Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can't you see my desire?
...
The limousine was quietly parked not far from the Hollywood Bowl. The car's stereo was playing "That's the Way Love Goes," and Linton, with his eyes closed, was concentrating on listening to the song and humming along to get a feel for it.
From the front, near the red carpet, came bursts of noise. Fans loudly shouted their idols' names, mostly the screams of female fans.
The traffic finally began to move slowly forward. In front, the figures of many fans along the red carpet could already be seen, and media reporters, while photographing the red carpet, would also cast glances in this direction.
Mira began to help with the final touches—clothes, makeup—everything had to be as perfect as possible.
The car stopped in front of the red carpet, Universal's bodyguards took their positions, and Nick opened the car door from outside. Linton stepped out of the car and first waved in the direction of the fans holding 'Linton' signs.
A thunderous roar of "Linton, Linton" erupted, followed by the synchronized cheer, "Linton, fly bravely; stars will always follow." It made everyone present turn their heads.
"Linton! Over here!"
Reporters called out Linton's name, prompting him to look at their cameras. As rehearsed, Linton was to first pause at the section where familiar media gathered, then strike a pose for their photos.
"Linton, what are your thoughts on tonight's awards?"
"Linton, tell us about 'That's the Way Love Goes,' the song you'll be performing."
These media outlets were quite sensible, asking only safe questions, and Linton easily handled them with a few remarks.
Linton continued to maintain a standard smile, shaking hands and greeting familiar reporters, and then signing autographs for fans.
After the red carpet, Linton went to the outdoor host for an interview.
The interview topics were all about the sales of his debut album, his confidence in winning awards, and his live performance.
After casually handling the host's interview, Linton entered the music hall.
After embracing Daniel and the others who were waiting at the entrance, Daniel led Linton inside, saying, "Let's go in, quickly."
Along the way, acquaintances constantly greeted him, and he responded to each with a smile and a handshake.
The group found their seats in the first row; Linton's position was the best and most prominent.
Linton's seat was slightly to the left in the first row. The very center of the first row was occupied by music superstars such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, and Paula Abdul.
At 7 o'clock, the awards ceremony began promptly. Soon, the first award relevant to Linton, Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, was presented. Lisa was among the nominees.
There was virtually no hope for this award, and the winner was indeed not them, mainly because Linton's debut album was released too late; otherwise, the chances of winning would have been very high.
When the camera panned to Lisa, she still had to maintain her composure and applaud to congratulate the winner.
"Nominated for Best R&B and Soul New Artist is... Linton-Anderson!"
Hearing the guests on stage read his name from the small envelope, Linton quickly smiled and waved at the camera, "And DJ Quik, and..."
Daniel, next to him, smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, whispering in his ear, "Maintain your composure no matter what."
"I know, I know."
When nominated singers don't win an award, their sad, disappointed, or even exasperated expressions, if seen by viewers on television, can severely damage their popularity. Most viewers would consider them ill-mannered or too petty to lose even such a small thing.
Generally speaking, apart from a very few spoiled singers, there's only one reason for celebrities to be caught making such expressions: they were misled by the organizers.
For example, Michael Jackson received six nominations at the 1988 Grammy Awards. Before the ceremony, he must have been given hints that he would win, and full of joy, he sang and danced on the Grammy stage, delivering a meticulously prepared classic performance.
What was the result? Six nominations, and he didn't win a single award; all the awards went to others. A tormented Michael's face instantly fell, and he subsequently had a complete falling out with the Grammy Awards, never attending another Grammy ceremony since.
"The winner is: Linton-Anderson! Congratulations, Linton."
Now he didn't have to pretend. Linton excitedly clapped his hands loudly, stood up, and spread his arms. "Congratulations, Linton." Daniel hugged him tightly, "You deserve it."
"Thank you, thank you, Daniel."
He gave a thumbs-up to the camera, hugged everyone around him one by one, walked onto the stage, and accepted the sharp, triangular transparent trophy from the award presenter.
"Thank you, thank you to the United States Musicians organizers, and thank you to Universal, thank you Daniel, Lisa, Jimmy, and my fans who love me, and everyone here and watching on television. I love you, I love all of you, thank you!"
After the awards, Linton returned to his dressing room backstage. "Quick, quick." Mira and assistant Molly quickly helped him take off his formal attire and change into his performance outfit for the evening.
The image designer and makeup artist fussed over him for a bit, then stepped back a few paces. "Hmm, perfect. You'll conquer the AMA tonight, Linton."
"I hope so."
Linton pointed to the cup, and Mira quickly handed it over.
He took a small sip to moisten his throat.
Soon, a staff member came to urge him. Linton walked to the edge of the stage, where the award-winning singer was delivering their acceptance speech.
The stage lights dimmed, and the musicians, dancers, and backup singers began to take their positions.
Linton walked onto the stage and stood at the spot he had memorized during rehearsal.
"'That's the Way Love Goes,' by Linton-Anderson!"
After the host's announcement, Linton signaled to the musicians, the music started, and a spotlight shone on him.
"How are you, friends!?"
Linton shouted loudly, receiving an enthusiastic response from the audience below.
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can't you see my desire?
...
Linton went all out, singing and dancing vigorously. The band, backup singers, and dancers also cooperated seamlessly, and the live performance effect was even better than during rehearsals.
Especially Linton, in his tight-fitting outfit, exuded explosive power and passion. The pheromones practically overflowed from him, making him incredibly sexy and incredibly captivating.
During the performance, the audience below screamed continuously. At the end of the performance, Linton cleverly lifted his vest, revealing his firm eight-pack abs, and the screams below practically broke through the Hollywood Bowl's roof.
After singing the more than three-minute song, all the audience members stood up, applauding thunderously. Daniel even let out a loud whistle, "Linton's performance today was amazing, amazing, bravo!"
After the performance, Linton rested briefly backstage, changed back into his formal attire, and quietly returned to the audience, receiving unanimous praise from Daniel and others.
Linton originally thought his task for the evening was complete and there would be nothing else for him, but he didn't expect that when the Artist of the Year award was presented, the winner was Madonna.
She was the top diva of the current era, known for her bold and daring personality and countless scandals.
Whether it was the widespread reach of her works, the number of fans who loved her, the public's discussion of her, or her commercial value, she was in a league of her own, unmatched by any other female celebrity.
Madonna wore a glittering low-cut evening gown with a slit in the skirt that reached her upper thigh, making her incredibly sexy and hot.
As she walked past Linton on her way to accept the award, she actually stopped and spontaneously hugged him, blowing a breath into his ear during the embrace.
"Linton, you're great. Last time you said on TV that you liked me a lot; I'll be waiting for you tonight," she said, and then surprisingly slipped him a room key.
Madonna's action drew teasing from several people nearby, who expressed envy and jealousy, saying,
"Linton, well done, you're in luck."
Linton thought to himself, 'Good thing you didn't see the room key she gave me, otherwise it would be even more awkward.' He never expected that a casual remark he made on a talk show last time would actually lead her to seek him out.