Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 229: A Surprise]

"Look, Ryan is here!"

From the railing of the VIP section, Rosie pointed towards Ryan, who was taking the DJ stage. At that moment, the main room was shrouded in darkness, with dozens of laser lights flickering around to create a surreal atmosphere. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed across the large screen behind Ryan, accompanied by thunderous sound effects, making it seem like the screen had been split apart.

This was the work of Claire, the DJ. Although her music leaned towards experimental, she had a unique vision for visual presentation as a VJ.

The sudden sound startled Karlie.

"It's obvious you don't come to places like this often!" Anne laughed heartily, raising her drink to clink with Karlie's.

Karlie's juice was quickly replaced with a can of beer, and she hesitated a bit.

"You can't not drink! You'd miss out on a lot of fun in life," Anne urged, clearly excited.

Karlie took a sip and immediately stuck her tongue out, her expression turning sour.

...

As the deep electronic music pulsed, Anne and Rosie danced closely together. Rosie moved more softly, twisting her waist like a snake, while Anne's gestures were far more sensual. First, she helped Rosie do a wave dance, then she began to perform some suggestive moves in front of Karlie. As a high-level model in the industry, Anne's figure was strikingly alluring.

Then, Anne's seductive dance began to intensify as she backed up towards Karlie.

"Don't scare her," Rosie chuckled, covering her mouth.

"What's wrong with letting her get a taste of the nightlife?" Anne turned around, pressing close to Rosie, exploring her curves more boldly.

Karlie stood by, feeling both anxious and a little shocked. She had no idea that Anne was this wild outside of work. Between modeling gigs in the past, she had often gone back to school, and now that she had halted her studies, she rarely went out with other models. She didn't have many interests outside of work, with her only real hobby being -- sleeping.

...

An hour passed quickly, and when Ryan finished his set, Karlie saw various articles of clothing tossed onto the stage by female patrons -- T-shirts and even underwear. Ryan swiftly exited the DJ booth, and a new DJ named Calvin Harris came on stage. He grabbed the microphone and announced he had a new song to share, which was met with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.

At this point, Karlie had started to feel a little buzzed and found Calvin Harris's new song, Bounce, quite enjoyable. It was notably different from the typical "thud thud thud" bass-heavy traditional club music, leaning more towards a pop vibe.

...

By the time Calvin finished and it was already after one in the morning, another female DJ took the stage, showcasing a heavy industrial techno style that enveloped the venue in an electric atmosphere.

The two female models were still shaking their heads, and there was already a lot of physical contact. In this regard, the female models were very free, not necessarily with men, and not necessarily with one person. Under the catalysis of alcohol, the atmosphere between the two people became more and more ambiguous, and they began to touch each other and then bite each other's ears.

Meanwhile, Karlie had completely collapsed onto the couch, fast asleep. She had left a few empty beer cans next to her, and had she seen the two girls' antics, she'd surely have turned beet red.

At just that moment, Ryan pushed the door open.

...

Anne and Rosie jumped back, startled, and quickly separated.

Ryan was aware that Karlie was with two other models but hadn't expected such a steamy scene upon entering.

"Ryan, you finally made it," Anne said as she walked over quickly, a bit tipsy but playful, wrapping herself around him and guiding his hand to her waist.

"Came just for you, what's the matter?" Ryan didn't resist her affection.

"Wow, you're quite eager!" Anne teased, feeling emboldened, knowing Ryan was interested in her.

"Hold on, Rosie and I actually need to talk to you," Anne added as she was forced to take a seat.

"What's so urgent? We can discuss it later," Ryan countered, draping an arm around Rosie.

Rosie didn't have as much previous close contact with Ryan as Anne, who seemed perfectly fine bending to his aura without much argument.

As for Karlie, she was still deep in sleep.

...

After bantering for a bit, Ryan raised his drink. "So what exactly do you need from me?"

Anne took the drink from him with a bright smile, eager to serve.

"It's nothing too serious. The collaboration with sTray and Dior is already finalized. You were happy with how Rosie and I performed, right? I just want to know if you're also considering us for this?"

Ryan knew he would have involved them regardless, but for Anne and Rosie, the stakes felt much higher. With so many variables in this upcoming Dior collaboration, they felt it was important to come in person.

"Oh, so that's what this is about. You know, given our past, you could've just called. No need to come all the way here," Ryan remarked, glancing back at Rosie.

"But the competition is fierce, especially for the position of print models. This is Dior, I don't have that much pull," Ryan added, finishing his refreshments and releasing the two girls from his grasp.

The two models exchanged glances, knowing that if Ryan had said that, he probably wasn't considering them, which was hard not to take as a loss.

"But I do need models I can trust, and it's questionable whether you two are trustworthy," Ryan studied the pair.

"What do you want us to do?" Rosie asked, remaining calm.

Ryan slowly pulled out his phone.

Before he could say more, Rosie quickly shook her head, realizing the implication of handing her fate over to him.

