Prisoners of Love

It was cold and dark out. Not just because it was mid-December, but because we were deep into a brutal, pandemic-soaked year. Bright spots were few and far between—unless you count wearing sweatpants to work from your couch as one of them. But there was one glimmer. And it started on a Microsoft Teams meeting. Russell had just been moved off his old account at GREY to help launch the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. On one of the first kickoff calls (which, of course, had to happen over the holidays), a new team member popped up on camera: Miranda. Russell’s first thought? If she’s new to advertising, I should probably help her out. So he messaged her after the meeting, offering to answer any questions about the agency, the work, or how to survive it all. Secretly, he was wondering if she was Jewish—and what her deal was. Over the next few weeks, their friendship grew naturally. They were both seeing other people. The seriousness of those relationships is… debatable. Plus, Miranda lived in Baltimore and Russell in the West Village (of New York City—obviously). They spent months talking on Teams, trading messages and hopping on video calls, often late into the night. Partly because they enjoyed each other’s company, partly because the work demanded it—and having each other made it easier. By April 2021, Miranda decided to move to New York. Russell was thrilled. He wasn’t sure what would happen between them, and honestly, that wasn’t the point. He was just happy to see someone excited about starting a new chapter. Miranda had always dreamed of living in the city—where her grandfather Jerry spent his life, and made his own mark in advertising. It felt like the right move. And it was.

On May 1st, 2021, Miranda moved to New York City with the help of her dad. Instead of grabbing dinner with him afterward—albeit grateful for his help—she said, “I have to go meet up with a friend.” That friend was Russell. He’d made a reservation at his go-to spot in the West Village: Fairfax. Fairfax is cool. Look it up. Trust the narrator. Russell was already seated outside, cocktail in hand, with a clear view of the corner. It was one of those perfect New York Saturdays—warm, cinematic, the kind of day where everyone looks like they’re starring in something. Then he saw her. A brunette in jeans and a cropped leather jacket crossing the street toward Fairfax. Damn, she’s good-looking, he thought. I hope that’s not Miranda or I’m going to be nervous… Shit, it is Miranda. Damn, she looks really, very good. Sure, he’d seen her on Teams a hundred times. This was… different. They had a great time. A couple cocktails. Easy conversation. Real laughs. That was it—on paper. But they both felt it. They both knew. They were on a collision course. But of course, because of “mOdErN dAtInG,” both Miranda and Russell played it cool! Like, super cool. Just two like-minded souls pretending there wasn’t intense, obvious, mutual interest! So this manifested as hanging out almost every day for a month. They’d sit on Russell’s fire escape. Or walk in circles around Washington Square Park. And Russell began to bring Miranda to all his favorite spots: cocktails, omakase, wine bars, steak joints, corned beef hash counters, jazz basements, comedy clubs, and late nights at Waverly Diner. Finally, in early June 2021, they got their act together. Well, Miranda shot her shot. Her flirting style is best described as staring at you and hoping you can read her mind. One night, she sat down on Russell’s couch, and just stared. You know that stare—the one where both people are thinking the same thing, and no one needs to say a word. Where you can’t look away and you can’t think and you can’t say anything. So they kissed. Finally. And then a quick 3.5 years later they were engaged!

See you there. Xoxo.