NOVEL WEB Chapter 94: Chapter 94: He Was Actually That Popular
[Chapter 94: He Was Actually That Popular]
Noticing the growing closeness between the two, Daddario felt she could no longer stay. She stood up, started clearing the dishes, and tidied up Ryan's living room without anyone asking her to do so.
Could she actually take care of him? Would she do his laundry? Would she cook for him? Most likely, she would just compliment his cooking. Various thoughts dashed through Daddario's mind.
And, was she older than me?
...
Half an hour later, Taylor leaned against Ryan as they headed toward the bedroom.
"Daddario, you can head home. Just come back in the morning to take me to the airport," Taylor casually instructed.
Erica hadn't accompanied her to Florida.
In a panic, Daddario suddenly said, "I... I'm not going home tonight. I mean, I want to use the bathroom to take a shower. The water heater in my rental is broken."
Taylor shrugged and didn't comment further.
...
Late at night, just as Daddario finished her shower and opened the bathroom door with her damp hair, she heard Taylor's piercing high notes coming from Ryan's room in addition to the clapping sounds indicating they were playing together.
Without a word, she closed the door again and returned to the mirror, staring at the array of beauty products left behind by Taylor.
"Her products must be expensive," Daddario thought and picked up a bottle of face lotion, applying it to her skin.
Before she could apply a second product, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Ryan barged in. Upon realizing there was someone inside, he quickly backed out, but in that split second, Daddario caught some key details.
Crabs, she thought, recalling a monster movie called Anaconda, where the giant jungle snake looked fierce and terrifying!
It even spat venom!
Daddario covered her mouth and quickly walked out of the bathroom.
...
"Regretting it now? Look at Irina; she has multiple brands lined up for her next spring and summer seasons, and she only starred in one of Ryan's music videos. Oh, what an opportunity you've let slip through your fingers! Otherwise, those brands would be looking for you," in a posh New York office, Fizz earnestly spoke to the young girl sitting across from her.
The girl gazed out the window, seemingly indifferent.
"I'm talking to you, darling," Fizz tapped the desk and lit a cigarette.
"I've done enough runway shows; I want a break," the girl replied nonchalantly. She truly didn't care; no one could shake her place as the "top rookie" among all the young models in America and Europe.
"You just took a break, didn't you? What's this? Got a wealthy boyfriend?" Fizz pried with curiosity.
The girl shook her head. "Not really; summer's over, and I have to go back to school."
She recalled walking the runway in New York on Wednesday and being back in Chicago for the end-of-term dance on Friday.
"Not planning to contact Ryan again? I heard he has a new song out," Fizz ventured.
The girl stood up and made her way out of the office without looking back.
"Wait, where are you going? I haven't finished talking yet!"
"I'm going home to pack. I'm heading to a music festival tomorrow with some model friends," Karlie Kloss said as she shut the door.
Fizz sighed, realizing that being a model agent was tough. She finally found a promising talent who had just begun to shine, and now, her head was getting too big. She even claimed her dream was to become the second Gisele Bundchen.
"Dream on!" Fizz stubbed out her cigarette.
...
"Ryan! The new Billboard champion! We all call you the super high schooler. Seeing you reminds me of my own youth," a middle-aged man exclaimed, patting Ryan on the chest.
"You look pretty young too! Did you graduate from college?" Ryan replied with a smile.
"Ha, I'll let you in on a little secret -- I'm the same age as you." He laughed back, not appearing to have aged too much despite being middle-aged. He was dressed in a youthful printed T-shirt and jeans, with several necklaces hanging around his neck, resembling a rock star.
In this line of work, you had to dress younger. He was the chief planner of the All Points West Music Festival, having curated the guest list himself and welcoming Ryan as a clear indication of the organizer's esteem for him.
The festival was organized by AEG, short for Anschutz Entertainment Group, which is the second-largest live music and entertainment events promoter in the U.S., only behind Live Nation. It operated over ten major arenas in both Europe and the U.S. while also organizing the Coachella music festival.
Last year's Daft Punk performance at Coachella was a groundbreaking electronic music spectacle, seamlessly fusing visuals and sound -- a pioneer of DJ performances.
