In the spring of 2023, fate brought Blake and Emily together at Bulldog Tap. Emily, a server at the bar, had seen her fair share of regulars, but Blake and his crew were different. Every Monday night, they’d gather on the patio for drinks to debrief the prior work week. With the slow pace of the evening, Emily often finished her shift early and joined in on the fun. As the weeks passed, Blake and Emily found themselves connecting over shared interests, such as Shania Twain and swing dancing, making Monday nights something to look forward to. Blake, sensing a spark, took a chance and invited Emily out for gelato at Kone’s Kreamery. The date went smoothly, and before long, they were planning a second outing. This time, it was a "ride-along" where Emily joined Blake for a shift at his job. In hindsight, perhaps it was not the best plan for a second date, as it proved difficult to flirt and act professional at the same time. Despite having a fun time together, Blake and Emily were still hesitant about how the other one felt. Emily was fairly convinced that Blake wasn’t interested and Blake insisted that there was, in fact, “no chemistry”. Both of them played it cool, adamant that they should just remain friends. As months passed, they began to grow closer in their friendship without the added pressure of dating. Later that summer, at a mutual friend’s wedding, Emily and Blake were chatting about their earlier dating adventures. To their surprise, they found out that they had both misunderstood how the other actually felt and needed some clarity! The next day they got together for coffee. Soon enough, coffee turned into lunch… which turned into dinner… which only ended when they both agreed that their friends might start to worry! They spent the day talking through their feelings, hopes, and intentions and by the end decided to take the plunge and start dating for real. The story took a magical turn on September 8th, 2024, when Blake, standing with Emily on the peaceful dock, dropped to one knee and asked the question they both had been waiting to hear. Emily, with a heart full of love, said yes! Sincerely, Blake and Emily