Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 93: Mind in Turmoil]

Ryan's MySpace account was on the verge of hitting a million followers, and it was time to flex a little influence.

That day, Miss Gaga responded online.

"Incredible! Ray's reply was so inspiring. I've always dreamed of collaborating with such a talented young guy like Ray. Feel free to reach out -- I'd drop everything to meet with Ray. I can promise I'll bring my best self to the table, and this collaboration would have no boundaries!" She included a tongue emoji in her tweet.

She knew how to attract attention; her reply was somewhat flirty, showing respect for Ryan while teasing him -- not to mention, somewhat flirtatious.

What surprised Ryan was that several female singers chimed in.

"When is Ray going to collaborate with me? I can do a lot more than LADY GAGA! A lot more -- I can even do tricks with my tongue! Ray, I love you! I want that thing! @RAY @LADY GAGA" Katy Perry also got in on the action, her words bolder, sheerly provocative.

She was fully embracing this kind of bohemian personality, making headlines -- always dropping colorful jokes in interviews, though she had little real comedic talent and came off a bit awkward. Even knowing she was just trying to ride the coattails of the hype, Ryan still found himself curious about her tongue tricks.

Is it like wrapping dumplings, just wrapping it all up?

And just half an hour later, someone else joined the fray.

"What are you all chatting about? It sounds lively! Ryan said the next song will be a collaboration with me (smile) @LADY GAGA @KATY PERRY"

The person posting that tweet was Taylor; her account was run by her team, and this time it was clearly about staking her claim by dropping in.

"Oh darling, of course, Ryan's next song should be with you. I mean, it might be the next one, or the following one -- but with how productive Ryan is, you might not be able to handle it all. @TS13" Gaga quickly replied.

It was unclear whether she meant "productive" in a serious or playful way.

"Taylor, if you disagree, we could negotiate. I never break up anyone's pairing; I just want to... join in. @TS13" Katy Perry followed up.

"(smile)(smile)(smile)(smile)(smile)(smile)(smile)(smile) @KATY PERRY"

"This is utterly insane," Ryan shook his head. These stars would go to any lengths for attention. If Taylor hadn't encountered him, she'd probably be stirring things up too.

As for Rihanna, it was no surprise she wouldn't dive into such discussions; otherwise, Jay-Z would have been upset. Jay-Z had later revealed that when he first met Rihanna, he told his team, "If we don't sign her, she doesn't leave this place," and that day, Rihanna was forced to audition until 3 AM.

But now, Rihanna had found herself a new man, Chris Brown. Their relationship was going strong, but by the next Grammy Awards, everything would take a dark turn when Chris Brown violently attacked her, leaving her with a swollen face, earning her the cruel nickname of "punching bag."

...

"By the way, how's your production company doing, Trey?" Ryan continued.

Aside from Big Machine, the only decent acquisition target left was the production company where Trey worked.

"We have ample cash flow and plenty of clients, with a solid internal team. Because of that, I don't think the other shareholders would be up for selling," Trey attempted to explain.

"In that case... let's start a new company and poach some talent; a completely new production company could be handed over to you," Ryan was eager to expand his empire.

As a leading female MV director, Trey is very experienced. Such a company can continue to shoot MVs or prepare for bigger projects, such as TV series and movies.

"Am I really capable of that?" Trey seemed unsure.

"Of course you are," Ryan replied, firmly holding her hand.

She quickly pulled her hand back, sending a look to remind him there were others around, as if to say, "Keep that up and we have a problem."

"Ahem," Daddario felt awkward and immediately lowered her head.

"You have to head to New York for the All Points West Music & Arts Festival next week, where you'll be the second-to-last act performing on the final night," Daddario said while driving. These schedules had all been set up by Scooter and Marvin.

"Who's the last act?"

"Jay-Z."

...

A few days later, as Taylor burst into Ryan's home, she tossed a startled Daddario aside and sprinted toward him, leaping into his arms like an octopus.

"I got you some gifts!" Ryan hadn't seen her in days.

"Are they real gifts, or just silly ones?" Taylor asked, wrapping her long limbs around Ryan. Given her larger frame, she couldn't pull it off in a delicate way -- Ryan's face was practically buried against her collarbone.

This time, Ryan had genuinely purchased a serious gift.

"Daddario, go get the stuff," Ryan motioned.

Daddario complied and went to retrieve a large, exquisite box from the bedroom. She had picked it up from a boutique in Miami that afternoon but didn't know what was inside.

When she returned to the living room, she found Ryan and Taylor whispering intimately to each other, completely unreserved.

This was their own romantic hideaway, wasn't it? She felt like the outsider there, Daddario thought.

Ryan carefully placed the box down and asked Taylor to cover her eyes, then opened the box.

Daddario's eyes widened in shock -- it held a stunning diamond necklace, easily worth six figures, enough to buy several nice cars.

You really went all out! Daddario gulped; little did she know that earlier, Taylor had spent a significant chunk of her savings getting Ryan a Navigator. Now that Ryan was earning big bucks, buying a necklace was barely a dent for him.

Taylor opened her eyes to catch the dazzling reflection off the diamonds and exclaimed, "Wow! This is incredible!"

Ryan personally placed it around her neck.

Taylor stood in front of a mirror, admiring it, clearly enamored.

"It's a bit tight around my neck; I should wear it for special occasions, like award shows!" Taylor turned to Daddario.

"What do you think -- does it look good?"

"Um... yes. It's beautiful," Daddario nodded, somewhat entranced. Jewelry was like luxury cars to men; it had a lethal allure for women.

"You should go find a wealthy boyfriend who can buy you one too," Taylor smiled generously.

'How could I find the time to date when I'm almost always at your beck and call?' Daddario thought, trying to hide her jealousy. It would be false to say she wasn't envious of Taylor's position.

There were wealthy men out there, but they were often dirty old men -- how many guys like Ryan were out there? Why could you find a young handsome guy while I'm stuck with the old geezers? Daddario thought bitterly.

"Daddario, order some food," Ryan instructed.

"Let her finish her shift; I want your cooking and ranch dressing. I dreamed about it the other night and woke up with my pillow soaked," Taylor chuckled.

"Then let Daddario stay and eat with us; I'll see what ingredients I have in the fridge." Ryan went to check.

...

An hour later, Daddario took a bite of Ryan's cooking and instantly felt like her soul had left her body.

"Did you go to culinary school?" She devoured the food faster and faster.

"See? I told you I wasn't lying," Taylor said, taking a forkful of meat and chewing with satisfaction.

She had gotten used to strict dieting outside of home, and even at home, she was careful; only when she was with Ryan did she indulge.

"Ryan, feed me!" Taylor nudged him with her arm.

Suddenly, Daddario's metallic knife fell to the ground, interrupting Taylor.

"Sorry," Daddario mumbled distractedly, feeling her mind in complete chaos for reasons she couldn't quite understand.

*****

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