The first time Zach and Peyton met was at a work happy hour. Like always, Peyton was late, and as soon as she arrived, she locked eyes with a very handsome Zach and quickly introduced herself. Peyton was hooked, but there was just one problem: Zach had a girlfriend. For the next six months, their relationship stayed safely in the “work friends” zone. That is, until Peyton baked a recently single Zach a bag of her famous rosemary shortbread cookies for his birthday. What she didn’t know was that the recipe was almost identical to his great-grandmother Nana’s beloved butter cookies, one of the very few sweets Zach actually liked. He ate the entire bag, and Peyton unknowingly sealed the deal. Not long after, they found themselves sitting just one seat apart on the Charlotte Wells Fargo trading floor. All summer long, they flirted over internal chat and turned to catch each other’s reactions (much to the confusion of the poor intern stuck in the middle). Their “just friends” era included storm-watching on Zach’s balcony, Peyton bravely sampling his home-brewed beer, a murder mystery party, and a romantic Indian dinner… all while pretending it was totally normal. After a boat day on Lake Norman and Peyton declaring that if there was anyone she’d want to get stuck in an elevator with, it would be Zach, they danced the night away at a local Irish pub, where Zach finally kissed Peyton. The next day, Peyton baked Zach ciabatta rolls and cemented their fate. Baking was clearly Peyton’s love language, and Zach adored her for it. Since that first kiss, Zach and Peyton haven’t stopped exploring. They’ve nearly been blown off Mount Washington, literally chased waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest, and happily drank their way through the Douro Valley. They love discovering new places, restaurants, and adventures together, and can’t wait for all the memories still to come.