Page 16 of Idol Moves

After checking in with production–who told them they’d get called to line up with the other presenters afterPluto’s Orbitfinished their sound check and rehearsal–Tae Hyun fell into his old habits and started working the room like a pro. Of course, he knew quite a few of the artists he’d met over the years, most of whom were generally happy to see him and meet Jason. But not everyone wanted to talk. Some artists, including the boys fromDAZ3, turned and walked away the moment they saw him.

Jason had just introduced Tae Hyun to Reggie Wakefield, a longtime veteran movie actor he’d briefly worked with on a film that never made it out of development, when someone called out his name.

“Well, goddamn, J!” Although he’d never met her, Tae Hyun recognized Raven Wild immediately. Raven’s music spanned several genres, including indie rock, R&B, and hip-hop. And she was a rare example of a dark-skinned artist who’d become popular in Korea and other East Asian markets. Many K-pop labels had unsuccessfully tried to emulate her unique sound before giving up and simply hiring her to write for and perform with their groups. “Where the hell you been?”

Jason quickly ran over and threw his arms around Raven. The pair laughed as they hugged. They were obviously fond of each other. Then Jason excitedly took Tae Hyun’s hand and pulled him closer. “Tae Hyun, you’ve gotta meet my friend Raven!”

Raven looked casual and breezy in distressed, bell-bottom jeans and a tight, black spaghetti-strap tank top that showed off her shoulders and curves. She shared a broad smile, her teeth brightly shining against dark aubergine lipstick that brought out the plum tones in her deep brown skin. “Shit, J. You ain’t told me how fine he is.”

Jason chuckled. “No, I’m pretty sure I told you.”

“Maybe, yeah.” Raven held out her hand, showing off glossy nails that matched her lipstick. “Hey, Tae Hyun. I’m glad to finally meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Tae Hyun smiled as he shook Raven’s hand. “I’m a little surprised we’ve never met before.”

Raven nodded. “I know, right? I think KBR is the only label I never worked with.”

“Which was lucky for us,” Jason added. “Or you might not have given us the Gordo Hong hookup.”

Raven chuckled. “Shit. As if I’d let a fucking record label tell me who I can or can’t work with.”

Tae Hyun couldn’t keep himself from frowning in time. Then he decided he didn’t care. His troubles with KBR had been an open secret lately, anyway. Why bother hiding his feelings about them to a fellow musician? “If only everyone felt that way.”

Raven’s smile turned a little sad as she touched Tae Hyun’s shoulder. “That’s real. But hang in there, baby. I know you gotta feel like everybody been coming down on you. And, honestly, some folk really are. But lots of us love your music, including me. So, trust me. You’ll come out on top of this.”

Tae Hyun smiled to cover his embarrassment. Hearing that from someone with her standing in the industry meant a lot. “Thank you. That’s very kind.”

Raven nodded. “For sure.” Then she frowned. “But it’s pretty bad, right? I heard rumors about some of the shit KBR been pulling. I mean, I ain’t worked with them. But they got no chill.”

“It’s not all that surprising,” Tae Hyun confessed. “They are who they are.”

Raven snorted. “Yeah. A bunch of sexist, homophobic–”

“Raven,” Jason interrupted.

Raven nodded. “Okay, yeah. Sorry. Guess you know all that shit already. But lemme tell you something else.” Tae Hyun nodded as she put her arm around Jason and pointed an aubergine nail at his chest. “Stick with this one. And don’t let his bad boy rep fool you. I’ve known him since he was a scrawny teen idol.”

Jason jokingly scoffed. “I was never fucking scrawny.”

“Compared to now?” Raven laughed as she tried grabbing one of Jason’s biceps. “You could do a lot worse than with this bomb-ass beefcake at your back, baby.”

Tae Hyun grinned as he recalled how Jason had literally been at his back several times recently. “Actually, we take turns being in the back.”

Raven’s well-shaped brows briefly shot up before she barked out a laugh so loud she almost choked. “Oh shit,” she called out, playfully smacking Tae Hyun’s arm. “You’re all right, Tae Hyun.” Then she wrapped her free arm around his shoulder and pulled him close. “I see J finally met his match.”

Jason snorted. “Oh, he outmatches me in every possible way.”

“Maybe so. But I’m glad I ran into you cuz I want you both at my after-party tomorrow night. It’ll be poppin’. And it’s been too damn long since Jason fucking Park threw down at one of my parties.” Raven gave Tae Hyun a little squeeze. “Plus, I’m sure I’ve got more folks for you to meet.”

“We’ll definitely be there,” Jason assured her.

“Good.” Raven gave the boys a final squeeze before she let go. “But I gotta go find my presenting partner. I know they’re around–” She paused, frowning, as the group was approached by a frantic-looking woman carrying a clipboard. Tae Hyun’s mental alarm bells immediately went off.

“Mr. Park? Mr. Woo? I’m Alicia from the production team.”

Jason frowned. Maybe he’d had the same thought as Tae Hyun. “What’s up, Alicia?”

Alicia’s sad smile slipped a bit. “I’m afraid there’s been some changes in our lineup, and we’ll no longer need you as presenters tomorrow. I’m sorry to let you know so late.”

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