August 5th, 2024
10:56 PM
Los Angeles, CA

As Chris stood center stage, bathed in the spotlight, the crowd was roaring, hanging onto his every word. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked out into the sea of faces, smiling.

"Y'all have been amazing tonight."he began, his voice filled with gratitude. "This tour has been something else, and I couldn't have done it without the fans."

The audience cheered even louder, their energy filling the entire arena. I smiled to myself, proud of how well everything had gone tonight. No hiccups, no drama—just a perfect show to end the tour.

Chris continued, but there was something different in his tone tonight. "Usually, Grass Ain't Greener is the last song of the night, but before I head out and say goodbye for now, I have a little bit of special news I wanna share with y'all."

My heart skipped a beat. What was he doing?

"Ohh noo!" I said aloud, covering my mouth. We didn't discuss this. He didn't tell me he was going to tell everyone tonight. I thought I would have more time to prepare. I internally start to freak out.

Oh my goodness, why does he always do this to me? He wants me to have a heart attack. The only thing I could do was shake my head at the monitor.

He grinned, the crowd quieting down a bit as they waited to hear what he was about to say.

"Other than officially announcing my new album next year, and tour next year, I have other news. Big news." He looked down and smiled, then looked back out at the crowd. "I try to be private, I try to keep my personal life personal, but this is something y'all are gonna find out about anyway, so... yesterday, while I was still in Vegas, I got married to the love of my life."

The crowd grew extra loud. I couldn't tell if it was good or bad. I heard screams and I heard some boos but I really couldn't make the crowd out.

His dancers that were on stage with him started clapping and congratulating him.

I took a deep breath.

"Breathe, you're okay." I mumble to myself, slowly taking deep breaths.

"We've been together for six years and like 3 months," he said. "Six years. Yeah I know what y'all thinking. Don't try to calculate. Don't speculate. All of that. Ain't none of your business." He laughed. "Does been there with me through it all. She never judged me, or gave me shit about anything. She's never believed the media or anyone over me, she's always willing to talk shit out with me instead of accusing me of anything. She's always had my back. She's loved me unconditionally and I'm grateful for her. She's solid."

The crowd erupted in mixed reactions, some cheering wildly while others murmured in surprise. I could feel the energy shift, but Chris was completely unfazed. He stood there, grinning, taking it all in like a seasoned performer. He always knew how to handle a moment, even when it was something as personal as this.

He laughed lightly, letting the crowd settle down a bit before continuing. "But for real, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. And it's all because of her."

My heart was racing. I couldn't believe this was happening—this wasn't just some casual announcement; he was really putting us out there in front of the whole world and this was going to be EVERYWHERE tomorrow. I wasn't sure how to feel. Part of me was proud, but the other part was terrified. This was going to change so much for me.

Chris wasn't done though. He looked straight into one of the cameras, his eyes softening. "Chanel, baby, I love you. You've held me down through everything, and I just wanna say thank you. You deserve to be celebrated."

The crew around me froze, all eyes darting to me. The crew knew nothing about our relationship. I stood there in shock, staring at the monitor, acting like I didn't know all eyes were on me as my pulse raced. Is he serious right now?

The audience cheered again, this time the cheers outweighing the murmurs. Chris raised a hand, signaling for them to calm down a bit.

"I know she's probably freaking out backstage right now..." he added with a chuckle, "but I don't care. I had to share this with y'all. So if you see her out there, show her some love. She's the real MVP."

I felt a rush of warmth hearing him say that. Despite the chaos in my head, I couldn't help but smile. He was proud of us, proud of what we'd built.

"With that being said, I have two more songs I wanna sing. I was supposed to be off the stage at 11 because of the LA curfew but I've definitely gone past that. So, fuck it! I'll pay the fine."

The crowd erupted again, louder than ever, feeding off Chris's energy. He laughed, clearly enjoying the moment. "Y'all down for two more songs?"

