It was a cold, foggy Friday night in San Francisco, because of course it was, on August 17th, 2018. I had just finished a shift bartending for a crowd of rockabilly fans and had a bit of time to kill before the next band’s set. So I did what any self-respecting service industry worker would do: headed to the Gold Cane for a quick Fernet with a buddy. As I walked down the street, I saw her. Laughing, radiant, standing outside the bar talking to a bartender friend of mine. Easily one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. I gave a quick hello, resisted every urge to quote Star Wars (specifically Anakin’s “Are you an angel?” line from The Phantom Menace), and beelined inside to get that much-needed shot. Not just to decompress, but now, to gather a little courage. With Fernet in my system and kind of a plan in my head, I made my way back over and casually, or awkwardly depending on your perspective, planted myself near the group. I tried not to make it obvious that I couldn’t stop staring at the girl with the smile. Then I saw it. A Facehugger pin on her denim jacket. Jackpot. Without thinking, I blurted out, “HEY DO YOU LIKE ALIEN!?” Somehow, she didn’t roll her eyes and walk away. Instead, she smiled, turned to me, and we started talking. Her name was Loriana, and she was not only beautiful, but genuinely sweet, smart, funny, and effortlessly cool. We chatted about Alien and all kinds of nerdy things, laughing the whole time. It felt easy, even though my brain was doing cartwheels. Eventually, I had to head back and finish my shift. I had every intention of asking for her number, but I completely chickened out and ran back to work like Evan from Superbad after punching Becca in the boob. I kicked myself for weeks. She stayed in the back of my mind like an unresolved plot line from MCU. This amazing woman with a Facehugger pin and the kind of energy you don’t forget. Then, exactly three months later on November 17th, I was working behind the bar at Club Deluxe, and there she was. Loriana walked in with a group of friends to catch a show. I did a double, triple, maybe even quadruple take. I was stunned, and of course, said absolutely nothing. I just kept bartending and sneaking glances like a complete coward. Thankfully, Loriana is not a coward. After about an hour of this weird back-and-forth glancing routine, she walked up to the bar, gave me a smirk, and asked, “Do we know each other?” I probably mumbled something barely intelligible. She ordered a gin and tonic and a shot of Jameson and told me to come find her if I had time to talk. Spoiler alert: I found time. We reconnected, exchanged numbers, and had our first date a few days later on November 20th at an amaro bar on Divisadero. We stayed out for hours talking, laughing, and slowly realizing this might be something special. Fast forward almost seven years. She’s still the smartest, kindest, nerdiest, most beautiful human I’ve ever known. And somehow, she’s chosen me. On October 4th, 2025, I get to call her my wife. TL;DR: Saw a hot girl with an Alien pin. Yelled something nerdy. Chickened out. Got a second chance. I didn’t blow it. Now I’m marrying her.
It all started with a surprise weekend planned by Cameron… which, if you know me, really means I was suspicious. I’m an overplanner who claims to love going with the flow. So when Cam told me he was organizing a secret weekend getaway, my first thought was, “Is this THE weekend?” I tried not to overthink it (an impossible task for me), but just to be safe, I booked a nail appointment. Each week, he gave me a new clue (probably to quiet the hamster running circles in my brain). Week 1: We’re driving. Week 2: The weather will be “just like here…” Week 3: I’ll need a new outfit (something nice). The clues didn't tell me much and I still had no idea what was planned, but I woke up that Friday morning at 7am bouncing. We packed our bags, hopped in the car, and headed north. That’s when Cam shared a few more details: we couldn’t check into our Airbnb until 3pm, so in the meantime, we’d pick up some fancy sandwiches from Molly Stone’s and have a beach picnic. It sounded relaxing, thoughtful, and very us. But as we approached the coast, the sky grew dark and the rain started to fall. Cam, usually calm and collected, started to panic and I could tell he was frustrated that things weren’t going according to plan. Trying to lighten the mood, I offered, “Why don’t we grab a drink somewhere while we wait?” But he wasn’t having it...it was the beach or nothing. Looking back, I would have to agree. Cameron knew that the only place to propose to me would be my happy place, which is anywhere near water. So we pulled over and found a tree near the water to sit under. Even with the drizzle, the view was beautiful. We unwrapped our sandwiches and tried to enjoy the moment, but Cam was quiet. Like, REALLY quiet. He barely said five words and devoured his sandwich like it was an Olympic sport. At the time, I was a little confused. Later, I realized he was just that nervous. Out of nowhere, he looked at me and asked, “Can you stand up?” Now, if you know me, you know I’m a sitter. Especially if there’s a blanket involved. Naturally, I said no. But then I heard something in his voice, this slightly panicked, pleading tone, and I knew something was up. So I (very reluctantly) stood. And that’s when he got down on one knee. I immediately burst into tears. Whether it was nerves or emotion or both, all he managed to say was, “I love you. WILL YOU BE MY WIFE?” To this day, he still claims that I never actually said the word "yes" (I blame it on the emotions and the excitement). To make it even more perfect, he somehow packed the bottle of champagne we had promised to open when we got engaged. I still don’t know how he managed to sneak it past me. We spent the rest of the weekend in an Airbnb in San Anselmo, the same place we went on our very first weekend trip together. That night, Cam surprised me with a dinner reservation at a Michelin-starred seafood restaurant with an Alice in Wonderland vibe (my favorite). It felt like a full-circle moment in every way. A day that started with rain ended with sunshine...and I ended it engaged to my best friend.