Joe and I met on December 28, 2015, at Waldo’s Restaurant in Vero Beach.

I was in town for the holidays, visiting my parents and spending a quick weekend at the Vero Beach Hotel. That night, I was heading to Waldo’s to meet up with my lifelong friend, Leigh Anne. I had no idea she had other plans.

Earlier that same day, Joe was driving from Orlando to Vero to spend time with friends for the holidays. Somewhere along I-95, he remembered Leigh Anne mentioning a friend named Megan who occasionally came down from Atlanta for Christmas. Curious, he gave her a call.

Leigh Anne wasn’t sure if I was still in town. She told Joe she’d check but warned him I might have already gone back home. Joe figured it was probably a long shot, but later that day he asked one more time. Luckily, I had decided to stay one more night. Leigh Anne invited me to meet her at Waldo’s, and I happily said yes—completely unaware that she was playing matchmaker.

The bar was packed, the music was loud, and I was standing at the bar when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Hi, I’m Joe Rumberger.”

Caught completely off guard, I looked at him and replied, “Huh? What did you say?”

He smiled, repeated, “I’m Joe Rumberger,” and confidently stuck out his hand like he was about to sell me a car.

“Uh… hi, I’m Megan,” I answered, slowly shaking his hand, while still looking around for Leigh Anne.

Just then, she walked over with a grin and said, “I see you’ve met Joe.”

We didn’t know it then but later discovered we both had very different expectations for the evening. I had no idea I was being set up. Joe thought the whole reason I was there was to meet him.

Looking back, it’s amazing how many little things had to fall into place for us to meet that night. One extra night in town, one phone call, one friend playing matchmaker… and one unexpected introduction at a crowded bar.

Three days later, Joe was back on I-95—this time heading north. But he wasn’t stopping in Orlando. He was on his way to Atlanta to see me…. but that’s a whole other story.