Our story begins on May 7, 2021.

Well, actually, it began on May 21, 2018. But we’ll get back to that.

On May 7th, 2021, the sun was just setting as Katy and her friend Ashley settled in at a patio table on Katy’s balcony in Green Hills. It was supposed to be a quiet girls’ night in with some rosé and their favorite tex-mex takeout from Bartaco. But shortly after polishing off all of the guacamole and finishing the last sips their wine, the pair wondered what to do with the remainder of their evening. It was only 8pm on a perfectly good Friday night in Nashville. They deliberated together and eventually decided it wouldn’t be the *worst* idea to hit up their favorite local watering hole — Red Door Saloon. Without delay, Katy threw on some jeans and ventured out into the brisk 64 degree evening for another drink, blissfully oblivious to the impact this small decision would have on the trajectory of her life.

Meanwhile, just across town in East Nashville, Evan was hosting a couple of his best friends from Los Angeles for the weekend. Tyler and Jake had come in to celebrate Evan’s 27th birthday on Saturday. The group ordered some sushi and gathered around the kitchen island to eat, reminiscing on old inside jokes and wondering where the evening might take them. SportsCenter blared from the living room TV as the sun set and the evening began to stretch into the nighttime hours. Evan isn’t much for the bar scene, but it was ultimately decided that they should go out, because what good is a Friday night birthday in Nashville without hitting a dive bar? He suggested Red Door Saloon in Midtown, and the guys promptly piled into an Uber to make their way over to Division Street.

Katy and Ashley were perched at their usual spot at the end of the bar, chatting up their favorite bartender amidst the chaos that always finds its way into Red Door on a Friday night. By this time, it was teetering on 11pm, and Katy was just about ready to call it a night and head home. Ashley suggested they grab one more drink before leaving, and Katy obliged. It’s important to note here — without Ashley suggesting this “one last beer,” we very well might not be here today. Fresh beer in hand, Katy whirled around in her barstool and came face to face with a group of guys she had never met before. She struck up conversation with them and quickly learned that a couple were from out to town, but they were all at Red Door to celebrate a birthday for the local in the group — Evan.

Strangely, Katy and Ashley felt immediately comfortable with this group of guys and took to them like old friends. Upon her first impression, Evan seemed peculiarly familiar to Katy, but she couldn’t quite place why. “Boots” by HARDY played on repeat while stories and jokes were exchanged. Midnight came and went, and before they knew it, it was officially Evan’s birthday. Katy ordered a round of shots in celebration (tequila, obviously). Soon thereafter, it came time to head home, but the group wasn’t ready to say goodbye to each other just yet. Ashley and Katy jumped into a car with the East Nashville boys and headed across town to a little house just off of Gallatin Avenue. They spent the early morning hours of May 8th playing cards and drinking water (no, seriously) in the living room with their new friends.

At one point between rounds of Kings Cup, Evan asked Katy to accompany him to the backyard. He walked her out to the patio and grabbed her hand as he turned to face her. He gestured to the yard just behind him, warmly illuminated by string lights swaying in the breeze. He watched her face closely as he asked, “Do you remember it?”

Katy balked, bewildered. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been here before,” Evan stated matter-of-factly. He grinned to himself, pleased to have caught her so pleasantly off guard. “You came to a party here in 2018. I met you that night.”

She gasped, and the memory flooded back to her.

Her mind flashed back to May 21, 2018. She and a group of girlfriends had volunteered to be extras in a music video that evening, and they had decided to stop by the house party of a buddy, Cooper, on their way to the shoot. Cooper had given them a quick tour of his house and walked them out to the back yard, where the party was in full swing. Katy vaguely remembered being introduced to Cooper’s roommate, sipping his beer while shaking her hand under the string lights. The interaction had been brief, and Katy left only moments later so as to not be late for the video shoot.

Now, here he was. The roommate. Evan Kantor. Nearly three years later, almost to the day. Standing before her under those very same string lights, now holding her hand instead of just shaking it. He had remembered her.

A smiled spread across her face as the recognition dawned on her, and she began to understand why Evan had felt so familiar to her. Of course, she had known him all along.

Evan leaned in and kissed her.

To this day, that kiss is the best birthday gift Katy has ever given him.

The two rejoined their friends inside and when the card games came to an end, it was time to say goodbye. Katy and Ashley chatted in their Uber on the way home. Ashley had asked about what happened with Evan in the back yard. Katy told her, then could not stop repeating “I don’t know but I have a feeling about him.”

As it turns out, she did, in fact, know. And the feeling that she had only grew as time went on.

A mere three days later, Katy and Evan went on their very first date.

And the rest, as they say, is history.