Page 2 of GDL

"Why are we here?" I ask, taking in a pair of vintage plastic flamingos with sun-faded neon pink feathers that greet us at the porch steps.

"Kynan's filming today."

"I know that. But why here?"

Grayson shrugs. "It's as good a place as any. For GDL all he really needs is a laundry room and a clothesline. This place fits in with that vibe."

"That makes sense, I suppose."

We climb the few steps and arrive at a turquoise-blue front door.

"Oh. The video you posted before we left Sydney has just clipped past a million views," Grayson says, lifting his phone to show me.

I squint to see the tiny view count in the bottom corner. "While we were flying over?"

"Yep. You're keeping the kids fed."

"That sounds highly inappropriate."

He laughs.

These days, I'm known more for posting shirtless videos on social media, usually taken at the gym or when I'm out hiking, than my hard-hitting reporter days of yesteryear. Launching my socials and filling them with thirst traps—another new term—was all Grayson's idea. It seems to be going well, even if I don't understand the world of followers and engagement at all.

Grayson goes to knock on the door, then stops himself. "And are you sure you're ready forhim?" he asks, arching his brow as he sayshim.

"What are you suggesting?"

His smirk returns. "Oh, nothing… Just that, well, Kynan Parker-Gillis is a very good-looking young man."

He's got a point.

At first, I assumed he was just another pretty boy content creator—I've learned that the term influencer, like skinny jeans and dabbing, is out. But as soon as Grayson confirmed we had secured access to him, I immersed myself in a deep dive of his life.

I quickly discovered there’s a lot more to him than just his good looks.

He's a triplet. Grew up in Thickehead, a small mountain town a few hours out of LA. Went to college to study business. Started GDL in his first term as a way to showcase how doing laundry helps reduce his anxiety. Dropped out of college when his videos started going viral, amassing millions of views. And I was especially impressed with how he's managed to convert views and likes into a business empire with sponsorships from detergent companies and washing machine makers, as well as spearheading the highly successful LaundryCon, now in its second year.

And the wildest part? He's only twenty-three.

Equally hard to believe is his muscular physique, easily the build of someone much older. Both of his arms are sleeved intattoos that expand to cover the top half of his chest. He's got long golden hair that cascades down to his shoulders, and his face is angular and broody, possessing the smoldering presence, again, of someone a lot older.

Explains why he's taken the internet by storm—all that bad boy energy mixing with something as sweet and wholesome as the GDL hashtag he created.

Grayson is staring at me, and judging by that twinkle in his eye, I can tell where his mind has gone. The gutter.

"He's a kid," I remind him.

"No. He's a twenty-three-year-old adult."

"He's younger than my youngest son."

"That's one way to guarantee this becomes a blockbuster story."

"I'm not above putting you in a headlock, you know."

He laughs. "I'm just saying you could have picked from any number of social media celebs. What made you choose him?"

My jaw tightens. Okay, so maybe he's got a point. Thereissomething special about Kynan that piqued my interest. An old-school charm. An endearing earnestness as he does a deep dive into the different materials, designs, and functions of the top ten most commonly used pegs. A certain innocent sexiness in the countless videos I've watched of him pinning up clothes on the line, shirtless, smiling, his long hair falling over his shoulders, his muscles flexing. The richness of his voice and the passion evident in his eyes as he discusses different drying cycles or returns to what seems to be the never-ending debate in the #laundryworld of hot v cold water.

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