[Chapter 51: Heart Rate at 150]
Shania had a rough childhood.
Though she was born in a developed country like Canada, her early years were marked by long periods of hunger and uncertainty.
Her biological father passed away early, and her mother remarried twice more. Her mother's second marriage was not only poor but also involved domestic abuse.
Fortunately, during her mother's third marriage, life was still financially tight but much better emotionally. Her stepfather treated her and her siblings well.
Shania's current last name, Twain, came from her mother's third husband.
But, as they say, when it rains, it pours. Though life with the Twain family was still modest, with loving parents and a harmonious home, this good fortune ended three years ago.
Her mother and kind stepfather died in a car accident.
Now, at 22, Shania had to step up and take responsibility for raising eight younger siblings.
To support her brothers and sisters, she worked tirelessly to earn money.
On top of that, she had to handle all the leftover burdens from her parents -- insurance, taxes, and more.
Life almost crushed her.
Though Shania had been singing since she was thirteen to help with the family's income, back then her parents were still there. Now, she was completely on her own.
Luckily, when she was fifteen, her manager Mary Bailey stepped in to help.
Mary encouraged her to keep singing and helped solve many of her problems. Over the years, their relationship grew like that of a mother and daughter.
With Mary's support, Shania started singing at the Deerhurst Golf Resort, trading performances for pay to help keep the whole family afloat.
This year, fate took a turn.
Mary happened to know a lawyer connected to an American music company -- none other than Kurt Smith from Orlando Records.
Kurt had recently vacationed at Deerhurst. While there, he ran into his old high school classmate and former close friend Mary Bailey.
Thanks to Kurt's recommendation and the fact that Orlando Records was looking for a talented female singer not yet signed to a label, Mary and Shania bought tickets and flew to New York City to try their luck.
With Kurt's help, they met Seymour and had the audition mentioned earlier.
Then, they witnessed firsthand a young singer who was blowing up in the U.S., and gaining more fame in their native Canada -- a near miracle songwriter who had produced sixteen songs in just half an hour.
After observing him discuss with two legendary American music industry figures -- talking about himself, the songs, and topics that made Shania's heart race -- the music magic was undeniable.
---
"Sixteen songs, almost all country style. Some are pure country; others are blends mixed with jazz, rock, but mostly good, traditional country-pop."
"Orlando, maybe we should get you checked out?"
"Why?"
"I want to open up your head and see if there's a music supermarket in there, wholesale Billboard hits or something! Man, how can your average song quality be this high?"
"Fuck you!"
"But judging from the lyrics, these seem more suited for a female vocalist?"
"Of course! These were inspired the moment I saw Miss Shania Twain. They're tailor-made for her."
"Frank, I told you this on the phone earlier, but you didn't believe me. Miss Twain is definitely Orlando's muse -- writing sixteen songs on the spot right after meeting her!"
"You're right. I believe you now. Seymour, why don't we invite that manager lady out and leave the young folks here? I'm really looking forward to what inspiration Orlando will get from Miss Twain next!"
"No problem. I'll handle the door."
"I'll go with you!"
"..."
Their banter may have sounded suggestive, but it only made Shania's heart pound faster.
She discreetly watched Orlando.
Honestly, even without that moment, ever since seeing Orlando, she had been secretly checking him out.
He was way more handsome in person than in the posters or on the merchandise she had bought of him.
His physique and muscles looked stronger and more impressive than any photo or TV appearance.
Could it be true?
That he got inspired just by seeing her, and instantly wrote sixteen songs tailored for her?
Her rational mind struggled to accept it, but it happened right in front of her.
She witnessed Orlando write almost nonstop, creating those sixteen songs.
And she wasn't the only one. Mary Bailey and two veteran American music professionals were there too.
Even a quick glance at the lyrics made Shania believe these songs could really be written for her.
For example, the third song he wrote on the spot was titled You're Still the One.
Was she really the one?
Shania's mind almost exploded.
Reading the lyrics --
♫ When I first saw you, I saw love
And the first time you touched me, I felt love
And after all this time
You're still the one I love ♫
Was this a confession? A direct declaration of love through song?
But they had just met today.
He was a superstar and a songwriting genius.
And she, just a singer at a small-town golf club lounge.
Shania felt like she was dreaming.
It was hard to believe this was reality.
How would such a girl even react?
Multiple times, Shania secretly pinched herself hard enough to leave bruises.
The pain was real -- this was no dream.
Her heart rate never dropped below 120, even while resting.
---
"...Okay, so it really is a tailor-made album for Miss Twain."
After some discussion, Shania heard Frank sigh, "Though with some lyric tweaks, you could sing these yourself, but musically, the tunes better suit a female singer."
That comment from this star manager made Shania's heart skip a beat.
She feared Frank might convince Orlando to take the songs back and sing them himself.
But Orlando insisted these songs were crafted just for her.
In the end, Frank couldn't argue, and Shania breathed a huge sigh of relief.
She felt touched to the point her eyes nearly turned into hearts -- he, he went out of his way to convince his own manager!
"Actually, this is better."
Shania then heard Seymour -- the same man who launched Madonna -- say: "Orlando writes all these country songs but doesn't sing them himself. Instead, his label's female artists sing them."
"Once the album sells well or even wins awards," Seymour added, "you know what that means?"
"That Orlando's status in the industry will rise, and he'll gain even more popularity!" Frank added, "Because besides having the ability to make himself a star, Orlando also has the ability to make others stars!"
"Bingo!" Seymour laughed heartily.
"That's a talent neither Michael Jackson nor Madonna had. A combination of Jackson and Quincy Jones. I can't even imagine what kind of position he'll hold in the music world in the future!"
"Exactly. We can totally market him that way..."
Shania wanted to listen longer to these talks about her future.
But soon, as Frank and Seymour dominated the conversation, she couldn't focus anymore.
Because that insanely handsome young man -- seemingly smitten with her from the start -- kept looking at her.
This made Shania's heart, already pounding at 120, almost race to 150, making it hard for her to breathe.
*****
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