Chip and Joanna Gaines Share Hilarious First Date Story in New Sneak Peek of The Magnolia Story

Chip and Joanna Gaines are the definition of marriage goals, but their relationship didn’t necessarily have a fairytale start.

In the first chapter of The Magnolia Story, released as a sneak peek today, the Fixer Upper dream team spills the details of how they met — and it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.

Joanna agreed to go out on a date with Chip after meeting him and his roommate “Hot John” — who she actually tried to approach minutes earlier, but was too shy — in the waiting room of her dad’s auto shop. She had second thoughts, however, after Chip arrived an hour and a half late to pick her up.

“He didn’t apologize for being late, either. He had so much confidence. I don’t know. I can’t explain it. Only Chip could be an hour and a half late and have no one mad about it,” Joanna writes.

The chapter continues to describe the timeline of their relationship, which didn’t actually start until months after they first went out, when Chip (in typical guy fashion) finally called Joanna back.

“I’d made a bet with Hot John to see who could hold out the longest before calling our dates back,” Chip writes “I really wanted that fifty dollars from John! That’s the only reason I didn’t call.”

After they went out a second time, the rest was history.

For the full access to the details on their meet-cute, relatable dating moments, and how they got their start on HGTV (hint: it involves a very expensive impulse buy), preorder the The Magnolia Story here.

— Megan Stein, @meganstein2013