[Chapter 73: The Relentless Shania Twain]
After a satisfied night, Orlando slept with Shania in his arms until the early morning before being abruptly awakened by a rapid knocking on the door.
"What's going on?" Orlando rolled over effortlessly, putting down the new girlfriend he had spent the night with. He got up to open the door.
"Shouldn't you be up by now?" Frank's expression outside was a little helpless.
Since Shania's debut performance of You're Still the One exploded in popularity last night, the entire main staff of Orlando Records had basically been busy non-stop all night. After Seymour, Frank, and Mary discussed Shania's upcoming schedule, they suddenly realized that the star herself had gone missing. Orlando, the boss, was also nowhere to be found.
They asked around and found out both had gone to rest at the Four Seasons Hotel. Further inquiry revealed they had checked into the same room. No need to imagine what might be happening in that room.
"Of all times, why now, of all times..."
Mary Bailey, a seasoned industry veteran, had long encouraged Shania to go after the boss. Shania had expressed her intentions several times, but for over a month, the Canadian diva hadn't succeeded.
Mary had even cheered her on just a few days ago, telling her not to lose hope. But at this critical moment, when Shania was about to get busy with her rising career, she had actually gotten into the boss's bed.
Mary wasn't sure whether to be happy for her or just resigned.
After some discussion, they decided not to worry about it right now. They'd let the boss rest first and then call Shania out. She had just skyrocketed to fame -- this was exactly the time to capitalize and ramp up publicity to expand her recognition. They couldn't afford to slack off or waste too much time now!
Since Seymour wasn't available and Mary didn't have enough pull, Frank, who was currently closest to Orlando, had to handle it. They certainly wouldn't send Jennifer. Not only was she already in Los Angeles auditioning for a key female supporting role in James Cameron's Terminator 2, but even if she were there, despite her close relationship with Orlando, no one would be foolish enough to ask her to get involved in such a matter.
So Frank would come personally.
"We might need to adjust today's schedule a bit," Frank suggested. Considering Shania's delicate condition after last night and that she had only gone to bed an hour ago, waking her now would mean no rest for the entire day.
Even though Orlando was starting to lean more toward being a capitalist, he still had moments of softness. After all, she was the "damsel" type -- enduring, unlike Madonna or other divas, he wanted to cherish her a bit differently, especially in such intimate situations.
Frank anticipated this possibility but had already discussed a plan with Seymour and Mary.
Just as they were about to persuade Orlando, the sharp sound of footsteps in pajamas broke the tension.
Shania poked her head out, looking slightly tired but determined.
"I'm up. Can you give me a few minutes?"
Before Frank could respond, Orlando turned to her and said, "Shania, you can rest a bit longer. Get up around noon, so you'll have energy."
"Don't worry, I'm the boss, and missing a morning won't hurt much," Orlando reassured her.
Shania smiled faintly, her eyes bloodshot but glowing with exhilaration. This was normal -- after her explosive debut, the overwhelming positive feedback, and finally having slept with her boss after a month of longing, she was emotionally fulfilled.
More importantly, her tough childhood and teenage years had been marked by hardship.
Now, she had a chance to rise to the top.
No matter if she was tired or even if something terrible could happen the next moment, she would push forward.
Ignoring Frank right outside, the Canadian girl hobbled over and naturally wrapped her arms around Orlando's neck, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Orlando, I know you..."
"Call me like you did last night."
She glancing shyly at Frank, and blushed slightly.
Frank, sensing the cue, reached out to close the door behind them.
"I'll wait outside."
The door closed softly.
"Darling," Shania said, "I know you care about me, but I'm aware of my physical condition. I won't overdo it."
This was exactly the mindset of a stubborn woman -- otherwise, she wouldn't have debuted at 25. Besides, Orlando was only slightly concerned. Since she insisted, he wouldn't push her. The more popular she became, the more money she made, the better it was for all of them.
The more money she made, the more he could get as the boss.
Mary Bailey and Seymour just had to make sure to arrange the promotional schedule to give Shania some extra rest.
---
Following last night's huge success on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and the push from both Orlando Records and Warner Records -- well, really Warner was doing most of the heavy lifting since Orlando Records had no distribution or media channels yet -- Shania Twain's You're Still the One gained massive media attention almost overnight.
Media outlets, especially those favored by conservative white audiences and country music fans, praised her.
For example, a few months ago, the magazine Country Weekly had slammed Orlando's Old Town Road for not being real country music. Now, they couldn't stop applauding You're Still the One and Shania.
Country Weekly wrote: [Shania Twain, a new Canadian singer, performed the single You're Still the One on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show last night. The song blends heartfelt emotion with a smooth melody, using simple lyrics to express eternal love. It carries the narrative soul of country music fused with vibrant pop elements, undoubtedly one of the best country songs of the year!]
