A First Date Marriage Proposal!

Never did I think that appearing on a reality show would change the course of my life. At first I was quite apprehensive about the whole situation, but after thoroughly reviewing the pros and cons, and with the persuasion of my friends, I decided to do it. What did I have to lose? On one hand, I am a successful and respectable businessman in my community and maintaining a good reputation is vital. On the other hand, by appearing on the show I could meet the woman of my dreams, or if not that, at least make a few good friends and business contacts along the way.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that both the former and latter were true, but most importantly the former! Patti and her assistant Chelsea were successful in finding my perfect match. They both had actually chosen Cidney for me before I even met her. After the group date at the Hollywood Hotel and deciding to take Cidney out on a date, I returned to my hometown Las Vegas, where Cidney met me later the next day. Cidney and I got to know each other over dinner at Tao Restaurant at the Venetian Hotel and Casino, one of the most romantic hotels and restaurants in Las Vegas. We figured out that although I like white wine and she prefers red, we both like our food well-done. Also, we realized that we had similar values, beliefs and life goals.

After dinner, I took Cidney on a surprise helicopter ride. It was a first for both of us. Admittedly, I am scared of heights as Cidney told me she was too, but once in the air, the view of the strip was breathtaking. I pointed everything out to her as we flew over the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas. Being in the real estate business, it is truly remarkable to observe the development of this oasis in the desert. I wanted to show Cidney this transformation of a gambling outpost into a thriving metropolis which I had studied in depth when I was writing my book Manhattanizing Las Vegas.

After the helicopter ride, I had planned to take her for a glass of wine at my condo at Turnberry Towers overlooking the lights of the city. We had a nice bottle of wine, of course her preference red, and just as the evening was about to come to a close, I decided to do the most spontaneous thing I have ever done in my life -- and I am not usually a spontaneous person. But the meeting was serendipitous and the date was magical, so I asked Cidney if she would marry me! Yes, after our first date, and she said yes, with the understanding that we would first need to get to know one another better. It's hard to describe in this blog why I did it, but if you see the episode you will see that there were many signs throughout the date that we were going to be a perfect match. It was love at first sight or more precisely, "at first date!"