Mark had a fun, inviting bio about keg parties and bonfires back in the ’80s (surprise, surprise)...little did he know that was right up her alley, so of course she was intrigued. After some messaging back and forth, they agreed to a "meet up" (Debbie's word). Both assumed it would probably be a total waste of time. Debbie assumed Mark would show up wearing socks with sandals and be unemployed, and Mark assumed Debbie would probably end up being more fit for a straitjacket than a girlfriend. They met for the first time at Drake’s in Franklin, where Debbie ordered an Old Fashioned — and just like that, Mark thought, "this could be my people". Far from being a whack-a-doodle, Mark found Debbie stunningly beautiful, articulate, and intriguing. And much to Debbie's surprise, Mark was well-dressed, having just come from work, being gainfully employed, really listened to Debbie, easy to talk to and very handsome. After their first date, texting slowed down for a few weeks due to life getting busy and Mark assumed Debbie wasn’t interested, so he sent her a text saying he really enjoyed meeting her, wished her well and said he was going to kick rocks down the road… until Debbie made it very clear: “Hold on there — you’re taking me out again.” The rest is history.