Chapter 74: A Crucial Moment

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: A Crucial Moment

"Hmph, no way," Britney said as she slipped into another long black slip dress. "What about this one?"

Irene rested her hand on her chin and thought for a moment. "Black feels too serious. It doesn’t match your age. Since you’re up for Best New Artist, you should wear something more lively."

Just then, the brand’s publicist carefully brought over another gown.

It was an ivory satin halter-neck dress with an extremely simple design. There were no extra decorations, but the cut of the hem gave it an elegant, flowing look. The entire dress depended on precise tailoring and the soft sheen of the fabric.

Britney hesitantly put it on. When she stepped out again, Irene’s eyes lit up immediately.

The clean lines showed off Britney’s youthful, energetic figure perfectly, and the ivory white made her blonde hair and honey-toned skin glow even brighter.

"This is the one!" Irene clapped her hands, sure of her choice. "I have a set of pearl jewelry. I’ll lend it to you for the ceremony."

Britney spun a few times in front of the full-length mirror, clearly pleased. She turned back and hugged Irene. "You’re coming to the awards that night, right? I saved a seat for you. It’s been so long since you’ve seen me perform on stage."

Irene had already planned to go. Britney had already won the MTV Best New Artist award. If she could win the Grammy as well, her position in the music industry would be solid, and her future would be even brighter.

"Don’t worry, I wouldn’t miss a moment this important," Irene said.

Over the next few days, Irene stayed with Britney to help her with facial expressions, stage movements, and wardrobe during rehearsals. She also convinced Jive to swap the original odd red suit for the school uniform from the music video. The change made Britney look completely youthful and beautiful.

February 23, 2000, Staples Center, Los Angeles.

Music and cheers filled the air. The 42nd Grammy Awards were being held here, a celebration for musicians from around the world.

On the red carpet, stars glittered so brightly that they seemed to light up the entire Los Angeles night sky.

When Britney Spears stepped out of the limousine in that ivory satin halter-neck dress, every camera flash along the red carpet went off at once.

The minimalist design let her youthful energy and stunning beauty shine without restraint. She looked fresh and refined, with the confident aura of a rising star who had nothing to fear.

She smiled and waved to the screaming fans while countless lenses captured her every move.

As an invited guest, Irene did not walk the red carpet. She entered the venue directly from backstage. Hearing the excited cheers outside, she had a feeling that Britney’s dress would make the headlines tomorrow.

During her red carpet interview, Britney handled herself well. Her sweet smile held just the right touch of nerves, perfectly showing the humility and excitement of a newcomer receiving the industry’s highest honor. All her practice with Irene had paid off.

Inside the venue, the atmosphere was even more electric.

Irene sat in the audience and watched Britney’s performance on stage. Britney was still a little nervous, but she carried herself like a true pop star.

Irene had heard songs by many of the other artists, but she didn’t recognize most of their faces. For example, Christina Aguilera was a newcomer from the same era as Britney and her strongest competitor for Best New Artist. In Irene’s previous life, Christina had been the one to take the award.

Irene had never remembered what Christina looked like, though she knew her songs well. She hoped the outcome would be different this time.

Afterward, the Backstreet Boys, Whitney Houston, and Diana Krall each took the stage to perform. Irene even spotted Will Smith. She was surprised for a moment, then remembered he had started as a singer. She had assumed his music career was just for show, but apparently he could actually perform at the Grammys.

Once the performances ended, the awards ceremony began.

This time Irene couldn’t sit next to Britney. She wondered which moment was more nerve-wracking for her, this one or the last VMA.

Following Grammy tradition, the major awards were presented early. The winners for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year were announced in quick succession.

The American band Santana won Album of the Year for Supernatural, along with Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Smooth."

The venue burst into applause, and the winners were moved to tears on stage.

Irene watched calmly. Her mind was still on the My Big Fat Greek Wedding project, and she only clapped along with the crowd now and then.

When the host announced that the next award was Best New Artist, Irene started to pay attention. As the presenter walked on stage to introduce the nominees, she found herself holding her breath.

The camera swept across the nominees’ section. Britney sat there, just like Irene, with her hands clenched tight and anticipation written all over her face.

"Congratulations, Britney Spears!"

When her name echoed through the venue, the familiar opening notes of her song played.

Britney stood up immediately and looked around, as if searching for Irene. There wasn’t time to wait. Everyone around her urged her to get on stage.

At that moment, the camera cut to Christina. Disappointment flashed across her face for a second, but she quickly recovered. She put on a polite smile and applauded the winner.

Irene let out a breath of relief. Two Best New Artist awards, completely different from her previous life. Everything was changing, and Britney was sure to have a brighter future.

Britney stood on stage. Countless familiar faces looked up at her. Some of them were artists she had listened to since she was a child, and now they were all watching her intently.

Even though she had rehearsed her acceptance speech many times, her mind went completely blank. "This is incredible," she said, her voice trembling through the microphone with disbelief. "Can I see the card again? I don’t want to read the wrong name. And even if I do, I’m not leaving this stage."

The audience responded with warm laughter and encouraging shouts. She took a deep breath and pressed her fingertips against the cold trophy.

"I want to say thank you to everyone," she said, looking out at the crowd with slightly unfocused eyes, as if she were searching for someone. "Thank you to my friend Irene for always giving me confidence and making me brave."

"And to my agent, Shelly." The name felt a little unnatural on her tongue, but then a voice deep inside her seemed to add, "You are as important as a father to me. You safeguard my future."

Yes, Shelly Ovitz had given her the fatherly love she had been missing.

"Finally, thank you to my fans. You’re amazing. You give me endless motivation and you’ve grown with me. Thank you, everyone!"

Britney’s Grammy night ended perfectly.

The next day, every major newspaper was full of stories about Britney’s win and her incredible performance.

The ratings had spiked the moment she stepped on stage to perform. When she sang her global hit "...Baby One More Time" for audiences across America and the world, the entire Staples Center erupted with excitement.

Her powerful stage presence and unique star quality were broadcast to the world through television signals. She proved again that she was a pop phenomenon who could not be ignored.

After the Grammys, Irene’s collaboration with Tom Hanks and Playtone was finalized with surprising speed. The contract was officially signed, and the terms clearly reflected Irene’s determination and foresight.

Irene Coppola’s directing fee was a symbolic one dollar. Her company, Echo Pictures, would invest 1.2 million dollars and become an investor in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. As a co-producer and investor, Irene would receive her fair share of all copyrights, box office revenue, and future derivative earnings.

When Tom Hanks signed his name on the contract, Irene felt as excited as if fireworks were exploding in her mind. She wondered if he would regret the deal once he saw the movie’s box office numbers, but right now his heart was full of respect and praise for her.

Her involvement also reignited Nia’s creative passion. During this time, Nia had been polishing the script over and over, hoping to bring the story to life on a limited budget.

"Director Coppola, everyone is in place," the administrative assistant from Playtone reminded her.

"Got it, I’ll be right there," Irene said with a nod, slipping her phone back into her bag.

In the meeting room, all the department heads for the project had arrived. Today’s task was to finalize the preliminary casting.

Irene had only learned today that Nia Vardalos had not originally planned to play the female lead. She wasn’t sure if Nia took the role later because they couldn’t find the right actress, or for some other reason. But with Irene now directing, they could skip the search for a female lead altogether.