One of Rasheedah Iman Thomas’s most treasured photos is an impromptu selfie she took with a stranger who was a fellow guest at a friend’s birthday party in May 2018.king slots
The guest, Jeffrey Pierre Ballou, had introduced himself to her as she walked through the door of Whiskey Charlie, a rooftop bar in Washington. After a brief conversation, Ms. Thomas reached for a handshake but was stunned when Mr. Ballou pulled her in for a hug instead.
“For some reason, it just felt OK, it felt comfortable, it felt right, and he smelled nice,” Ms. Thomas said. “Then he immediately ushered me over to our friends. While we were walking over, he said, ‘Can I get you something from the bar?’ which I thought was very gentlemanly.”
The two spent the rest of the night taking photos with party attendees and chatting until the bar closed. “We talked all night,” Ms. Thomas said. “Our friends left us there!” Among the flurry of photos was the selfie.
The next day, they had their first dinner date on the rooftop of Ivy City Smokehouse in Washington. After dinner, Mr. Ballou invited Ms. Thomas to his Washington home, where the drinks flowed almost as smoothly as the conversation. It wasn’t until 4 a.m. that they parted ways.
Ms. Thomas, 45, and Mr. Ballou, 57, took things slowly after that first date. They got to know each other privately after realizing the extensive number of friends and acquaintances they had in common. It wasn’t until months later, after their connection had evolved, that they broke the news about their relationship.
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