The response was deafening. People were on their feet, cheering and screaming, waving their arms in the air. Chris grinned, nodding as if to say, That's what I thought.

The beat for his next song started to play, and the entire arena came alive once again. My Slime.

I shook my head, half laughing, half exasperated. "Of course he's gonna break curfew." I muttered to myself. I look around for my phone. I'm going to have to get on the phone to get this sorted out. "I can't believe he's creating more work for me..."

Ant walks up to me and takes my phone out of my hand. "Enjoy this."

I looked up at Ant, my eyebrows raised in surprise. "Enjoy this? You know he's about to cost us a fortune in fines, right?"

Ant just shrugged, a small smile on his face. "We'll handle it. You don't have to fix everything tonight. Just let him have his moment."

I stared at him for a second, then glanced back at the monitor. The crowd was still going wild, completely caught up in the energy of the night.

I sighed, finally giving in. "Fine. But only because he's making it impossible not to."

Ant laughed. "Exactly. Besides, how often do you get to watch your husband close out a show or tour like this? This is for you."

I smiled at the word husband. It was still new, still surreal, but it felt right. "Okay, you win. No more work for the next couple of minutes."

Ant gave me a knowing nod, then turned to watch the show with me.

As Chris launched into his next song, Very Special, I leaned back, finally letting myself enjoy the moment. It was chaotic, yes, but it was also magic.

Once the song ended, Chris spoke again.

"I know she doesn't want to do this...but I wanna introduce y'all to the love of my life." He paused, and my heart was pounding as I realized where this was going. "Chanel, baby, come out here."

My heart raced as soon as I heard Chris say my name. I froze, staring at the monitor in disbelief. I can't go out there and be in front of all of those people.

Ant nudged me gently. "Go on, you can't leave him hanging."

I shook my head, feeling the pressure of the moment. "He is out of his mind if he thinks I'm going out there."

"I know she's mad at me for making her do this." I heard Chris say from the stage then I saw him coming to the back.

Before I knew it, Chris was in front of me reaching for my hand.

I pulled back from him. "No. I don't want to go out there."

Chris looked at me, his eyes softening with understanding, but there was a hint of determination too. "You don't have to do anything, Chanel..." he said gently, "but I want you to know that this is our moment. I want to share it with you and I want to introduce you to the world."

I felt a lump form in my throat as Chris stood there, his hand still outstretched. His words hit me deep—this was our moment, and he wanted to share it, not just with the world, but with me.

I hesitated, my heart racing. Thousands of eyes watching, waiting, felt overwhelming. But the look in his eyes, full of love and reassurance, made me pause. I didn't want to let him down.

Slowly, I reached for his hand. "Okay," I whispered, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "But I'm only going because you're out there with me."

He smiled, his face lighting. "That's all I need, baby."

Before I knew it, Chris guided me onto the stage. The crowd erupted into a deafening roar, louder than it sounds backstage. For a moment, it felt like the entire world was spinning around us. But his hand in mine kept me grounded. I couldn't hear anything. How does he do this? All these bright and hot lights, people screaming like crazy and what I hated most, all of these eyes on us. I was slapped with instant anxiety.

"Meet Mrs. Brown!" He said.

The arena exploded with applause, and I couldn't help but blush, overwhelmed by the love and energy pouring out from the audience. I looked at Chris, who was grinning from ear to ear. I just stared at him with a smile plastered on my face. I couldn't look out at the audience, it was dizzying.

I leaned into him, whispering, "Okay, that's enough, babe. "

He kissed my temple. "Okay. Thank you, Chanel. I love you." He said to me then held the mic up to his mouth. "And that will conclude our 11:11 tour!! Thank yall for coming out and standing on yall feet for two whole hours. I appreciate the fuck outta yall! We'll see y'all next year."

After Chris waved and said goodbye to the crowd, he wrapped his arm around me as we made our way back. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over me. I can't believe he pulled me on stage with him. I will never do that again.

