A pair of Jacks

Is it ever okay to introduce a partner on the first date?

Allow me to introduce Mr. Jack, a man in his mid-forties who exudes wit with a touch of class. When he looks at you, you can genuinely feel his investment in listening to you. You might assume I'm describing the man I was meant to meet for a date, but in fact, I'm talking about Mr. Conrad's business partner, Jack. It seems Jacks often come in pairs, but this time, it wasn't a winning hand.

It all started with the initial set up of a first date, we agreed to meet at the Conrad Hotel's members lounge, where he was staying (hence his alias). As I stepped out of the elevator, I was greeted by a tall, tan man with a masculine nose—not a bad start to the date. However, as we walked, he suddenly flipped the cards on me by saying, "You're going to meet my partner soon." I laughed, assuming it was a joke, but lo and behold, his business partner (both worked in finance) was sitting at the table with a bottle of champagne. The twist? I found myself more attracted to Jack than Conrad.

"Seems like I lost the game, even though I had a flush"

During drinks, the two of them kept cracking inside jokes, which made them seem like a pair of jack-asses. But as we moved to dinner, Jack surprised me with his deep appreciation and knowledge of the culinary arts ( A man who knows his way around the kitchen—so sexy). For instance, when I mentioned I liked one of the desserts, he informed me it was called a Canelé, traditionally made in a specific region of France as a byproduct of wine production, using food-grade beeswax. His way of trying to bring me into the conversation even though I was in foreign territory left me wondering whether Jack was a jack-of-all-trades or just a jackass, but one thing was certain: he made me flush.

However, Mr. Conrad isn't too bad either. As I got to know him better, I discovered he's generous, educated, and has a dash of charm. Since our initial meeting, I've remained really good friends with Mr. Conrad (if you catch my drift), and he often invites me to group dinners with his friends and clients when he's in town. Sometimes, I get really lucky because a Jack shows up in the deck.