Coworkers Brewing Romance

Dating a coworker can be tricky, especially if you don’t want anyone else at work to find out.

That’s what this week’s Love Letter couple found out the hard way. Tony and Elizabeth worked together at a cafe, she as the shift lead and him as her closer.

Though the two didn’t hit it off at the start, some time spent in close proximity resulted in Tony asking her out on a date. And though they no longer work together, four years later the pair is still going strong.

Here’s their story.

How did you meet?

Elizabeth: We met at work. It was a cafe. I was a shift lead, and Tony was just starting. I didn’t like him at first. I thought he was a little off, and I tried to get his shift changed.

Why didn’t you like him?

Elizabeth: He was kind of just there. He wouldn’t talk to me. He was just silent. The only interaction we had that day was he came up to me and he said “Mexican?” And that pissed me off! Because I’m not Mexican, I’m Ecuadorian.

And I went to my manager and was like “Give me a new person,” because he was my closer. But my manager said “No, he’s a good worker, give him a chance.” And so we were forced to continue working together. And from there, I tried to make good conversation.

What were your first impressions of Elizabeth?

Tony: I’ll be honest, I’m a little shy. So working with a new person, I didn’t really want to talk to that much.

What about the first interaction?

Tony: First of all, I didn’t think she spoke spanish. I thought she only spoke English. And then I heard her speak Spanish one day to one of the cooks and it surprised me. And so I went up to her and asked “Mexican?” And she got a little angry.

Did you know she tried to have your shift moved?

Tony: I was totally unaware. She didn’t tell me until after we left that job.

How did your impression of Tony change?

Elizabeth: After I talked to my manager, I gave him a chance. And he was pulling his weight, which was really nice.

What did you do for your first date?

Tony: After we’d been working together for a month or two, I wasn’t as shy. We’d talk more and we’d always ask about our plans. One day she asked me what I was up to and I said “Nothing.” And then I asked her what her plans were and she said “Unfortunately, nothing.” So honestly I saw that as an opening. I was very shy, of course, but YOLO. There was a McDonald’s nearby and I was craving a burger, so I asked her to get some food with me.

Elizabeth: When he asked me out to eat I thought we were just going as friends because we were good coworkers. I kid you not, this man didn’t even eat his burger on the first date. He basically ran away from me at the end.

How did things go from there?

Elizabeth: I think we continued talking about burgers, because we both really like them. And Tony told me that he’d never been to In-N-Out. Mind you, we live in California, which is the hometown for In-N-Out. So I like to joke that our second date was me taking his In-N-Out virginity.

Tony: The date after that we went to watch a movie.

Elizabeth: And so this is where I was very confused as to whether Tony likes me or not, because I was developing a crush at that point and he didn’t show too much emotion for me. So I literally sat him down and said “Hey, we’ve been at this for a bit, are we friends? Or is this gonna be something else?”

And he didn’t say anything, we went to watch the movie, and as we’re getting out I think we held hands. And then in the car that’s when he asked me to be his girlfriend.

What was it like working together once you were dating?

Elizabeth: I didn’t want my coworkers to know. I’d been at this cafe for quite a bit of time, and rumors spread like wildfire. I told Tony “We’re not gonna tell anybody. We’re just going to act like coworkers.”

But little did we know, our manager had already figured it out. I think it was like a month after we got together. And it was all because he asked Tony one day what he did over the weekend. And Tony told him he watched a movie with his girlfriend. He had asked me the same thing and I said I watched a movie with my brother. So he asked me what movie it was. And that's when he kind of put the two together.

🤔 Poll

📊 Last Week We Asked…

• [poll] “Have You Ever Regretted Not Talking to Someone You Crossed Paths With?”

  • 11% said “Yes, but I acted on it later”

  • 8% said “No, I usually seize the moment”

  • 62% said “Yes, and I never got a second chance”

  • 19% said “Maybe! Hard to say for sure”

And a meet-cuter shared: “After one evening shyly smiling at each other in a bar, I did get another chance but I actively ignore people I fancy - so when he flashed me a smile at the festival we were both at, I kept on walking. Idiot! He was such a crush - me and my friends had a nickname for him and everything … I still occasionally wonder what could’ve been.”

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Interviewed and transcribed by Nicolas Vega. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.