Gordon Black saw the identity of the caller on his car's console and bristled as he pulled up at the lights.
"Celia. Hello," he greeted his ex-wife, hoping her mood had improved since the last time they'd spoken.
"She's coming to live with you," Celia declared, foregoing pleasantries.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Teagan. She's probably already at your house. Try and talk some sense into her would you. For God's sake, she doesn't listen to me."
"'Some sense,' about what?" Gordon furrowed his brow, glad the focus of her call wasn't about 'them;' their daughter Teagan however, a subject they could at least always agree upon.
"Just..." Celia began, Gordon hearing another person communicating with his ex in the background, her attention distracted. "Uh huh, yeah look, Gordon I have to deal with an issue here, 'she'll' no doubt fill you in when you get home. Give me a call would you, when you've discussed it with her. Oh, and tell her more packages arrived."
"'Packages.'" Gordon repeated. "What packages?" He attempted to question but Celia hung up from the call mid word. "No hello, no goodbye," he commented. "Well at least she's on form," he mused as he drove through the intersection, curious as to what in hell his ex-wife had even been talking about?
*
Teagan's hatchback was parked in his driveway, the rear door still open, boxes and clothing strewn about within. His daughter sat on the topmost step of those leading up to the porch, EarPods in her ears, large sunglasses blocking out the world.
"Surprised?" She grinned as her father headed up the stairs, his eyes staying well away from the tiny shorts she wore, her thighs suggestively spread, though innocent he supposed with no one else but he around to witness.
"Not exactly," Gordon smiled. "Your mother called me."
"Ugh," Teagan groaned, rising from the landing. "Surprised she had the time."
Gordon chuckled. "Yeah, it actually was a bit like that. You forget your keys?" He added as she leaned up to kiss his cheek as he opened the front door.
"You know what I'm like Daddy, I'd forget to put on clothes if someone wasn't there to point it out!" She laughed, following him inside and throwing her handbag upon the entryway cabinet. "Are you going to help me bring in my stuff?"
"Of course," Gordon agreed, placing his keys and briefcase on a kitchen bench. "But first tell me what all of this is about."
"Help me with all my stuff and you'll see," she fired back.
*
"What even is this?" Gordon carefully removed the circular light from the rear of his daughter's car followed by a tripod.
"It's my ring light," Teagan explained. "Don't break it. They cost a fortune. Though that one was given to me for nothing. Oh, remember to grab the camera next," she commanded as she carried her laptop back inside the house.
Multiple return trips and the loaded car was emptied of all it had contained, Gordon still none the wiser as to what was the catalyst for his daughter's presence or his ex-wife's cryptic phone call. As he reentered his kitchen, Teagan leaning over her laptop, he finally called for an explanation.
"Ok Honey, enough. What's going on? Your mom says I have to talk some sense into you. I'm happy to have you here but I need to know, what gives?"
Teagan looked over the spaghetti strap of her otherwise bare shoulder. "Come and look," she directed her father.
The laptop open on YouTube, Gordon studied the page his daughter had entered, a channel named 'It's Teag's,' displaying a glam shot of his daughter in the header.
"That's you!" Gordon exclaimed. "You have a channel?"
"Ah, yeah Dad," Teagan rolled her eyes. "Everyone has. But not everyone has this many subscribers!" Her finger pointed at the tally, approaching 500 thousand people following her.
"Is that good?" He asked.
"'Is that good!'" Teagan repeated. "Well it's not the best but it's enough for me to drop out of uni!"
And there was the issue, Gordon understood. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh, please don't be as annoying as Mom about this," she focused back on the screen, possibly hoping he'd let it drop. Sadly mistaken.
"Oh, I will be! You're not dropping out of school young lady, not if I have anything to say about it," the moment he said the words realizing, he really didn't.
"Dad. Before you go all schizo about this, I made $4000 last month, just on advertising alone!"
About to continue his tirade, Gordon was stopped in his tracks. "You what?" To which his daughter just nodded, biting her lip, almost embarrassed. "That's more than I make!" Gordon added.
"What can I say?" She seemed to apologize.
"For doing what?" Gordon looked back at the screen for an explanation.
"Make-up tutorials. Try on hauls, vlog posts. Whatever comes to mind really. It's fun, easy, and pays more than my degree would've ever. So..." she concluded.
"So, you've dropped out of school and are becoming a full time YouTuber," Gordon finished her explanation, a thousand thoughts running through his head, so many questions. "But how long can you keep this up? There's only so many ways you can put on eyeliner!?"
Again, Teagan rolled her eyes. "Dad, I get sent new brands almost daily. I've got a sponsorship from a fitness wear company. The more subscribers I get, the more stuff businesses send me. I'm not even doing this full time yet, think of that."
For Gordon, it was hard to deny his daughter's logic. Yes, it was disappointing she wouldn't be going to school but that could wait. The capitalist in him could see the benefit in exploiting her popularity while it was 'hot,' so to speak.
"So, your mother knows this? The money I mean," Gordon questioned.
"Ah yeah. She just doesn't get it; you know what she's like. Between you and me, I think she's jealous."
Gordon could understand that, Celia even envious of his own relationship with Teagan when a child.
"She's seen the videos you've done?" He asked.
"Uh huh. She's even been in one," Teagan declared.
"No!" Gordon exclaimed.
"Ah yeah," Teagan assured, scrolling through her playlist and clicking upon a thumbnail titled 'Mom rates my clubbing dresses,' Gordon looking on incredulous.
Celia seated, albeit uncomfortably on the couch of her apartment, Teagan standing beside in the shortest, tightest dress Gordon believed he'd ever seen, his daughter scrolling through the video to show her parading a number of similar outfits, his ex-wife commenting.
"When do you actually put on a clubbing dress? Surely this is the underwear," he joked, the humor falling flat, Teagan rolling her eyes, seemingly forming a habit.
"All these dresses were given to me," Teagan stated as if defending herself. "I don't even have to send them back." She closed the video, scrolling down through the playlist, Gordon noting the titles, many he tried not to imagine their content, especially those labeled 'lingerie,' or 'underwear,' when he noticed them.
"Well," he paused, Teagan looking at him expectantly. "I'm good with it!" He surprised even himself with his response, Teagan's face lighting up, turning to throw her arms over his shoulders.
"Oh Daddy, I knew you'd understand," she delighted, her breasts pressing her father's chest as he gently rubbed her back.
"Slow down," he laughed. "I'm not happy about the school thing, we can talk about that another time. But this YouTube business. Go for it Honey. If it makes you happy, I mean it's obviously making you money, so make the most of it while you can. I'll deal with you mother," he confided. "Oh, that reminds me, she says there are packages at her place for you."
"There always are Dad," Teagan smiled, closing the laptop. "It's something you'll have to get used to."