11:21 PM

As soon as we stepped into the backstage area, we were met with cheers and applause. The entire crew—dancers, production staff, and even security—had gathered around to congratulate us. I felt my face flush, a little overwhelmed by all the attention, but the love and excitement made me feel so much better from being out on stage.

"Congratulations, y'all!" One of the dancers shouted, running up to give me a hug. "We didn't know nothing about this!"

Another crew member chimed in, "Y'all kept that under wraps real good!"

Chris just laughed, taking it all in stride. "We had to," he said, grinning as he shook hands with a few people.

Ant came over, slapping Chris on the back. "Man, you really pulled it off. You know you got the whole internet about to go crazy, right?"

I groaned, leaning into Chris. "I'm not ready for that kind of attention."

He kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry, baby."

"Aight, let's get to work. "Ant said to me. "Since your artist wanted to go over, now we have a meeting with venue management."

I laughed. "Oh now he's MY artist."

"Yup!" He said then walked away.

"I don't know how long this is going to take but just go on how you normally would and I'll catch up to wherever you are."

"I want you at the meet & greet tonight." He said

"Can't promise anything but I'll try." I said with a smile. He kissed my forehead, then my lips, and we were about to go our separate ways, but his mom and aunt walked up to us and his mom didn't look happy.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow." Chris said to them without them ever speaking a word. He already knew what they wanted.

His mom folded her arms, giving Chris a look that said more than words ever could. I could feel the tension immediately, and I felt bad. I would say I don't know why Chris didn't tell her first but I do know why. They aren't super close. He loves his mom and would do anything for her, but their relationship hasn't been great the last few years. I know she tries to stay out of his personal affairs but I think this should've been something that should've been shared with her before he told the world.

"Chris..." she started, her tone sharp but measured. "You can't just drop news like that and not say anything else about it. We have so much to discuss."

I bit my lip, instinctively stepping back, not wanting to get between them. It's not my place.

Chris ran a hand over his face, clearly frustrated but trying to stay calm. "Ma, I said we can talk tomorrow. I don't want to hear this shit right now. I gotta shower."

His mom looks at me then Christine finally speaks up. "You know what, y'all are fucked up. You could've said something. Chanel—."

Chris cuts her off, "Nah, we not doing that."

"Chris," I said looking at my watch. "You need to get to the meet & greet on time." He just looks at me without moving. "Go..." I turn him around and push him on his way.

Chris walked off without another word, his shoulders tense as he headed towards the dressing room. I turned back to his mom and aunt, both of them still visibly upset. I braced myself for whatever was coming next, knowing it wouldn't be easy.

Christine crossed her arms, her frustration clear. "Chanel, I don't know what's going on. We just found out you were dating and it's been for six years? Now you're married?" She asked.

"To be honest, I thought he told his mom. I just thought she didn't want to acknowledge it or something. I don't know." I said.

"I don't wanna talk to her." Ms. Joyce said, then grabbed Christine's arm and they walked away.

"Opp!" I said in disbelief, watching them walk away.

I tried not to let it get to me but I couldn't believe she just walked away from me and said she didn't want to talk to me. Wow! As I should've in from the beginning, I'm just going to let Chris take care of that. I thought a woman to woman talk would fix things but I guess not.

I walked back over to my makeshift desk, where I was before I went on stage. I grabbed my phone off of the case and looked at it.

"Fuck! The meeting." I quickly grabbed my things and headed to where the text said to meet. I was late.

Once I got to the location, only Ant was there.

"I missed it." I said, disappointed.

"Yup!" Ant said. "Seems like being the wife and tour manager is a little too much."

"You're the one who told me to go on stage."

"Yeah, but I thought you would be able to handle the business too. Maybe I was wrong." He said.

"It's not too much. I can handle it. I apologize. It won't happen again." I said.

"I know it won't. Today is the last day. We have some time to find someone to take over." He said.

"Excuse me?" I said. "I didn't say anything about stepping down, I'm not."

