Louder Than Love || Chris Cornell

5 Minutes Alone

The Whiskey A-Go Go, Backstage
September 13, 1991

"Holy fuck that was so fucking amazing!" I exclaim as the lights came back up and the whole crowd was still cheering.

"Let's uh... head to the side doors over here..." Chris says as he takes my hand in his and leads me through the crowd of people trying to head out of The Whiskey.

"Chris... I thought there was a meet and greet... thing... after, " I say confused as I look up at him.

"Trust me," Chris says and leads me over to the side doors where the backstage part was. He leads us up to a couple of guys at the side door and I continued to look around behind me as everyone headed towards the front doors. I couldn't really hear what Chris was saying as people were still pretty loud.

"Andi... c'mon," Chris says as he pulls at my hand to grab my attention. I turn and look up at Chris and see him smirk at me so cutely.

"Where are we going?" I ask confused. He leads me through the side door and we walk down the long corridor, his fingers laced through mine as I lean into him holding onto his smooth toned bicep. I was so nervous and though I had an idea of where we were going, I just wondered why it was only me and Chris walking down the hallway.

We reach a door at the end of the hallway that had a paper tapped to the door that read 'Pantera'. I look up at Chris as he knocks on the door and my heart started pounding. There was no way they would just let us in, would they?

"Hey Chris! how the fuck are you?!"

Phil Anselmo opens the door with the biggest smile on his face and I had no idea what the fuck was happening. How did Chris know Phil? When did this happen and where the hell was I when it did? And Phil is wearing a Soundgarden t-Shirt? How fucking cool is that?

"Good, good how are you?" Chris smiles and shakes his hand while he still held onto mine. I squeezed his hand so tightly and Chris glanced down at me as I lean into him almost trying to hide behind his shoulder. I was so nervous and shy, it's one thing just to have a meet and greet pass where you see them at a table and you get them to sign stuff or whatever and say 'Hi' really quickly and move on but this... this was totally different.

"Awesome, man... come on in," Phil smiles and I follow Chris through the door.

"And you're Andi, I assume?" Phil says so sweetly to me.
"Uh yea...." I smile shyly and try to compose myself.
"Well, nice to meet you sweetie," He smiles at me and I smile shyly back.

"Yo, Chris... Drink?" Darrell 'Dimebag' Abbot calls from the other side of the room.
"Sure" He says as Dime walks over to us with the drinks in his hands and hands him what looked like a Jack and Coke.

"Here sweetie... Chris mentioned you love Jack and Coke," Dime says so sweetly to me as he hands me the drink and I feel like I'm about to burst but I'm trying really hard not to fangirl all over him. I am still so confused at what's going on here but my nervousness and excitement took over and I completely forgot what the hell was happening.
"Thank you," I say so shyly and take the drink from him. He smiles so sweetly at me, his wild hair all about him and wearing the most awesome White Zombie shirt I've ever seen.

"I was actually looking for that same shirt, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere," I say to Dime trying to overcome my shyness but I couldn't think of what to start with. Fuck, was that stupid of me to say? Oh god I hate it when I'm scared and can't come up with anything.
"Oh yea, I found it somewhere in a thrift store when we were on tour, I think it was in Seattle or somethin'.... Lost Loves... maybe," Dime says as he furrows his brow. Are you kidding me? he found it there? Now I wish I still worked there, it would've been so cool to see him come into the store, damn it.

"Andi used to work at that store," Chris says as he takes a sip of his drink.
"Really....?" Dime smiles at me.
"Uh, yea.... but... that was like... a long time ago now... " I trail off. I didn't really want to talk about the store. I take a sip of the drink that Dime made me and holy jeezus fuck, it was strong. I think it was all Jack and a drop of Coke.

"Sorry darlin',  did I make it a little to much for you?" Dime says with a worried look as he noticed my flinching face.
"No, no... it's fine I just wasn't expecting it," I say and take another sip, slowly this time though.
"Well, come on over have a seat..." Dime smiles at the both of us and I glance at Chris, squeeze his hand as Chris places a kiss on my temple.

"So Chris was telling me you are a huge fan," Dime says as we all sit down on the couches. Chris sits down in the corner of the couch while I sit down beside him. Dime sits on the opposite side in one of the large chairs with his leg resting across his knee just like Chris.  Rex and Phil were on one couch sharing a joint and talking to a few other people who were in the room. Vinny was on a chair with a girl on his lap, obviously having an awesome time with her.

"Um... yea... I mean," I say shyly as I look up at Chris and gesture to my shirt as he begins to puff on a smoke, and then back to Dime and they laugh a little.

"She was just going crazy out there... it was awesome to see, you guys definitley put on an awesome show," Chris says as he sets his drink down on the table.

"I couldn't help it... it was so fucking amazing... and I just love what you do... I had never heard anyone play the way that you do... at the end of 'Cemetery Gates' when you make your guitar scream like that... it's so freaking amazing... I can't explain it...just all the feels... ugh i love it!" I started to gush to Dime as he looks at me and I couldn't help it. I then immediately regretted doing that and shyly look away and down at myself.

Oh god please don't think I'm a groupie

"Thank you," Dime says so sweetly to me.

We continue to converse with each other for a little while , but it was mostly Chris and Dime talking, which was totally fine with me. Dime told Chris at how much a fan he was of Soundgarden and Chris was so adorably shy accepting the compliment.

"Dude... Rusty Cage is so fucking awesome... like this weird fast Sabbath thing you guys did on that track... and then towards the end it sounds like a completley different song... fuckin' killer dude," Dime says as he takes a drink.

"Thanks," Chris smiles shyly and turns to look at me. I smirk back at him as he places his arm on the back of the couch around me and pulls me a little closer into him. I still can't believe I'm sitting here with Pantera, like what the fucking hell?!

"Man, we should get together after the show we're doing with you guys next week, and have some drinks," Dime says and takes the last sip of his Jack and Coke.

"Sounds good," Chris smiles as Dime gets up from the chair.

"You guys ok for drinks?" He asks as both Chris and I nod and he heads off to the mini fridge for another.

"You didn't tell me you were playing with them next week... What the hell? that's such a big deal babe," I say to Chris as I take a sip of my drink.

"I wanted to suprise you... I know how much you love them so... That's how I got the tickets... I just asked Phil if he could make it look like I bought the tickets for you, when really he invited us here to hang out after," Chris says as he looks at me with those beautiful blue eyes.

"I love you... so fucking much..." I say as I lean into him and place a kiss on his temple.
"I know," Chris smirks and I laugh, not wanting this to ever end.