A Theatrical Performance Of An Intimate Moment

Part 9

Brittany's third and final EP drops in October, and it's her most successful to date. She earns her first top 10 single and another track peaks at number 12. She films her first music video, and Matty wants to be on set to support her, but she's so embarrassed by having to act in front of the camera that he can't even be in the building.

She returns to the bar in New Jersey, but this time her appearance is not a surprise. They announce her arrival weeks in advance and sell tickets to attend the intimate gig. It's sold out in less than 20 minutes, and she's given two hours to play whatever the hell she likes on the night.

Mr. Davis sits in the VIP booth with all of her friends and is enamored by Charli and Carly, but stern with her boyfriend. Matty spends most of the evening proving his worth to the older man, ordering drinks when glasses are empty, and asking insightful questions. Mr. Davis gives him absolutely nothing, and she's enjoying watching Matty flounder from the stage.

The rough crowd she accustomed to is nowhere to be seen, and tonight she doesn't feel the need to prove her worth, demanding the audience pay attention to her on the stage. Instead, the room is packed with her own fans, cheering, and validating every word of her songs.

She tears up at one point, stepping away from the microphone. She strums a dark wood acoustic guitar and lets the room scream-sing her lyrics back to her. Jack keeps playing, encouraging the crowd with his hand like a conductor to keep going. They get louder and she's speechless.

Tears stream down her face, and she's so happy. She wrote this music while lying on the floor of Cory's studio apartment, trying to survive through her pain. It's hard to recall those moments when every face ahead of her was filled with so much love and adoration.

~~~

Her Late Night TV debut is with Jimmy Fallon, and they play Wheel of Musical Impressions. She laughs and smiles, and tries to remember the media training that Jamie forced her through (and failed twice.)

For her performance, she sings a song she wrote on a rooftop balcony in New York City about a boy from England, who smells like wine and cigarettes, while Jack plays guitar behind her.

She doesn't look at the comments online, but Matty does. He reads one that's in awe of her ability to be a chameleon in the music industry, floating to whatever genre takes her fancy that day and performing like she's done it her whole life.

He then asks her if what she sang was about him and she rolls her eyes.

~~~

They've been trying to organize themselves for the upcoming Christmas season. Matty was still working in New York, recording bits and pieces, and playing a charity show with Jack. He was flying into Manchester on the 24th in time for the celebrations.

He doesn't want her getting the train by herself anymore to Cheshire, and she doesn't want to use a car service to get them both back to London after the holiday.

"Why don't I just take your car to your Mum's?" She props her phone against the dead pot plant in her room in Charli's flat, and he scrunches his face at her suggestion.

"Jesus Christ, you're not doing that. You don't even have a license."

"I know how to drive. It'll be fine!"

"Baby, I've been in the car with you. I'd hardly call it driving."

She can hear Jack's snorting laugh in the background, and she tries not to let him get a rise out of her. Long distance has never been their strong suit, so she's allowing her boyfriends unfunny jokes. For now.

"You're being dramatic," she sighs as she pulls her suitcase from the wardrobe. "Remind me, which side of the road am I supposed to be on?"

His face turned a little green through the screen at the prospect of this 3-hour journey that his car might not survive.