After the dating app Tinder indicated their compatibility in early June, Mr. Daniels reached out but has not received a response, which frustrated him. He muttered to himself, “Absolutely nothing. Not a single word,” Mr. Daniels, aged 33, recounted. He decided not to pursue this individual any further. A few weeks later, much to his irritation, Mr. Daniels found that they were a match once again, this time ranking in the 95th percentile on OkCupid.
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Mr. Daniels recollected his thoughts, “Certainly not, no,” interpreting it as a virtual snub. “He overlooked me. I’m not going to initiate contact. It’s time to move forward.”
Nathan Stephens, aged 35, who goes by Nate, pondered whether “the algorithms and the universe” were attempting to convey a message. However, his busy schedule kept him from pursuing any romantic involvements. The algorithms of a third app, Scruff, repeated the scenario later in the same month. Mr. Stephens remarked, “The timing just seemed right. I was in town, and coincidentally, he was too.”
Their text exchanges flowed effortlessly, causing Mr. Daniels to become more receptive. They decided to meet on June 22nd at a local establishment, Union Drinkery, now known as St. Vincent Wine. This venue was conveniently situated just a few blocks from their respective apartments in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington. Outside the bar, they greeted each other with warm hugs before engaging in hours of conversation over drinks in the courtyard. At one point, a rat darted past them; while Mr. Stephens remained composed, Mr. Daniels reacted with a start, emitting a gasp and lifting his feet onto his chair. “With a chuckle,” Mr. Stephens remarked, “I’m the country mouse, and he’s the city mouse.” He grew up on a sprawling 400-acre cattle ranch in the Black Hills of South Dakota near St. Onge. In contrast, Mr. Daniels, an Army dependent, experienced a nomadic upbringing across the nation, predominantly in the Southern regions, due to his family’s relocations.
Mr. Stephens manages his consulting practice, facilitating connections between organizations and communities to address racial, social, and economic issues. He graduated magna cum laude from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and attained a Master of Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California. On the other hand, Mr. Daniels is employed by Politico as a White House correspondent and the author of the column “Politico Playbook.” He is also a political analyst on MSNBC and a senior contributor on “Morning Joe.” His academic background includes graduating from Colorado State University.
As the clock struck midnight and they left the bar, both realizing they hadn’t eaten, they decided to head to their beloved local pizza joint, Little Coco. It was there that they shared their first kiss, marking the start of their romantic journey. “We were on a roll from that moment,” Mr. Daniels recalled. A couple of days later, Mr. Stephens took Mr. Daniels to the National Gallery of Art to show him his favorite painting: Picasso’s “Family of Saltimbanques.” In due course, Mr. Daniels introduced Mr. Stephens to the TV series “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” converting him into a fan. During the initial phase of their relationship, Mr. Stephens frequently traveled internationally. “Whenever he wasn’t on a trip,” Mr. Daniels mentioned, “we had dinner at my place.” In the autumn, after a workshop in Guatemala, Mr. Daniels joined Mr. Stephens for a stay at an Airbnb by Lake Atitlán.
Over the Christmas of 2017, Mr. Daniels got a glimpse of life on Mr. Stephens’s ranch in South Dakota. “He got to ride horses and operate the four-wheeler,” Mr. Stephens recounted. Mr. Daniels even took part in feeding the cows, humorously rebranding the tasks as “ranch errands.” “I don’t think he’s planning to switch careers,” quipped Mr. Stephens.
In February 2018, Mr. Daniels moved in with Mr. Stephens, bringing along Diamond, his 22-pound family cat. By May, Mr. Stephens accompanied Mr. Daniels to Bucksport, South Carolina, for his maternal grandmother’s 80th birthday celebration.
Mr. Daniels reflected on that time, “I was really moved. I never thought I’d introduce the man I knew I was going to marry to my family.” “My family was incredibly welcoming,” he added, including his grandmother and her three sisters, fondly called the “Golden Girls.” They spent the Christmas of 2018 visiting Mr. Daniels’s parents in Dubai, where his parents currently reside.
In June 2021, en route to celebrating their fourth anniversary at the Blue Duck Tavern in Georgetown, Mr. Stephens knelt halfway down the Spanish Steps and proposed.
A “counterproposal,” as Mr. Daniels playfully labeled it, followed in November. He arranged a surprise camping trip to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to convey his readiness to step out of his comfort zone for Mr. Stephens.
On October 29th, their parents proudly walked them down the aisle at the Evergreen Museum & Library in Baltimore.
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