78. One-Star Room

“Great. Let’s go meet Elon then.” Dakota says, with a spark of thrill.
“Elon as in the Musk?” My heart jumps into my throat as he presses his hand on my back and with a gentle push, begins walking.
“Hmm. I saw him earlier near model X.” He murmurs to himself while navigating me through the crowd.
*Oh god! There will be fashion models too.*
“Wait, let me get another glass of champagne then we are good to go.” I look around for my golden nectar before meeting the God of Memes.
“Nope. We are going to just meet him, not seduce him.” Dakota says, narrowing his eyes down at me.
“What if I faint in front of him?” My anxieties fan me.
“I didn’t know you were such a big fan of him.” Dakota jerks his brow, studying me.
“Oh yeah, I love his memes.” I confess, earning from him the most annoying eye roll I have ever seen.
We make our way into a private perimeter where media and other expensive looking people are engaged in a conversation on the red carpet.
There are several other Tesla cars lined up on display and that’s when I spot Elon in black jacket, black tee, and black jeans, looking like a wanna-be-rockstar, while he shares a laugh with a group of Asian people.
*Oh my Meme God!*
“Do you think if I ask him for an autograph, he would give me? For my brother.” I question Dakota in between as he gets greeted by others.
“I think he would be generous enough.” He whispers back.
“Wow! But I don’t have any pen or paper. Do you think he would be generous enough to sign on my chest?”
Dakota stops dead in his steps. His *I’ll-drive-you-over* eyes find me and warns me in an utmost threatening voice. “Emara.. That’s exactly you do not have to ask him. Got it?”
“Hehe! I was kidding.” I sneer. I WAS NOT!
We stop by the Tesla cars which are kept on display in the order of their model names- S, 3, X, Y. They appear like futuristic cars, straight rolled out of a sci-fi movie with some models having their doors unfold upward like bird’s wings.
My eyes drift to the right, where I spot Elon, still chit-chatting with those group of Asians.
“Why are we not going up to him?” I whispery ask Dakota as he intently watches the polygon truck front in line.
“We don’t have to.” He casually replies. “He will come to us.”
“Why would he come to us?” I raise my brows in disbelief. HE IS THE ELON MUSK!
“Because we..” Dakota corrects himself with a sly grin. “I mean, I am his potential buyer.” And passes me a Brad-Pitt-panty-wet smirk.
I glance at the Cybertruck, then back at the polished businessman beside me. “You are thinking to buy thiss..this.. Thing!”
“Why? What’s wrong with it?” He inquires, looking genuinely puzzled.
“Come on! It looks like a 7 year old would have drawn in MS paint.”
“You mean.. You would have drawn.” He smirks, sparing me a glance.
I roll my eyes. Honestly, his comments don’t even tickle my ego now.
“It looks weirdly funny!” I tell him, as if he hadn’t noticed it yet.
“I rather look at it as a durable truck.” He counters.
“Why? Is it made up of Nokia phones?” I ask sarcastically.
This time Dakota rolls his eyes.
“The material they used is SpaceX’s 30x steel alloy, incredibly resistant to corrosion but hard to shape, which gives this truck an angular and less aesthetic look. And personally, I value performance over looks, so I am completely fine with its funny shape, compare to the horse-power they are providing.” He explains, climbing into the driver’s seat.
“There are no side view mirrors.” I point out, opening the passenger door. “See.. This what happens when you smoke too much!”
“Hmm.. Because it has side rear cameras.” Dakota replies, clicking on the digital screen to bring up a live feed from various angles around the truck.
“Mirrors are so last year.” He winks at me.
The interior is sleep, devoid of any buttons, replaced entirely by digital and touch panels everywhere. It’s like stepping into his home. No doubt why he is loving it!
“Come here. You gonna love this..” Dakota calls me over, and clicks on the screen.
Suddenly, the car makes loud gaseous fart sounds, catching eyes of the bystanders. *It wasn’t me!*
“That’s farting mode. Classic Elon!” He chuckles, clicking it again.
“And then you have the audacity to call me childish!” I glare at the 27 years old grown up man who is laughing at fart sounds.
“Hey, humor knows no age limit.” He counters, tapping on the screen again.
Men! I roll my eyes and walk away hastily before people think I am the reason for all these sounds and name me as the Gas Princess of FartLand.
A few moments later..
“What about the Roadster?” Dakota comes stand beside me while I admire the sleek F1 race kind of sports car with an open roof.
“I like this car. It looks sexy, with a touch of futuristic advancement. Plus it appears fun to drive. The only drawback is it’s too small for a giant like you.” I chuckle, imagining him to fit inside.
Green eyes stare at me for a long ten seconds, studying me before he asks with an interest, “What are your plans after graduation?”
“It’s still unplanned.” I brush off the topic.
“Our company is thinking of providing internship to final year students with software engineering background. I could give your name to my team.” He suggests, observing me.
“Thanks, but I am not planning to join in.” I smile, politely turning him down.
“Why not?” Dakota asks curiously, his eyes never leaving mine.
“HighBars is one of the advanced AI company out there. We will not only provide you with stipend, but also a certificate that would help you build up your resume.” His tone changes to a professional sales person.
“Um-yeah-but, I haven’t yet thought of the language or technology I’ll be working on, plus your company would be quite far for me to commute every day.” I tell him, gulping in my anxieties.
*What the fuck I am going to do with my project?*
“You can always shift here.” Dakota mutters, giving me a glance. “We can manage that.”
There is a strange kind of sincerity twinkling in his eyes, silently communicating more in one glance, than words ever could.
*Hold on! Is he asking me..*
“Should I pack this Roadster up for you two?”
Suddenly I hear a playful voice and turn around to find the Meme God right in front of us.
*Oh my Elon-gated Musk-rat!*