"You can't do that," Anne interjected.

"See? This is precisely why you two aren't trustworthy," Ryan replied with finality.

Anne was momentarily thrown into doubt, there were only two choices before her: absolute submission or becoming a stranger to Ryan.

Thinking of the benefits she could gain from being on his good side and recalling what losing that connection might mean for her future, she ultimately made her decision.

"I'm in!" Anne declared firmly.

"And you?" Ryan looked at Rosie.

"Ryan won't mistreat you, he could make your future quite nice. Right now, he found interest in you, and that's your luck. I'm not kidding. In a few years, you will no longer be young and you will only be able to entertain executives from modeling agencies and old men from brand companies. You have to consider your future. This deal is a good deal," Anne pushed.

Since she had already committed, she wanted a partner beside her.

"But..." Rosie hesitated. She acknowledged that some of what Anne said was true, but assigning her fate to a young man she barely knew seemed all too risky.

"You don't trust Ryan, do you? You remember how he deals with those who cross him? You haven't forgotten the news?" Anne smiled, her expression veiling a sinister edge.

"I swear I won't tell anyone what happened tonight!" Rosie felt the weight of danger and shook her head fervently.

"Some things you can't escape once you see them," Anne said as she slowly tugged at Rosie's collar.

Under this pressure, Rosie ultimately agreed with reluctance.

...

Ryan stood up and turned on his phone's flashlight, even if it wasn't the most professional setup, he was still ready to play the "artistic photographer" part.

Under his direction, the two models struck various poses -- M shapes, V shapes, O shapes, and more...

"Put your hands up, smile, raise those hands making a Y, perfectly beautiful."

As a model, she has a special sense of camera.

"Where will you store these photos?" Rosie asked, suddenly feeling a bit panicked.

"A secure place, absolutely," Ryan told them as he led them to the semi-open balcony.

"Brace your hands against the rail, lean down slightly, and keep your legs straight. Just a heads up, if you're too loud, you might draw attention from downstairs."

They positioned themselves, side by side, while Ryan stood behind Rosie.

Rosie clamped her mouth shut immediately.

...

After a while, Karlie, half-awake, suddenly vomited on the floor beside the couch, leaving behind a nasty mess.

At the same time, a similar wreck was left by Rosie on the balcony.

Ryan stood behind Anne, barely able to hear the shouts and conversations from downstairs due to the nightclub's inherent darkness. If the booth lights were off, even those in the upper balcony couldn't see what was happening below.

Uncertain if it was the peculiar ambiance of the semi-open space, Anne soon surrendered after a brief burst of Russian.

...

The next morning, Karlie abruptly woke up to find herself in an unfamiliar setting and let out a scream.

"Okay, stop shouting," Ryan, who had just woken up, pushed open the door, told her she was at his and Taylor's place.

"Close the door!" Karlie exclaimed, quickly pulling the covers around herself.

Ryan returned to his room again, having just fallen asleep for a few hours.

...

When Ryan woke up again, it was already noon. After washing up, he ventured down the hallway and found that Karlie's room was empty.

Ryan went downstairs and asked the housekeeper about her whereabouts.

"Ms. Kloss left this morning and didn't say where she was going," the housekeeper replied.

Ryan employed full-time staff but instructed them to return the day before Taylor's arrival and leave the day after, to avoid any unintended revelations.

...

Ryan took out his phone and called Karlie.

"Did you help me take off my clothes last night?" she asked in surprise.

"Where are you?" Ryan inquired.

"I'm at..." Karlie named the street sign near her, which wasn't too far from Ryan's place.

"Why isn't there a cab?"

"This isn't New York; taxis aren't everywhere. Just come back," Ryan said and hung up.

...

After a while, Karlie Kloss returned, her clothing still damp and not fully dry.

"Where are Anne and Rosie? How did you get me back? And how did my clothes come off?" Karlie bombarded Ryan with questions.

"They're somewhere else. I drove you back, and your clothes came off by hand!" Ryan chuckled, assessing Karlie's upset demeanor.

Karlie looked like she might explode: "I'm going to tell Taylor! You're always bullying me and peeking at me!"

"Last time backstage at the fashion show, I had something serious to tell you. Besides, I was looking openly. When did I peek?" Ryan defended himself.

"Are you hungry? Eat something!" he gestured towards the array of dishes on the table.

"I'm not hungry!" Karlie pouted.

Ryan shrugged and stopped insisting: "I need to clarify something; don't get involved with those models anymore, especially at night. You were fortunate you ran into me last night; if it had been someone else, you would have woken up with blood on your..."

"Why blood? You should take more care of Taylor," Karlie blushed slightly.

"You should take care of yourself more."

After taking a sip of water, Ryan headed upstairs, leaving Karlie alone in the living room.

"When are you going to take me home?" Karlie called out to his retreating figure.

"After I finish my workout," Ryan called back without looking.

