His Perspective- Don't underestimate where you can find love cause love can be found everywhere .... even in a lobby hotel bar!! Let me explain, I flew to Newark for a business trip with my former coworker,Cassie, probably one of these boring business trip that some of you had experienced. 2 days later, the meeting is over , and Cassie asked me if she can invite her lovely cousin who lived in New York City and somehow convinced her to join us for a drink at the hotel lobby bar, one of the most mediocre and irrelevant place in the world until that day. I said to Cassie: "Why not?” Totally interested as you can imagine! One hour pass and here it is: I saw her walking to the lobby bar, and suddenly I couldn't notice the mediocrity of that place but only her gorgeous smile and stunning red lip stick. I had in front of me the most beautiful person that I have seen in my life. Long story short: we ended in Manhattan, dancing in a club when someone stopped us and told us that she saw the spark between us, it was more of an inferno in my mind. We enjoyed our French Martini drinks all night long and I didn't want that night to end. Two weeks later, I decided to see her again in NY, and we had our 1st official date in Brooklyn but this time in a beautiful setting. I grabbed a postcard on the impromptu and discretely slid a note that I grab from the restaurant (the type of improvisation skill that I am really good at ....see the proposal chapter!!) without knowing that this card will be framed in our nest years later. I can't thank enough the Groove R&B lounge in Manhattan, Grey Goose with Chambord and pineapple, The Hilton Penn, irrelevant station Newark and .... more importantly Cassie for helping me to meet one of the most loving, caring, intelligent and beautiful person in my life: Courtney!!

Her Perspective- As a little girl I always dreamed about getting married, for my Prince Charming to ask that special question “will you marry me?” I’ve been fantasizing about that moment with Rachid from the start. Every trip I would pack “the outfit” just in case the time would come and he would ask, however each time I thought it was the moment it was just him being romantic.. fancy dinner, beautiful hike (yes, I bought a hiking proposal outfit). When 2018 came, I was anxious, I wanted to marry him & begin the rest of our lives together. He made me a promise, by the end of the year we would be engaged. As you know, Rachid takes his time with things. He is late to everything. Now that you have the background, here is the day in my eyes. It's New Years Eve, I wake up and he is gone. He tells me he is running errands, so I begin to go around the house and put stuff away, for example: he had a wine bottle in a backpack with some bread and cheese.. why in a backpack? When he did show up at home, he informed me that his former boss is in town and that we would be joining her and her family for lunch. And all I am thinking is "Great. It’s not happening this year, perpetually late" Therefore, at lunch I had 3 sangria's to ease my pain of being a forever bridesmaid, never a bride. After our lunch, he let me know that we were to go to Home Depot to purchase some items for the new place... I was unimpressed. Now, Rachid is a very safe driver, usually at least 5 miles under the speed limit, but this day he was driving like a mad man to "Home Depot" Before getting there, he stopped at this beach and said he would be back. So I'm waiting by the car and then, I see it. This beach umbrella of his I tried to get rid of rolls across my view. So I followed where I thought it came from, there he was playing my favorite song with a blanket and a bottle of champagne. He asked me to dance with him, while the sun set and when the song finished, he asked me to marry him. #elleaditouidja