At the end of one Wednesday, John showed up at Dana's office bearing two Wawa hot chocolates. They talked for hours. That Friday night, they exchanged texts. She was hosting a small gathering at her Center City apartment, but yes, she would meet him outside. By the time they got upstairs, everyone else had fallen asleep. They got together the next night for a walk around the city.
"We kept it a secret for six months at our office - or so we thought," John said. One of the administrative assistants had spied them on their first real date, holding hands in Rittenhouse Square.
How does forever sound?
By spring 2010 John and Dana both knew a proposal was coming, but John was determined to surprise her.
In early May, John invited Dana to happy hour. "John doesn't drink," Dana said. "I was thinking everyone was going to be there, and it was going to be our engagement party. I got dressed up." An hour in, Dana was resigned that it was just a happy hour, after all.
John joked about a proposal at a Phillies game the next day. " 'Be ready for the camera crew,' I told her." Much to John's surprise, a camera crew headed straight for them, then stopped two rows in front, where a man proposed to his girlfriend.
About two weeks later, John, who had become an associate in Mercer's client management group, called Dana, who was then doing communications for Campbell's Soup. "My sister called, and she has to go to a work happy hour at the Public House. Do you care if we stop by for moral support?" At John's request, his sister Maryclaire sent Dana a text: "I'm so happy you are coming!"
John said he had a little bit of work to finish, so Dana should meet him in his office.
