On the first day at my third Chili's location, I kept hearing people talk about the 'Muffin Man', a bartender named Richard who brought muffins every Sunday for the staff. 

Weeks later, I finally met the infamous Muffin Man, when Richard introduced himself. Being me, I immediately interrogated him on what his hookup with the muffins was. Apparently, he didn't have a hookup at all and genuinely wanted to provide snacks to make everyone happy - a characteristic I admire most about him. We bonded over both working full-time jobs, with Chili's as our additional income. From our first meeting, there was an instant spark. I was always excited to see him, and I believe he felt the same, as he would discreetly ask the manager for my schedule and began aligning his shifts with mine.

A few months later, Richard came into Chili's and sat in my section. I got off and joined him and we talked FOR HOURS. He was loud and just being Richard - so much so that we almost got kicked out for laughing too loudly. But that night, sitting in that booth, laughing and talking about everything and nothing, I realized there was something special between us.

During the COVID shutdown, we spent a lot of time together, from working TOGO shifts to grabbing frozen daiquiris and hanging out in the parking lot after work. This period truly strengthened our bond.

And the rest is history. 

Written by Kinsey

To call Kinsey a detective would be an understatement. Trying to surprise someone who does not like surprises and can see them coming from a mile away really puts a certain spin on things. Tons of locations, cities, seasons, and holidays flooded my mind on how to pull this off. Then, on a random brunch meeting with her sister Carlie, the Maid of Honor, I found a restaurant that met all the items I had been trying to check off! Then started weeks of planning with Carlie and trying to get out-of-town family and friends here for the special day without letting Kinsey know, not as easy as it sounds! 

When the day finally came, I was a nervous wreck but was trying my hardest to play it cool, calm, and collected. I had this whole speech and sequence of events laid out in my head to ensure everything went perfectly.

And then I saw the balloons.

Carlie had been helping me plan everything since I had to be so sneaky. I knew the decorations and general layout we had talked about, but it was nothing compared to seeing the balloons that spelled out, "Will You Marry Me?" and the rose petals on the ground in the shape of a heart. Needless to say, I forgot everything I had planned to say and just stared at Kinsey and smiled. I led her to the heart on the floor and, as we stood inside it, I told her how much I loved her and how my life would be nowhere without her in it.  As I got down on one knee and asked her to be my wife, Kinsey was so excited she grabbed the ring from the box and put it on her finger herself as she said yes 🙄😂 .

We spent the rest of the night in the private room eating amazing food and talking with family and friends from near and far. In true Kinsey fashion, we ended the evening at a local Dallas club where I witnessed some seriously questionable dance moves.

Written by Richard