In the fall of 2019, two souls crossed paths at Simon Tower in downtown Indianapolis. Working in a fast-paced environment, their first interactions came during marketing team lunches and early morning meetings. As time went on and the fall turned to winter, Eric began courting Tara. Whether that be asking her to walk to Starbucks or showing up to work early because Tara was always there, it was a rare chance he could get to spend one-on-one time with his crush.

Being wary of dating a co-worker, Tara played hard to get, but Eric persisted. Really, when would he have an opportunity like this again? With their next meet up planned at Ale Emporium to watch an IU basketball game, Eric devised a plan to surprise Tara with tickets to the game in Bloomington instead. Tara, a life-long Hoosier fan, had yet to experience her favorite team play at Assembly Hall. So, you can imagine her excitement as they headed to watch the Hoosiers, but of course she insisted they stop at her house so she could get her IU shirt!

Following their trip to Bloomington, the connection between the two continued to bloom. After celebrating Eric’s birthday together and attending a LANCO concert, Eric knew he wanted to take the next step. On a cold night in Indianapolis at 16-Bit Bar +Arcade, amidst the skee-ball and Pac-Man fanatics, Eric asked Tara to be his girlfriend, and she said YES!

Not wanting to attract attention at work, the two decided to keep their relationship private and not tell their co-workers. Over the next two months, Eric walked Tara to her car every day after work and the two would sneak kisses whenever they could. As we all know, the world would change in March of 2020, with Covid-19 just beginning to impact our lives. After two weeks of working from home, they learned that Simon was laying off the digital marketing team and they would be impacted.

In the aftermath, Tara and Eric found they had a lot more time to spend together to build their young relationship. You could say the shared experience brought them closer together and what started as work friends turned boyfriend/girlfriend had evolved into best friends.

Tara found a new position first (shocker!), with Toyota Material Handling in Columbus. Up until this point, the two both lived at their family homes, but with Tara’s new job being an hour away, she considered moving to Columbus. Eric encouraged her to take the opportunity and offered to move with her. Tara accepted the role, and they signed a lease in October of 2020 for their first apartment together.

With the hysteria of Covid-19 still hovering over for the next year, the two enjoyed many nights in, learning each other’s quirks, and figuring out one another’s tricky dietary preferences.

Trips to Chicago to see Tara’s first Cubs game, Arizona for Christmas with the Gutrich family, and Florida trips to visit Tara’s grandparents followed.

After a year and a half in Columbus, Eric accepted a position with Purina and the couple moved back to the Indy area, settling in Westfield. This familiar area was close to family and friends, so it was a mutually beneficial move for them.

After three and a half years of dating, it was time for Eric to devise another plan. Following a summer night dinner at Livery (Tara’s favorite restaurant) in Indy, the couple strolled through the city where they first found each other, and Eric asked Tara for her hand in marriage.