Chapter 208 :VMA (1)

(4 parts for the VMA)

[Edward POV]

In a nearby waiting room, I observed Taylor as she slipped into her breathtaking one-shoulder Kaufman Franco gown. The dress was truly a work of art, adorned with dark sequins that adorned every part, from top to bottom, creating a mesmerising interplay of light and shadow.

The upper and lower sections of the gown were richly embellished with a dense concentration of sequins, while the middle section featured sparser sequin accents, adding depth and intrigue to the overall design.

As Taylor twirled in front of the mirror, a smile of satisfaction graced her face, and I couldn't help but be captivated by her beauty.

Suddenly, a hint of disappointment crept into her voice as she touched her thigh. "Damn, the dress seems to have become smaller," she murmured. The gown hugged her body tightly, accentuating her curves and exuding undeniable allure. 

I chuckled inwardly, recalling the picture she had shown me of herself in the dress. Although she looked great in the previous fit, at certain angles, she looked a bit lanky. 

After a week of massaging with my Murim techniques, her skin became more radiant. Her hair became glossy, and her sexiness quadrupled as some parts of her became bigger. I brushed my hand on her bare back, making her lean towards me. 

"It wasn't like this before," she added, remembering the time when the designer had taken her measurements. "I wanted to look like a country girl, but I feel more like a cougar actress in her 40s instead." She said with aggrievance. 

Unable to resist, I chimed in playfully. "What are you worrying about? You look absolutely stunning. Especially with that alluring hint of side boob–" 

Before I could finish my sentence, Taylor pushed my face lightly, pretending to be annoyed. I smirked and gently grabbed her hand, bringing it to my lips for an affectionate kiss. "And what's wrong with looking sexy?" I teased. "I swear, the dress is making me want to rip it apart and take you right here and now."

Taylor smiled mischievously and responded, "If you rip it, then you'll have to pay the sponsor 50 grand."

I shrugged, feigning indifference. "That's not even 5 % of what I earn in a day. Why don't you buy ten more of these dresses, so we can have a good time together?"

"Oh really? I guess there's some benefit to dating a rich man. Then I will put in the order right now and make you broke!" She flirted back before pushing me and said, "You need to change too!"

"Don't worry about it. I can finish changing in 10 minutes." I replied smugly before asking, "Where's Selena? She's coming, right?"

"Missing your new girlfriend? She's here…I think." Taylor replied teasingly.

"Kinda." I replied, making Taylor grimace in annoyance. "You're supposed to say that you don't miss her!" She snided.

"Oh, but it's okay for me to claim her as my girl?" I played along with her logic, which made her taken aback. Then she said angrily with a sexy grimace on her face, "You should not do that too!! Ugh! Why am I even talking to you about this!?"

I laughed and said, "Hey you brought it up."

*BANG* The door was pried open violently.

Pepper's sudden entrance startled both Taylor and me, and we turned our attention towards him. He was accompanied by a stunning brunette girl who was wearing a captivating black dress with a deep cleavage. Instantly recognizing her–without even looking at her face, I exclaimed, "Hey, it's Max!"

Max smiled and waved her hand at me before pointing to the irritated man. Pepper rolled his eyes in annoyance and said, "I've been waiting for you to end your flirting for a while outside the door, but it kept going on endlessly."

I laughed and told Pepper, "Who asked you to wait? Just come in next time. We don't really mind the audience."

Taylor hit my arm and said, "YOU don't mind it! I very much do! Pepper! He doesn't want to change." She whined childishly.

"Because his outfit isn't finished yet." Pepper interjected to Taylor's complaint, making her baffled. "What do you mean?" She asked, taken aback.

"He put in the order at the last minute yesterday. Luckily, Longinus can still make it."

Max then rolled in a wardrobe rack into the room, revealing a classic elegant green suit and black shoes. I went to check how the material felt with my finger and said, "He did one hell of a job."

Taylor was still focusing on Pepper's earlier sentence and asked, "Why is he putting the order in only yesterday?"

"Because he emphasized that he wanted to wear a suit created by Haley." Pepper replied.

I noticed Taylor's jealous look and said, "Can you blame me? You've seen the outfit, right?"

Pepper nodded and said dismissively, "I know, I know. Go do your hair and then wear the suit."

"Or you can just wear it here." Max said with a laugh.

