Russ and Jessica, unlike many couples did not meet recently. In fact, they have known each other for quite some time. Growing up, Russ befriended Jessica's brother in high school. As a result of their friendship, Russ spent many hours at the Pettitt household with Jessica's brother, Jason. Years later, after both Russ and Jessica had relocated out of Plant City with advancements in their careers, they reconnected on the East Coast while Jessica was traveling for work in the city where Russ lived. They decided to meet up for dinner one evening, and dinner turned into a five hour conversation of catching up and getting to know each other better. Shortly following this "date" they took advantage of every opportunity to see each other when they had one and started dating a few months later.