[Chapter 24: Los Angeles]
According to the schedule, Madonna was supposed to head to New York after finishing her work in Austin, to prepare for the next leg of her Blond Ambition tour. But she simply couldn't forget -- or more honestly, she was completely hooked, utterly obsessed with that electrifying feeling that coursed through her. Though she'd only experienced it a few times, it was unforgettable and addictive.
So she changed her plans last minute, telling the public she still had work in Austin. In reality, she just stayed in the hotel all day, resting and waiting for Orlando to come back at night to take her to cloud nine. This went on for days.
Until yesterday.
Orlando was about to finish his time in Houston and she knew his next stop would be Los Angeles. Madonna went to LA a day early, took a good rest, and then invited Orlando to stay at her Beverly Hills mansion.
Having a Beverly Hills mansion to stay in, and not exactly being the spotless "good boy" type, even if the media caught them, he could easily claim they were just good friends.
So staying at her place was understandable. After all, the rumors were already swirling, and even if it turned out they were more than just friends, neither the media nor the public would be all that shocked.
The only concern was Daisy's side, but she hadn't called in a while.
---
The 32-year-old Madonna's body was so charming. Orlando was young and strong, and his physical fitness far exceeds that of many. He couldn't just do it by himself every day.
So as soon as they met, they started like rabbits. By the time they finished, it was already dusk.
"Oh, I gotta go, Orlando..." Madonna said, wiping her body of fluids, "Can't keep dragging it out. I have to get back to New York to continue my Blond Ambition tour and record that song you wrote for me! When are you heading back to New York?"
"Whew, well, not anytime soon. Besides LA, I still have other stops. Frank said since I'm new, it's best to hit every state in the country to put my face out there... God, even if I stay just a day or two in each state, I'm not seeing New York this month."
Smack~Smack~
As he said that, Orlando playfully slapped her butt twice. Ignoring his antics, Madonna laughed, her plump breasts jiggling. "Don't be so conceited. How many people can hit it that big right out of the gate like you? Ten years ago when I first started, sometimes I wouldn't get a single appearance in months! Not like you -- wherever you go, the cameras just follow."
Limping slightly, Madonna soon walked off.
---
Shortly after she left--
"We need to get going. We have an MTV spot coming up." Frank knocked on the door to get him.
MTV was originally funded by Warner and General Electric. But a few years ago, Viacom, which was primarily in the motel and cinema business, decided to break into media. To avoid antitrust issues, they didn't jump straight into buying a film company. Instead, they approached Warner and GE, acquiring most of MTV's shares.
They seemed to be infiltrating the broadcasting and television sector indirectly. So technically, MTV was still owned by Viacom behind the scenes, but Warner retained some shares as an early investor, keeping some influence.
This relationship meant Orlando and MTV got along well.
MTV's headquarters were in New York, where most media giants operated, but as the entertainment capital, MTV had a big branch in Los Angeles.
---
"Alright folks, guess who we've got on the show today?"
At the Los Angeles MTV studio.
The live band played a mix of Old Town Road.
Orlando was still walking through the hallway when the audience cheered in unison:
"Orlando!"
He immediately smiled and quickened his pace.
"Yes! It's our superstar newcomer -- Orlando!"
Screams and applause erupted, and the host actively fired up the crowd.
Orlando wore slim-fitting suit pants with a plaid shirt, looking like a bright, beach-ready guy, full of energy as he jumped onto the set from backstage.
"Orlando, welcome to the show! First, congratulations on your single Old Town Road topping the Billboard charts again! Your fans and I love this song! But everyone's more curious about one thing -- your relationship with Madonna! We heard this afternoon someone spotted your Warner convoy heading into Madonna's Beverly Hills mansion. Are you two dating?"
Orlando raised an eyebrow with a light laugh and leaned back on the couch: "Yeah, I am currently staying at Madonna's mansion."
There was an immediate gasp from the audience.
He quickly added, "But that's only because I don't have a place in LA yet. When she found out, she invited me over. And I just got here this afternoon; Madonna's already headed back to New York. So it's really not what you're thinking -- we're just friends."
"You mean you're just ordinary friends?"
"Exactly, just friends."
"Ha! Okay, you've given us your answer. Let's get back to the main topic -- recently, there have been some..."
"..."
---
The show's ratings were great after the episode aired. Not only did Old Town Road keep selling massively, but the Madonna-Orlando rumor interest gradually fizzled out.
It wasn't Orlando's "honest" answers alone that did it. Warner saw that Orlando was hot and figured overdoing the drama would only annoy the audience.
So they cut back on press releases and related spending.
Madonna's team, who had worked hard to keep the rumors active when they were "clean," also scaled back.
By the time the plane took off for New York, Madonna had instructed her personal team to pull back and control the press releases.
They knew the idea of "too much of a good thing" all too well.
---
After nearly four days in Los Angeles, Orlando left California and headed for other parts of the country.
Frank said that after LA, the schedule would be much more relaxed.
His manager wasn't lying.
Orlando did feel the next stops were easier. In big cities like New York and LA, he barely got four hours of sleep a night, constantly running press events and live shows.
Later, he mostly had just one gig per state. But almost 90% of the time was spent in the car or the plane, and the travel was still very tiring.
After California, he went to Ohio, then flew and took two days to cover parts of the Midwest and Southwest -- Kansas, New Mexico, etc.
Although he received many commercial performance invitations along the way, and he could easily earn tens of thousands of dollars by singing a song in bars and clubs, and the income after running for a whole night is actually quite considerable, Orlando asked Frank to refuse.
"Like you said, I have a bright future ahead of me. There's no need to lower myself to run in small places like this. This kind of place isn't safe!"
---
Time flew by -- twenty days passed.
In the hotel suite, Frank knocked on the door.
"Orlando! Time to go -- the last stop today is Nebraska."
Smaller markets' media and fans were way more enthusiastic than those in New York or LA.
Since big stars rarely made it there, any celebrity's arrival was a huge deal.
Orlando felt like a mega star.
The moment the plane landed, a crowd of fans greeted him at the airport.
TV stations sent limo pickups, and local reporters were almost crushed by excited fans.
"Orlando! I love you! He's even hotter in person than on TV!"
"Welcome to the Cornhusker State! Orlando, you're going to love it here -- and me!"
"Orlando, tell us about your new single! We've been waiting forever!"
The noisy mix of fans and reporters caught Orlando off guard.
This warm reception was new to him -- even after only one month of dropping his first single.
"Nebraska has just under a million people, less than a single LA county. There are fewer than 10 people per square mile, mostly farmers. It's off season now -- very quiet. Your visit is huge news here," Frank explained, giving him a quick geography lesson and a pep talk: "After today, we're heading back to New York tomorrow."
Orlando waved as he stepped out of the airport, taking photos and signing autographs with enthusiastic fans. The loudest even got a hug.
"Thank you for your support. I love Nebraska! It's beautiful here, and so are you."
"Oh~" the female fans swooned.
"Will you love me, Orlando? Look at me!" A curvy girl boldly tried to lift her shirt, trying to catch his attention.
Orlando wanted to sneak a glance, but so many cameras and reporters were filming, he had to escape quickly under security's cover and hopped into the TV station's car.
If he wanted a closer look, there'd be private time for that.
No way he could even think about it in front of so many people!
*****
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