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The generation gap becomes unbridgeable when the White Animals start playing serious rock in another part of the club. The White Animals are Mimi's favorite band, and she had them flown in from Nashville for the occasion. She and her escort, Dayton Macatee, 23, are dancing up a storm. That Mimi and Dayton get along so well is no surprise; they're both well-bred, well-off young Texans. Keep in mind, though, that Mimi had nothing to do with the selection of Dayton as her escort. In feudal fashion, Idlewild made the match, based on criteria known only to the club. All the other couples were paired by Ann Draper, a professional social secretary. This matchmaking ritual began as a convenience decades ago and still seems to bring shining results. Says Kyle England: "I haven't had a bad date yet."
No one turns into a pumpkin at midnight. The guests are too busy devouring an early breakfast and gyrating to the White Animals. By state law, the booze has to stop flowing at 2. It does, and Fitch calls it a night. But the White Animals continue, and so do the revelers. At 4 a.m., the remaining stalwarts head off to various homes for a nightcap. For Mimi, it has been a "very quick fairy tale." She has even less time to savor it. At 11:30, there will be a luncheon in her honor.
—By Sam Allis