The Vault

New York City Blues - Steven/Hannah Renee Fic (requested)

July 8, 2014

"I've never seen the free-way so empty before…" Melissa giggled, looking around as the green grass and the trees were the only form of life around us. 

"My god, I know! It's like a ghost town around here," I gasped, equally astonished by the lack of cars on the terminally busy highway that leads in and out of New York City, headed upstate further into New York.  The only car which I'd seen for miles, was about a mile and a half behind us on the road, sleek, black and seemingly important in comparisson to my old, baby blue, convertible Mustang. "I wonder what's going on that everyone's gone…"

"Well, I guess it helps that it is a weekend in the middle of the summer, so everyone's probably made their way towards Jersey for the beaches." My best friend was the only person who could take a bleek situation and make the best out of it. 

I shrugged, probably thinking she was right. Suddenly, the radio, which has been playing some pretty cheesy pop songs for the past hour or so, began blasting one of my favorite songs. I squealed and turned the volume up full blast, allowing the summer air to fly by us, my auburn hair tangling in the hot wind. 

"If you see Kay, you got to revel 
No angel wings more like the devil
She was so hot, so cool and nasty,
Believe it or not, here's what she asked me…
If you need love with no condition
Let's do the Do honey I'm on a mission!"

We sang along, rather loudly, without a care in the world. Is was just me and my best friend, my car and the road ahead of us - well, and the car behind us. But we didn't care who was in the car, we just wanted to jam out and fly like the wind. I looked in my rear view mirror or a moment, noticing that the black car that was once a good distance behind us, was speeding up considerably. 

"Ain't no mistakin', my body's shakin'
My soul's been taken
By a Devil with a new disguise.
The girl's so witchin', my backbone's twitchin'
Cause down in Hell's kitchen
The Devils got a new disguise!"

We giggled and squealed and screeched as the 'stang zoomed down the empty road. A sudden thought popped into my mind that maybe the car behind us was a cop… I've seen plenty of undercover vehicles that are all black with tinted windows… I slowed down a bit until I realized that he or she would've put the sirens on by now if the car following us really was a cop. Shrugging, I continued to fly.

After driving for another minute or so, I saw the signs for an old rest-stop and gas station, and realized that I needed to refill my gas tank. Pulling off the highway and up to the pump, I jumped out and began to go throught the necessary steps to fill up the tank properly. When the pump's nozzle was in my gas tank and was filling us up, I turned to see Melissa with her feet up on the dash, snapping her gum as her sun glasses covered her bright eyes. 

"Hey Mel, I'm gonna run into the store really quickly… Want anything?" I asked, turning my body towards the convenience store across the lot from the gas pumps. 

"Uhm… Yeah probably some chips or a drink or something." She turned her head towards me, smiling. "Oh! Maybe get one of those magazines or something so this trip won't feel so damn long."

I laughed and rolled my eyes as I walked away from the car and into the store, hearing another car pull up next to our car. I didn't bother looking to see who it was, but instead simply carried on looking for the magazines and the goodies that my best friend and I wanted. She was right… This is a long trip.

Mel and I were on vacation in Atlantic City in South Jersey, and were coming back just in time to see Aerosmith perform at Jones Beach in two days. The drive from AC to Jones Beach is only about three hours - thank god for Mapquest! - but multiple pit-stops needed to be had, as well as the fact that I promised my mom and my sister Sarah that I'd stop home before heading right up to Jones Beach, so Mel and I could tell her all about the vacation and to get a good night's sleep for once. Thus, a three hour car ride is turned into roughly a six hour car ride. 

Sighing, I went to the fridges in the back of the store and pulled out two ice cold bottles of coke before walking to the chip isle. I quickly snagged a bag of Lays before stopping in the magazine section. 
I sighed at the headlines of a newspaper that said Aerosmith was officially back in town, with a huge photo of Joe Perry and Steven Tyler on the front cover. Being my favorite band, I was prone to nearly have a heart attack whenever I heard the name of the band, nevermind seeing pictures of their gorgeous lead singer. I smiled and picked up the paper and a few other magazines before I went up to the register. 

"The total's $15.50." The cashier mumbled, obviously tired and bored with his job. 

