Austin, Texas
Ages 29 and 33
Married nine months
Abigail: I never met men through my job (I’m a real estate investor). So instead I had the bad habit of reigniting old relationships, seeing if I could make them work the second time around. In May 2010, my three sisters, with whom I’m very close, and my brother-in-law Chris urged me to try someone new. When I demurred, they insisted on buying me a date at a local bachelor auction for charity. At first, I protested, but eventually I gave in. And once I looked through the online profiles of the men up for grabs, I admitted that a civil engineer named Dwayne looked pretty dreamy. Plus, his bio mentioned that he coached Little League baseball. I love kids.
Dwayne: I had never participated in a date auction before. I only agreed because it was for a good cause—the proceeds were going to breast cancer research.
Abigail: The auction was held at a live-music venue in downtown Austin. When Dwayne came onstage, five other women raised their paddles and started bidding on him, too. My eldest sister, Amanda, 34, can be a little competitive. (Plus, she had had a few drinks.) She was determined to win Dwayne for me at all costs. And she did—for $600.
Dwayne: The lights were so bright onstage, I couldn’t see who was bidding. After it was over, the organizers had me walk through the audience and hand Abby a rose. I thought, What is this beautiful girl doing buying a date?
Abigail: I explained that my sisters had forced me into this and that he didn’t really have to take me out, but Dwayne insisted.
Dwayne: Five days later, we ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant. We got the world’s fastest waiter, who had us in and out in 45 minutes—it was disappointing. Plus, Abby was very shy and reserved. I thought she was sweet, but in all honesty I didn’t see a second date in our future. Afterward we stopped by a gourmet-cupcake trailer and bumped into a few of Abby’s friends. She loosened up, and that’s when I saw the girl I would fall in love with.
Abigail: I liked that Dwayne was so laid-back. One of our earliest dates was at a baseball field. We just played catch.
Dwayne: A couple of months later, we went to the house of one of Abby’s sisters. When I saw how Abby’s nephew and niece, who were then four and two years old, gravitated to her, I thought: This might be the one.
Abigail: That’s the same time I knew I could marry Dwayne. He was genuinely interested and cared about what these little kids had to say to him. That kindness meant so much to me. Plus, I want children of my own one day.
Dwayne: I had an elaborate plan about how I was going to propose to Abby, but I couldn’t wait. I ended up blurting it out one night after dinner. We married last April, 11 months after we met.
Abigail: I love that helping out with a good cause brought Dwayne and me together. We continue to contribute to organizations that we believe in, like Easter Seals and the March of Dimes. I have to admit, supporting charities has really paid off for us.
Gladys and Harold Beebe
Alexandria, Louisiana
Ages 81 and 87
Married 62 years, with three children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren
Gladys: In 1948, when I was a high school senior, my girlfriend asked me to go with her and some other folks on a triple date. I told her, “I don’t go on blind dates.” Then she showed me a picture of Harold and I changed my mind. He was a college fella and so handsome!
On the evening we all planned to go to the movies, I was very excited. Harold came to the door to get me. But when we got to the car, where two other boys and two young ladies were waiting, Harold sat down and put his arm around another girl! I had to spend the evening with some other boy, who was full of himself. I did not have fun on that date.
Harold: I can’t remember why I chose another girl to be with that night, but, boy, I knew I had messed up. Bee—that’s what everyone calls Gladys—was very cute. She talked a lot and got along with everyone. After that evening, I called her three times and asked her out, but she kept turning me down. So I finally bluffed her out. I said, “If you don’t say yes, I’m not calling you anymore.”
Gladys: I agreed to go with him on a date, but only because I wanted to punish him for messing up and not choosing me that first night. My plan was to spend the evening being totally indifferent.
Harold: Thankfully, she changed her mind.
Gladys: We went to a drive-in movie, then had po’boys and curlicue potatoes afterward. I saw that Harold was smart and very kind. And he had a red convertible. That was big stuff back then. After a few dates, it grew into true love.
Harold: Two years later, in 1950, when I was 25 and Bee was 20, we went to the local courthouse and got married. But we kept it a secret, because Bee’s parents thought that she was too young.
Gladys: I was living at home and going to business school while Harold was studying to become a dentist. I hid the marriage certificate in my bedroom. Two weeks later, my mother found it when she was cleaning my room. Shocked, she called the justice of the peace and asked him, “Did you marry my daughter?” My parents came around, though. They liked Harold. He’s a good fella.
Harold: I learned early on to always ask Gladys what she would rather do. That’s one secret to our marriage: I don’t pretend to be a know-it-all.
Gladys: Harold has always put me first. After we got married, he wouldn’t go golfing at the country club with the other men. He would play with me. I love that about him.
Harold: Gladys has brought out the best in me by giving me unconditional support.
Gladys: Harold and I still enjoy each other’s company more than anyone else’s. We can’t play golf anymore, but we like to watch tournaments together on TV. And we’ve always been big Louisiana State University football fans, so we never miss a game. Oh sure, we still get mad at each other, but we try not to get mad at the same time.
Harold: There’s not enough love in this world, so you can’t lose when you meet someone like Bee. I am very lucky.
