Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 226: Clear Foolishness, a Reunion]

"Hey, how have you been? I heard your show's ratings are surpassing NFL games?" Donald Trump laughed on the other end of the phone, getting straight to the point.

"If we're just counting the pilot episode, that might be true."

"Wow, you've set new records for sitcom viewership."

"But the TV industry is on its last legs."

"You're not wrong. However, the reason we call those traditional industries is that they sustain the functioning of society. In other words, they never really fade away, like... the energy sector."

"Koch?"

"That's just one of them."

"You were supposed to help David Koch with the draft of the Reinvestment Act." Ryan casually remarked.

The day after that incident, Ryan spotted the draft of the Reinvestment Act appearing in major conservative media such as the Wall Street Journal and Fox News, igniting fierce opposition.

"Yes, I've known David Koch for many years. He asked for my help, but it was no big deal, just a small favor," Donald Trump said.

David Koch had been a member of Mar-a-Lago for many years. Jared Kushner wasn't entirely wrong; Donald Trump's circle did include plenty of super wealthy individuals.

"Do you support the Tea Party?" Ryan inquired next.

"No, I won't support anyone. If I can't sit at the table, I'll stay out of it. I only support myself," Donald Trump chuckled over the phone.

"Alright, enough of this foolish talk. When are you going to let me make a cameo on your show?" he shifted the topic back.

Ryan honored his earlier promise.

"Okay, let's make it happen. I'm actually heading to Los Angeles soon," Donald Trump prepared to hang up.

"Did you know your daughter is in Florida?" Ryan asked.

"Which daughter?" Donald Trump naturally inquired.

"Your eldest daughter. I ran into her at the nightclub last night. I pitched her a collaboration, you know I have a fashion brand."

"Ryan, I think you should find someone else to partner with. My daughter isn't getting involved. She has her own things she's pursuing," Donald Trump's tone shifted to serious.

"This is a win-win opportunity! Your daughter could build a name for herself in the fashion world, and sTray's products could be sold in her personal brand's store."

"Let's be honest here, Ryan. I know what you're up to. I was also a ladies' man at your age, but she's not your type, and you already have a fiancee. I won't let my daughter socialize with a man who called off an engagement." Donald Trump chuckled lightly.

'I'm not planning to call off any engagement.'

"Stay away from her and drop any thoughts you have about her. That's my only piece of advice, or you'll face the wrath of a father." Donald Trump murmured.

"That sounds familiar."

"Of course, my daughter is pursued by many. She's one of the most beautiful girls in America, and I've always protected her from unwanted advances."

"So, are you going to let her decide?"

"Absolutely not; the final decision is hers, but all candidates must go through me first," Donald Trump said, sounding like an important Grammy judge.

...

In the DJ's dormitory, R3HAB stood next to Hardwell, while Avicii was on the other side. The three were checking out the online reviews for Power.

"Damn, you really made it big!" R3HAB exclaimed, noticing all the comments about Hardwell in a certain electronic music discussion group on Reddit.

"Just overnight," Avicii couldn't help but remark. Hardwell's MySpace had gained hundreds of thousands of followers in just one night, and the growth was skyrocketing.

"Thanks to Ryan, he gave me this opportunity," Hardwell stated.

If that song hadn't been sung by Ryan or if Ryan hadn't been involved, the discussion would be less than a tenth of what it is now; he was certain of that.

"By the way, where were you last night? How come you came back this morning?" R3HAB asked again.

"Uh... it was actually because of a woman. After finishing my set, I met this woman at the nightclub. She was probably in her forties. She said she was drunk and needed a ride home. I thought I was just driving her back, but then she invited me in. She wanted to talk about music and complimented me on my looks..." Hardwell nervously recounted the night.

"As soon as I got inside, she started touching me. I couldn't resist, and... this morning she handed me a wad of cash. That woman was a dentist and even left me her number, saying we should meet again tomorrow."

"Damn! You got some action and cash too; you're one lucky guy." R3HAB murmured, remembering that Hardwell hadn't captured any woman's attention back when they were in the Netherlands.

"Once you make it big, you'll get that kind of treatment too. I'm sure if it weren't for that song, she wouldn't have looked my way," Hardwell chuckled, still relishing the memory of last night; it was his first.

"I'd like to think so..." R3HAB scratched his head.

"Let's drop this topic and get back to music. What about the main melody of your new song?" Avicii jumped right into discussing music instead of the benefits.

...

On the other hand, Ryan's recently signed Calvin Harris was also monitoring the online reviews for his new song. In comparison, Calvin's last song had sunk like a stone thrown into the sea; aside from causing a small splash, it quickly went down, and nobody cared.