I groaned at the ridiculous price of a few magazines and some snack, but began shuffling through my bag to find my wallet anyway. Before I could even pull the little leather wallet from the satchel across my hip, a $20 bill was placed on the counter in front of me, causing me to look up at the mysterious money-man. 

If my heart nearly stopped from looking at a picture of Steven Tyler, then I'll be damned if it doesn't fucking jump out of my chest… Because standing in front of me with a beautifully dopey grin on his stunningly plump lips, is the man himself. And he's willing to pay for me. 

"It's my treat, sugar." He chuckled, his voice husky and gravelly with age, yet smooth and suave at once. 

"I- you-" I could hardly swallow the nervous lump rising in my throat. "Are you sure? That's so sweet, you don't have to-"

"No, but I want to." He grinned and grabbed the plastic bag filled with my purchases with one hand, and wrapping his arm around my waist, leading me out of the store. I'd noticed that Mel was now sitting up, deep in conversation with Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton. Brad and Joey were trying to maintain their part in the conversation all while figuring out how to pump their own gas. 

"Thank you so much," I smiled up at Steven, coming back to my senses and remembering manners. "I- uh- My name's Hannah, by the way. Hannah Renee."

"A gorgeous name for a gorgeous girl." He grinned, making my blush and stuff a strand of auburn hair behind my ear. "Come on, Sugar. Let's go meet your friend."

Slipping his arm back around my waist, he tugged me towards my little blue car, grinning and whistling as he checked it out. "Nice car…" He whistled, making me giggle as Mel looked at me in disbelief. I simply smiled and mouthed 'I know!'

"So what are you guys doing here, of all places?" I asked, curious as to why a bunch of rockstars were in the middle of nowhere New York. 

"Well, we were just driving around, getting a feel for NY before our show on the 10th - we'd been in countries that don't speak english for months now, so we figured we'd get some time to ourselves back in America, you know." Joey shrugged, smiling as the gas pump clicked, signaling that their gas tank was full - I noticed that their car was the same black one that's been following Mel and I for the past half hour. 

"Plus, we heard your sweet little voice singing out some of our lyrics," Steven grinned down at me, making me blush and practically shrink under his gaze. "We figured someone with a taste in music like yours has to be somewhat interesting."

Both Mel and I giggled nervously - were we actually being complimented by Steven Tyler? Was this really happening?

Suddenly, Steven let go of my waist, but rather grabbed my hand and pulled me towards my 'Stang, letting me sit down on the trunk of it so we could relax while we spoke.

"So what are some pretty girls like you two doing driving around here?" Joe asked, leaning against the hood his their car, sipping a bottle of coke that Steven's must've bought without me knowing.

"We were just on our way back from a quick vacation down in Atlantic City," I explained, opening up my bag of goodies and tossing a bag of chips to Mel before opening my own bottle of soda and taking a swig. "We were just headed home for a day or two."

"A day or two?" Tom perked up, sensing adventure. "Then where you headed off to?"

"Oh! We're going to your show at Jones Beach!" Mel giggled excitedly.

"Yeah…" I smiled at my best friend before blushing as I noticed Steven was still staring at me. "We had these tickets for a while and we were super excited. We were gonna just head straight up from AC, but my mom wanted me to stop home for a day or two first."

"Oh awesome!" Joe grinned at Steven before smiling at Mel and I. "We're excited to see you guys there then! What section are your seats in?"

"Uhmm…" I muttered looking at my best friend in an attempt to jog my memory… Or to see if she knew. "I think, section 5? Row… 3? Maybe?"

"VIP seats?" Brad poked his head out the window, butting into the conversation. 

"No, I don't think so…" I looked down at my knotted fingers in my lap, embarrassed. "We didn't have the extra thousands dollars to spend…"
I didn't mean to sound as bitter as I probably did, but in truth I am bitter about it. I mean, these guys are rockstars! They're millionaires! Why do I, someone that doesn't have a lot of money to begin with, have to fork over a thousand bucks just to see said rockstars?

"Hmm… Well, we can fix that for ya!" Steven smiled after a minute of thought. "What are your names? We'll put you on the list and get you back stage! You can come say hi to us and everything!"

