By Megan Moore
(Rated PG for drug references)
By Megan Moore
(Rated PG for drug references)
Joe was too engulfed in the article to notice Megan. All of a sudden he laughed out loud. “Steve! Steve, get up here! Come on!” Joe shouted. Megan wanted to duck and hide, but she didn’t. She finished with the can foods when Steven made it up the stairs from Joe’s basement.
Steven’s eyes rested on Megan. She was wearing a white tee-shirt and a pair of blue-jeans cut-offs. Her emerald green eyes stared at him, and her honey blonde hair was twisted into an innocent bun in the back of her head. He simply stared until Joe’s voice brought him to the present.
“Earth to Steven Tyler! Megan brought a very interesting article home for me to read. Who is Marian West to you?” Joe said sliding a glance between Megan and Steven.
Marian West? Yeah, I remember her. She was a good time,” Steven said trying to get Megan’s attention. She had turned to unpacking the food once again. She didn’t look up at his insensitivity.
“Well, she wants to be more to you than a good time, according to this,” Joe handed Steven the paper. Steven glanced at the article.
“ ‘Marian West and Steven Tyler: Wedding Bells in early fall’, ” he read from the paper. Then it sunk in. “Damn! Do you have any idea, what this means?”
“Tat you’ll need a best man?” Joe joked.
“No chance in hell,” Steven countered. This time Megan did look up. Big mistake, she thought instantly. He was dressed in a sleeveless white shirt, with a pair of loud red pants. His sandals allowed his toes to peek through. It was hard to believe that Megan had once lived, breathed, ate, drank, and loved him. Still, somewhere deep, Megan still did. Her older brother, David, had gone to school with Joe, and that’s how she knew him so well. When he’s introduced her to Steven Tyler, all Hell had broken loose. Now Megan was successfully picking up pieces of her life that had once been only Steven.
“Joe, I’m done. Do you need anything else?” Megan hoped he didn’t.
“Yeah, could you take those cookies that my housekeeper baked down to the guys? That would be a help. You know what, Megan?” Joe said as she lifted the tray.
“What?” Megan smiled.
“You’re wonderful,” Joe said smiling down at her. She grinned and turned.
“Why didn’t you tell me, she was the delivery girl?” Steven said as Megan disappeared.
“You didn’t ask. Why? I thought it was over between you two,” Joe tossed Steven another coke.
“Yeah, it was, is. I don’t know. She called it off, not me,” Steven took a long drink of his coke. Right now, he needed something stronger.
‘You mean, you don’t know why she called it off? I thought everyone knew,” Joe was amazed.
“You knew why she called it off?” Steven’s jaw dropped.
“Yeah, it was because,” Joe paused to drink his coke. “Of all the drugs, you hoarded in your travel gear. You were high all the time, and she couldn’t take it, Steve. She left.”
“Does she know that I’m clean now?” Steven was concerned. If that was all it took then he could have her back no time at all. This was going to be easier than he thought.
“Megan!” Joey shouted as Megan headed down the stairs. She gracefully balanced the tray. Brad hurried over and took the tray off her hands. Joey hugged her. Tom pushed her down in a over-stuffed chair that she knew was Steven’s favorite, and Tom hit play on a tape recorder. Megan sat in a trance. The song, ‘Janie’s Got a Gun,’ was a really great song. When it was over, the room tingled with Steven’s essence. Megan could almost feel him.
“It was wonderful. I think that you’ll have another number one hit in no time,” Megan said, she leaned back in the chair, and yawned.
“So nothing is wrong with it?” Joey said eyeing her.
“Well,” Megan paused.
“Well what?” Tom said impatiently.
“Steven’s vocals are too rough. They should be soft, and tender,” Megan said.
Joey nodded. “So when did you start delivering groceries?”
“When I decided to open my restaurant and go back to school,” Megan said simply. She walked over to the cooler that Joe kept stored when Spring Water and pulled a water out. “I take on a lot of odd jobs. However, my boss at the Aero Grill wants me to give up half of them, but I can’t. I have a future to save for.”
“I was thinking about what you said about Steven’s vocals, and I just noticed, that he hasn’t song with that tenderness he use to have since you left. He is always so callous now,” Brad admitted.
“Well, I guess you can blame me for that,” Megan said sadly.
“No, we don’t blame you for anything, Megan. We know you had to do what you had to do. We hold no grudges,” Tom said quietly. He bit into the cookie.
Joey wiggled his eyebows. “Got any new flings?”
“One or two,” Megan grinned. Joey smiled.
“You’d better not tell Steven that,” Brad warned. “He’d probably kill whoever the lucky devil was, and then claim you for he’s own. So, do you need us to lay the ground rules for any new man on the horizon?”
“No, I don’t need you to pretend to protect me,” Megan laughed.
