Running Into Regis.

Never know who you’ll see in the ladies room.

Or just outside.
I’m not a Beverly Hills girl.

But we happened to be there for dinner.

By we I mean a loud crowd of friends.

We’d been at an event with booze and no food.

We were in need of pasta.
I walked out of the ladies room at La Scala…

And there he was.
By he…

I mean the guy coming out of the men’s room.

We literally bumped into each other.

Like in a movie where people meet cute.
I said “Regis?”

I said it as a question because I was incredulous.

How often do you see an icon in the loo?

Maybe I just need to go to Beverly Hills more.
Regis yelled (Regis always yells) “Young Lucey!”
Yes, that’s what he called me.

Yes, I was young once.
I worked with Regis when I was a kid.

I kid you not.

It was my second job in TV.

My first job was as a reporter in Scranton PA.

Inexplicably my second job was in NYC.
Although Scranton wasn’t exactly glam (the newsroom was n a trailer) I got a call to audition for a show called NY Style.

Regis was the host.

Because I had no chance of getting the gig…during the audition I gave not one fuck.

Regis was hilarious.

And very kind to the rube he named “Young Lucey.”

The producers took me out to dinner.

A very serious Senior Producer asked me if I was sophisticated enough to work in NYC.

Hey…I’m from NY.

Long Island…But still.

At that moment the waiter asked what I wanted to drink.

Trying to think of a sophisticated drink I said “Bourbon and ginger.”

The producer shook her head and said…guess not.

And yet (inexplicably) they hired me.
The moment they called I was walking into my apartment in PA.

I had my hands full of bad takeout Chinese.

I grabbed the phone.

That same Senior producer said “You’re hired.”

I collapsed on my bed.

And started making calls.
I called my then boyfriend who was a reporter in Pittsburgh (this was before I dated my husband…so I was young).

I called my parents.

I called everyone I knew.

My boyfriend flew to Scranton to surprise me.

When he got there I was still sitting on the bed, calling friends and eating cold Chinese.
I moved to NYC in a NY minute.

The girl who had been so confident in the audition was petrified.
But Regis and Vitamin W (wine) helped.
We did the show together for a year.

I swear it’s the only thing Regis did that wasn’t a hit.

And Young Lucey grew up in the business.

I worked as a reporter at WABC, did sports for NBC, and eventually moved to LA.
Which brings us back to the bathroom in Beverly Hills.

I was thrilled to see Reege.

He had been an occasional guest on Good Day LA.

But I hadn’t seen him in years.

I saw Joy across the restaurant.

For a moment she thought I was Kathie Lee.

All those co-hosts look alike.
We laughed.

Regis yelled some more.
He told the entire restaurant that he knew me when I was hot.

The husband of one of my friends always jokes says I must have been hot 20 years ago.

Regis was yelling “I can verify this. I knew her when she was hot.”
I’m a lot older and somewhat wiser than Young Lucey.

But if you don’t look too closely I’m still the same girl.
And Regis is timeless.
We laughed more.

He yelled more.

He was impressed that Steve Edwards was still on TV.

Steve and Reege have been two of my favorite TV husbands.
After disturbing the dinner of everyone in La Scala…

We hugged and said goodbye.
I just adore my Regis.
And have never been happier to see anyone by the bathroom.