It all began with thoughtful friends, as most stories in Los Angeles do. Here, most people rely on their friends for recommendations for everything from movies to restaurants, hiking trails to dating partners.
After 10 years in Chicago, Tonia moved back to Los Angeles. She loved being back near family, enjoying the beautiful weather and settling into her L.A. life again. Soon after arriving, she went out to dinner with a group of girls and her best friend - women she had known for over thirteen years. The topic turned to dating, and suddenly several of the girls turned to Tonia and said, "What about Marc Entous?" Everyone at the table seemed to think this was a brilliant idea. (In fact, there is still a debate about who said it first!)
The challenge: Tonia and Marc didn't know each other ... yet.
Several months later, while traveling Asia with a good friend named Ermin, Marc received a quick e-mail: "There's a girl you should meet." Melodie, one of the initial conspirators at that dinner, had been roommates with Marc a few years back, and sent him the e-mail as an introduction. He was a little skeptical about a blind date, but agreed as long as Melodie and her boyfriend came along as well.
Soon thereafter, Tonia and Marc finally met at an Italian restaurant, Il Tiramisu. Everyone had a great time, laughing and smiling and getting to know each other. Melodie and her boyfriend Mark made it a relaxed atmosphere and made sure to walk REALLY slowly in order to give Marc and Tonia some time to get to know each other. By the second date, sparks were flying and Marc had Tonia blushing at every turn.
It was Besheret (destiny).