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Become One
     
    Their first date was at the exclusive and romantic restaurant at the Inn at Little Washington in rural Washington, Virginia. Tareq was ready to impress his date by guiding her through the establishment’s extensive list of fine wines. Instead he learned that Michaele didn’t drink at all. She never developed a taste for it beyond her youthful partying, and at this point in her life alcohol was completely out of the question. Anyone suffering from multiple sclerosis can confirm that alcohol is never a good idea for someone with a chronic illness that can cause balance problems on a regular basis.
    Their second date was an unexpected, whirlwind trip to Paris, France for dinner. For a woman from an ordinary middle-class background, with her relationship experience limited to one broken long-term engagement and a sputtering affair with a rock star, Michaele was overwhelmed by Tareq Salahi’s debonair style and compelling charisma, the way that he focused all of his attention upon her whenever they were together.
    “I’d never been to Paris before. And to jet off—just for dinner, wow! I had to get back to work the next day so we flew right back, but it was amazing!”
    Tareq made it a habit to move quickly in both business and in his personal life. With Michaele, he wanted nothing more than for her to be his wife. For Christmas of 2000, he gave her his Grandmother’s diamond ring. “She told me to give this to the girl I loved,” he explained to Michaele—but at that moment, he stopped short of an actual marriage proposal.
    Less than two months later, in February of 2001, Tareq planned a ten day trip to Rio de Janeiro for himself and his new love. He picked her up at her parents’ house to go to the airport, but announced that they had to make a stop at Oasis Vineyards first.
    There, with the help of trusted Oasis employee Donna Johnson, Tareq had arranged for 360 red roses to be placed in a circle of vases on the tasting room floor. He lovingly led Michaele inside the circle, hugged her close and said, “Within this circle of 360 you complete me!” He then bundled her into a horse drawn carriage and took her up to a bluff overlooking the pond and the main house behind and said, “My father gave me this section of land. Someday I will build a house here.” Then he dropped to his knee and said, “I want to build that house with you—as my wife.” To toast their engagement Tareq presented her with an engraved champagne flute which read, “Michaele, will you marry me?”
    Michaele pulled him up, jumped into his arms and repeated her answer three times. “Yes. Yes. Yes!” Tareq made her feel like a modern day Cinderella! As the carriage took them back to the main winery building, a small plane flew overhead trailing a banner that read, “Michaele, will you marry me?” Then, they were off to Rio to celebrate their engagement.
    It was typical of Tareq not to even consider the fact that this woman might say no and all his planning for the 10 day trip would be for nothing.
    Naturally, Michaele told her mother all about the romantic proposal and her new love’s winery, his yacht, and the friendship he had with polo playing buddy Prince Charles. Through Tareq, Michaele had met the Prince in person. But Rosemary Holt warned her daughter that nothing this grand ever lasts. “It can’t be real,” she said over and over. She advised her daughter not to rush into anything, reminding her that she had only just gotten “disengaged” from Eddie. Rosemary was still stung by Michaele’s decision not to wait for him any longer. She longed for her daughter to settle down with the solid, feet-on-the-ground insurance salesman who could provide a life time of reliable health coverage for her ailing daughter.
    “Eddie was such a fine young man. I told Missy not to rush into anything,” Mrs. Holt says. “She needed to get well and figure out what she really wanted out of life.” Without saying so,