It was all a dream...

We met during happy hour at a restaurant in St. Pete called the Iberian Rooster. By the end of the date, I couldn't decide if Matt was a surfer, a jock-type, or a confused frat boy. . . . As I waved goodbye from my purple monster truck, I didn't understand why Danielle wouldn't accept my offer to drive her home. I thought I was being a gentleman. But I also thought it was cool that she rode her bike to our first date. Our second date was to the Riverside Reef & Grill. I loved the waterside dining, but I was most impressed with Matt's enthusiasm for cooking and trying new things. Our third date was at the De Soto Seafood Festival, where he introduced me to smoked mullet dip, a local special, and I was hooked! We eventually made it to Owen's Fish Camp in Sarasota a few dates later. I was impressed to see this chick from New Jersey order catfish and get down to some backyard blues band.

I really wanted this fun, blue-eyed, blond Florida boy who enjoyed so many cool things to really like me . . . but he was so hard to read! (I later found out it's not just me!) Then Matt took me to Peggy's, a local biker bar that made me feel like I was back at home in Tuckerton! He made eye contact, smiled confidently, and landed that first real kiss that sealed the deal! When I told my friends I took her to Peggy's, they could not believe it. Even they were scared to go in there. But she had fun! They don't know what they're missing. . . .

I wanted to propose before moving in together, so I called Steve ahead of time. Danielle's parents were married for forty years before her mother passed away. Her engagement ring not only represented her parents' devoted love but also functioned as Danielle's "backup to avoid marrying an idiot." Steve granted me approval over the phone quickly, but it still took about six months to exchange the ring. . . . At the end of January, we went on a surprise trip to Boston via a company called Pack Up & Go. We had an awesome time and even fit in a quick visit with Matt's cousin Mary. We walked around and explored for a few days, but Boston was a bit cold for us Floridians. . . . Anytime I thought, "Maybe I could propose . . ." we were both wrapped in hats, gloves, and scarves. I just kept waiting for the right moment to take her by surprise. It wasn't until we had landed back in Tampa and were packing up the car that I finally thought I'd make my move. . . . I was just about in my seat when I heard, "Hey, can you do me a favor, Babe?" Figuring he needed help moving some bags, I turned my head toward his voice and got out of the car. He wasn't over where his voice had come from. I was confused for a split second. But then my eyes found my boyfriend just beside me, down on one knee, holding open a familiar blue box with my mother's ring inside. . . . She screamed a little bit and smiled a lot and finally said, "Yes, yes!" But I just sort of smiled at her and didn't move because I'd just told this woman that I couldn't imagine my life without her. So I grabbed the ring and put it on and hugged him and kissed him and we both smiled ear to ear. Once we finally got into the car, we kept laughing and calling each other fiancé, and started making obligatory phone calls.