Chapter 110: A Challenging Situation

[Chapter 110: A Challenging Situation]

After finishing dinner, Ryan called taxies to take the fans home. As for the Florida girls that Paul had brought along, many of them expressed the hope that they could continue to come in the future. To put it bluntly, basically they wanted to hang out here often so that they could enter through the back door without paying for an entrance ticket. The excuse is: I know the owner. It was also convenient for them to hook up with local guys.

Ryan agreed, figuring it was mutually beneficial; their presence would add some color to the nightclub. They were decent girls, clearly better than many others in the scene.

"You can reach out to... Daddario," Ryan said. He had originally wanted to give Paul responsibility for this, but then realized that putting Paul in charge would be like letting a mouse guard the grain. If he didn't have so many things to handle, Ryan would have taken this on himself. Maybe he could also test the quality and check whether artificial or natural.

...

Once the outsiders left, only a handful of close friends remained. Taylor was about ready to fall asleep, having reached that point where she could doze off the moment she sat down. It was clear she had pushed herself to the limits.

"When are you going to open a nightclub in L.A.?" Paris Hilton asked, her energy still high. She had been going on and on with everyone.

As of now, Ryan had no specific plans for expansion. His immediate focus was getting this first nightclub up and running, and he hadn't given much thought beyond that.

"I can invest if you need funding down the line," Paris said, blinking as if she were entirely serious. As a socialite, she was savvy enough to know what to back; she wouldn't waste her money. She had seen the success of the nightclub first-hand and knew it could thrive in Florida, especially with Ryan's name attached. With expansion on his mind, she figured it was smart to offer her help.

"I'll let you know when the time comes," Ryan replied with a smile, offering a polite response. It reminded him he needed to move quickly on expansion; going solo always took longer than partnering with local players, which could alleviate some pressure on funds and staffing.

However, Ryan wasn't keen on using Paris's connections at this point, so his reply was mostly a courtesy.

"Let me introduce you; this is my sister, Nicky," Paris said.

"I had no idea you had such a beautiful sister," Ryan said after eyeing her. At that moment, Nicky seemed like the quintessential Hilton heiress, even if the Hilton Group had sold out to Blackstone this year. The title was nice but lacked substance.

"If we're talking about pretty, I can't compare to TayTay," Nicky said, laughing.

"Of course. To me, Taylor is the most beautiful in the world," Ryan said, pulling Taylor close, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

Taylor didn't mind being affectionate with Ryan in front of everyone, leaning in to wrap her arms around his neck.

Daddario, watching from nearby, looked down slightly, avoiding the sight of the sweet couple.

"Abigail's here too; don't leave her out," Taylor whispered to Ryan.

"Let's invite her up later; the three of us can catch up," Ryan suggested, taking it a step further.

"Aren't you tired?" Taylor said angrily, annoyed Ryan was still thinking about that even when he was so busy.

"Where will you go to cry when I wear you out?" Ryan shot back, giving Taylor a playful pinch.

Taylor huffed, lightly smacking Ryan's shoulder and wriggling out of his embrace.

...

Ryan sent the remaining staff on their way. Since those tasked with clean-up hadn't clocked out yet, the main area was a complete mess, and the employees would have to tidy up until dawn.

"Daddario, you've worked hard tonight; you can go now," Taylor said, glancing at her.

Daddario looked at Ryan and then nodded back toward Taylor.

As a former "undercover", Taylor had communicated a lot with Daddario before, but now that she had become an integral part of Ryan's team, she had hardly spoken to her. It was evident to her that their relationship had progressed quickly, with Ryan often consulting Daddario first on many matters.

'It's clear they're becoming quite close,' Taylor thought; after all, even tedious tasks could bring people together. Wasn't she witnessing Ryan potentially turning Daddario into his spokesperson?

This couldn't continue!

...

"Tonight confirmed what you all saw: running a nightclub demands a lot of manpower. It's tough to hire quickly, and if expansion happens too rapidly, management issues will arise, lowering efficiency. So I've decided that for this recruitment, fans will be given priority," Ryan said as he reclined in the backseat of the car with his head resting on Taylor's lap.

Today's experience with the fans had given him insight -- these newcomers, at least, would be loyal from the beginning. Moving forward, unless it was for a specialized role, all recruitment would prioritize fans.

"I've also concocted a new idea for limited editions, Taylor. Do you have an internal website for fans?"

"Nope," Taylor replied, shaking her head.

"You also have to establish one. It'll act like a gathering place for fans to connect, lending them a sense of belonging while they advocate for each other and grow more loyal." Ryan tried to explain.

People are social creatures, easily influenced by their surroundings; feelings matter more than facts.

Using "also" showed he was committed to the plan.

"And how do we prove or select these committed fans?" Taylor asked, genuinely curious.

"Simple. Use money to make it happen -- launch a special edition album with a tag. That tag grants access to a forum where all the core fans gather," Ryan suggested nonchalantly.

...

"It's finally over." Back at Ryan's house in Orlando, Taylor let out a sigh of relief, mostly for Ryan's sake.

She turned around, laughing a little, and then dove back into Ryan's arms.

Outside, she had urged him to go home and relax, but now that they were back, she was more active than ever.

Still, considering Ryan was worn out, Taylor unusually decided to take care of him by running a bath.

"Is that pressure alright?" she asked while massaging his temples in the bathroom.

"Perfect; just what I needed," Ryan said, clearly satisfied.

"Does Daddario treat you like this?" she changed the subject abruptly.

Of course, Ryan denied it without hesitation.

"I don't like you two being together all the time. I'll have Erica switch places with her, so from now on she can be your assistant," Taylor stated immediately.

Daddario was a fake undercover agent, Erica was the real undercover!

Ryan was unfazed: "Since you are not willing, let them switch, but I'm swamped right now. Daddario's getting the hang of things; switching now could cause issues -- let's wait until next year."

"Next year? That won't work! At the latest, one month! That's enough time for them to hand off their responsibilities." Taylor placed her foot down, demanding change.

"We've got my EP coming up, your new album, signing new artists, and we need that fan website set up. With everything on the table, I doubt one month will cut it." Ryan's strategy was to delay first and arrange a different role for Daddario while ensuring she never crossed paths with Taylor, avoiding jealousy.

Quick on her feet, Taylor suggested, "Since you have so much going on, let's send Erica over now. My album hasn't been released yet anyway, so I won't need her, and it gives you some time to hire another assistant." If she couldn't separate the two, she'd put a buffer between them!

"Thanks a lot for that."

"Don't mention it, darling; who else but me would help you?" Taylor's hand slowly trailed down.

In the game of subtle negotiations, every move counted!

*****

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