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I'd been on a few stages in my lifetime, had gotten my fair share of praises from supportive fans as they showed their appreciation of my art, but nothing compared to this. The Moroccan stage in Rabat almost rumbled beneath my feet at the sheer volume of the audience as they showed me love at the end of our first show.
What a momentous night. I stood smiling behind my mask, chest heaving, every cell in my body buzzing as I took a moment to commit some of the faces in the crowd to memory. I chuckled and shook my head in disbelief, unable to get any words out because each time I tried to say something, the cacophonous cheering grew louder.
"Thank you, Morocco!" I expressed from the depths of my soul, getting an uproar of louder applause in return. "You guys have truly set the tone for the Journey tour, and I don't have enough words to express my gratitude—"
"I love you Note(d)!" Someone shouted, cutting off my little parting speech.
"I love you too," I said through a breathless chuckle, and the ladies in the crowd lost their minds, melting over my words as another lady asked me to marry her. Women and their delusions. I laughed it off and wrapped up the goodbyes, the buzz from the crowd following me, the band and my singers into the luxury bus that would be taking us back to our villa.
Once there, I stole a moment away from everyone. They were gathered in the kitchen, digging into the generous spread I'd gotten prepared for us by a private Moroccan chef and discussing the success of the first show.
I stood on a balcony overlooking the garden, completely stripped of everything that made me a star a few hours earlier. In my customised Journey tour sweats and hoodie set, it was hard for even me to believe that thousands of people had gathered to hear me sing. I reflected on my extraordinary life and all the things that made it worth living, my pondering birthing immense gratitude in me.
I sensed my love before I heard her, her fruity scent confirming my suspicions of her presence as she came into view. Toya had done away with the makeup, hair and outfit from the show, and was now standing next to me in a set identical to mine, the bonnet on her head covering her thick mass of coily hair.
"Hey, superstar." she sang excitedly as she continually poked my abdomen, the ticklish sensation eliciting laughter from me as I tried to get her to stop. I eventually had to pin her to me, holding her to my chest so she could relax.
"Hey, baby." I finally returned her greeting, kissing her lips to seal the deal.
"Hi." she grinned. "You were amazing on that stage. I think I've got a little crush on Note(d)."
"Little, huh?" I smirked. "But, thanks. I couldn't have done it without you guys though."
"Okay, humble bae." she teased as she took my face in her hands. "What are you doing out here by yourself, by the way?"
"Just taking it all in. I'm hoping all the tour nights will go something like this."
"I hope so too." Toya agreed through an elated smile. "This has definitely been a night to remember."