"Alright." I said casually and started taking off my shirt, causing Pepper to cup Max's eyes and pull her out of the room.

"Aw, come on. I want to see it." Max exclaimed jokingly as she was escorted outside.

Ten minutes later, I stood ready in front of the mirror to make my entrance at the prestigious awards show, while Taylor diligently put the finishing touches on her outfit. The designer had carefully chosen my ensemble, and it exuded an air of elegance and sophistication.

I wore a captivating dark green suit that enveloped my entire body. The deep shade complimented my eyes flawlessly, accentuating their natural allure. The suit was expertly tailored, hugging my frame in all the right places, and exuding a sense of refined style.

Beneath the suit, I sported a black undershirt, tastefully unbuttoned to reveal a pristine white shirt underneath. The subtle contrast of colors added depth to the ensemble and showcased the designer's attention to detail. A fang necklace adorned my neck, adding a touch of intrigue and personal flair to the overall look.

To complete the ensemble, I adorned my wrist with a prestigious Rolex watch, its gleaming metal and intricate design adding a touch of luxury and sophistication. My footwear consisted of sleek black Armani dress shoes, meticulously crafted to ensure both comfort and style.

As for my hair, it had been artfully styled, slicked back with a hint of deliberate nonchalance. Some strands cascaded gracefully, framing my face and adding a touch of effortless charm.

Taylor whistled as she saw me. "You clean up nice."

I rolled my eyes and said, "When did I ever not have style?"

She laughed and then showed a bitter smile. "It's great…but we don't match."

"That's kinda the point. We need to not let your image be tied up to me that much." I said while fixing stray hair affectionately. 

She smiled as she locked eyes with me and said, "Kinda hard to imagine not seeing you for a long time after this."

"Don't worry. I will make sure to come to your tour whenever I have free time." I replied as I held her chin.

She shot an angry look at me and said, "Don't make promises you can't keep. That makes you seem like a player."

I laughed a bit and said, "Alright. But I am being truthful. I will come to meet you if I have the time."

Exiting the room, we made our way towards our transportation for the evening. Max, brimming with excitement, unveiled the ride she had arranged for us. "It was quite a challenge, but I managed to find them! Get ready to be amazed!"

To our astonishment, she revealed a stunning flowery carriage, elegantly adorned and pulled by two magnificent brown horses. My jaw nearly dropped at the sight, while Taylor couldn't contain her excitement, cupping her mouth in awe.

"A fairy tale carriage? Seriously?" I couldn't help but mutter to myself, feeling a slight pang of embarrassment. The white metallic frame of the carriage's seat resembled a Cinderella pumpkin, and the person guiding the horses even donned a top hat, adding to the whimsical atmosphere.

"Luckily, it's just a five-minute ride," I whispered to myself, aware of the potential for unexpected surprises in the bustling city of New York. However, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness as I entered the carriage, extending a helping hand to Taylor, guiding her inside.

(Taylor actually did pull up inside a carriage for the 2009 VMA lol)

…

*Click Click Click Click*

Flashes of camera light illuminated the red carpet as Taylor and I pulled up to the event held in Radio City Music Hall.

"Taylor! Edward! Look Over Here!!" The reporters and the paparazzi snapped our pictures heavily as I escorted Taylor out of the carriage, gentleman style.

Then, we posed at the Video Music Award Billboard together, with her putting her hand on my shoulder and posing, and me doing the next pose by holding her from the waist. Only after that did we do our solo photoshoots. . 

The fans screamed in excitement as they saw us playing around, and we waved at them before entering the waiting area where the interviews were held. 

There, I saw the iconic Lady Gaga in her red dress and her face covered with red mesh, JB who dressed up like he's a teenager at the mall, Selena and several Disney kids, Nick Jonas, PussyCat Dolls, Eminem, and many more.

Marshall saw me and went to greet me instantly. We clasped hands, hip hop style before he turned to look at Taylor. With astonishment, he said, "Damn. I didn't know that you were hiding hot weapons under your clothes."

"Marshall." I interjected. Taylor thought I was going to get mad for her sake, but I subverted her expectation by saying, "From now on, refer to them as Bazoongas."

Taylor hit my arm once more while Eminem laughed at us. "Sorry. Bad habits." He said while apologizing to Taylor. "If you ain't Ed's girl, I would've asked you out." He joked.

