THE FIRST TWO YEARS TOGETHER
After the exceptionally exciting and fun first meeting at Karens 21st in 1996, with a few immediate attempts to get to see Jackie again, the opportunity was lost as both her and I, leading seperate lives were unable to get a second meeting for another 24 months....eventually getting together on the 15th June 1998...
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I will talk more about who, when, why we got together in mid 1998, but for now I will quickly mention that I VERY NEARLY blew my chance to ever connect with Jax again....one fateful (very late or early depending on how you interpret the evening at BARNEYS PUB..) January evening in 1998.
BARNEYS BLUNDER
It is probably not fair to bring Rob Baigrie into this story but....as he was to become the best man at our wedding, I only see it fitting to include him in my exceptionally awkward second meeting with Jackie.
Needless to say, Rob and I were enjoying a few (too many) pints at Barneys in Newlands when, out of nowhere my Cinderella walks up to our table to greet me - roughly 18 months after we broke plates together.
LOOKING SERIOUSLY GORGEOUS, I was stunned at my luck....BUT....I, alas, with a few too many pints in my system already, I had no idea who she was when Rob asked me to introduce her to him. Ummm....this is....SILENCE....
I think one of the most embarassing part of this story was the fact that she was actually employed at the time as my fathers personal assistant ! Like a true lady, she politely excused herself and left !
Many years later, she revealed how hurt she was that I had completely forgotten who she was...
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OUR FIRST KISS....15 June 1998
Please allow me to simply set the scene first before I hand over to Jackie to describe our first official date.
WHY YOU MAY ASK ?
Well quite simply, our stories differ and I think I have convinced myself that mine is true....or maybe I have subconsciously wished for my story to be the real story.
SETTING THE SCENE....in June 1998, Jackie remained employed as my fathers P.A. and with my mother also working in my fathers company, she had regular lunch time chats with my mom at the office.
Then the news came out that my sister and her boyfriend were coming to Cape Town (from PE) for the weekend and because I was not dating anyone at the time, and because Kitty asked me (AND A DATE) to join them for a night on the town one Saturday evening, my mom knew that I was single - much like Jackie was.
So my mom got hold of me and insisted that I call Jackie to invite her out....mmm.....mom playing matchmaker ?
No problem...and remembering my major blunder at Barneys not 6 months earlier, I called Jackie up at work and my invite to her was very simple - an offer she couldnt refuse...literally as my words to her were the following :
''Hi. Its Anthony and you cant say no !''
Well, she didnt say no and I think the evening went very nicely UNTIL....I ran out of petrol !
SERIOUSLY !
While I think Jackie knew this was NOT an attempt at achieving anything at all, what little re-ignited sparks there may have been were undoubedly extinguished for the time being.
First official date : NOT GREAT
The second part to this story happened a week (or maybe two...I cant remember) later, when I got a call from Jackie that went like this :
''Hi. Its Jackie. You owe me - pick my me up at 7pm.
TO READ HER STORY OF THE NIGHT WE GOT TOGETHER, WATCH THIS SPACE...
