Tiffany's life-tini

Would I have been a Lady? 

Today I made a list of all the “celebrities” I’ve met.  In each case I have either had short or lengthy conversations –not just a passing by them in an airport or on the street.  If I do say so myself, my list is amazing.   I’d like to share one of my favorite ‘star meetings’ when I was a teenager. It was one of those moments that make you remember a simple everyday occurrence forever.

At 18, I felt pretty sexy in my mini skirt and high heeled shoes driving home at about 7 PM in my brand new Mustang. Much to my dismay, my car seemed to be swerving a little.  I naturally pulled over to the side to make sure that I didn’t have a flat tire.  As I did, a fellow in a jeep pulled up behind me. He got out and asked if I needed help. I just kept looking at him as he checked out my tires.  He was so damn handsome and polite.

I thanked him for stopping Because of my confidence and rather outgoing personality I said,  “You have the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen.  Has anyone told you that you look like Paul Newman?  He laughed and said, “Yes on occasion.”

He then asked me if I wanted to leave my car and he’d be happy to drive me home.  Of course, no self-respecting 18 year old Italian Catholic girl is going to get into a jeep with a stranger, so I said “no.”  He said again, he’d be happy to drive me… I politely declined.  I got back in my car and the blue-eyed Adonis drove away.

I went home and couldn’t stop thinking about him.  I literally tossed and turned all night dreaming about that gorgeous man with his penetrating blue eyes and magnificent smile and what could have been. Was this my “missed opportunity? It hadn’t occurred to me to give him my phone number nor frankly did he ask.

Morning arrived and I was back to my “normal self”.  OK he wasn’t really that good looking. And his eyes were not the color of the deep ocean or midnight sky.  I was fine, I told myself. He was gone. And I would never think about this again.

That same day I was listening to the radio when the DJ said, “Oh and by the way ladies, you just might spot Paul Newman hanging around the Boston area.  He’s filming a movie in New Hampshire and rumor has it he’s just cruising around in a jeep.”

Paul Newman –did he say Paul Newman —the one with the gorgeous blue eyes?  He was driving a jeep in northern Massachusetts where I lived? Obviously, this was no coincidence, I had met Paul Newman and had rebutted him.

Frankly, my 18 year old self didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.  Did I really say “no” to Mr. Sexy?  How did I let that gorgeous man just drive away? I tried to be rational. I was young and single.  He was older and very happily married, so they said.

I absolutely did the right thing. Right? He was merely trying to be helpful.  It wasn’t my youth or mini skirt or stiletto heels that encouraged his helpfulness.  He was just trying to be nice.

To this day I wonder what would have happened if I had gotten into that jeep.  Would he have been a gentleman?  More importantly, would I have been a lady? Especially if I had known that in fact he was Paul Newman. Hmmm who knows?  I shall not speculate.  

To be honest, I did in fact travel that same road several times in the next few days. So much for “never thinking about that again.”  But I never did see him again.   I guess it worked out for the best.  I saved myself and my virtue for WJJ.

Now, I can always indulge in my “fantasy world” where Mr. Newman made mad passionate love to me in his jeep –dumped Joanne Woodward and married me.  Instead of being the lingerie “queen”, I would have been the salad dressing diva.  Lingerie vs. salad dressing -which one would I choose?   I know –I would have created two variations of his French Dressing, one goes on salad and one is a very sexy red and black corselet.

I’m sure Paul Newman was very successful with his salad  dressing. On the other hand , Walter and I and hundreds of thousands of UndercoverWear Agents were very successful “undressing” women across North America.  And I am MOST confident that that our lingerie brought a whole lot of smiles and fun into the bedroom.

Wait…. I guess WJJ and I did design “a French corselet” and all in all I think we did A-OK without the salad dressing.  I may not have married Paul Newman but I do have “007”!