Ashley's version:
Our story begins just before Spring Carnival '03 at Carnegie Mellon. It is dress rehearsal for the Scotch'n'Soda production of Into The Woods. Joe gave such a magnificent performance that Ashley swooned. Joe rushed to her aid and the rest is history... Wait, um, no. Joe had a small role and was wandering around sowing minor chaos. He talked to the technical director, Aaron Tarnow, and offered him some "Sprite" for all his hard work. Then Joe noticed the paint charge (Ashley) looking a bit ragged and standing next to Aaron. He offered her some "Sprite" as well, although he clearly had no idea who she was (other than, being covered in paint, she must be the paint charge). Ashley went on to attend a few parties at Joe's place and he still didn't really remember her. Then, a year later, we find that somehow the two of us had become good friends, and about a year after that we started dating. It remains a mystery to me... with a fantastic ending.
Joe's version:
The most amazing thing happened in college. Sometime between the beginning and the end of freshman year, Joe woke up one day and discovered he knew this really cool girl named Ashley. She was super-chill and amiable, unassumingly beautiful, and was a constant, calming presence in his hectic life. He distinctly remembers meeting a paint-covered Ashley through Scotch'n'Soda - the student theatre group at Carnegie Mellon - but can't quite recall when they became friends. (He denies any and all allegations of parties at his place.) Over sophomore year, they grew even closer, including one awesome 3-hour conversation as a party grew slowly dormant around them. By the end of that summer, Joe and Ash were regularly talking on the phone, sharing the details of their respective summer experiences and reminiscing over their first two years of college. Less than a year later, all the pieces finally fell into place and they started dating, starting a relationship that felt both totally natural and eternally exciting - a feeling that persists even today.