my roommate in the Miss USA pageant. She was living in Memphis. And she and I went to the theater and were introduced to him properly. Larry King: Just hello, this is... Linda Thompson: Hello, this is Miss Tennessee. Hello, honey, where have you been all my life. Larry King: Did he come on like that? Linda Thompson: Oh, yes. Well, in the beginning, you know, he was a little smitten, you know, physically. Larry King: Was he married at the time? Linda Thompson: No, he wasn't. I met him July 6, 1972 and he had been separated since January. But I didn't know. It hadn't been released to the press. So I was pretty standoffish, because, you know, I was a good Southern Baptist girl. Larry King: I know, but would you consider that a first date? Linda Thompson: I would consider that our first date, yes, because that's when we... Larry King: You sat next to him? Linda Thompson: He sat next to me. He came and sat next to me during -- he just got up during the film and came back and plopped down next to me. Linda Thompson and Elvis Presley. Larry King: You were sitting next to Miss Rhode Island? Linda Thompson: I was. Larry King: What did she say to you? Linda Thompson: She bruised my ribs. She kept poking me in the ribs with her elbow. And Elvis pulled the old yawn and stretched the arm over the back of the seat