Mel and I sat, gaping in disbelief. Are they serious?! They couldn't be! I mean, these types of awesome things don't just happen to girls like us… Do they?

"Wait… Seriously?" I gasped.

"Yeah!" Steven giggled adorably, making my insides flutter. "Infact, can I have your number? You know… Just so I know how to get in touch with you when you guys get to the concert and all…"

Now, I'm definitely dreaming. Steven Tyler… Just… Asked… For my number. My cell phone fucking number! With a complete sense of shock, I watched as Steven took his IPhone out of his pocket and handed it to me, unlocked and all so I could put my contact details into it. With shaking hands, I took the phone from him, praying that I wouldn't drop it and make a fool of myself. 

After typing in my name and number, I handed Steven back his phone and smiled as his eyes shined while looking over my contact details. He grinned and giggled back at me, making me nearly melt into a puddle on the floor. 

After another ten minutes or so of talking, we said our goodbye's and split apart, though there was only one road and we were continuing down it the same as before - Mel and I speeding ahead of them while they trailed behind us. Once again getting sick of the radio, my IPod was put to good use as it began blasting Led Zeppelin through the speakers. As the first few riffs of 'Good Times Bad Times' began to sound out, Mel and I couldn't help but to let out a squeal as I floored it - I could've been dreaming but I thought I heard Steven let out a loud laugh from his open window. 

"I can't fucking believe that just happened oh my god!" Mel giggled as we spead down the road. "Steven Tyler has your number! He has your fucking cell phone number and he's going to call you!"

I let out a shriek of elation as I continued speeding down the highway, only to slow down as we neared our exit. Steven and the rest of the boys passed us in their car, giggling and screaming at us like a bunch of kids as we waved goodbye to them. 

Two days couldn't pass by quick enough. Mel and I spend the first hour or so after we got home telling my Mom and my sister all about the vacation and our excitment for the concert. The next day was spent shopping for outfits we thought were suitable enough for the show… I mean, we're meeting our idols for god's sake, we need to look good!

The hours before the concert were as nervewracking as ever. I was never really one to worry about appearances, but today, nothing seemed good enough for me. I spend hours trying to perfect my hair and my make-up, but nothing seemed right. I tried to fix my make-up to match with my low-cut Aerosmith tank and my highwaisted shorts, eventually ending up with a nice neutral-toned smokey eye. My auburn hair was straightened to perfection and hung half way down my back flirtatiously - is it so wrong that I was hoping Steven would noticed… And is it even worse that I was hoping he'd think I looked… Well… Hot?

"Girl, don't worry! You look fine!" Melissa grinned as she caught me fretting over my hair, in the mirror. "Now come on, what time did Steven say we had to meet him at the venue?"

I blushed and fished my phone out of my pocket, scrolling back through my texts and blushing when I landed on Steven's name. Melissa and I were hanging around watching movies last night when my phone buzzed and an unfamiliar number lit up my screen. It was Steven, and I nearly screeched I was so excited when I read aloud the text to Mel. 

"Hey cutie, it's Steven! Meet us at the venue at 5 p.m. The guards by the V.I.P gate will let you in if you give them your name. Can't wait to see you there - Steven."

"Well alright, let's go! We're gonna be late!" She giggled, grabbing both her purse and mine off the bed before grabbing my hand and flinging me out of the room. I nearly stumbled and fell since only one of my black combat boots were tied properly - the other was was barely on my foot. I laughed and quickly tied it up, racing out the door and yelling goodbye to my mom and sister as Mel and I made a mad dash for the car. 

It took a total of 45 minutes for us to reach Jones Beach Theatre and to find a good parking spot, before Mel and I found ourselves strolling up to the VIP gates on the side of the venue. While the guards looked as us warily, one of them smiled warmly when we said our names - clearly he was informed by Steven personally, I guess.
"Here, follow me."

We were led into a nice party area with tables and chairs and booze everywhere. A bunch of older folks were taking pictures with all their friends, some with beers and drinks in hand, others without. It seemed like a lot of fun, but what caught my eye was the sheer beauty of the venue, which was basically on the water. The sun was sitting low and there was a nice breeze cutting through the July heat.

