Chris and I actually met about ten years ago — though we’d probably been in the same rooms (bars) many times before then. We were both running around Mt. Adams in our early 20s and knew a lot of the same people. Oddly enough, we didn’t really cross paths until Jenny Mongelluzzo and Steve Shepherd’s wedding. Jenny sat us next to each other at their engagement party with the intention of setting us up. Chris was too shy (his words) to start a conversation but found me “intriguing and attractive” (also his words). A big what if moment. Later, I was supposed to attend a Friendsgiving where Chris was hoping we’d finally get to know each other, but I couldn’t make it because I was already committed to another event. Fast forward a whole decade later — we both ended up at Jenny and Steve’s son Johnny’s first birthday party, and we finally hit it off. We bonded over our shared appreciation for distilled spirits, especially Chris’s newfound love for mezcal. I told him I knew the best mezcal bar in the greater Cincinnati area and insisted he call me sometime so we could go together. Shooters shoot. Anyway, I was busy again for a few weeks (it was the holidays, after all), but we finally made it happen — our first date at Frida in Covington, Kentucky, the Tuesday before Christmas. That first date was ten years in the making, but it was definitely worth the wait. Christos and Stiliya 4Eva.