It was the summer of 2016. Ray's mom was in service at Bibleway, the church both families attend and Ray attended up until he left for college. An announcement was made that Chanell was moving to NJ to further her career. Ray's mom knowing she would be new to the area believed her son could show her around. She got Chanell's number from her mom after service.
She gave the number to her son and he misplaced it upon receipt. When Chanell did not hear from Ray she was relieved. Why would she want to hang out with someone who was being coerced to do so by his mom?
Fast Forward to December 2016. Chanell was talking to Ray's dad after service. He then randomly asked if his son had reached out to her. She said no and that she had been in NJ long enough to not need anyone to show her around. Ignoring her comment, he gave her his phone so she could put her number in it to ensure his son called her.
January 10, 2017: "Hello Ms. Branch, Happy New Year! This is Sis. Lee's son Ray. My parents gave me your #. Hope that was ok? I understand you now reside in NJ. So we have to connect sometime. Let me know when will be a good time to call you."
HER STORY:
After a full month of check ins via text and the occasional phone conversations, Ray's schedule finally opened up for us to meet in person. We were scheduled to meet up on February 11, 2017 for brunch. However, on the morning of February 11th, I received a text from him saying he could no longer do brunch but would be free around 7pm. I agreed to meet up for later but informed him I had to be back home by 9pm. I had a date already scheduled for that evening. To me, this was just a meet-up with Sister and Deacon Lee's son. It was not a date. I would hang out with my new friend Ray and then go on my date afterwards. I mean Ray never gave me the impression that he was interested or had the time to invest in a relationship.
HIS STORY:
So Chanell was correct in part of her interpretation of the facts. Yes indeed, there were several texts, and some occasional phone conversations initially between us. Unfortunately, my hectic work schedule at that time only allowed for light hearted "convo", in which I felt there was a hint of interest and common ground of compatibility. So we both decided that we needed to meet up, and a date and time was established. So here we go:
Webster's definition defines a "Date" as "A social meeting planned before it happens, especially one between two people who have or might have a romantic relationship"
So we make plans, then a work thing came up that I could not get out of, and I inform Chanell of my dilemma, and we reschedule for later that day. (So tell me Fellas, if we are going on a date, wouldn't we get a fresh haircut? Yes or No?) So I get a haircut, and change into a completely new outfit from work. I choose a nice restaurant, and picked up Chanell from her residence. Now doesn't this sound and feel like a date to you? Anyway, to make a long story short, we ended up having dinner, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. The night went well, except that Chanell put me on a 9pm curfew. Because, as stated earlier, she had another date after ours. So messy!!! So was this a date or not? I considered this our 1st official date she doesn't. The "Date" Debate continues...
Ray, determined not to be put in the friend zone, made his intentions known. After a few dates and multiple walks in the park, Ray did not want to share Chanell with any other dudes. On April 3, 2017, he made their budding relationship official.
On January 31, 2021 at the Chart House in Weehawken, NJ, Ray popped the question.