Lauren was a Jersey girl living in Brooklyn; James, a California transplant living in Manhattan's Financial District. One late Saturday night in February 2017, they both found themselves in an unexpected place – Cherry Tavern, a dive bar in the East Village that neither of them were supposed to be at that night. They had noticed each other, but James was the first to break the ice. He sent a friend over to make the introduction and quickly charmed Lauren. They talked for hours and before they knew it, it was 3am and the bar was closing. James walked Lauren to the subway and asked for her number. Lauren was surprised to receive an invitation to a Monday night first date and even more surprised when James brought her to a hidden karaoke bar with live piano accompaniment. Luckily, his bold choices worked. They sang two duets together on stage, and the rest was history.