Back in 2014, Darrien and Ben met on a cold February night at Congregation Shaarey Zedek. Both were attending a Shabbat dinner hosted by NEXGen Detroit through Jewish Federation, a dinner that Darrien and Ben were coaxed into going to by a friend.

 

Darrien and Ben sat across from each other at the same table and locked eyes. It wasn't until Darrien stood next to Ben in the food line that she admired his Pebble Watch (a precursor to the Apple Watch) and complimented Ben's "techy" gadget. Unbeknownst to Darrien, Ben fended off two suitors who were vying for Darrien's attention - and number. Once Ben shooed them away, he struck up a conversation with Darrien and mustered up the courage to ask for her digits. A few months later (yes, you read that correctly), Darrien agreed to meet for a drink after many weeks of Ben's persistence and determination.

 

You see, Darrien was playing "hard to get" and this was no match against Ben's resolve. Darrien and Ben met at the Oakland in downtown Ferndale for a drink, and the date lasted over 3 hours! Darrien immediately fell for Ben's Israeli charm and knew that there was something incredibly special about this guy.

 

Here's the part in the story where Darrien and Ben tend to disagree on what happened next. From Ben's perspective, when they were saying goodbye after their great first date, Darrien tried to lean in for the "goodnight kiss" and Ben, being the gentleman that he is, swerved out of the way to be respectful.

 

Darrien denies this happened, although she has confessed that after a few drinks at the local bar, the details after the date are a bit fuzzy for her. And, the rest they say is history!