Clearly, AEG wanted to replicate the success of the West Coast Coachella in New York, leading to the creation of the All Points West Festival. However, it appeared they were facing some problems.
"The stage was already built, and we're not sure if it was due to high winds this morning or some other issue, but the big screen fell apart, so the festival has to be postponed for a week," he said, his expression troubled.
"Can we ensure it will be ready in a week?" Ryan asked, looking at the bare spot where the screen should have been on the steel-framed stage. That needed to be custom-made.
"We're worried about that too," he seemed anxious.
Ryan suggested, "I remember the LED backdrop at the Olympics opening ceremony looked good. Did you reach out to that supplier?"
"We did contact a similar supplier, but products from China... we've used those years ago, and apart from being cheap, they had no other merits; it's not exactly a textile product," he recalled.
"Hmm. Hopefully, the stage can be built quickly." Ryan turned and led Daddario away toward the hotel that had been arranged by the organizers.
...
The postponement was a last-minute notice. By now, a large crowd had already gathered, and they were quite upset upon hearing the event was postponed.
"Well, that's unfortunate, Karlie. We'll have to come back next week."
After walking a few steps, Ryan overheard voices from passersby.
Turning around, he spotted a familiar figure. Once he saw the tall girl nearly six feet, he recognized he hadn't made a mistake.
At that moment, she turned back and their eyes met.
She nodded at Ryan, a silent greeting, and he nodded back before they continued on their separate ways without any further exchange.
...
The week-long delay was cut short by three days. That night, Ryan arrived at the venue for rehearsals and noticed some familiar Asian faces among the staff. It hinted that they had likely switched to the same supplier as the Olympics opening ceremony.
As for the change, perhaps the original supplier really couldn't provide a new screen in a week, and the organizers had to make do with an emergency replacement.
During a break in rehearsals, Ryan struck up a conversation with one of the workers, who called out Ray's name and handed Ryan a business card, which he passed to Daddario.
...
Before long, it was time for him to perform. On stage, Ryan linked together all four of his current singles.
The All Points West Music Festival was essentially a replica of the Coachella festival, bringing together artists from folk, country, rock, pop, and hip-hop genres.
Electronic music was the new category that had been added. When it came to enhancing the atmosphere and energizing the crowd, no other genre compared to electronic music.
With tracks like Tremor, Harlem Shake, and Wake Me Up, the pace quickened and unstoppable energy filled the venue. While many in the audience had experienced electronic music before, for some, it was their first time hearing it live -- like a certain young model.
"Isn't this the kind of music they only play in nightclubs?" she laughed.
Still, she felt it was different from the more explosive tracks usually spun in those clubs.
There were lyrics, more like pop music, yet the chorus was mostly melodic, differing entirely from traditional pop music.
"This is the hottest song right now on the Billboard charts!" another model nudged her.
"Top of the B charts?! Is he really that popular?" In a VIP box, Karlie Kloss stared at the big screen showing Ryan behind the DJ booth, guiding the crowd as he danced along with the rhythm.
In her original impression, Ryan was just the guy who made goofy songs.
She realized for the first time his unique charm in blending pop and electronic music.
If Fizz were around to ask whether she regretted her earlier indifference, she wouldn't be able to maintain that same level of complacence.
Would he have more new songs in the future? Maybe he would even invite her again? Karlie reassured herself, remembering there was an after-party planned. He was likely to attend as well. She could introduce herself all over again and offer her apologies.
Apologize? Why would she apologize? She owed him nothing, Karlie thought to herself.
...
After the performance, Ryan was escorted away by the staff.
"Do you want to go to the after-party?" Daddario offered, wiping sweat from his brow.
"No, no," Ryan quickly shook his head. These festivals liked to treat after-parties as VIP perks; he had gotten burned a couple of times before, ending up stuck taking photos with fans.
However, a phone call changed Ryan's mind.
"You're here already? After-party? Sure, no problem. I'll be there," Ryan nodded.
"Who called?" Daddario asked.
"A Dutch guy," Ryan replied as he turned away.
When he arrived at the after-party venue, Ryan's eyes instantly locked onto a woman with golden short hair passing by.
"She's here too?" Ryan was somewhat surprised and promptly made his way over.
"Sia!" he called out to her.
*****
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