The guard continued to lead Mel and I through the party area and out the other side of it, which lead to the backstage area Steven was talking about. People were running around, trying to set up the stage, roadies running with guitars and mics and smalls amps, girls running around with stage passes around their necks, or managers talking on phones. It was all very hectic and chaotic, but calming at the same rate. It was fun. 

I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of Slash tuning up one of his guitars that, I'm assuming, a roadie did a shit job of. My mouth dropped open at the fact that this guitar god is standing less than 10 feet away from me, just casually tuning up his legendary gold top Les Paul. I couldn't believe my eyes - especially when he looked up at me and smiled. 

Blushing, I smiled and waved a little as the guard urged me to continue following him. Mel and I found ourselves being pushed into a back room which was empty, save for a few comfortable looking couches and tables litered with bottles of water and beer. Once we were in the room, the guard left without a word, leaving us to our own devices. 

We stood awkwardly for a few minutes, wondering what the hell was going on. 
"Uhm… I wonder where everyone is?" Mel questioned, looking around the room and 'admiring' the decorum.

"Dunno…" I shrugged, thinking the exact same thing. "I mean… This wouldn't be some joke, would it? I highly doubt they'd go this far just to get a good laugh. I mean… We're technically backstage already so-"

"You have Steven's number, right?" She cut off my nervous ramble, trying to bring me back down to reality. "Text him and see where they are… I mean, maybe they just forgot about us-"

"Don't worry, sugar, we couldn't forget about two gorgeous girls such as yourselves."
We spun around to see Steven and the rest of Aerosmith strolling into the room, with happy grins on their faces as they all saw us. 
"And gorgeous you are…" Steven smiled almost hungrily as he looked me up and down, shamelessly checking me out. 

"Oh, hey guys!" I blushed, nervously tucking my auburn hair behind my ears. "Thanks for getting us back here… This is awesome."

"No problem at all, sugar!" Steven chuckled, putting his arm around my waist and dragging me over towards the couch where we all sat down and began to talk for a bit. "So, did you find yourselves here okay? Danny showed you where to go alright?"

"Danny?" I looked at Mel skeptically before a lightbulb nearly visably clicked on in my head. "Oh! The security guard? Yeah, he was nice. He didn't give us any problems."

"Yeah, we were laughing at you though when we saw you oogling Slash…" Melissa laughed out loud at my obvious embarrassment. 

"Checking out other musicians now?" Steven grinned, putting an arm over my shoulder. 

"Well… He's one of my favorite guitarists and I was standing about ten feet away from him! Come on! If that's not a dream come true then I don't know what is!" I muttered defensively, making everyone laugh. "I mean, this entire circumstance is just one big dream… I'm afraid I'm gonna open my eyes and it'll all going to be over. Come on, I'm sitting back stage at an Aerosmith concert, with Steven Tyler's arm wrapped around my shoulders," I saw his eyes sparkle at the mention of our physical contact, to which he squeezed my shoulder lightly. "How many girls can say that they got to experience this?"

"Well, if you were to ask a bunch of girls from the 70's," Joe grinned, making Steven shake his head. "Then a lot of girls can say they have."

"But that doesn't mean that you girls aren't special," Steven quickly defended. 

"So then… Why are we back here?" Mel and I looked at each other, wondering the exact same thing.

"Because…" Steven started off, scratching his little mustache in an attempt to come up with a suitable, unoffensive answer. "Because we like you girls. You're fun, sweet, intelligent, goddam gorgeous girls. And hell, when you said you were fans and that you were coming to the show, we thought we could show you a fun time."

"And we're having fun, so I guess you did your job right." I grinned as a sudden wave of confidence overtook me. I could tell all of them knew it too, because they all smiled at me and chuckled. 

"Well, I'm glad." Steven chuckled. The soft silence that fell over us all was entirely broken by the door opening and the guard that lead us in here poking his head through. 

"Boys, you're on in 5 minutes." He smiled before turning around and wlaking away, leaving the door wide open. 

"Right, well that's our cue to get up and go, I guess." Steven smiled, kissing my cheek softly. "See you later, sugar."

I couldn't help but to smile and giggle like an idiot as I watched him sway his little hips right out the door and onto the stage, where he made thousands of people happy - but none happier than I.