“Who’s pretending? You guys had better saved me some of those cookies,” Joe said from the bottom of the stairs. He grinned down at Megan. Megan smiled back at him. Steven followed Joe, and he was amazed at how beautiful she was. How could she be so beautiful?
She grinned at everyone. He must have really screwed up. How had he messed up their relationship? The thing was that he could remember what he’d down to make her angry enough to leave him.
“Well, I got to get to the restaurant,” She stood. “Bye guys.”
Megan walked passed him. She smelled like blossoms. She was up the stairs and gone before he regain the sense to talk.
“Why don’t we head down to the restaurant, and have Megan cook us something good?” Tom said from behind his drums.
“Fine with me,” Joe said eating another cookie.
In her car, Megan’s memories washed over her like a tidal wave. It was okay to live in those memories, before Steven hurt her. It was easy. Memories couldn’t come back and hurt you again. However, she remember his betrayal worst of all.
They had been officially dating for thirteen wonderful months. Steven swore to her that he had given up drugs, and drinking because it took more away from him than it gave him. It had been amazing. Steven had been perfect. Megan, a naïve twenty-three year old, then, had thought she had it all, Steven Tyler, Aerosmith’s hot lead singer, a friendship with Joe that could never be broken, and a new family that consisted of the members of Aerosmith. She was the luckiest woman on Earth.
The night she left wasn’t one for the books. She and Nina Benson, Tom’s girlfriend, had gone shopping. Steven had asked her to leave him alone for at least one hour before the sound check before the concert. She did as he asked, but that night was different. When she got to the sound stage, three hours before the performance, Joe was worried about Steven. He had made it yet. Megan volunteered to go get him.
When she got to the hotel, no one was in the lobby. She headed upstairs to Steven’s and her room. The door was cracked, which was odd. She went in and saw a blonde wrapped in blankets, obviously naked, but Steven was no where in sight. Then Megan noticed the bathroom door, opened a crack. She headed into the bathroom, and Steven was laying face down, naked, and barely breathing. His eyes were closed and she feared he might die. Then she noticed a white substance all over Steven and the bathroom, floor. She knew it was cocaine.
Damn him! Her mind screamed. She held herself together long enough to get him dressed, and to the hospital. She waited in the ICU waiting room until the doctor assured her that he would be fine.
“You can go in and see him. He’s awake now, because we had to pump his stomach, and clear his nasal passages,” the doctor volunteered.
“I would but I’m in a bind. Could you give him a message?” Megan asked. When the doctor nodded, Megan handed him a note that she had carefully written on a prescription pad that a nurse had given her. “Thanks.”
When Megan returned to the hotel, she gave the hospital floor and room number to Joe and then she went upstairs. She was packing her stuff when the blonde got out of the shower. With the towel wrapped around her, she examined Megan, almost sizing her up.
“Who are you?” The girl asked.
“I could ask you the same, but I won’t. I’m Steven’s ex-girlfriend, as of an hour ago. I’m Megan Morris,” Megan cut pleasantries short. She was catching the 8:05PM flight back to Sunny Brooke.
“Really? Well, I guess that makes me his new girlfriend. I’m Marian West,” the blonde extended her hand. Megan ignored it.
“Look, I’d get out of here, because when Joe comes up here to get Steven’s stuff, if he sees you, all hell is going to break loose,” Megan grabbed her stuff and was out the door before the blonde could say anything.
Once she made it to the lobby, Joe noticed her heading toward the exit.
“Where are you going, Megan?” he shouted.
“Home,” She said over her shoulder.
Megan arrived at the restaurant just in time for her shift. She swiped angry tears away from her eyes. She hoped that Steven and Marian West got married, and she hoped they had a wonderful life. She was too young to be bitter, and besides she was twenty-five, and long past her puppy love to Steven Tyler.
“Hey people! I’m here!” Megan shouted, when she reached the back of the counter.
“Bout time,” her boss shouted back, but he was smiling. She waited on everyone at the counter, and took her turn grilling chicken and hamburgers. Soon, she was out waiting people again. She was laughing at some guy’s joke when Steven followed by the rest of the band walked in. They took their usual booth in the back, where they knew it was Megan’s area. She took her time getting back to them.
When Steven walked in, he hadn’t expected to have people cheer for the band from all sides of the main room. He also hadn’t expected for Megan to be laughing at some other guy’s joke, but the crowd was cheering and she was laughing. Still he hadn’t figured out what he’d done to make her so mad. He watched as she went around to other tables and checked if anyone else needed anything. He remembered when she had always made a bee-line for their table. She went back behind the counter and rung up a sale. She was almost too graceful.
“So, Steven, we let Megan listen to ‘Janie’s Got a Gun’ and she said that you vocals are way to rough. You need to soften them,” Brad said.
