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Over the years I've had to get used to the fact that when I go places with Maggie, guys just can't help themselves: They're going to look at her. This fact was reinforced last January when we were in Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show. One night we had booked reservations for dinner at Delmonico's, a steak house at The Venetian. Dinner was excellent and we were lucky that the place wasn't crowded given that it was CES week. The only crowded table was one round table in the corner to my right as we ate. Out of nowhere I caught the sight of Steven Tyler flashing through the place, and before I could even say anything to Maggie, he was gone behind a door in the back. I knew he was in town, and had seen him earlier in the day on stage during the keynote address given by Craig Barrett, the CEO of Intel. Tyler coaxed Barrett to try and keep up with him on "Walk This Way" as part of his presentation. Intel had also hired Tyler to play their CES party that night, which was taking place somewhere inside The Venetian. I figured he was on his way there and using some back-way entrance to get there. It turned out he was just using the restroom and a minute or two later sat down at that crowded round table.

We ate, had dessert and then I called for the check. Maggie stood up to go to the ladies room and walked away from the table. She was quite a sight, as usual, wearing a mini-skirt and boots and strode across the room with her usual confidence, a visual tempest. Tyler not only noticed, but made no attempt to be subtle about the fact that he was watching her.

I of course had expected this, and instead of watching her, watched him, watching her. As she disappeared from his view he looked back over at me, caught me looking at him, grinned and nodded, not sheepishly but with understanding, and a bit of envy on his part. I grinned and nodded back in acknowledgement, and in appreciation, and considered myself the luckiest guy on the planet.

Posted 5/14/2005 07:45:00 PM

She Just Walks That Way