Jan and Peter in a shot taken by Stan Kirsch!

By Jan Lopreste

 The Adrian Paul Poster Moment

There was to be a new poster of Adrian revealed at Syndicon ‘97, and a raffle to win a personalized copy of it. Proceeds from the $1.00 tickets were to go to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. On a whim, I bought two chances to win and promptly forgot about the drawing until Saturday afternoon, when I suddenly
remembered you had to be *present* to win! I ran up to the Dealer's Room and squished my way into the fray of bodies surrounding the PEACE table. All around me were ladies holding tons of tickets! I had two.

Adrian hopped up *on* the table to address the crowd. If I have failed to this point to describe how he was dressed, let me mention that now. He wore a black tank top, and black jeans that could well have been spray-painted on. His hair was short, and he was sporting a mustache and goatee. He looked incredible, much thinner due to his recent weight loss, and was a complete
ball of endless energy. 

He picked up the bucket containing the tickets, looked into it and said to the crowd, "Wow....there are a LOT of tickets in here!    Ya know, I *was* only gonna draw three but I think I will do more than that. Is that ok with you?" 

::::Devilish grin from AP::::: 

The crowd, of course, squealed its approval. As I mentioned, you had to be present to win, so that Adrian could personalize the poster for you. Tickets were called, and winners either filtered forward or the number was discarded when no one
answered. I stood waiting, never truly believing that I would win, until it happened. He called a number, and it matched one of mine!!!

I made my way up to the table, sporting the STAFF badge that I had worn all morning at the autograph session. Upon seeing me approach Adrian said, "Hey, I know you!" then, with that cocky little side-to-side head bobbing thing that he does (which, btw, absolutely melts this writer!) he said, 

"I guess STAFF has its privileges!" I confessed that I felt bad that I had won, and that perhaps it wasn't right. He asked why I said that, and I told him about the hoards of women out there with numerous tickets ~ some holding 50 to 60 of them ~ and that I had only bought two. 

He smiled and said that he was really glad that I had won, and that I should not in any way feel guilty. Then he did something that I will never forget as long as I live. He was going to personalize the poster, you see, and we had been introduced earlier
(had been within eyesight of one another practically all morning, in fact) but he apologized and said ~ in that thick, relaxed accent of his ~ "I'm sorry, baby....what's your name again?" With the question, he bent sideways at the waist, cocking his head in an attempt to read the name tag hanging on end around my neck. Talk about a *THUD* moment. 

I looked at him rather blankly, and said in what had to have been a blithering voice, "I have *NO* idea!" This caused him to laugh out loud and grin heartily. I went on to confess that I was, for the moment, in pure "fan-mode", and he said that he totally understood. I picked up my name tag, read it and quipped, "Oh,
that's right! My name is Jan!!" 

More grins from AP. He then wrote, in blue ink, "To Jan ~ Hope you enjoy this! Peace ~ Adrian Paul" He handed the poster to me, and I tried to roll it up but my hands were shaking uncontrollably. I was appalled at my behavior. I was supposed to be professional around this man!! He finally reached out and said, "Here, let
me do that for you." I thanked him breathlessly. I turned to leave and he said

 "See you later? Downstairs?" I nodded that I would be at the autograph session again in just a bit. The final show of his mischievousness came when I brought Nick to the autograph table that afternoon (see Con Report #2 for those stories) and Adrian smiled, winked, and quipped "Hi there! Remember your name yet?" I laughed and called him a brat, which he graciously
acknowledged.

All in all, my memories of my first time meeting and interacting with Adrian Paul were to be cherished as few things in my life were at that time. He's so warm and witty and completely at ease with his fans..... and he understands when even the most "professional" of women occasionally turns into a blithering idiot in his presence. 

Thanks, Adrian, for being wonderful and witty and chivalrous and charming and............YOU! 

Peace! :-)

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