My Most Expensive Date Ever!
What’s up with older men dating younger women?
It was the fall of 2002. I had just retired from a twenty year career as an officer in the New York City Fire Department and landed a post retirement consulting gig in the pharmaceutical industry. The job paid handsomely. Combined with my generous pension, the consulting income put me in an enviable income bracket. The housing bubble was on an upswing then and had gifted me an unexpected windfall as well. I had a nice bachelor pad on the upper east side of Manhattan and a condo in Poipu Beach Hawaii. A new, rather nifty sports sedan added to my image. Life was good.
T’was then I met Federica at a motivational seminar. We were instantly, and mutually, attracted, motivated you might say. Beautiful, smart and talented, Federica was a gifted Mezoz-Saprano, an opera singer. Born in Manhattan into a politically progressive family of Argentinian parents, Federica possessed a fiery Latin temperament combined with urban New York sophistication. Federica was twenty-seven years old.
I was fifty-two.
In 1997, movie producer James Cameron released a huge blockbuster movie “The Titanic”. It broke box office records world wide. It was a chick flick. Well, okay, it was a good chick flick, I kind of liked it. But for over four years I had endured the cultural ubiquity of Celine Dion’s proclamation -despite Titanic character Rose having witnessed Jack sink beneath the waves of the cold Atlantic — that our hearts would indeed go on, and on, and on…
I would not be one to be seeking out The Fair Celine.
Federica Loved Celine Dion.
Celine had recently opened a much hyped show at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Federica’s birthday was approaching. Although unstated, my consciousness was certainly not devoid of the implicit Sugar Daddy-ness of my romantic situation. I found a special on a round-trip airfare from New York to Las Vegas along with a really good deal on a pretty spiffy room at Caesar’s Palace. I checked the website for Celine’s show and there were tickets available in two weeks, a perfect time for us to go. I called Federica. She was delighted. I bought the airfare and hotel package, one of those non-refundable discount deals. Then I went to buy the show tickets. I had mis-read the site. Celine was sold out for the next twelve months.
“Tony’s Tickets, how may I help you”. I was expecting a guy with a thick Brooklyn accent and a broken nose. I don’t know how I would know about his nose on the phone. It just fit my stereo-type.
What I got was some pretty impressive customer service and cutting edge technology for making an interstate purchase. As it happens, ticket scalping is legal in Las Vegas. And Tony’s Tickets, an establishment I discovered on Google, was a top shelf service organization. They sold me excellent seats, second row center at a little cocktail table.
The tickets were not cheap.
Federica and I had a fabulous birthday celebration. I regret my prior, uninformed opinion on the extremely talented Celine Dion. This very professional, hard working and sincere artist performed one of the most enjoyable concerts I have ever attended. She ended her performance with “My Heart Will Go On”. By then Celine had won me over, I loved her show.
This remains my most expensive date ever.
Today, while we are no longer romantically attached, Federica and I remain close friends.
Old guys can be okay.
