Chris Laurita Shares How He and Jacqueline *Really* Met

Teresa Giudice had a lot to say about Jacqueline Laurita during this season's Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion. For instance, she said Jacqueline had once been a stripper, which Jacqueline denied. When Jacqueline's husband Chris Laurita joined the cast during Sunday night's Part 2 of the reunion, he said that his wife was not a stripper when they met. Rather, the two met at a trade show in Chicago. 

After we heard that, we were of course curious to know about that fateful moment that would eventually lead to more than 15 years of marriage — and counting! — for Chris and Jacqueline. Chris told Bravotv.com that he was working with three of his brothers in the apparel industry at the time he attended that trade show in Chicago. As he walked the show floor with his brother, they came across a booth where his brother recognized one of the models. "We started talking to them. I was just sitting there, really kind of minding my own business, looking at the clothes, samples and all that, and Jacqueline was there," Chris explained. "I was like, 'Oh, she's cute.' We walked away after talking to them, and I really didn't say much to Jacqueline other than just hello."

They walked away, but Chris said he wanted to get to know Jacqueline more, and he and his brother decided to invite them all out to dinner that night. Jacqueline declined at first, but then finally agreed to join them. "In all honesty, I sat next to Jacqueline, and we started talking. And the second I got there until the second we left, which was hours later, we didn't stop talking for a second. We were just talking about everything," he gushed. "I've never had that before where I was able to sit down with someone and just have non-stop conversation and truly enjoy it. I really was interested in what she had to say. I was interested in everything. And she seemed like she was interested in what I had to say." 

The two parted ways after dinner, but Chris gave Jacqueline his business card in the hopes that the two could keep in touch. "A couple days later, she called and said, 'Oh, I just wanted to make sure you got home OK. It was really nice to meet you.' I said, 'Oh, it was great meeting you. Let's stay in touch,'" Chris said. "We developed a long-distance relationship. And we would talk on the phone for hours and hours and hours. I would visit her every other week [in Henderson, Nevada]. I would fly out there and go see her. The relationship just built from there." 

And yes, it was love at first sight for the RHONJ couple. "I swear I never had a connection like that with anyone," Chris said. "I was attracted to her on every level." 

Now Chris and Jacqueline have been happily married for more than 15 years, have two kids together (C.J., 14, and Nicholas, 10), and they just welcomed their grandson Cameron Hendrix Malleo to the family after Jacqueline's daughter and Chris' step-daughter Ashlee Holmes gave birth to her first child in August. 

Get to know more about Jacqueline's pre-RHONJ life by checking out the pics, below.