This kid is lucky. Why didn't Ryan guide me back then? he thought irately.

This big room style was something Ryan excelled at. To Calvin Harris, that song had obviously been completed with Ryan's help.

Calvin checked the time and started getting ready. In the mirror, he applied mousse to his hair, changed into the outfit he had prepared the night before, and spent a long time perfecting his appearance. Finally, he called Ellie Goulding.

"Should I pick you up now?" Calvin asked.

He finally managed to ask Ellie out today.

"Sorry, the boss wants to speak with me, so I have to take a rain check," Ellie expressed her apologies on the other end of the line.

Calvin's face fell; he quickly changed his tone. "Okay, congratulations. At least Ryan hasn't forgotten about you. That's a good thing."

"Yes, the boss released a new song last night. Do you think he'll let me sing?" Ellie speculated.

"The chances are slim." Calvin shook his head in reminder. Ryan had worked with big-name female artists before; giving this song to Ellie would be wasting resources.

"Yeah, I thought so too. What do you think I need to do to get Ryan to give me that song? This is my last chance." Ellie considered, knowing her new song hadn't caused any buzz either, which was not a good sign and could lead to her losing Ryan's support.

"Ryan's not that kind of person, plus he has a fiancee now," Calvin quickly reminded her, trying to dispel any inappropriate thoughts Ellie might have.

"You're right; he does have a fiancee, so that would be unethical," Ellie attempted to say.

"Exactly, and it's risky; if it got out, the backlash from Taylor's fans would drown you."

"True."

"Then I'll come pick you up and take you to Bad Room?" Calvin felt a bit relieved and suggested that if things went well, he might even get a date with Ellie that afternoon.

"Sounds good; I didn't want to drive today anyway."

Calvin hung up and couldn't help but cheer as he quickly grabbed his car keys and headed out.

He waited downstairs for Ellie for a solid half hour before she finally came out.

...

"Sorry for the wait," Ellie opened the car door, revealing her in a sparkling, low-cut bodycon dress, heavily made up and looking stunning.

As soon as she got in the car, a strong scent of perfume filled the air.

"You look amazing today," Calvin said.

"Thanks! I think the boss would like this style," Ellie nodded.

"Wait... didn't we just say..." Calvin stammered.

"What did we say? I can't purposely look unattractive in front of him, can I?" Ellie shot back.

"Fair point." Calvin still felt uneasy.

...

Watching Ellie walk into Bad Room, Calvin felt even more anxious. By noon, he still hadn't seen Ellie come back out.

What could they possibly be discussing? Just when Calvin wondered if he should go check, Ellie finally walked out through the back door -- along with Ryan.

Ellie's face radiated excitement as she wrapped her arms around Ryan. The next moment, when she spotted Calvin Harris, her expression flashed with panic.

"What are you doing here?" Ellie thought Calvin had already left.

"I..." A wave of despair washed over Calvin; he didn't reply, just turned and walked away.

But Ryan called out to him. "Perfect timing; let's grab some lunch together."

"I think I'll pass; you guys go ahead," Calvin forced a smile.

"Perfect opportunity to discuss some work-related matters with you both," Ryan insisted that Calvin join.

Reluctantly, Calvin had no choice but to follow along, taking a seat in Ryan's luxury SUV.

...

Ryan had the driver head toward a high-end restaurant in downtown Orlando.

Calvin remained silent in the front seat, not turning around.

Once inside the restaurant, the opulence exceeded Calvin's imagination, and the prices on the menu left him trembling; he calculated that it would take him half a month's salary just to afford a meal here.

Throughout the meal, Calvin kept his head down while Ryan and Ellie chatted casually.

"Ellie, you should take a cab back to the record label. I still have some things to discuss with Calvin," Ryan said as they neared the end of their meal.

"Alright," Ellie nodded, wiped her mouth, and then stood up to leave.

...

Ryan turned to Calvin, who was still staring down. "I told you before not to set your sights on her. Now do you understand why?"

Calvin, with his head down, paused his movements and slowly set his fork and knife down.

"You made a play for her, didn't you? You used the new song to entice her into a deal with you!" Calvin suddenly raised his head.

"Stupid! Do you want to see the photos she sent me last night?" Ryan chuckled.

"I..." Calvin was at a loss for words.

"Delete all thoughts about women from your mind. Focus your energy on music instead, and find a girlfriend outside the industry. That's my last piece of advice for you," Ryan advised him.

