Louisiana girl and Texas boy meet at work in the East Texas town of Longview, a story still in the works but plenty of chapters already written.

While Riley and Gabriel met in 2022 in a coworker's office, it would be another year before they began spending more time together and dating. There have been several debates on who had a crush first or when the relationship became "official", but there is no debate on how much they love each other now.

The first sighting of "Riley and Gabe" was on July 13, 2023 at a work event in downtown Longview. Gabe bought a drink for Riley and they hung out for the remainder of the night, even grabbing dinner with friends after the event. The couple began spending almost every day together following that event. Public appearances of the couple began becoming more frequent around the August-September timeframe. Gabe even confessed his love to Riley on a Labor Day weekend boat ride with friends at Lake of the Pines, which the couple considers to mark the "official" commencement of their relationship.

Holidays were soon to follow, and more formal introductions were made with friends, families, future in-laws. The trips to the Gulf Coast (Metairie and League City) helped the couple spend more and more time with new faces, enjoy laughs, and learn fun facts and quirks. The couple also took their first couple of vacations together, one to Maui and another to the Texas Hill Country, all of which were craftily documented by Riley on Facebook for all of their fans to see.

The couple also packed their bags and homes and made a more permanent trip to the Houston area in the summer of 2024 to start new jobs. It was difficult to leave their home and Longview family behind, but the end of 2024 was an exciting time as the couple became engaged during a November road trip to the place it all began in Longview. The 2024 holiday season was spent a little differently since there was a ring to show during Thanksgiving and Christmas and a new "family member" at each dinner table.

The couple has been spending their time planning a wedding, visiting friends and family, and burning up the road and a couple of airport tarmacs. They are excited to share their special day with family and friends from near and far on October 11, 2025.

Travel

Staybridge Suites Lake Charles, an IHG Hotel