'I'll never go back to places like that,' Karlie thought, just then hearing her stomach rumble as she confirmed Ryan was upstairs. Grabbing a piece of bread, she quickly devoured it, knowing she hadn't eaten much since the previous afternoon.

...

"Slow down, girl, there's plenty here for you!" the housekeeper chimed in. "How much did you drink last night? You made quite a mess, and there's still a lot of vomit in Ryan's car; I cleaned it up for hours this morning."

"Sorry, it wasn't that much."

"Your clothes had a lot too; I hand-washed them for you."

"It was you... who helped me take them off last night?"

The housekeeper shrugged: "What else was I supposed to do?"

She recounted how Karlie had been in a daze when she arrived and that it was the housekeeper who helped her from the car while Ryan had never laid a hand on her.

'Did Ryan take me back because he had no other choice? Was he genuinely advising me earlier?' Karlie was surprised to find that although she and Ryan had shared some intimate moments, he had never crossed a line beyond comfort.

A wave of guilt washed over her toward Ryan.

...

At the Bad Room Club.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have been angry with you," Karlie said.

Ryan said he didn't care as he just hung up the phone.

"I won't go to those places again," Karlie asserted.

"Except this place, and it has to be with me around," Ryan added.

"Why do you want to protect me?"

"Because you're not like the other models," Ryan answered straightforwardly. Karlie was still young and hadn't been submerged in the industry too deeply, at least not yet.

"Taylor sees you like a sister, and I'm not too different," Ryan smiled. "You haven't gotten a boyfriend yet, have you?"

"Why are you asking that?" Karlie felt a bit shy.

"Just checking on you," Ryan remarked, his eyes studying her; the girl was becoming increasingly beautiful.

Karlie found herself thinking back to when she shot a music video with Ryan. Those memories had appeared in several of her dreams but quickly shifted her thoughts back to Taylor.

"When's Taylor coming back?" Karlie redirected the conversation.

"Do you want to see her tonight?"

"Of course! If I'd known, I would've stayed at your house."

"You still have time to go back now."

"But I want to see how you usually work," Karlie instinctively said.

The next moment, seeing Ryan's gaze, she quickly corrected herself: "I mean, I'm just curious."

...

Some time later, Karlie followed Ryan into his office. She wandered around, and Ryan called for Teresa to show Karlie around the Bad Room.

After a while, Anne and Rosie stepped into the office.

"You two will be in the nightclub these next few days as special guests. No duties, just stand on stage and dance a little," Ryan instructed.

These two models were very much his favorites, so getting them to help out would generate some buzz at his nightclub. Paris was also coming by later that night as the "promotional manager."

"Additionally, I have another task for you..." Ryan continued, glancing at Anne. He had noted her persuasive skills the prior evening.

For the next few minutes, he laid out what he needed.

"No problem, there are plenty of young models in Eastern Europe."

"You both also need to inform me about the inside scoop at Victoria's Secret," Ryan added.

As the soon-to-be music director for Victoria's Secret, he had his name against payment, so he had to deliver. Sharon had already pushed him on it several times, and he had repeatedly made excuses about being too busy.

Once they were done, he sent them on their way.

...

Then Ryan received a call from Donald Trump, who insisted they start preparing for a joint venture today, and the property management agreement needed to be signed promptly.

...

Ryan agreed and shortly after received a call from Ivanka, Donald Trump's daughter: "Ryan, I need to come see you tonight. Are you free?"

"I'll be at the nightclub waiting for you," Ryan replied warmly; he wouldn't refuse her visit.

"Sounds good then."

...

Checking the time, Ryan prepared to head to the airport to pick up Taylor, who had finished several legs of her tour. The gross profit of these tours added up to more than one million, making her a real money-printing machine.

Just as he stood up, there was a knock, and before he could respond, the door swung open.

It was Taylor, decked out in sunglasses and bold attire!

"Hey babe, look what I brought you!" Taylor exclaimed, holding several bags filled with various local "specialties" from the places she had visited on tour.

She mentioned her flight had arrived earlier than expected, so she decided to come over and planned to stick around the nightclub tonight, waiting for Ryan to finish up so they could head back together.

"You don't think I'm in the way, do you? Or do you have other plans tonight?" Taylor playfully took a seat in Ryan's office chair, a position only Ryan would have dared to occupy otherwise.

"Not really any plans," Ryan nodded.

Taylor typically didn't come to the nightclub; did she sense something was up?

Ivanka's visit was purely business-oriented, or at least that's what Ryan presumed...

Catching a whiff of something, Ryan inquired, "Did you just put on perfume?"

"Yeah, Chanel No. 5. Didn't you previously complain about the scent I wore?" Taylor rested her chin in her hands.

"I was just making an offhand comment; honestly, even without it, you smell great," Ryan replied, moving closer to hug her warmly.

"This is your office, and your staff is coming in... wow, I miss you too. By the way, do you know if Ivanka is still in Florida? I'd like to meet her," Taylor suddenly mentioned as she nestled into Ryan's embrace.

*****

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