Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 225: Growing Up in the Greenhouse]

"Ryan, why are you putting all the business in Ivanka's hands? Her father won't be happy about this," Jared quickly stated, worried that Ivanka might agree.

"Ryan, she doesn't need you; Ivanka's shoes and apparel have already being sold in major department stores across the U.S. I even saw her storefronts at Macy's and Hudson's Bay last time, with those pink facades, right?" Paris chimed in, completely forgetting her baby voice.

"That's even better; that's just another distributor for us," Ryan nodded immediately.

"Ryan!" Paris stared intently at him, already regretting inviting Ivanka to her private booth.

"Uh... I would really like to collaborate with Ryan, but sTray already has a collaboration with Dior, which complicates things, so I need to think about it," Ivanka considered her words carefully.

She knew Anna Wintour had personally endorsed Ryan's design talent, but collaboration wasn't a simple task. She instinctively left the decision to her father to help her out. Ivanka had always been following her father's plans -- from her time at Wharton Business School to joining the family business and even to her "startup"; it was all driven by her dad. Even her initial modeling career followed suit. Underneath her beautiful exterior, she was like a flower growing in a greenhouse.

Her dad started giving her opportunities to shine when she was fifteen, letting her host the Miss Teen USA pageant. Her brother didn't get such treatment.

Although her older brother, Donald Jr., also entered the family business right after college, her father's "coddling" of his daughter far surpassed anything he did for him.

Ryan nodded, "I'll get in touch with you later."

"Sounds good." Ivanka nodded, sensing that Ryan was showing more enthusiasm towards her than other women.

...

They chatted for a bit longer before Ryan took the group to the record company upstairs, stopping by his office along the way.

"Honestly, it's a bit small here, and the decor is quite basic. Ivanka, I'll show you my office later," Jared said to Ivanka.

"Do you have anything like this in your office?" Ivanka pointed at the trophies gleaming under the lights nearby, and the most eye-catching was the two Grammy Awards on display.

"I... cough cough," Jared started coughing violently, clearly choked up.

Paris and the others rushed over to the trophies and began taking pictures with them. Finally, they pulled Ryan in as well. Paris stood front and center, holding up her phone for a group selfie.

Ryan found a spot next to Ivanka, with no long-zoom lenses back then, meaning everyone had to squeeze in tightly for the shot. Jared tried to join but was pushed aside by Ryan.

Ivanka and Ryan stood very close, able to smell each other's fragrances. Ivanka wore a unique scent that had hints of rose, amber, vanilla root, and sandalwood.

Noticing Ryan's flaring nostrils, Ivanka offered, "If you prefer Clive Christian No. 1, I can have Taylor use that scent too."

The key part of her suggestion was in that second sentence.

"She might have her own preferences," Ryan replied casually.

At that moment, Paris pressed the shutter button, and everyone scattered. Ryan looked over to see that Paris had posted the photo on Twitter almost immediately. By that evening, she had shared at least ten photos. As one of the first internet influencers, she never missed out on any chance for exposure.

"Posting photos is interacting with fans. Your Taylor does the same thing often," Paris explained when she noticed Ryan's gaze.

...

Ryan spent some more time showing the group around; they were curious about the studio's layout. When he began to introduce some of the more expensive music gear, Ivanka's eyes lit up with surprise; she hadn't expected these seemingly ordinary items could be so costly.

As time was nearing an end, Ryan expressed that the nightclub would soon be closing, and the group of friends Paris brought was preparing to leave. They consisted mostly of couples, with one trio clearly gearing up for something more thrilling.

"How long are you staying in Florida?" Ryan asked Ivanka.

"I'm here with two friends for about a week, just to soak up some sun," she replied.

"Speaking of sunbathing, I know a beach not far from here with a gorgeous environment," Ryan recommended a travel destination.

"Why don't you invite Taylor, and we can all go together?" Ivanka suggested with a smile, eager to meet Taylor, as she too was quite talented.

"I'll let her know; if she has time, she'll come," Ryan assured her immediately.

"That's a deal then."

"Are you going to see your father?" Ryan asked next.

"If he's in Florida, I will," Ivanka replied.

Just then, Jared walked over, "What are you two chatting about?"

"By the way, Ivanka, I'll send a car to take you back to your hotel," Ryan cut off Jared before he could say more.