"But she is. So, maybe try Lindsey Lohan." I said.

Eminem widened his eyes in surprise and asked me with a whisper, "How do you know?"

"Know what?" I asked, confused.

Eminem looked at me in disbelief and said, "Nothing I guess. Wait here. I'll introduce you to my friends."

He then introduced me to a couple hip hop artists, when I suddenly asked, "Hey. Do you know Rihanna?"

Taylor looked at me with irritation and said jokingly, "You're already looking for another girl?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Stop trying to paint me as a player. I just wanted to know what kind of person she is. Because I have an idea for a collab, between her and Marshall."

"And you too?" Taylor asked.

"Nope. Just the two of them." I replied. 

Eminem was immediately interested and said, "Alright! I'm not that close to her, but I'll see if I can talk to her about it."

When I finished talking with Eminem, the interviewer called Taylor and I for an informal interview. Why do I say it was informal? 

Because MTV has already decided which celebrity to interview before the show. Any other interviews would be released separately. And to be clear, we would be interviewed again as part of the nominees before the event started. 

"Hi Edward. Hi Taylor. Nice to meet you guys." An interviewer, a young white man with a deep voice held his recording device at us while holding a camera on the other.

"Hello." Both Taylor and I greeted him politely.

"Welcome to the VMAs. Um, who are you most looking forward to seeing here tonight?" He asked.

Taylor answered first, "Umm… Lady Gaga."

"Me too. Same answer." I replied with a chuckle.

At this moment, unbeknownst to us, Lady Gaga was walking behind us and heard the answer. She waved at the camera for a second without us knowing it before moving away.

"Oh, she's nominated for a lot of the same category as you guys. But are you still going to root for her?" The interviewer asked jokingly.

Taylor replied, "Well to be nominated for 9 categories today shows that she's an amazing artist. "

"But I'm nominated for 9 too." I said poutingly, causing Taylor to be taken aback before bursting into sincere laughter. 

The interviewer didn't care and asked again, "If you guys were nominated for the same category, who do you guys wanted to win?"

Both of us answered at the same time.

"Taylor." I answered.

"Eddy." Taylor answered.

"No hesitation at all huh." The interviewer said jokingly. We didn't spend much time with him, and went to do the formal interview soon after.

There, Taylor and I found ourselves participating in separate interviews, eagerly expressing our anticipation for the upcoming awards show and more. While we were having the interviews, a lot of celebrities could be seen looking at us with awe. 

The VMAs, specifically focused on recognizing the excellence within music videos, took into account various aspects such as editing, cinematography, video direction, and visual effects, among others.

Taylor had received nominations for her outstanding videos, including "Love Story" and the recently released "You Belong With Me." The latter had shattered records, achieving an incredible feat of reaching 100 million views on YouTube in less than a week!

However, I had the privilege of being the frontrunner in this regard. My music video, "Believer," had been released during the summer, and within a remarkable span of just nine days, it had amassed 100 million views. This accomplishment was truly extraordinary.

It's worth noting that our other videos, such as "Love Story" and "Grenade," also surpassed the 100 million view mark, although it took them over a month to reach that milestone. This serves as a testament to the remarkable achievement of reaching such a massive audience.

To put things into perspective, even iconic music videos like "Single Ladies," which was nominated for Best Music Video of all time, took a considerable two months to gain traction and reach the 100 million view mark. On the other hand, "Paparazzi" only recently crossed the 100 million view threshold, having been released in June.

As for the current view counts, "Grenade" has garnered over 230 million views on Youtube, and 110 million views on Entertain video, "Love Story" boasts 199 million views and 77 million views, "Believer" has an impressive 430 million views and 270 million views, and "You Belong With Me" holds 110 million views and 50 million views as of today. These numbers speak volumes about the widespread appeal and enduring popularity of our music videos.

However, Youtube and MTV are in a different category. If Youtube, or even Entertain videos achievement were taken into account, Taylor and I would've won all the awards given here today.

…

After finishing the interviews, I went back to the waiting area where I saw K, an african american hip hop artist, posing in front of the billboard with a full liquor bottle in his hand. I ignored him and then went to Selena and Taylor who were talking to each other.

Selena saw me and was a bit startled. She quickly became nervous as she glanced at Taylor to check her reaction. I smiled and spoke casually, "Hey, it's been a while. How are you?"