Ant raised an eyebrow at me, his expression unreadable. "Chanel, you know this tour has been intense. You've done an incredible job, but let's be real Chanel—you're wearing too many hats. Trying to do it all. And now with this whole marriage thing, it's gonna be even more complicated."

I crossed my arms, feeling defensive. "I've been managing this tour from day one, Ant. And you weren't saying this BEFORE you found out about Chris and I. I can handle it. One slip-up doesn't mean I can't do my job."

He sighed, clearly not wanting to argue but also not backing down. "Look, no one's saying you're not capable. You've been holding everything together. But it's not just about being capable—it's about having the bandwidth to do it all without burning out."

I opened my mouth to argue, but I stopped, realizing that he had a point. The last couple of days had been a whirlwind, and tonight had been especially chaotic. But I didn't want to let go. I didn't want to be seen as someone who couldn't juggle it all.

"I'm not stepping down." I repeated, more firmly this time. "I've worked too hard for this, and I'm not letting one crazy night define my ability to manage this tour. I'll figure it out."

"Okay." I said then walked off.

I reached my desk and sat down, taking a deep breath. My phone buzzed again—messages, notifications, emails piling up. I knew Chris was right; the internet was already buzzing about the tour and our surprise marriage. I'd have to deal with that soon enough.

But for now, I just needed to focus. I stared at my phone, trying to gather myself and figure out what still needed to be done for the night. There were meet-and-greet logistics, a final wrap-up with the crew, and some last-minute emails to send. There was no room for error, not tonight.

I grabbed my phone and started sending off messages, organizing what needed to be done. I was in full work mode now, blocking out everything else. Ant might have his doubts, but I wasn't going to let anyone down—not Chris, not the team, and definitely not myself.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Chris.

"Hey," he said when I picked up, his voice soft. "I know you're probably swamped, but I wanted to check on you. You good?"

I sighed, feeling a little bit of the tension in my shoulders ease. "I'm fine. Just catching up on everything."

"I'm about to head down to do the meet and greet. You coming?"

I sigh, "I don't know. I have to make sure everything is done."

Chris paused for a moment, clearly hearing the hesitation in my voice. "Chanel, you've been running around non-stop all night. You've done enough. Let someone else handle the rest for now."

I leaned back in my chair, glancing at the growing list of tasks on my phone. "I just don't want anything slipping through the cracks, Chris. There's still a lot to finish up before we can call it a night."

"I get it, but you're not a machine," he said gently. "You can't do everything by yourself....."

I bit my lip, torn between my responsibilities and his request. Part of me wanted to be with him, to soak in the last moments of the tour, but another part of me felt the weight of everything that still needed to be done.

"You know what, you're done for the night."

"No, Chris, I—."

"Clock it. That's it. Come here." He said.

I sighed again, knowing Chris wasn't going to let this go. "Chris, I still have—."

"Chanel," he interrupted, his voice was firm and assertive, "you're done. I don't care what's left. The team can handle it. You've been on your feet all night. Shit, all tour. It's time for you to relax."

I hesitated, glancing at my phone again. The list of tasks stared back at me, but Chris's voice broke through the noise in my head. I realized that maybe he was right. Maybe I did need to let go, just for tonight.

"Fine," I finally conceded, feeling the tension in my shoulders begin to ease. "But what if anything goes wrong—"

"Nothing's gonna go wrong." he reassured me. "And if it does, they'll deal with it. You're coming with me."

I smiled, shaking my head at how determined he was. "Alright, I'm coming."

"That's my baby. See you in a minute." he said, his voice lighter now.

As I stood up and grabbed my things, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. For once, I was letting go. Maybe it was exactly what I needed.

I walked to Chris' dressing room. As soon as I walked in, it seemed like he was already walking over to me. He grabbed my face and kissed me.

The kiss was slow and tender, yet filled with a kind of intensity that made everything else fade away. His hands framed my face gently, his thumbs brushing against my cheeks as he leaned in. The moment our lips met, it was like time stood still.

