In January of 2022, I (Audrey) moved into my apartment in Comstock Park, MI to start a new job. In March, the apartment complex decided to do a bunch of renovations including but not limited to siding, windows, and gutters. Alex had been working for the gutter crew and in the early days of the installation, I had noticed him working while coming to and from my apartment. I noted that he was a handsome looking guy but didn’t think anything would come of it. At the same time, he had noticed me…. I say “me” but really it was my vehicle. A Honda Ridgeline with a rack of Texas longhorns zip tied to the grill.

As the months long project continued, Alex moved from building to building throughout the complex until his crew was working on my building. This was when he ACTUALLY noticed me as I walked my dog, Bailey, on my lunch breaks from work. As a dog lover, he wanted to come pet Bailey but according to him, one look at my face told him, “do not talk to me.” Clearly my flirting skills were unmatched.

For the next few months as he continued working on my building and adjacent buildings, we eyed each other from afar but never spoke. At this time we were both on an online dating app. I found him, not knowing he was “the gutter guy”, liked him and we matched! Within a few days of talking, our vehicles came up in our conversation. When I told him I drove a Honda Ridgline with longhorns strapped to the front, everything clicked for both of us. I called my best friend, Andrea, Nicole who was my room mate at the time, and just about every person in my family to tell them I was going on a date with “the gutter guy”. From this moment on, we were pretty much inseparable.