"No need; Ivanka came in my car," Jared immediately interjected, worried Ryan might discover which hotel Ivanka was staying at.

"My SUV is quite spacious; I had it custom-made with luxury seating and a sofa. Plus, you can watch TV in it," Ryan completely ignored Jared.

"Then I really need to try it out," Ivanka nodded, grateful that Ryan was helping her avoid Jared's attention.

Seeing Sean just arriving, Ryan had him escort Ivanka to the vehicle.

...

As soon as Ivanka left, Jared glared at Ryan and scoffed, turning to walk away.

"You made him angry," Paris leaned in to whisper to Ryan.

"Don't worry about it. By the way, you're quite savvy with social networks; actually, I'm in need of a publicity manager," Ryan responded.

Since she was going to DJ at a club, it was a perfect opportunity for collaboration.

"You want to hire me? I'm pretty pricey. If I say the number, you might get scared. You'll also have to provide me with the best health insurance," Paris reminded him.

"Provided you can meet the required metrics."

"KPI, right?"

"Something like that. In addition to a fixed amount of promotional materials, you also need to ensure the fan base and interaction metrics increase. You'd work three days a week at the club, primarily at the Orlando location."

"I can do that, but can you actually afford to pay?" Paris asked, intrigued by the potential earnings.

"How about this? Each month, besides your salary, you also receive a spending allowance for the nightclub; your expenses there will be covered by me." Ryan suggested.

This way, he could cut her salary a bit and still invite more friends to support, which, like celebrities, would indirectly contribute to publicity, making it a win-win.

"Ryan, you're such a great businessman! I can't believe you thought of that," Paris chuckled, catching on to his plan.

"You know I have a lot of expenses right now," Ryan replied quietly.

"Then you need to promise me two extra conditions," Paris suggested, her eyes gleaming.

"Let's hear them."

"First, you need to write me a song with a deadline of six months. I don't care if you actually wrote it; just make sure to sign your name."

"Okay, I agree to that."

"Second, I want you to explicitly tell me what your feelings towards Ivanka are?!" Paris fixed her gaze on Ryan.

"What feelings could I have for her? That question is way off. Can't I talk to anyone besides Taylor?" Ryan replied with a laugh.

"Why did you send a car for her then?" Paris countered immediately.

"She was tangled up with Jared and came to me for help."

"Then why help her? And why work with her?"

"Her dad's a real estate mogul, plus he's my neighbor; he's useful to me," Ryan shot back smoothly.

"Sure, keep playing it cool," Paris teased, pointing at her eyes and then at Ryan, indicating, 'I'll keep an eye on you.'

Nearby, Nicky suddenly piped up, "Don't mind her; my sister has a mental condition."

"You're the one with issues! You eat my food, drink my drinks, and use my stuff -- what a spoiled brat," Paris chastised her sister.

"Alright, you can continue the lecture on the way; Ryan has business to wrap up, so let's hurry and get out of here." She nudged Paris.

"You care about him, but why don't you care about me?"

"Aren't I caring about you? It's getting late; we should head back."

The sisters left in a harmonious exchange.

...

Once they were gone, Sean returned, first informing Ryan that Ivanka had made it to the hotel. Then he reported on the day's revenue figures.

Today's earnings broke the record since Bad Room opened, nearing $500,000 in revenue. The main hall was already packed, accommodating no more until the expansion was complete, with growth primarily coming from the VIP guests in the booths.

"Also, the New Orleans branch called yesterday, asking when they could kick off their events. I checked, but the groups that performed at our place recently don't have time anytime soon."

"Have you spoken to the acts that performed today?" Ryan asked.

"Not yet."

"I'll take care of that; where are they now?"

"They're backstage changing."

...

Ryan quickly headed to the backstage changing area. Initially planning to wait outside until they were done, he was called in by the girls who shouted they wanted him to come in now.

These girls didn't mind, and neither did Ryan. Once inside, he found they were just changing from their outfits into something more revealing.

"Ryan, where's the private party taking place later?"

"Let's not change locations; we can stay here."

"Well then, I won't bother with clothes; it'll be more of a strip show," one of the women teased.

As Ryan conveyed his plans to have another event in New Orleans after this one, he figured the cheerleaders might decline, but, to his surprise, they all agreed right away.

"Ryan, as soon as you ask, we'll perform wherever you want."