"Good." Selena replied curtly. "Y-You guys must be so excited for tonight."

"We are." Taylor replied.

"Well she is. I want to go back home and sleep." I replied sincerely, making both of the girls chuckle.

Selena said, "it is pretty boring in the beginning. I can't wait for the show to start."

"We're sitting near each other right?" Taylor asked.

Suddenly, a teenager with long hair and burgundy colored jacket walked towards us. "Hi." JB greeted me with a smile and offered his hand for a handshake.

"Hi. Well, should we introduce ourselves? Cause I'm pretty sure everyone here knows each other. You know what? Let's still. Hi, I'm Edward. You can call me Ed. "

"Um, what are you doing?" Taylor whispered with disbelief to my ear, but was caught by JB. It was to be noted that at this moment, he hasn't become famous worldwide and the song 'Baby' hasn't been released yet. 

JB's smile quickly became bitter and he said, "Sorry for bothering you guys." He eyed Selena for a bit before turning.

 I replied with a teasing smile and stopped him. "Why should you? We haven't even gotten to know each other yet. Let me ask you this, who do you think is prettier, Shakira, or Eminem?" 

He was baffled and he answered with confusion, "S-Shakira? I- I'm not g–"

"Then, we have something in common. I think we can be friends." I replied jokingly. Taylor snorted while Selena laughed. JB was a bit embarrassed and he tried to act tough, "What the hell- HAHAHA."

It was the first time he burst into laughter tonight. We talked for a bit until it was time for us to enter the venue. We sat near each other before JB was called to go backstage to present the award. 

Selena asked me when he left, "I thought you hated that guy…"

"Yeah, you'd taken some shots at him a couple of times before." Taylor added. "Are you being a hypocrite?" She asked mischievously. I smiled and said, "I hate his image, but not the guy himself. Seriously, he needs a haircut. "

Taylor rolled her eyes while Selena chuckled.

The show commenced, with an opening speech from the MTV Director, setting the tone for the evening's festivities. Following the speech, a captivating 20-minute performance by Janet Jackson to pay tribute to the legendary Michael Jackson, captivating the audience with his iconic music and dance moves.

The first two awards presented were "Best Video (That Should Have Won a Moonman)" and "Best Performance in a Pepsi Rock Band Video." While the significance of the first award was to honor veteran artists deserving of more recognition, the relevance of the second award might have been to acknowledge outstanding performances within Pepsi-sponsored music videos.

After Madonna delivered a heartfelt speech about Michael Jackson, the attention shifted to Jack Black and Megan Fox, who took the stage to present the award for "Best Male Video." 

The crowd erupted in applause as they walked behind the podium. Jack Black was wearing a simple jeans and t-shirt, creating a stark contrast to his co-host Megan Fox, who shimmered in a glittery black dress with a deep cleavage, exuding glamor and allure.

Jack Black asked, "So I hear, one of the nominees today is a good friend of yours. Do you hope that he will win the award?"

"He's one of the most talented people I've ever met, and one of the rare few people in the world that didn't react much when he met me."

"Seriously?" Jack Black was astonished. Then, he looked right at me and said, "Newgate, did you really reject Megan Fox? THE Megan Fox?"

The audience was stunned before they all bursted into laughter. The camera focused on my face during the live show, and I just waved politely at the camera while slightly pointed towards Taylor. My behavior won me the heart of countless female fans, and caused overexcitement to a few of them. It seems that Megan had taken our meeting before during the Jimmy Fallon interview to her heart. 

Jack Black laughed and joked, "You have no chance at all."

Megan pretended to be disgruntled and continued, "Without any further delay and heartbreak, these are the list of nominees for the Best Male Artist of 2009 VMA awards."

A triumphant music was played, and a short clip of the nominees's music video was shown on the big screen.

Best Male Video: Nominees. 

Eminem – "We Made You"

Jay-Z – "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"

Ne-Yo – "Miss Independent"

K. West – "Love Lockdown"

Edward Newgate – Believer.

Jack Black then opened up the envelope with the winner's name on it and announced, "The winner for Best Male Video of the 2009 MTV VMA award goes too…"

Megan Fox continued with a huge smile on her face, "Edward Newgate…" The crowd burst into applause as my name was announced, "...Believer!"