Hello everyone, I hope you are having an awesome July 4th. Did you know that it was July 4th that I took my 1st flight ever, a one way ticket to Los Angeles to get into the business. So you as you imagine I do a lot of reflecting on July 4th.
Here is an excerpt from my book #TheLIFE This is from Chapter 4 “Coming to Los Angeles”
I am headed to California! I couldn’t stop repeating it in my mind as I got myself physically and mentally ready for this adventure. Peter was going to be picking me up at LAX and was going to let me stay with him until I figured things out. At the time he was known for doing that for some of the new girls and everyone I asked about him had nice things to say. Best of all, Leena had given him her personal stamp of approval. I felt very comfortable and calm about going out to meet him even though he was a stranger. When I look back now it seems kind of crazy that I would fly across the country to stay with a man I had never met; but with all I had gone through the past few years before making this move, I figured it could only get better from here.
I landed at LAX in Los Angeles and, sure enough, Peter was right on time and already waiting for me at the airport. We grabbed my bags and headed out to his car—well, it wasn’t just any car. It was a Rolls Royce! Up until that point I had only ever seen one on TV, and I could help but giggle as I climbed inside. “You’ve never been to LA before, right?” Peter asked me as he fired up the engine.
“Nope,” I replied. “I’m a first-timer. This is pretty much the other side of the world for me.”
“Perfect,” he said. “We’ll take the scenic route.”
Peter drove me from LAX to the Valley, and I just remember feeling like I had instantly started a new life for myself. It was all so different! I could barely keep myself from flipping out when I saw my first palm tree! I was seeing something new on every corner, things I recognized from TV on every block, and things I couldn’t believe I was seeing with my own eyes with every mile we drove. It was the most excited I had ever been. I can’t tell you one thing Peter and I talked about during the drive. I am sure we were chatting the entire time, but I was so engaged in looking around that is all I remember about that drive.
We drove over the hill and into the Valley. Anyone that knows about porn knows the San Fernando Valley IS porn. So though I loved the drive through LA, I was almost more intrigued with the Valley itself. His place was in Tarzana, so we got to drive right through it all. It was not scenic at all. Ventura Boulevard is a street fringed with nothing but strip malls and more strip malls, but it was exactly what I pictured the valley to look like. I remember thinking, “How do all these nail salons stay in business? How do all these dry cleaners stay in business?”
We veered off Ventura and into one of the neighborhoods that branch off of its main artery. I couldn’t believe how beautiful all of the homes were, with their perfect landscaping and colorful flowers—especially all the rosebushes. On the East Coast you have to either cover your roses or bring them inside during the winter or they’ll freeze; so you have to keep your rosebushes small enough to fit inside or be covered. Here though, the rosebushes could grow and grow and grow year-round. They were massive!
“Here we are,” Peter said as we arrived at his place in Tarzana. It was a cute neighborhood, very old-school Hollywood. The house looked exactly the way I pictured the homes would be like in California: big, airy, and full of natural light. I had my own room in the back of the house. It had beautiful glass double doors that opened right into the huge backyard that was filled with bougainvillea, birds of paradise, and of course, roses. “Yes, this work just fine,” I thought to myself as I flopped down on the bed.
I was so excited to be living in California. It was as simple as that. I felt like I had already succeeded by moving cross-country to accomplish my goal. Everything was new and everything that came my way was something I wanted to keep. What a difference from life in Pennsylvania where I watched so many people walk out of my life or turn on me. Now I was somewhere fresh and brand-new and beautiful and glamorous! I felt so confident for having taken this chance and seeing the benefits of my decision lay out in front of me from the very first day. I wasn’t afraid. I left all my fear in Pennsylvania. I was completely free!
**
There was no time to lounge around. It was July 4th and Peter and I had plans to go to the big industry party in the Hollywood Hills. I unpacked the outfit I had picked out for myself: a little floral skirt and top that I wore later in some magazine shoots, and a pair of cowboy boots. I did my hair and makeup and we headed out the door.
The drive to the party took us through even better neighborhoods, the kind of homes I only saw on Beverly Hills 90210. We kept climbing up the hill and then pulled up in front of a huge mansion. There were some people out in the yard when we arrived and as we got out of the car one of them walked down the little hill of the grass towards us. He was a creepy looking older guy with an English accent. I started to feel a little shy but Peter seemed to know him well. They chatted for a moment before the old guy turned toward me. He extended his hand and said: “Hello, I’m Dick Nasty.” I bit my lip not to laugh.
I obviously understood that a lot of people in the industry have stage names, but I would never use such a silly name off-stage! I was also still young enough to be giddy, so it took a little extra work to not laugh in his face. Dick Nasty glanced down at my boots and remarked: “Cowboy boots …How adorable.” That froze me. Were cowboy boots a faux pas? I thought cowboy boots went with everything, and had about 20 pairs in all colors. I went to work them every day. I looked around at the other women. There was not a single cowboy boot in sight. I decided to brush it off and not let it shake my confidence. I was there to meet people and, hey, maybe the boots would make me more memorable!