Chapter 69: Grammy Night, See You Again Madonna
[Chapter 69: Grammy Night, See You Again Madonna]
Linton spent every day on the film set, first meeting with the producers, directors, lighting crew, costume department, props, and makeup teams one by one to check and verify the progress of preparations.
Afterward, under Anne's guidance, he practiced group choreography, followed by rehearsals and discussions of the script with the creative team.
The crew began to operate efficiently and orderly, the actors gradually got into their roles, and the large-scale group dance rehearsals became increasingly polished, boosting Linton's confidence.
---
On the night of March 12, the Grammy Awards ceremony took place at the Radio City Music Hall in Los Angeles.
Linton received four nominations: Best New Artist, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Record of the Year (Single Artist Award), and Song of the Year (Songwriter Award).
Since there was no need to promote singles recently and the album sales had entered a long-term sales phase, and with Linton busy filming, Universal didn't push for a live performance opportunity for him.
Thus, Linton attended the Grammys quite relaxed, though he still looked forward to the Best New Artist award.
Daniel, to promote Shania Twain, urged Linton to attend the event with Shania as his date. Considering she needed exposure, Linton agreed.
...
Just after noon, Mira came to the set and took Linton to Universal's exclusive dressing room. The stylist dressed him in an Armani suit prepared for him. The makeup artist applied his makeup, and everyone nodded in approval - perfect, undeniably handsome.
Shania was also done with her makeup and joined Linton, her blonde hair down over her shoulders, fiery red lips, and a sleek, tight gown that made her radiant.
...
The car stopped in front of the red carpet, Universal's bodyguards took positions, and Danny opened the door outside. Linton stepped out, waved to fans holding signs with his name, then took Shania's hand from inside the car.
The crowd erupted with roaring cheers, chanting "Linton, Linton," then synchronously shouting the fan slogan, "Linton takes flight, stars follow bright," catching everyone's attention.
"Linton! Over here!" reporters shouted his name, trying to catch his gaze for their cameras.
"Linton, is this your first time attending the Grammys?"
"Linton, what do you think about tonight's awards?"
"Linton, what are your expectations for your album's final sales?"
"Linton, is the lady with you your girlfriend?"
"Linton, when will your movie be released?"
"Linton, who do you think will win Best New Artist this year?"
These were standard questions, and Linton responded casually, introducing Shania as a Universal artist, which quickly ended the reporters' interest in further inquiries.
He maintained his trademark smile, linked arms with Shania, and walked down the red carpet, greeting acquaintances among reporters and occasionally signing autographs for fans.
...
After the red carpet, Linton and Shania entered the music hall.
They found their reserved seats in the front row, with Linton's seat near the center.
In the exact center of the first row sat the four top divas: Madonna Ciccone, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey.
Sitting next to him was Mariah Carey, and Linton thought to himself that his status had almost risen to stand alongside them.
He greeted each diva warmly. When he greeted Madonna, she embraced him, secretly slipped him a room card, and whispered, "Tonight, I'm waiting for you."
After brief exchanges, Linton returned to his seat and chatted casually with Mariah and Shania until the Grammy ceremony officially began.
...
As expected, Mariah Carey won Song of the Year, and Madonna took Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
"The Nominees for Best New Artist are... Linton Anderson!"
Hearing his name read among the nominees, Linton quickly smiled and waved at the cameras, "Marc Cohn and Boyz II Men!"
"The winner is: Linton Anderson! Congratulations, Linton."
Now he could stop pretending. Linton clapped excitedly, stood up with arms wide open. Shania hugged him tightly, "You deserve this."
"Thank you, thank you all," he said, giving a thumbs-up to the cameras.
He embraced everyone beside him, and even Madonna came over to hug and congratulate him.
Linton stepped onstage to accept a small gilded gramophone trophy from the presenter.
"Thank you, thank you to the Grammy organizers, Universal Music, Daniel, Lisa, my fans, and everyone watching in the arena and at home. I love you all, thank you!"
It was perfect. His first Grammy appearance, winning a major award.
Back at his seat, Linton felt elated and relaxed, joking easily with Mariah.
Shania took the Grammy trophy from him, touched it carefully, and secretly vowed to herself to one day stand on this stage for her own honor.
...
After the ceremony, Linton attended Universal's victory celebration party.
At the banquet hall, everyone congratulated Linton warmly, especially on his award and the new high in album sales.
Daniel informed Linton that Universal would focus their promotions on his Grammy win starting tomorrow, hoping to boost album sales further.
After mingling and socializing, filling up his stomach, Linton told Shania he had to return to the set tonight, quietly slipping away, disappointing her.
...
Danny drove quietly around the block, ensuring no paparazzi followed, before heading to the underground garage of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
Linton instructed Danny to book a room, switch off his phone, and wait for instructions, then took the elevator directly to the penthouse.
Using the room card to open the door, he just stepped inside when a figure jumped into his arms, "Darling, you're finally here."
Before Linton could say a word, she kissed him. Linton was not shy; he picked up Madonna in a princess carry and carried her inside.
They were perfectly matched, rivals and equals, and thus began an earth-shattering battle.
As they fought, Linton's ability accumulation accelerated.
Both were highly resilient and powerful, trying all manner of moves and positions; their battle lasted until the next morning.
...
After a full night's accumulation, Linton's ability improved rapidly.
Previously, with nonstop media attention from filming and album sales, Linton's popularity soared, accelerating his accumulation speed.
In less than two months, he had reached the late stage of first level of Radiant Core.
With Madonna's help this time, he successfully broke through to level 2, a delightful surprise.
'Looks like Madonna really is the perfect partner to cultivate with -- we definitely have to do this regularly.'
...
Linton called room service for a hearty breakfast. While eating, he said to Madonna, "You probably know already, my movie starts shooting the day after tomorrow. There's so much to handle on set these days, so I can't stay tonight. We'll connect after the movie is done."
"I'm well aware -- you've been all over the media. Congratulations in advance on the big success."
Madonna understood the pressure he was under, having started from the bottom herself and fought through the ranks.
"Thanks. I'm confident this will be a great film."
"Let me know when you have a role that suits me. I'll lower my fee to star."
"Sounds good, let's find a chance to collaborate."
"Darling, finished eating? Let's squeeze in another round."
Life goes on, and the fight never ends...
*****
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