Jack and Marlee both attended Vanderbilt. It's not that big a school (~1600 students per year) and they even had a class together (Jewish Studies 250: Modern Israel (Marlee thought she would meet an NJB, Jack just needed to complete his one non-science writing class to graduate)). But alas, they didn't meet.
After they both moved to DC to take first real jobs, they were introduced to each other by David Anders when Jack and David went to watch football at Stoney's, a sports bar directly below Marlee's apartment.
A short flirty courtship culminated in Marlee grabbing Jack's face at SantaCon, but after one bad date (Jack's fault!) they went separate ways.
Years (3) later, Marlee took advantage of the world falling apart and moved to California for a "6 week stint". She posted into the ether, "anyone know of short term housing in Orange County, let me know!".
Jack took up the challenge and safely steered her and Chae Kim away from Long Beach (no beach, industrial wasteland port) and towards Laguna Beach (soft sand, pretty, 15 minutes from Jack).
When they got dinner on a "not-a-date" get together in October 2020 (pre-vaccine, no kissing!), Jack asked Marlee what she was doing on April 8, 2024 and if she wanted to join him in Texas for a total solar eclipse.
Despite this big red flag of a question, Marlee rolled with it. They started hanging out more and more, eventually making it to Texas for that eclipse. The rest is history.