"Yeah, one performance here is worth half a month's income as a cheerleader."

"If we could perform regularly, I could quit the cheerleading gig."

Ryan soon learned he hadn't offered such an exorbitant fee after all; when he asked, he found that the cheerleaders' part-time wages were shockingly low.

Among them were preschool teachers, office workers, and aquarium guides -- normal people just like anyone else.

"Since the cheerleading gig pays poorly, why do you do it? Is it for fame?" Ryan asked.

"What fame? Unless you hook up with a player willing to spend money, forget about living comfortably."

"I need to pay rent and car loans; one job just doesn't cut it each month."

"At least you don't have debt; I'm much worse off. My dad's surgical costs from five years ago have our family still paying it off now."

"My credit card has been overdue for months, and I don't know how I'll pay my student loan this month. My credit score has tanked, and interest rates keep climbing. I'm even considering working part-time at an exotic dancing club; at least the income would be better. Honestly, I might have to sell my blood," one girl began venting.

Once this topic came up, the girls immediately started airing their grievances.

Ryan realized that it's already challenging for regular people just to get by.

These girls had college degrees, knew how to dance, and their looks were above average, yet they were struggling so hard. The situation for ordinary people was dimmer still.

They received plenty of attention though, as most men didn't exactly have sound financial situations either. In what could be described as a 'nice guy economy,' many relationships were more like roommates, sharing living expenses.

Of course, some sought cheerleading positions as a gateway to meeting wealthy suitors, but those who fit that description wouldn't consider coming an establishment like Bad Room.

As for their flirtatious banter with Ryan, part of it was because he was genuinely good-looking and famous. But crucially, they sensed Ryan had money and was generous, leading them to believe they could earn nice tips.

Ryan recalled the group of young people in the booth earlier; they were all flashy dressers, spending freely. The amount wasted on liquor that night could easily allow those girls to live comfortably for six months.

On one hand, the wealth of the few was increasing rapidly; on the other, everyday living was becoming increasingly harder for the masses.

The decline of society was inevitable.

"I can't do much, but since your performance was really good tonight, I'll give you all a bit of extra tip," Ryan nodded at them.

That prompted a wave of cheers among the girls.

"Also, if you're open to it, the frequency of events will increase; we'll have them weekly, so you could come back next month." Ryan thought of another idea.

"Oh Ryan, you're simply an angel; God will bless you!"

"You're a truly good person with a heart of gold."

Amid their cheers, the girls felt moved.

On the way back, Ryan shared his experience with the cheerleaders, and Teresa remarked that it was quite normal. She confessed that if not for the attractive salary Ryan had offered, she wouldn't have come either.

...

The next morning, Ryan received a call from Taylor.

"Hi! How was last night's event?" Taylor was eating breakfast.

"It went well; everything was pretty smooth," Ryan shared, mentioning the cheerleaders' tough economic realities.

"That's true; I have to admit my financial situation is pretty good, and I've made money rather quickly, so I haven't had any hard times. However, I do get messages from fans asking for help; a lot of them are in pretty dire situations, facing various hardships," Taylor explained.

"Did you give any of them money?"

"Not really. Paula says those stories are made up, and if you give one, you have to keep giving. But I did help Abigail. She is going to Kansas University, which has expensive tuition, and I didn't want her to struggle too hard with student loans, so I covered part of her tuition for this semester. You're not mad at me, are you, Ryan?"

"Am I that cold-hearted?" Ryan chuckled, "If Abigail is in trouble, she should just ask."

"That's a relief. By the way, who was the girl you took a picture with last night? The one standing next to you?" Taylor asked suddenly, having seen Paris's post this morning.

"Do you know Jared? He was a previous VIP customer. I know him, and he was involved in land development around Bad Room. The woman he's pursuing is Ivanka; her dad is the one from The Apprentice reality show..." Ryan continued.

"Oh, that's how it is."

"She had a unique scent; she mentioned wearing Clive Christian No. 1."

"I wouldn't wear that; it's way too pricey. A 50ml bottle costs a few thousand dollars," she replied from the other end; she was familiar with the brand.

"She also said she wanted to meet you; we should hang out sometime."

"I can't be like someone with such free time; I have to work," Taylor answered. "Maybe later."

They chatted a bit more before Ryan hung up, but shortly after, he got a call from Donald Trump...

*****

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