So, Ben & Laurie met at a bar. But it wasn't your typical bar hook-up story. Laurie's coworker had never had the token Tweety Burger from Charlie's & Laurie & the rest of the office thought that should be remedied. They were going to Charlie's for lunch one afternoon in June 2020 & Laurie went ahead of the group to secure a table. While waiting for the rest of her party to arrive, Laurie stood outside when she noticed her old co-worker, Deidra Oxendine fast approaching. While joyfully greeting Deidra, whom she hadn't seen in years, Laurie was oblivious to the hunk who couldn't take his eyes off of her. Once inside, the hunk-a-muffin also known as Ben Allison, inquired about the person that Deidra had just spoken with. When he was informed that she was a friend, Ben commented that he thought the girl was "cute"! In contrast to her usual M. O. when it came to this sort of thing, Deidra proceeded to message Laurie to ask if she was single. When Laurie responded that she most definitely was, Deidra informed her that her coworker thought she was the hottest thing since jalapenos & sent a photo of Ben that almost overheated Laurie's phone. Being the go-getter that she is, Laurie immediately jumped up from the table & ran out to introduce herself to this Ben fellow. She also gave permission to Deidra to give Ben her digits. Well, Ben wasted no time. He called Laurie that evening & said that he couldn't live without her & the rest is history...

So, after Laurie gave Deidra permission to give Ben here number, Ben wasted no time in calling her that night. After a brief initial convo, Ben left it that if Laurie would want to call or text him, that would be great. Laurie took that to heart &, after a date the next night during which all she could think about was how much she wanted to get home & call that Ben guy, Laurie did in fact return home & call that Ben guy. They chatted while Ben watered his garden & they both got to know a little bit more about one another. It wasn't until the next night that Ben finally got around to asking Laurie out on a date. Ben said Mexican, Laurie said La Isla, & the two made plans to sit down & get to know one another. Now, Laurie says that she knew from the first date that Ben would last longer than just a date or two. How did she know this, you ask? Well, the initial phone call helped. Ben hold told Laurie that he wasn't a texter but wanted to contact her through a phone call initially. That was more than most guys had done for her & intrigued her. But the real determinant came when she caught sight of Ben walking into La Isla while waiting for him. Yes, she had met him briefly at Charlie's a few days prior, however, he had a hat on & she couldn't see all of his face. That all changed on their first date. Laurie saw his profile as he walked into the restaurant & straightened her posture & made sure to make a great first impression because HE LOOKED GOOD! They also had great conversation throughout the date; there wasn't any lag & when Ben asked what they should do after dinner, he informed Laurie that he had been looking up things to do in Terre Haute. Um, hello, why wouldn't she enter the fast track to making this guy into a permanent fixture in her life? Then she saw his ride & knew that Jeeps were in her future. They met up again at Ritter's Frozen Custard & finished the date with some yummy ice cream & another opportunity for some great conversation. Let's just say that Laurie was HOOKED!

By September 2020, Ben & Laurie were pretty much an item. They typically chose Friday or Saturday night as a date night & on one particular Friday night, they chose to go rock climbing. After Laurie climbed the crap out of those rocks (Ben may say otherwise but he's not typing this story, is he?) Afterward, they did what any health conscious couple would do & went to Taco Bell. Well, Ben has a penchant for tacos & Laurie loves nachos, so they each got their own party pack. Ben had received his & was waiting for Laurie to get hers, however, even after Laurie received her nacho party pack, she was still standing as though she was waiting for something. Finally, the server handed her a bean burrito. That's right. Laurie had ordered an entire party pack of nachos & a bean & cheese burrito. When asked why the party pack wasn't enough to satiate her hunger, Laurie simply replied, "BECAUSE I LIKE BEAN BURRITOS!" Ben still razes Laurie about it today &, if given the opportunity, she would do the same thing today. #beanburritosarelife

'Twas the middle of September in 2020 & Ben had not officially asked Laurie to be his girlfriend. Sure, they talked on the phone almost every night, had been going on dates every weekend since the middle of June, & had met each other's family, but Laurie needed to know if this was legit! So, while making dinner together one night, Laurie just asked him what they were. Ben said that they were boyfriend & girlfriend & that was enough for Laurie! In fact, their wedding date will be two years since they made their relationship for real. They watched "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter" afterward. What's more romantic than that?