Jordan and Eric's love story began New Year's Eve in "music city." On a whim, Eric convinced two of his friends to travel to Nashville, Tennessee for the holiday, a rather unusual destination choice for a city slicker like Eric. A few nights before ringing in the New Year, Eric and his friends were walking back to their hotel in the early morning hours when they heard live music playing from the infamous Broadway honky tonk, "Tootsies." Despite being tired, life-of-the-party Eric convinced his friends to stop in for "one quick song." Unimpressed with the cover band playing the first floor, he lured them upstairs for one more "quick song" by a different band. Little did he know that amongst neon lights and a beer-soaked dance floor he would find his future husband. Also on a whim, Jordan was in Nashville celebrating NYE with some of his friends, as well. When Eric went up to the lead singer to request "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, she told him another guy in the crowd had already requested the same song. With a tilt of her cowgirl hat and a nod in Jordan's direction, he found out who it was that made the request. Fast forward several "quick songs" later, Jordan approached Eric and asked if he could buy him a drink. Eric politely declined the drink, but stayed to talk. The talking soon turned to dancing, and the dancing soon turned to the start of a beautiful love. The next day, Jordan texted Eric "good morning," and would do so every single day since. For Eric and Jordan, nothing other than fate could have engendered such a meeting. Of all the places in the world, of all the honky tonks in Nashville, and of all the floors of live music in Tootsie's, fate alone could have placed them in the exact same place, at the exact same time, requesting the exact same song.

A few weeks later, Jordan flew to NYC from North Carolina, where he was still living as he finished medical school to take Eric on their first official date. The two went to Sartiano's in SoHo, the same restaurant they would find themselves in celebrating their engagement with their family and friends a year and a half later. Starting a new relationship long distance came with challenges, but they both knew this was something special, and something worth the effort. In May of their first year of dating, Jordan matched into residency at his first choice, and one of the top anesthesiology programs in the country, in New York City. Of all the cities in the world, Jordan matched in the same city as Eric, and fate prevailed yet again.