Ryan’s Story

Some days are so special that they become written in your memory too deeply to ever forget a single detail.

It’s almost like your subconscious understands the importance before anyone is fully aware of just how significant that day is. The day that I met Jenna Maslowski was the most special day of my life. I vividly remember May 30th, 2016, like it was yesterday. I can recall everything about that day, each vibrant detail etched in stone to last forever.

It was the best time of the year on a warm holiday Monday. After spending the afternoon in Fort Mason playing spikeball with the guys and enjoying the beautiful San Francisco day, we made the decision to go somewhere that would change the course of my life forever.

We left the wide open park for a place where the air was dense and the crowds were packed in wall-to-wall. A place where hopes can be dashed and beer tabs can add up too quickly, but on rare occasion dreams come true. I’m talking of course about a crowded sportsbar during the playoffs.

It was Memorial Day, and the San Francisco Athletic Club sportsbar was completely packed to capacity. The energy was palpable, and the game sounds were cranked up to 11 with the home teams competing on every single TV. This was a gilded age for SF Bay Area sports. On the same day, the Warriors were battling in a Game 7 to reach the NBA Finals and the Sharks were competing in Game 1 for the Stanley Cup.

After surviving the queue wrapped halfway around the block to enter the standing-room-only local, I scanned the crowd for familiar faces and to get a sense of the people I’d be sharing this afternoon with. And then it happened. Despite the hordes of noisy fans, a meaningful silence overcame my consciousness and my breathe was completely taken away. Every single person in that bar disappeared except for one extraordinarily beautiful face across the room. The first time I laid eyes on Jenna Maslowski, she was the only person that I could see.

She was at a high-top table wearing her trusty #12 Sharks jersey with the captain’s “C” on the front and “Marleau” on the rear nameplate, sitting alongside her best friend Morgan. Both girls were totally dressed for the occasion. Jenna representing the Sharks and Morgan decked out in Warriors gear.

As my luck would have it on such a special day, out of everyone else in the bar, we managed to make a brief but serendipitous and meaningful eye contact. I felt a sense of warmth between us, and my heart began to race. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. I knew in that moment that I had to go talk to her, so before having any idea what to say, I made my way through the dense crowd towards her high-top table.

When I approached Jenna’s table, the 2nd period was already underway, and she was completely zoned-in to the hockey game. Before thinking too hard and psyching myself out, I tapped her on the shoulder, and when she turned to me and smiled, I asked her the question that neither of us will ever forget.

“How many goals is Marleau going to score for you tonight?” I asked her, half hopeful she’d respond and half distressed she’d shoe me away as just another obnoxious dude approaching the hottest girl in the bar.

She looked to me with the kindest of eyes, lifted up her index and middle fingers and said “two goals tonight!” and then focused back in on her game playing on the television screens.

I smiled back, wished her good luck, and made my way over to my friends. Although the building was packed to capacity, in another instance of pure destiny, there were 2 unoccupied stools at their table.

Of course, not long later, Marleau put a shot behind the opposing goalie on the power-play and I had to go cheer with my new incredibly beautiful friend. Noticing that I was far more interested in hanging out on Jenna’s side of the room, the guys made their way over towards me and I introduced them to Jenna and Morgan. Danny took a seat on one of the empty barstools, and from that point on, we were one big friend group for the rest of the night.

We cheered, sang, laughed, and danced until the sun went down and the games were through. In another chance of luck, several other friends, colleagues, and acquaintances walked through the door that afternoon, paying respect in the presence of our newfound friends. It felt like I was the mayor of San Francisco and the coolest guy in the room.

When it was finally time to say goodbye, we made a plan with the girls to meet up again two nights later for the next set of games. We exchanged phone numbers, and Jenna and I embraced in a hug that neither of us wanted to let go. This would famously become known as the ‘lingering hug’ that would change our lives forever.

Elated by what had just transpired and overcome by pure emotional bliss, I literally skipped, jumped, and danced the entire walk home. I could not wait to see her again soon. I knew I had just met somebody incredibly special.

To avoid any possible chance of missing our planned meet-up two days later, I called in sick and worked from home (in a job with 100% mandatory office attendance.) The spark on our second encounter was just as vibrant as on Memorial Day, and it became very clear that we had each found something very special. One week later, we kissed for the first time, and now, after six years of being completely inseparable, dancing, laughing, traveling abroad, moving in together, raising our puppy Coho, and falling more deeply in love every day, I can’t wait to make Jenna my wife for the rest of our days.