February 14--Hairspray, Maybelle/Corny: chance meeting - I got chills
In some ways, he felt he'd been born to host a television show. His entire life he always seemed to have that gig. He did the announcing when the kids wanted to put on a talent show during Thanksgiving dinner, he smiled in every situation--even the horrible ones--and he was always focused on keeping people interested, on keeping them entertained.
His show was the perfect job...the dream job.
When he met Motormouth Maybelle for the first time--a ridiculously lucky chance with his car breaking down a few blocks from her shop and no one else being opened at the time--he recognized the same qualities in her that he saw in himself. She was funny, interesting, she had a knack for turning it on in front of the camera, and her smile...her smile dazzled him.
When she'd opened her mouth and started to sing he got chills--his body felt hot and cold at the same time. He shivered as she hit a pitch-perfect note, the emotion in her voice staggering him. He wanted the chance to show off that voice every single day to all of Baltimore.
Unfortunately, Velma hadn't let him get far with the idea of Maybelle as a co-host. Still, he pushed for Negro Day. He pushed because it was, well not right or fair or equal, but it was something. No, the real reason he pushed was Maybelle. He needed a chance to get her on television in Baltimore, to share that light she had inside.
But most of all he needed the chance to get next to her.