“You let Megan listen to the song? What did she say?” Steven couldn’t concentrate on anything but her.
“Your vocals were too rough. Other than that she loved the song. What’s wrong?” Tom answered. Steven looked at all of them.
“I can’t figure out what it was that made Megan leave me,” Steven said slowly.
“I told you why,” Joe said sharply.
“You didn’t lay that weak-ass lame drug story on him did you?” Joey asked.
“That was the reason,” Joe sounded even more sure than this morning.
“Yeah, but that isn’t all,” Tom said. “Nina told me, Megan went to find Steven. She went to the hotel room, she found a naked blonde on the bed, and you, Steven, in the bathroom, passed out with a kilo of coke in your hand. To beat all, she was the one who took you to the hospital and saved your sorry ass.”
“Guess who the blonde was?” Joey asked with butter sweetness.
“No!” Steven moaned. “That bitch! Marian West! Damn it!”
“Hell yeah!” Joey laughed out loud.
“Megan?” Virginia Willis called for her.
Megan came around to the back where Virginia stood. “Yeah?”
“Did you see Steven Tyler back in the back?” Virginia said breathlessly. “He is so hot.”
“Do you want to wait on that table?” Megan asked. She watched the girl’s eyes light up. Virginia nodded emphatically. “Go ahead. I’ll cover the counter for you.” Megan waited on four more customers before Virginia got the nerve to go over there. Virginia did an about face, and headed toward the counter.
“Oh my God! Megan, they told me that Steven would kiss me, if I convinced you to come back there! So, please, please go back there,” Virginia was red to the roots of her hair. She was only seventeen, Megan reminded herself. She nodded and let another girl take over for her. She walked back to the booth with an air of confidence that no one could take from her. Virginia followed her shyly.
“Steven, you owe the girl a kiss,” Megan said haughtily. Steven grinned a killer grin that made Megan weak in the knees. He stood and kissed Virginia on the cheek. She just about passed out. Joey laughed, and Brad grinned. Joe smiled, and Tom shook his head.
“Come on, Virginia,” Megan said and tugged the girl back to the front counter. Then Megan went back to the back booth.
“Now, what was so important that you had to bribe an innocent girl with a kiss to come and get me?” Megan forged pretend confusion.
“We wanted you to take our order,” Joe pouted.
“And now, Virginia will never be able to kiss another man,” Megan grinned at Steven. He grinned back. The chemistry was still there, she knew he could feel it.
“So, what do you want?” Megan blew a stray hair off her face.
“I want a cheese burger, chocolate milkshake, and a side order of fries,” Joey said aloud.
“I want a grilled chicken sandwich, with a side salad,” Brad admitted, shyly.
“I know what I want, but the main course may not want to be had,” Steven grinned slyly.
“I want a BLT,” Joe said, ignoring Steven. Megan nodded.
“What do you want, Steven?” Megan knew she sounded impatient, but she had a job to do.
“I told you,” he said.
“You can’t put the moves on me,” Megan said. She picked up the glass of water that was free to every person who sat down. She looked as if she was going to drink it, but instead she poured it in Steven’s lap. “Cool off, fella.”
All the guys laughed. Steven’s face turned as red as could be, and when Megan turned around, he grabbed her arm. She expected him to shake her, but instead his mouth swooped down, and crushed her mouth beneath his. The kiss gentled, and Megan couldn’t resist the urge to put her arms around his neck. He hugged her tight, and she wanted it to last, but finally she pulled away from him.
“I’ll be back with your drinks,” Megan turned and headed back to the front counter.
“I think that beat any kiss, that I ever got,” Virginia cooed.
“Don’t get too excited,” Megan warned. “We are not getting back together.”
“You guys dated? You are so lucky,” Virginia smiled. “Who broke up with who? I think it was you, because he wouldn’t kiss you like that if he didn’t want you. You know? I wish I had a boyfriend like that.”
“No. No, you don’t,” Megan filled their drink orders. She tossed their orders back to the waitress cooking.
She headed back to the table. Joe was playing pool on the forty year-old table. Brad was holding a pool cue. That’s when Megan noticed about eight girls in the same booth as Steven. She looked around. Tom was at the jukebox, and Joey was at the counter talking to Virginia. Megan cursed Steven under her breath.
“Here are your drinks, Mr. Tyler,” Megan said in her most formal voice. She shot Steven a look that said, ‘You are way too old for those girls’.
He shot her a look that said, ‘That’s what they said about me and you’.
Megan shook her head and took out her pad, when someone from behind her put his arm around her. She looked up and saw it wasn’t one of the guys. It was Buzz Parker.
“Hey babe,” He said kissing her cheek.
“Buzz, I’m working,” Megan twisted out of his grasp.
