Book Excerpt: My Life So Far

(10 of 11)

Ted called back almost three months to the day. I'd all but forgotten about his promise and was surprised and flattered that he had remembered. I realized I didn't know enough about this man who would be my first date in 17 years. I knew about CNN but had never watched it. I got my news from the papers and National Public Radio. Besides, this was pre--Tiananmen Square, pre--Gulf War days, and CNN was still referred to occasionally as "Chicken Noodle News." Nor was I familiar with the world of sailing and the fact that he'd won the prestigious America's Cup. So as time approached for the date, I hurried to find out everything I could.

It wasn't encouraging. Someone gave me an article about his life that revealed he probably had a drinking problem. Not what I needed--again. A friend of one of his children whom I happened to know told me he liked only younger women and if he was interested in me, it would only be as a notch in his belt. Of course there were lots of positives as well: his environmentalism, his global vision, his work for peace.

Actually I had come down with a bad cold the day before the date but decided not to cancel on him, given how long he'd waited. When he called to get directions to my house, I told him I was sick and would have to make it an early evening. It didn't seem to faze him. But I was nervous! I'd gathered the clan around me for support: Peter, [her stepdaughter] Nathalie, Troy, Vanessa, Lulu and my assistant, Debbie Karolewski.

I may not have been invested in this date "going anywhere," but I wanted to be sure it wouldn't be because he didn't want it to. So I wore a very short black leather miniskirt, a tight black halter top, black hose and spike black heels. A few studs and I could have passed for a dominatrix.

I remember being up in my room putting on last-minute touches when Ted arrived. I could hear when Peter opened the door and Ted burst through, his over-the-top voice booming out, "Hey, Montana! Gimme five!" Peter lives in Montana and, as I learned later, Ted had just bought a ranch there and was excited that they had this in common.

A few minutes later I came down the stairs and Ted swung around to watch me. "Wow," he said in a husky voice, devouring me like so much eye candy with an unabashed lust so palpable that I could feel it on my skin. I also saw he was nervous, and I found that endearing. He shouted good-bye to my family (they seemed subdued, as in the wake of a tornado), ushered me quickly out the door and helped me into a hired sedan with a driver he introduced by name (which impressed me).

"I have friends who are Communists," he offered eagerly as soon as we were seated. He said it like a little boy bringing home good grades.

"I've been to the Soviet Union several times because of the Goodwill Games. [Mikhail] Gorbachev is my buddy and so is [Fidel] Castro. I've been to Cuba two times. We go hunting and fishing together."

I had to laugh. I didn't know if it was because he really thought I was a Communist and wanted to let me know that wouldn't stand between us or if he thought it was something I'd find endearing. I did. It was the second time in a matter of minutes that the word endearing had come to mind--not what I had been expecting. Before we'd even gotten to the restaurant, he pulled another stunner: