"Who's that?" Nick asked.
"Oh, you can't date her," Mike said. "She's Dan from Zoom's sister!"
Megan, who grew up in Haddonfield, chuckled to herself; her brother did work at a nearby bar. But he is more friendly than fearsome.
She didn't hear the rest of the conversation: "She'll be my girlfriend by the end of the summer," Nick said in joking-with-the-guys bravado.
Nick, who grew up in Marlton, is actually a very patient man.
He and Megan became good friends. Sometimes, they even did things without the gang from the restaurant.
Nick, now 29, always held doors for Megan and would never let her pay for drinks or dinner. He was interested, but Megan, now 27, said he did these things for all women - they were behaviors instilled in him by his Italian immigrant parents, Francesco and Concetta, and three older sisters.
"He was the biggest gentleman in the world," Megan said. It impressed her.
With summer in full swing, the gang from work went to a party, then to Nick's place. When his roommates decided to hit the Atlantic City casinos, Nick stayed behind to talk to Megan.
"I was kind of liking him," she said. But Megan had later plans.
"I'm sorry," she told Nick after two hours of conversation. "But I told this guy I'd meet him, and I have to go."
Nick was ticked - not that Megan was spending time with someone else, but that she had to walk to his place alone. Nick gave Megan his jacket, and walked her to her date.
After that, Megan's crush on Nick was full-blown.
One night after a group outing, there was a kiss - who kissed whom is still up for debate.
They quickly became exclusive.
Megan returned to school. Soon after, Nick moved to his sister's place on Long Island, so he could work at his family's BMW dealership in Brooklyn, where he is now service manager.
