Four years ago, Nick and Amanda were strangers that found themselves, by invitation of previously undiscovered mutual friend, at the same house party. It was here that they first made each other’s acquaintance. And while there was a spark – at least, from his perspective if not hers – it did not ignite the romance that brought them here today. Fate, it seemed, had decided that it was not yet their time. A year or so later, Nick told me he “stumbled across her Instagram page and started following her, naturally liking EVERY ONE of her photos.” I like that he used the word “stumble” rather than another word that begins with the letter S, and I like that Amanda didn’t find Nick’s sudden and overwhelming approval of her ALL of her photos to be off-putting. In fact, it was the start of a dialogue between the two, which led them to make plans to meet up again. They told me that, from that moment on, they became best friends. It was quite some time before they declared their love for each other. Perhaps they simply found the joy of their effortless camaraderie so enjoyable that they wanted to explore its depths first before moving on to the next level. Perhaps they were afraid that jumping blindly into a relationship might risk ruining the friendship that they treasured so deeply. But eventually, Nick proclaimed his love in a most chivalrous manner. “I love your ass,” he told her. “Would you like to touch it?” she replied. And here we stand today.