Having spotted Calvin at the back door earlier, Ryan had a hunch as to why he was there. On the way to the restaurant, Ryan had asked Ellie something, which revealed that Calvin had been making advances on her.

...

Calvin stepped out of the restaurant feeling utterly defeated. He couldn't remember how he got in the car or how he made it home. He felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. His pet dog brought him a tennis ball, and he tossed it against the wall.

The tennis ball slammed against the wall and rebounded back into Calvin's hand, only to be thrown again, creating a repetitive cycle.

Bounce...

This time, the incoming tennis ball didn't land in Calvin's hand. He stood up in a frenzy, grabbed a piece of white paper, and jotted down a few lyrics.

♫ I can't believe that every day and every night It's gettin' better if you're out of my life It's like I flicked the switch and now I'm feeling good No way to stop it, now you wish that you could When the weekend comes I know I feel alive You will be the last thing on my mind No regrets, do you know what that means ♫

At the same time, Calvin's fingers began tapping on the table; a melody had popped into his head. Like the rebound of that tennis ball -- Bounce.

...

In the afternoon, Ryan returned to the record label. Ellie was about to lend her voice to the recording of Ryan's new song. In truth, Ellie hadn't sent Ryan any pictures; that was just Ryan's way of keeping Calvin focused on music production.

As for the reason Ellie was chosen to collaborate, Ryan's external collaboration options had been exhausted. No female artists internal to UMG emerged as a satisfactory match after the previous auditions, so he had no choice but to settle for internal resources.

For the next two days, Ryan and Ellie spent their time together completing the production of the new song. They stayed in the studio, hardly stepping out.

...

"I could only get this," Teresa pushed the door open, holding a McDonald's paper bag.

It was already late at night, and many restaurants had shut down.

Ryan invited Teresa to sit down and eat with them.

"We still have about two hours," Ryan glanced at the time.

Ellie nodded; in front of Ryan, she was as obedient as a docile lamb.

Teresa stared at the McDonald's bag and suddenly thought of something, prompting her to ask, "Boss, do you think once the commercial street across the way is finished, a McDonald's will open up?"

"That depends on whether anyone wants to franchise here," Ryan tossed a chicken nugget into his mouth.

"But McDonald's franchise is a bit unique. Actually, McDonald's corporate chooses the location, buys the property, or signs a long-term lease, then rents it out to franchisees. McDonald's profits from that price difference; real estate income represents the bulk of McDonald's earnings," Teresa explained.

"In a way, McDonald's is a real estate company," Teresa summarized.

Ryan briefly pondered and recognized the uniqueness of this business model; site selection is crucial for a restaurant. As a brand, to maintain its reputation it isn't difficult to require franchisees to accept the chosen location.

Provided that the brand is "strong enough."

...

After finishing up at work, Ryan drove Ellie back to her current place. On the way, Ellie complained about her rent being two thousand dollars a month.

"Well, you could move to 'The Girls Dorm.'" Ryan suggested.

Those two female DJs were currently living there as well. Similar to the male dormitory, it was a whole apartment with several bedrooms and could house at least six people.

"Good idea!" Ellie immediately agreed excitedly.

Upon reaching their destination, Ellie awkwardly invited Ryan upstairs for a "drink."

Ryan chuckled, and seeing his reaction, Teresa understood that Ryan wasn't really interested in Ellie and interjected, "The boss is tired; let's save it for another day."

Ellie nodded and got out of the car.

...

A few minutes later, Teresa asked, "Are you not interested in her?"

"You're so beautiful, you've spoiled me," Ryan assessed Teresa.

"My taste has been shaped by you too," Teresa blushed, sitting directly on Ryan's lap, revealing a ring on her ring finger.

"Come home with me tonight. You can take Taylor's place."

Teresa's smile faltered, looking somewhat timid and guilty. But once the moment arrived, the situation changed dramatically; she was certainly enthusiastic! How true to the saying that actions speak louder than words.

...

The next morning, Ryan received a call from Ivanka.

"Did Taylor agree?" Ivanka asked on the other end.

"She's been pretty swamped lately."

"That's quite unfortunate."

"But she told me to treat you well," Ryan continued.

"Treat me well?" Ivanka was taken aback.

"Of course! You're a guest after all. When are you going to the beach for some sunbathing?"

"This afternoon."

"See you then."

"Wait a minute, are you coming?" Ivanka clarified.

"Have you talked to your father about the collaboration?"

"Not yet."

"Perfect timing; let's discuss how to approach him about it. If you'd rather talk over the phone, that's possible too."

"Let's talk face-to-face." Ivanka decided; some conversations are too difficult to have over the phone.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.