Turned out David, then 27, was also vacationing with his parents, Larry and Bonnie, and his sister, Jennifer. And their two families lived just 45 minutes away from each other - David is from Sicklerville, in Camden County, and Randi from Holland, in Bucks County.
Randi and David talked all morning, then later walked around Cozumel.
David, who worked for his family's equipment rental business and was finishing a dual MBA in marketing and finance at La Salle, made Randi laugh really hard - as when he poked fun at the name of the ship's club, White Heat. The name didn't stop them from dancing there all night, every night.
For the rest of the cruise, they were inseparable. But despite the dancing, talking, romantic tours of Cozumel, and occasional doses of liquid courage, the cruise ended without a kiss.
David tried. He invited Randi to see his cabin, which had ocean views. She went, but panicked. "He's such a sweetheart," said Randi. "But I was all of a sudden like, 'I don't know this guy! No one knows I'm here! He could throw me overboard or something!' "
She said she had to go; he said he understood.
Sitting at the Orlando airport, Randi realized they had never exchanged contact information. But then David walked by. He gave her his number.
The next weekend, she went on a family trip to the Shore. He, conveniently, went to Atlantic City with his parents. They met at the Tropicana - Randi with not just Amy, but also her older sister Allison in tow. They were having a great time when David's parents said they were ready to drive home.
"Why don't you just come to the shore house, and you can get a ride home tomorrow?" Randi was surprised to hear herself say.
Randi and David stayed up all night. There was a lot of talking. And on the balcony, a kiss.
How does forever sound?
