Trophy Date

I was late for my lunch date at The Ivy, but I swear, it wasn’t my fault. I’d arranged to meet my interviewee at her home in West Hollywood so we could ride together to the restaurant. But when I finally reached Sunset Blvd., the exit was blocked by construction cones! Oh, no!
 
I took the next off-ramp and pulled into a convenience store to recalibrate my directions. A huddle of construction workers and mow-and-go gardeners tried to help me, but I was getting more confused by the minute. Finally, a grizzled black man in a workman’s uniform stepped in.
 
“Girl, you ain’t never gonna get there with them guys tellin’ you how. Get back in yo’ car and follow me!” 

With that, my Dickies-clad guardian angel led me to her exclusive, hill-top neighborhood, his cobalt blue Sears Home Repair van heralding my half-hour-late arrival.

Meanwhile, my trophy wife date attended an early-morning Pilates class. From the looks of all the shopping bags she showed me, it’s clear she also had an aerobic (and wallet) workout on Rodeo Drive, in nearby Beverly Hills!
 

Here’s a photo of us, the Ladies Who Lunched, settled into our see-and-be-seen table at The Ivy. Who would’ve imagined, with so many options to choose from, that we’d end up wearing nearly identical pearl necklaces and outfits in similar shades of blue?

 
One of her good friends, Steven, joined us for lunch. (I forgot to get his picture, but if you can, try to imagine him: mid-thirties, about 5’11, blue eyes, spikey blonde hair, hard-bodied, wearing a pink-and-white polo shirt and jeans.) As we ate our salads ($23.00 per plate!), he regaled us with stories of his acting career (no air quotes intended). He’s done some impressive work on the way to earning his SAG card, including serving as a stand-in for a certain famous actor whose love interest recently had a baby. Ahem.

And now, here’s a photo for the tabloids: a picture of Paris Hilton’s home and Bentley, which I snapped through the windshield of my (bodyguard-avoiding) car as I drove past.  Ms. Hilton’s house, by the way, is near the base of the winding road where my interview subject lives.

 

 
I headed back to Orange County in the late afternoon, to meet my writing group at  Barnes & Noble. Now, it’s about 2:30 in the morning, and I’m still too wound up to sleep.

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36 Comments

    • Oooh, it was TONS of fun, Brandie! She certainly was in her element…it was her home turf, after all. And I definitely enjoyed the experience. Who wouldn’t?!

  4. What a life! Two years ago a bunch of my teacher friends and I went to a Dr. Phil shooting and then out to lunch nearby the studio. We were oohing and ahhing over the celebrities we saw. We even took a tour through Bel Air and drove pass Antonio Bandera’s two homes. I swear that’s the first time I ever saw a Bentley.

    Thanks for sharing! I bet your lunch( and the guy friend of the trophy wife) was really yummy too.

    • I was just reminiscing with a friend about the time he stole a lemon from a celebrity’s tree on a star tour (probably like the one you took). The *amazing* thing is that I’m now granted backstage-pass access to these celebrities (of a sort) — no need to sneak the forbidden fruit!

      • Oh no, I went with a teacher friend who’s mom and companion live in Bel Air and are neighbors with Antonio and Melanie. If I was neighbors with Antonio I’d be checking him out–even though he does have a high frequency security system on both of their properties.

    • Maybe it’s my reflection in the windshield — or Paris running after me. Nah, it’s probably just the flash bouncing back off the glass. Fun to fantasize about, though.

  6. Love your description of the journey to get there.

    Great photos and great details. Looks like you had fun playing Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous for a day!

        • In very general terms, that’s the point of my book. You can’t know for sure until you get up close and personal. Until then, it’s all pure speculation — and likely a stereotypical guess at that.

          • See? That’s why I’m one of the straight guys in the world that would read your book. And actually, I think more of my kind would read it than you may think. So, go get the thing written. What are you doing on Livejournal? 🙂

            🙁 And what am I doing on Livejournal? Here’s to me listening to myself.

            🙂

    • Hmmm…I hadn’t thought about it in quite that way, but that’s an interesting metaphor. I like knowing that even nonfiction can carry a figurative message — even if it’s unintentional.

  12. I can’t wait to sell the book so it’ll be on its way to the shelves (and to you!).

    She’s VERY personable — a fascinating, energetic, life-life-on-the-edge-of-your-seat woman.

    You know how it is with photos: sometimes you’re on, and sometimes you’re not.

    You and your questions about handbags! Not much fits inside a Judith Lieber purse, I grant you. I had to loan her my lip gloss. LOL!

    • Absolutely! That would be SO MUCH FUN, Meg!!! Let’s be sure to call each other first, though, so we don’t show up wearing the same color and accessories, OK? *wink*

  15. Um…Paris parks her Bentley on the SIDEWALK? LOL! That’s not even allowed in my hillbilly community! 😉

    Great photos! I may have been a trophy wife in a previous life…

    • In her defense, there’s no street parking, since the road is narrow and has lots of switch-backs. Also, no homes on this hillside have garages (lots are too narrow for that).

      Glad you liked the photos. Sell enough books and you can life a trophy wife life in your current incarnation. 🙂

    • In her defense, there’s no street parking, since the road is narrow and has lots of switch-backs. Also, no homes on this hillside have garages (lots are too narrow for that).

      Glad you liked the photos. Sell enough books and you can life a trophy wife life in your current incarnation. 🙂

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