Other major country-focused publications echoed similar praise.
Because regardless of Shania's image or the song, she was a rare gem in the new wave of country-pop music.
Southern Music Magazine declared: [Newcomer Shania interprets the country-pop single You're Still the One with a pure voice and delicate emotion. The classic, acoustic arrangement breathes new life into the song, hailed as a breakthrough for country music's new generation.]
Nashville Voice said: [Shania Twain, with the sincere naivete of a newcomer, melds country melodies with the warmth of everyday life. The spark in her voice brings rustic charm. You're Still the One is definitely a great song!]
Over the next week, practically every country-focused music outlet and program popular with conservative white audiences echoed the same sentiment: universal praise for Shania and her single.
Yet, some attentive insiders noticed that while the media lavished praise on Shania and You're Still the One, they barely mentioned the million-dollar debut investment or Orlando, who wrote and produced the song and provided vocals.
Some believed this was the country music community's backlash against Orlando after the prior harsh criticism of Old Town Road. Though it had softened, his sudden success with a fine country song threw them off balance.
Others thought it was simply the conservative white audience's bias against Orlando, a multi-ethnic artist. Even though he composed You're Still the One, they didn't want to acknowledge him.
Certain media with good ties to Warner capitalized on this, like Rolling Stone.
Their latest issue covered the story: [Orlando's Sweet Revenge: Canadian Newcomer Shania Twain's You're Still the One Sweeps the U.S. Airwaves, with over 30,000 first-day plays and first-day sales exceeding forecasts. Nashville's record warehouses have been flooded with urgent restock orders.
The song written by Orlando Keller was unexpectedly acclaimed by country critics as a model of cowboy romance.
Ironically, half a year ago, these same critics labeled Orlando's Old Town Road a poor soiling of country music's sacred ground. Now Billboard stats have reversed their tune, with You're Still the One topping the country charts, while Old Town Road's remix still holds steady near the top.
It raised the question: who really understands what contemporary listeners want?]
---
As the entire country music and broader American music scene buzzed over Shania and You're Still the One, with fiery debates everywhere, Orlando left New York again.
The Los Angeles afternoon sun poured gold like molten metal over the tarmac.
The moment the plane door opened, screams shattered the California laziness.
Orlando sensed his rising fame intuitively -- the crowd waiting was far larger than his previous arrivals: Over two hundred teenage girls holding glowing, hand-painted signs blocked the exit, chanting enthusiastically, "Orlando! Stay in L.A.! We need you!"
Behind them were equally large groups of young men holding records, clamoring for autographs and photos.
A few sharply dressed men in their thirties immediately caught Orlando's eye as Warner's planted "energy team," prompting the crowd to chant "Orlando! Orlando!"
With enough time to spare, Orlando walked through the crowd with security, waving, signing, posing for pictures.
Since it was a public event, the press was bound to try and get a word.
Among the media were obvious placemen from Warner and Orlando Records.
Typically, these plants handled tough or awkward questions early on.
And now the first question came from a reporter from a Los Angeles entertainment tabloid, set up by Frank: "Orlando, can you tell us if you're in L.A. to promote your EP, or do you have other business?"
Orlando, increasingly seasoned, barely needed Frank's help with the press anymore.
Smiling, he answered: "My EP won't drop for another two to three months, so no, I'm not here to promote that. I'm here for the production launch of James Cameron's Terminator 2."
Earlier Cameron had cast Orlando as the T-1000 robot villain, rewriting parts of the script for him.
But with the ongoing Warner vs. Sony battle, Cameron had put filming on hold for a while.
Most likely, filming would resume soon.
Last week, Shania and her You're Still the One blew up on The Tonight Show.
As both her boss and the song's creator and producer, Orlando was in the spotlight again.
The next day, Cameron's production contract came directly to Orlando's company.
The initial hesitation made Orlando a bit uneasy but he understood.
With the previous film bombed commercially, having him as T-1000 might be a liability.
But now, with his momentum and popularity, he was worth it.
Still, Orlando asked Frank to add some clauses to the contract and negotiate a 15% raise.
Cameron agreed without hesitation.
Besides being a hot new star, Orlando had proven he could write hit songs for female singers too.
In the music world, the title of "gold record producer" was as prestigious as a top Hollywood director -- one of the highest status short of capital owners.
Orlando's reputation had just risen, so naturally he demanded better pay and perks.
Cameron, needing to report to investors, agreed.
So filming would proceed.
Orlando's main purpose in L.A. this time was to finalize all this.
Though his schedule was for twenty days, he wouldn't stay that long.
Cameron wanted him to hang out with the crew and get familiar first, then begin shooting the his scenes after negotiations.
*****
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