels. He’s a creep and a sleazebag, and he shouldn’t be taking advantage of his employees and his position.”
“But, in this industry, it is so hard to make it. Most people would do anything to make their dreams come true.”
“Well, I am not most people. And neither are you. You need to leave while you still can, Raven. Please, for me.” I squeezed her hand, but she pulled it out of my grasp and put it in her lap.
“I don’t know. I love working there.”
“I can get you a job at my parents’ studio. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. Everyone there is so nice. It’s a great, safe place.”
“Maybe. I’ll think about it.”
My heart broke for her. “Okay fine. But please know, I am here if you need me.”
She gave me a small, sad smile, drank the rest of her soda, and stood from her chair, only for a group of paparazzi to run and start taking pictures of us. Their flash blinded us.
“Oh, my god. What’s going on?” I exclaimed, shielding my face with my hands.
“I don’t know. Follow my lead.” She took my hand.
“Miss Black, will you give us another kiss like the one in the nightclub?”
“Miss Dean, do your parents know you’re gay?”
“Piss off, guys. Seriously,” Raven yelled and pulled me through the melee toward the door. They followed us all the way to a waiting black town car.
“Hop in. quick!” A man wearing a black suit and hat opened the door of the car, and I leaped in, followed closely by Raven.
“Take us home. Quick, James.”
The car sped off before I could even reach for my seatbelt.
“What the hell just happened?”
“I’ll explain soon. Let’s just get to safety.”
“No, I think you should explain. Now.”
18
Start talking. That was insane.” I had finally managed to buckle my belt, and Raven was doing up hers. I looked in the rearview mirror, searching for the paparazzi, but couldn’t see anyone other than typical drivers behind us.
“I kinda don’t know what to say.”
“You’re so mysterious. I feel like I don’t even know you. You like abandoned places with no signs. Your name is Raven, an elusive bird connected to death and magic. You have money, that much is clear from your house. I don’t even know what your parents do for a living.”
“My parents are rock stars. Musicians. They were big in the seventies and eighties,” she finally said.
“See, that’s probably the first truthful thing you’ve ever said to me. So, they’re famous?”
“Yep. My father is Desmond Black, and my mother is Willow Mayfair.”
“Your father is the lead singer of The Black Ravens? My brother has their poster on his wall.”
“Yep. That’s him. And my namesake.”
“Well, as you know, my parents are Jack Dean, the actor, and Chloe Vanderbilt-Dean, the writer.”
“Your parents are cute. I saw them on TV.”
“Yeah. They are.” I smiled and sank into the soft leather of the car seat.
The town car pulled through the gates of Raven’s home and up the winding treelined drive. I didn’t notice how gorgeous the gardens were before, probably because I had arrived at night and left the next day in a hurry. When we pulled up outside the house, the driver opened the door, and we climbed out. I took the time while Raven spoke to someone on the phone, to admire the house and gardens.
Vines wound up pillars near the front door and swept over the entryway. It was modern but had a bit of gothic charm. The house was gray stone, and there was even a gargoyle perched atop the steepest part of the roof, looking out toward the front gates.
Raven got off the phone and walked over to me.
“Okay. My parents are out. But will be back in an hour or so. So, what would you like to do?”
“I would love you to show me around this amazing property.”
“Sure. I’ll give you a tour.” She slipped her hand into mine and led me toward a stony path that wound around the house.
The trees swayed and whistled in the Santa Ana winds. The sky was turning gray overhead. We might be in for some rain later, or even a storm. But that was okay. I loved the rain.
“This place is so beautiful. Did you grow up here?”
“Yep. Sure did.”
“Wow. Must have been an amazing childhood.”
She shrugged. “it was okay. My parents were strict. They didn’t let me do or experience much. Especially in the music industry. They didn’t want me in the limelight.”
“Then how did those photographers know who you were?”
“I didn’t venture out until I turned about fifteen or sixteen. I hung out mainly with other kids of famous musicians and went to stuffy industry events. Then I got an invite to a private party. From there, I kind of earned the reputation as a party girl.”
“And you went to that club you took me to all the time?”
“Yeah. It’s one of my regular haunts. The bouncers all know who I am. As long as I pay them enough that they let me come and do whatever I want.”
“Even though you’re underage?”
She laughed. “Lexi, in this industry, there is no such thing as legal drinking age when you’re famous. You’ve got to lighten up and relax.”