“Can’t you take a break?” He whined.
“Not right now. I take my work very seriously,” Megan stared into his eyes and saw fire flare.
“I can tell. You are just like the rest of these girls. A rock star walks in and you throw yourself at him,” Buzz threw at her. In the booth, Megan saw Steven do a double take. He stood up, exposing his wet lap.
“Don’t worry, buddy. Does this look like love to you?” Steven asked.
“Looks like you’ve pissed yourself,” Buzz grinned. “Did she do this to you?”
Steven grimaced and nodded.
“That’s my wildfire,” Buzz was satisfied. “Sorry, dude. I’m Buzz, Megan’s, um, friend.”
“Mr. Tyler, what would you like?” Megan asked with butter sweetness.
“What do you recommend, ladies?” He grinned at them. They spouted off meals, but still Steven looked at her. “Well what do you recommend?” He squinted at her name tag. “Megan?”
“I recommend that you find another place to eat, but in this town the options are low to none. I think you would like our Chicken Pot Pie,” Megan knew that was his favorite food.
“Done,” Steven grinned at her. Buzz shot her a look. She smiled and turned.
Buzz scooted in the booth with the girls.
An hour later, the girls were gone. Buzz was off flirting with some housewives and the guys were in the back. Megan punched the time clock and headed toward the exit.
Steven was on her heels.
“Can you give me a lift to my house?” he asked.
“Why aren’t you riding with the guys?” She turned to look at him.
“They’re heading back to the studio, and I want to get some sleep,” Steven said simply. Megan nodded.
He got in her car and noticed the Aerosmith cassette tape on her dash.
“It’s a tape on how to get over Aerosmith band members,” Megan said as she got in. “My brother bought it for as a joke. It’s working.”
“Oh,” Steven said, slowly.
“That was a joke,” Megan said shaking her head. Steven smiled.
“I’m sorry,” Steven said, quietly.
“About what?” Megan played dumb. She paid attention to the road.
“About the deal with the hospital, and Marian West, and it all,” Steven looked at her. For a while, Megan couldn’t speak, but when she did her words left a mark.
“Steven, while you were ICU, I cried. I cursed you. I loved you, and hated you too. I kept thinking, ‘No, Steven must have an excuse, because he wouldn’t cheat on me.’ It was then that I realized that you are always going to be the rock star, and I’ll always be a small town girl. I wasn’t and still aren’t important. Obviously, Marian West is, and I hope you have…a happy life together.” Megan almost choked on the last sentence.
“I haven’t seen or heard from Marian West in a year, at least. We are not getting married and I think that someone else published that article for laughs,” Steven said seriously.
“I didn’t think it was funny,” Megan said looking at him. “I love you, Steven. When I read that article it broke my heart.” Her eyes clouded with tears.
“God, I love you, too,” Steven vowed.
The next morning, Megan woke up beside Steven, just like in the old days. This time he was watching her.
“You’re so beautiful,” He kissed her.
“Yeah, and lightening strikes lairs,” She kissed him back.
“You don’t have to worry. C’mon, I want to go to get breakfast, and stop by the paper office and have them rewrite that article with the right name,” He got up. She laughed.
Two hours later, after showering together, Megan and Steven were on the road, when the car swerved into the wrong lane and crashed into the driver side door, where Megan was driving. Steven heard a scream, and then he blacked out.
When he woke up, Megan was calling his name. He crawled over to where she lay very still. He held her head and kissed her cheek and tried to ignore her bloodstained tee shirt. She was bleeding from the chest.
“Good bye, Steven. I love you,” then slowly she closed her eyes and smiled.
“No! Don’t go!” Steven sobbed. “Come on, Megan. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to have ten kids, and buy a house here in Sunny Brooke, and I’m going to open my own record label. No, Megan! Don’t go! I love you!” He clung to her lifeless body. He felt the medics trying to pull him off her. “No!” He shouted. He fought. She was going to be okay! She had to be okay! They were going to get married!
Steven sat up. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. The accident happened two years ago. Megan was pronounced dead on arrival. Steven escaped with a few minor injures. He had never been the same again. He never would. He got up. He was alone. He had been since Megan’s death.
Whenever Steven had sometime to himself, he came back to Sunny Brooke. He bought the house that he had spent that wonderful night in two years ago. Megan’s funeral had been a huge affair. People from all over came. She was buried in the graveyard two blocks away. Steven got up and put on some jeans and a sweatshirt. It was dawn, and the light was pale pink, Megan’s favorite color.
Steven jogged the two blocks, and found the headstone that he knew so well. He placed the pink roses that he had had on his coffee table on her grave. Then he sat, and watched the sun rise.
“I love you, Megan. Happy Anniversary,” Steven said in the stillness of the new day.