Page 59 of Paparazzi Perfect
“First things first. Food. This looks fantastic.” He waved his hand over the spread. “Gus is a true legend.” As he sat, his eyes fixed on the cake in the center of the table, which looked like it belonged in a gallery.
I glanced over the almond croissants and Danish pastries before reaching for a muffin and helping myself to some strawberries.
Dyson poured himself juice from the dispenser and grabbed a bagel. As we demolished the spread, he filled me in on his trip.
One of the flight attendants had slipped him her Insta. In true Dyson style, while most of the other passengers slept, they rendezvoused in the business-class bathroom.
With one eyebrow raised, I shook my head. “How many times are you going to join the mile-high club? You’ll be qualifying for a frequent-flyer card soon.” I grinned.
“Come on, bro.” He chuckled. “It’s only twice.”
He led the conversation to his visit to Alcatraz Island, where he met a bunch of people he ended up partying with before they’d done a weekend trip to Vegas.
“And the walk from Pier 39 to the Golden Gate Bridge is cool. You should come over for a visit. I’ll show you the sights,” he offered, looking a little tired.
It was clear he’d been working long hours since moving to San Francisco; his startup had been posting daily about recent developments, all driven by Dyson from start to finish.
The idea of visiting him in San Francisco was a good one, I wondered when I might make it happen. I’d seen little of the city except when I visited years ago.
Back then, I’d been there with my parents they’d been there for some business event.
I remembered my mother dressing up for some charity gala. I’d spent most of the time in a hotel suite. Alone.
It was the same on most trips. Nothing ever really changed. I’d been glad when the trip was over and I went back to school… where I wasn’t invisible.
Not long after, I started kickboxing. It quickly became my outlet for the anger toward my parents that lingered inside me.
Without kickboxing, I hated to think how that anger would have manifested.
***
“So, come on. Spill. What’s so important that you flew halfway around the world to talk to me?” I asked with curiosity. “Was it something crazy, something very Dyson? Like, you met a showgirl on your weekend away and got married in Vegas?”
“You know, I think I could make that work. Some dance lessons wouldn’t actually go astray. Anyway, I could’ve just told you about that in a DM.” He crammed in another mouthful of food.
“Didn’t they feed you on the plane, mate? You were probably in the bathroom when they served dinner, huh?”
A grin spread over his face.
“Seriously though, what brings you here? Wait, you bought that nightclub you’ve been raving about, so you can party twenty-four-seven. Is that it?”
“No, smart-ass,” he said, looking very proud of himself. “But now that you mention it, that’s actually not a terrible idea. Maybe I will.”
“Glad to be of assistance. Maybe I could come work in your hypothetical club and get away from my father.” I shifted my gaze to a surfer waiting for the wave to peak.
“Maybe, but jokes aside, I have an offer for you, Karson.” He leaned closer.
With a tilt of my head, I eyed him curiously.
“You know I’m always dabbling in new business ventures, right? Well, there’s this one I’m working on—BioBuild—and it’sspecial. It’s the one, Karson. And luckily for you, it requires a little more capital, which means I can offer you the chance to become an investor.” He was beaming. “You’re welcome.”
“Good work, bruh. I’m sure it’ll be a winner, what with you being a virtual genius and all. But hey, I’m a little short on cash right now—”
“Look,” he cut in, “a lot of investors want in on this. But seeing as you’re like a brother to me, an annoying brother, obviously, I’m giving you the chance to get in from the ground up.”
He drained his Voss bottle. “This water is fire. Man, remind me to get to Norway soon. Anyway, if BioBuild goes the way I think it will, this will set you up, man.”
“Norway, hey? Nice. And yeah, thanks, I’m keen on your offer. But, shit, a lot has gone down since I last saw you, and I’m not in a good position.” I tapped my fingers on the table.