Ages 29 and 33
Married nine months
Abigail: I never met men through my job (I’m a real estate investor). So instead I had the bad habit of reigniting old relationships, seeing if I could make them work the second time around. In May 2010, my three sisters, with whom I’m very close, and my brother-in-law Chris urged me to try someone new. When I demurred, they insisted on buying me a date at a local bachelor auction for charity. At first, I protested, but eventually I gave in. And once I looked through the online profiles of the men up for grabs, I admitted that a civil engineer named Dwayne looked pretty dreamy. Plus, his bio mentioned that he coached Little League baseball. I love kids.
Dwayne: I had never participated in a date auction before. I only agreed because it was for a good cause—the proceeds were going to breast cancer research.
Abigail: The auction was held at a live-music venue in downtown Austin. When Dwayne came onstage, five other women raised their paddles and started bidding on him, too. My eldest sister, Amanda, 34, can be a little competitive. (Plus, she had had a few drinks.) She was determined to win Dwayne for me at all costs. And she did—for $600.
Dwayne: The lights were so bright onstage, I couldn’t see who was bidding. After it was over, the organizers had me walk through the audience and hand Abby a rose. I thought, What is this beautiful girl doing buying a date?
Abigail: I explained that my sisters had forced me into this and that he didn’t really have to take me out, but Dwayne insisted.
Dwayne: Five days later, we ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant. We got the world’s fastest waiter, who had us in and out in 45 minutes—it was disappointing. Plus, Abby was very shy and reserved. I thought she was sweet, but in all honesty I didn’t see a second date in our future. Afterward we stopped by a gourmet-cupcake trailer and bumped into a few of Abby’s friends. She loosened up, and that’s when I saw the girl I would fall in love with.
Abigail: I liked that Dwayne was so laid-back. One of our earliest dates was at a baseball field. We just played catch.
Dwayne: A couple of months later, we went to the house of one of Abby’s sisters. When I saw how Abby’s nephew and niece, who were then four and two years old, gravitated to her, I thought: This might be the one.
Abigail: That’s the same time I knew I could marry Dwayne. He was genuinely interested and cared about what these little kids had to say to him. That kindness meant so much to me. Plus, I want children of my own one day.
Dwayne: I had an elaborate plan about how I was going to propose to Abby, but I couldn’t wait. I ended up blurting it out one night after dinner. We married last April, 11 months after we met.
Abigail: I love that helping out with a good cause brought Dwayne and me together. We continue to contribute to organizations that we believe in, like Easter Seals and the March of Dimes. I have to admit, supporting charities has really paid off for us.
Gladys and Harold Beebe
Alexandria, Louisiana
Ages 81 and 87
Married 62 years, with three children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren
Gladys: In 1948, when I was a high school senior, my girlfriend asked me to go with her and some other folks on a triple date. I told her, “I don’t go on blind dates.” Then she showed me a picture of Harold and I changed my mind. He was a college fella and so handsome!
On the evening we all planned to go to the movies, I was very excited. Harold came to the door to get me. But when we got to the car, where two other boys and two young ladies were waiting, Harold sat down and put his arm around another girl! I had to spend the evening with some other boy, who was full of himself. I did not have fun on that date.
Harold: I can’t remember why I chose another girl to be with that night, but, boy, I knew I had messed up. Bee—that’s what everyone calls Gladys—was very cute. She talked a lot and got along with everyone. After that evening, I called her three times and asked her out, but she kept turning me down. So I finally bluffed her out. I said, “If you don’t say yes, I’m not calling you anymore.”
Gladys: I agreed to go with him on a date, but only because I wanted to punish him for messing up and not choosing me that first night. My plan was to spend the evening being totally indifferent.
Harold: Thankfully, she changed her mind.
Gladys: We went to a drive-in movie, then had po’boys and curlicue potatoes afterward. I saw that Harold was smart and very kind. And he had a red convertible. That was big stuff back then. After a few dates, it grew into true love.
Harold: Two years later, in 1950, when I was 25 and Bee was 20, we went to the local courthouse and got married. But we kept it a secret, because Bee’s parents thought that she was too young.
Gladys: I was living at home and going to business school while Harold was studying to become a dentist. I hid the marriage certificate in my bedroom. Two weeks later, my mother found it when she was cleaning my room. Shocked, she called the justice of the peace and asked him, “Did you marry my daughter?” My parents came around, though. They liked Harold. He’s a good fella.
Harold: I learned early on to always ask Gladys what she would rather do. That’s one secret to our marriage: I don’t pretend to be a know-it-all.
Gladys: Harold has always put me first. After we got married, he wouldn’t go golfing at the country club with the other men. He would play with me. I love that about him.
Harold: Gladys has brought out the best in me by giving me unconditional support.
Gladys: Harold and I still enjoy each other’s company more than anyone else’s. We can’t play golf anymore, but we like to watch tournaments together on TV. And we’ve always been big Louisiana State University football fans, so we never miss a game. Oh sure, we still get mad at each other, but we try not to get mad at the same time.
Harold: There’s not enough love in this world, so you can’t lose when you meet someone like Bee. I am very lucky.
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