“I know. I’m not as rebellious as you. Most of my life was spent looking after my younger brother while my parents were at the studio.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. That must be tough. And not much fun.”
“It’s okay. I love my brother. But he’s going through some things at school right now. so, it’s been hard lately to worry about my own problems as well as his.”
“I had no idea you were going through all that. I’m sorry if I pushed you into anything.”
We stopped walking under a wooden archway covered in vines and flowers.
“You didn’t push me into anything. In fact, I wanted you. I wanted you from the first moment I met you at work.”
&nbs
p; She grinned wildly. It was sexy. My heart skipped a beat. She stepped closer.
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
“Me too. it’s kinda scary, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I whispered, and she bridged the gap and kissed me hard. I wrapped my arms around her, and we kissed underneath the twisted vines swaying in the breeze like the arms of beautiful ghosts.
19
When we went inside, we made our way to the enormous modern kitchen. Raven made us a snack of nachos, then we grabbed some soda out of the fridge and went out the back to the pool area.
Raven’s father arrived soon after. He walked out onto the pool deck, dark sunglasses on, long graying hair in a ponytail.
“Hey, daddy.”
“Hey, baby girl. Are you okay after your run in this morning?”
“Yeah, we’re fine. I wonder who tipped them off.”
“Yeah. So, this must be your girl, Lexi?”
“Yes. This is her. Lexi, this is my dad, Desmond Black.”
“It’s great to meet you finally. Raven has talked about you a lot. You’re a lot prettier in person,” said Mr. Black.
I flushed red. “um, thanks. It’s nice to meet you too. You have a lovely house.”
“Thank you. It’s been a dream of my wife and me for years. we’ve always wanted to have our gothic mansion with an English garden.”
“It’s gorgeous.”
“Well, enjoy the rest of the day, girls. I’m going to do some work in my office.”
“Okay, daddy.”
“See you, Mr. Black.”
“He seems nice,” I said after he was gone.
“Yeah. We’re pretty close. I think they finally realized that hiding me from the world and keeping me out of the spotlight was a mistake. So, they finally let me do my own thing. I have an agent now, and my own huge following on social media. I’m also working on a clothing line with a designer friend of my mom’s. Speaking of, this is a sample of one of my dresses. What do you think?” she gestured at her black and white checkered pinafore dress.
“I love it. I want one.”
“I can hook you up.”
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do, Raven,” I sighed, laying back on the deck chair.
“Well, what have you always dreamed of doing?”
“I don’t know. Acting. Writing. The lot. But then I don’t wanna be a carbon copy of my parents. I want to be my own person.”
“Well, I guess we’d better find her.”
I looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
“What?”
“You know, find you, the girl you want to be, the girl in the spotlight.”
“Ugh. But where do I start?”
She reached for my hand and twisted her fingers in mine.
“At the beginning.”
So, that’s what we did for the rest of the day. We went to Raven’s bedroom, and we brainstormed all the things I could do with my life, what brands I could put my image with, and what my own brand could be.
“Do you think I should get an agent?” I asked, looking over the different looks and brands and color charts Raven had laid out on the bed.
“Probably. I could get you a meeting with mine.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Raven.” I leaned over to kiss her.
“You’re welcome.” And she pulled me down on top of the papers on the bed, and we kissed some more.
She also helped me resign from the theatre, and after much pleading on my part, she resigned too. We made a pact that we would no longer be subjected to the abuse of power and of powerful men.
We were strong independent women.
20
I went home that night with a plan. I would speak to my parents about what I wanted to do and hoped they would give me their blessing. My parents had been reluctant to let me be in the spotlight. But I knew now that that’s what I was meant to do with my life. I now had a purpose.
I found my parents in the loungeroom with glasses of wine watching Netflix and discussing the streaming service’s latest big budget feature. I sat down on a chair beside them.
“Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, Lex. How was your day?”
“Good, Daddy.”
“Hey, sweetie. What’s up?”
“Mom, Dad, I want to talk to you about something.”
My dad sat up, paused the show. Mom sat up too and took a sip of her wine before setting it on the coffee table in front.
“Sure,” she said.
“Well, Raven helped me figure it all out. I want to be famous.”
I waited for possibly laughter or to be told off. But instead, they listened. So, I continued.
“I want to be in the spotlight to be a voice for those who have been silenced. I want to use my voice and image and platform for good. I want to be an advocate for those who have been abused and taken advantage of.”
