Let's just say Eli knew who Gabrielle was before she knew who he was - thanks, social media. In a not-so-creepy at all season of him carrying a sweet lil crush on her and trying to find out as much info as he could about her, he realized that they have a mutual friend - Tracy. Tracy was his in. Gabrielle teaches yoga, and Tracy is one of her faithful students. Bit by bit, week after week, Tracy started dropping hints after class about her cute, single friend Eli. Fast forward a few months to Halloween. That Halloween, Gab & her sister threw a banger of a Halloween party; one that Tracy and her husband Brandon attended. (Stay with me now...) Unbeknownst to Gab, Brandon is Eli's best friend. During an unhinged game of flippy cup, Brandon gets a phone call. (We later find out Brandon told Eli to call 😂) Brandon answers the call & proceeds to chat LOUDLY with the audacious caller, scooting closer to Gabrielle in the process and making devious, suspicious eye contact with her the entire time. "Oh hey ELI, yeah I'm at GABBY'S at a Halloween Party. Oh you're about to be in town? Well I'm at this Halloween Party right now, it's kind of invite-only." *continues to look at Gab the entire time, begging her with his eyes to invite Eli over* Gabrielle tells Brandon to invite Eli to the Halloween party. It was a perfect "break the ice" scenario - liquid courage was already flowing, music playing, friends laughing, the energy was just electric. It left little room to be awkward meeting for the first time in an environment like that. They both remember the night fondly. The next day, he DM'd her on Instagram and asked for her number. Then he asked her on a double date with Brandon & Tracy. They went to dinner and a barcade on that first date, and, spoiler alert, barcades are totally their thing now. They fell right into step with each other as if they'd known each other for much, much longer than they truly had. That same week, they went on THREE more dates. That same month, each went to the other's family Thanksgiving. Less than four weeks after meeting each other for the first time, they dropped the "L" bomb & Eli asked Gabrielle to go steady with him. They've been best friends ever since. - (Wanna know the cherry on top? Gabrielle is obsessed with Christmas, like, annoyingly obsessed. Eli proposed to her on Christmas surrounded by her family ❤️)