sean and narcissus

 Today my friend Sophia and I went for a late lunch at The West Hollywood Gay and Lesbian Community Center, aka The Abbey. Halfway through our entry-lap Sophia grabs my arm and whispers in my ear, “Sean, Elizabeth… Elizabeth Taylor.” Major heart-stoppage. (Me, not Elizabeth Taylor).

So, after a few more totally inconspicuous pass-bys we settled down at a prime Liz-viewing table for lunch. We pretty much ate in silence, breaking it every so often with an “oh my God” and “yeah, i know” and indulging in guilt-full peeks whenever we we wern’t texting everyone we know and could come up with the slightest pretense of looking her way.

Yeah, we’re pretty cool.

She looked amazing, and, despite being confined to her chair, seemed to be having a very good time. Actually, considering that she was out cocktailing with her gays mid-afternoon, confined might not be the best word to describe this lady.

As Elizabeth and her entourage began to leave, madness broke out as the news of Her Presence rippled through the lunching gays who had failed to take a celebrity-spotting lap as Sophia and I had. For most, courtesy and self-respect were quickly gotten over by the prospect of having a blury shot of one of their major living idols on their cell-phone.

About a dozen paparazzi swarmed Elizabeth and her entourage as the wrought iron gates of the club (which had been shuttered to keep them out) swung open. The five or so feet between the entrance of the club and the backseat of the waiting Maybach coach took about 5 minutes to cover. Evading paparazzi = not so easy for the wheelchair-bound. Watch out, Itzhak Perlman. She seemed not to mind much though, she was smiling and waving and even did a pass-by for them, waving from the backseat of her car. Seventy-six and still working the photographers, damn, that lady is a pro.

Post-departure, a star-stunned hostess revealed that Liz’s liquid-lunching entourage included her personal assistant, driver, body-gaurd, and veterinarian. Beat that, Sean Combs.

- Sean Leffers