My mom wrapped her arms around me and held me. “I think that’s an excellent idea, sweetie. I love you.”
“My brave girl,” said Dad, kissing my head and placing his arms around Mom and me. We stayed there wrapped up in a family huddle for a while, relishing in the love.
The next day, my mom and dad helped me with a plan. The first call was to get me an agent. Then it would be to start matching me up with brands.
A few weeks later, I was having meetings with different brands and auditioning. Some of the auditions were nerve-wracking, or just plain wrong, but my parents and Raven, as well as my agent, told me to try everything. Don’t turn down anything until you land a significant role with a big paycheck. I couldn’t afford to be fussy at the beginning of my career.
In one of the auditions, which was for a new kind of electrolyte drink, I had to wear white and be sprayed with all kinds of liquid, saying other drinks are full of preservatives, sugar, and artificial colors. They threw food dye at me.
“But not HydrateMe,” I had to say, looking down the camera lens. “HydrateMe is all-natural, made with pure ingredients, and is good for you. They also come in recycled bottles, so it’s good for the environment as well. Healthy for you. Healthy for the environment.”
The ad went to air a few months later. I was with my parents and Raven at my house when it came on TV. We sat in front to watch it, then played it back again and again. While sipping on free samples of HyrdrateMe.
“Well done, babe,” said Raven, hugging me.
“Thank you. It was a fun ad to make. And it helps that the drinks aren’t nasty,” I laughed.
“Yeah, what if they were disgusting?” said Dad. “what would you have done?”
“Faked liking it, of course.”
“Hell yeah. Fake it till you make it, as they say,” added Raven.
I got out my phone and posted about it on social media, sharing the news with my social media as well as a few outtakes from the shoot. It was hard hiding that news from the world for those last few months.
The next brand I had chosen was a cruelty-free, natural lipstick. The campaign for that involved a billboard on the strip and a launch party where I was officially crowned as the ambassador of the brand. They, of course, sent me lots of lipstick samples, which Mom and Raven quickly claimed.
Then, one night, I had a fantastic idea.
“I want to give back,” I said into the lens of my phone. Raven helped me set it up and hit live so I could broadcast my message to my fans on social media. “So, along with One of a Kind Cosmetics and I, Lexi Dean, and my parents, we are auctioning off a series of special pamper packs. The link is on my profile, and One of a Kind’s.”
I held up one of the packs so everyone could see.
“All proceeds from the auction will be going to a charity to help victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Each pack contains things like makeup, including the very same lipstick I am wearing right now, gift cards to department stores, and supermarkets
. There’s even signed copies of my mom’s books and signed scripts from my parents’ studio, signed by my dad, Jack Dean. It’s such a fantastic cause, and I am so excited about this. I’ve wanted to give back for a long time, and even more so after my own sexual harassment. I wanted to put it out there and on record, that in refusing to stay quiet about my experience in the hopes I can help others and stop the perpetrators from hurting anyone else. So, please bid. And together, we can help others. Thanks. Much love.” I blew kisses at the screen.
“And… cut!”
I sighed. “Thank you. was that okay? Do I need another take?”
“Nope. And that was live, babe. No second takes.”
“Oh,” I laughed. “I hope it works.”
She kissed me. “I know it will.”
21
One week after my message went live, we raised over fifty thousand dollars for the charity, to help victims of sexual and domestic abuse. Raven went with me to hand over the check to the charity, and we filmed it on social media.
The press went crazy over it. Article after article appeared on the internet. I even become a trending topic on Twitter.
Lexi Dean becomes the voice of reason for victims of sexual abuse everywhere.
We love Lexi Dean!
Lexi and Raven forever!
#Rexi4ever
#LexiDeansurvivor
#LexiDeanhero
#LexiDeansexualharassment
Then, it wasn’t long before the bad ones came.
Daughter of writer Chloe Vanderbilt and actor Jack Dean, Lexi Dean, is no stranger to scandal. A few weeks ago, she was spotting kissing another woman in a nightclub. Then it’s alleged that she filed a lawsuit against her old employer for sexual harassment. The self-appointed ambassador for victims of sexual and domestic abuse recently came out as gay on social media, after the photo of her with rock princess Raven Black went viral. It’s unsure that she came out as gay because of the incident with her boss or was gay before that. But the timing can’t be a coincidence…