Jenn [future Mrs. Mann]

The Mark & Jenn Luv Story It all started when I moved from my small hometown to the big city. Well, actually a suburb, but that doesn't sound as good! I desperately grabbed the first job I could find, as a machine operater for a local company. The company primarily made packaging foam for electronics, tools, camera cases, etc. In case you're interested, I worked on a machine that cut the foam into various shapes using high-speed, powerful jets of water. Anyway, the production floor was not at all climate-controlled, so it was steaming hot all summer and freezing cold all winter. It was also pretty dirty and we used a lot of glue, so I wore my grimiest grubs to work. Are you getting a picture? Me- sans makeup (why bother?), unshowered (I'd sweat and get all dirty anyway), wearing stained t-shirts and shorts cut off from sweatpants. Hawt. So when I saw Mark, who was cool and collected due to working as marketing director in the air-conditioned office, I was jealous... and very attracted! His big blue-green eyes, the way his tush looked in his pressed khakis, his boyish grin. I seriously melted. I had an instant crush, but I was already dating someone else and I found out that he had just been through a tough divorce. I watched him for the next year or so while my relationship fell apart and he dated a couple of girls in customer service. I was always attracted to him, and we started to crack jokes to each other. It wasn't until my then-boyfriend moved out and I broke my foot while out drinking with friends that we started talking. I emailed him one day to explain that my absence was due to my broken foot, and we started emailing a few times every day. Things got more and more personal, as they tend to do. He told me about his job, his two kids, and how he was currently single but not looking to start a new relationship. I was in no situation to start a new relationship, either- mine had ended terribly. Slowly our emails turned flirtatious and from there they turned downright dirty. We agreed to meet up for drinks one evening. We both know why we were doing this- we wanted each other. I was shocked that he was into me, considering how I looked at work, but I wasn't going to question it! We met at a bar, and surprisingly we hit it off huge. We sat talking on the patio for hours, telling each other everything about ourselves and loving everything about the other person. We left together, and the inevitable happened. When we talked the next day it went sort of like this: Me: "Hey. Last night was fun." Him: "Yeah, it sure was. You know, not to sound mean or anything, but I really like you more than I thought I would." Me: "I know. I knew I wanted you, but I didn't think I'd actually really like you as a person!" Him: "I know how you feel. I wasn't looking for anything, but... damn it. I really really like you." Me: "I like you, too. Even though you wear polo shirts every day." Him: "Hey! I thought they were fine to wear to work. Can I take  you out for dinner on Friday?" Me: "Sure!" I moved in with him two months later. We got engaged almost two years exactly after the first email, and he was so sweet about it. I love him more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone, and I'm so excited to be his wife and the stepmom to his two wonderful children!