Nikie St. Giles - 2000

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Many famous and interesting people have had brushes with me that served to skyrocket their careers to new heights. If they hadn't met me, chances are you never would've heard of them. Sure, many of them were famous before they met me, but that's just how awesome I am: I can improve your career before you've even met me! 

I had no idea who Nikie St. Giles was when I met her, all I knew was that from the moment she walked up the ramp and onto my ship's quarterdeck, I was interested in her. A friend snapped a picture of us. As far as I know, I'm the only person who got a live picture with her that day because our XO wasn't very nice to her and made her leave.

Not long after winning her 1999 Penthouse Pet of the Year crown, Nikie St. Giles visited the Bataan while it was ported in New York City for Navy Day. I happened to be on duty on the quarterdeck when she and her small entourage came aboard. I didn’t really know who she was, but she seemed very nice, and was easily the prettiest girl I’d seen all day, and since I'm easily the nicest person she'd met all day, we got along well. As far as I know, I was the only person she took a picture with, because the mean old XO acted like a complete jerk, as if she thought Nikie was going to strip for the crew or something. Nope, she'd just volunteered to the USO, and they asked her to come aboard and sign some autographs.

I got to take her on a 5 minute tour of the ship, and then the XO made her leave. She did eventually get to come back and sign a few autographs and hand out a few (clothed) pictures of herself, but by the time she was allowed back on board, I had already picked up a visiting family and gave them the $200 tour for free. (It lasted about 2 hours, took them through most of the ship, and ended with lunch in the mess decks. Other people who got tours from other sailors only got to spend about 20 minutes and didn’t get a free Navy lunch.)

All I knew about her was that she was pretty and shy, but not overwhelmingly so. I didn’t even learn her full name or why she was there until a few hours later. That ten minutes we spent were fun; she was very alert and curious about the things I showed her, and cracked a couple nervous jokes, and laughed at mine. I wish I’d realized at the time she was into me! I’m sorry I didn’t get to take you all over the boat, Nikie; I know a girl as bright as you are would’ve appreciated it fully.

A few days later I learned she'd liked me enough to leave her number with one of my friends!

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