There was a sweetness in the way he kissed me, as if he was telling me without words that he was there, that he understood everything I was feeling. The kiss deepened for just a moment before he pulled back, his forehead resting against mine, and in that instant, all the tension I'd been carrying melted away.

"I know you needed that." He said.

"I did."

"Let's get this over with. I wanna go home."

"Me too."

"Love you, baby." Chris said walking away and grabbing his phone off of the table.

"Love you too." I whispered.

As Chris grabbed his phone and turned away, I stood there, feeling a whirlwind of emotions that I hadn't fully grasped until now. My heart felt fuller, heavier in the best way possible, like something had shifted inside me. It was confusing because, even though I knew I loved him when we got married, this felt different—deeper, more real. Almost like I was just now realizing the depth of my feelings.

I watched him for a moment, trying to process it all. It's not that I didn't love him before; I did, more than I could ever explain. But today, after everything, it felt like my heart had opened up in a new way, like I was seeing the real weight of our bond for the first time.

I whispered again, "I love you." even though he was too far away to hear it.

*********

11:45 PM

We headed down to the meet and greet, walking side by side through the backstage area. When we got into the room, Chris reached for my hand, his thumb gently stroking the back of it as we made our way to the line of fans waiting for their turn.

Fans screamed his name, and he smiled, waving to everyone. We got to the table and of course there was only one chair. Chris made his security find another chair for him. I sat down and he stood next to me.

"Alright, y'all, I want to introduce you to my wife." Chris announced. "This is Chanel."

I felt a wave of nervousness wash over me as everyone's eyes turned toward me. A few gasps, excited cheers, and a bunch of phones snapped up to capture the moment. I waved shyly, trying to keep it cool as Chris squeezed my hand.

The fans were sweet, asking to take pictures with both of us. We smiled for countless selfies, and despite all the activity, it was fun. It felt like a new chapter—being seen with Chris like this, no longer in the shadows. It was surreal but good.

August 6th, 2024
1:13 AM
Los Angeles, CA

After the meet and greet, we headed to Nightingale nightclub for the after-party. The second we stepped inside, the music thumped through the place, and the lights flashed wildly, casting a vibrant glow across the crowded space. The energy was intoxicating. Fans screaming and grabbing at Chris as we walked through. Security did their best to clear a path, but it was overwhelming. I don't normally get to experience this with Chris. This is a lot.

I'm not usually out with Chris when things are this wild. Seeing it firsthand—the way people almost worshiped him—it was a lot to take in. But he stayed close, wrapping his arm around my waist as we were led to a private section.

We ordered drinks, and soon enough, we were both a little tipsy. We toasted to the end of the tour, to surviving the madness, and to whatever came next. There was something freeing about being in that moment—letting go of all the pressure, responsibilities, and just being us. I hadn't let myself feel that in a while, and it was like a weight had been lifted.

It was needed.

"Mrs. Brown..." Chris said, smiling at me. "What's next?"

I laughed, as he pulled me closer. "How about we start with some rest? You just finished a whole tour, and I think we both deserve a little break."

He nodded, a look of contentment settling on his face. "I like the sound of that." He leaned down and kissed my forehead, his lips lingering for just a moment. "A little rest sounds perfect."

As the night went on, we found ourselves lost in the music, full of drinks, and each other. It was a rare moment of peace in our lives. Chris smiled at me, his eyes heavy with exhaustion but content. Plus, I think he was a little high.

"Let's get out of here soon." he murmured in my ear.

I nodded, knowing that the craziness of the tour was finally behind us. We could relax for a bit. We could go home, take a break, and just be Chris and Chanel for a while. The thought of that felt like a luxury we hadn't had in too long.

"Yeah, let's go home." I whispered back.

And just like that, the party, the tour, the noise—they all became background to what really mattered: him and I, and the quiet moments we were finally ready to enjoy.

As a married couple.

*

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