Chapter Numero Bruno
Shayna's perspective
Our story began at Brown University, where Alex and I first crossed paths at the international house, Buxton. I was double-majoring in club basketball and beer pong, with a minor in political science. Alex, Buxton’s token cheeky Brit, was on a full time frat star apprenticeship, a respectable pre-consulting track to McKinsey. After Brown, it took a rainy city, and One More Time on the same side of the pond for the timing to finally cooperate.
The Six-Month "No" Tour
Alex's perspective
Fast forward to 2020: Shayna moved to London, and I made it my personal mission to show her "my" city; introducing her to new friends, taking her to the best spots, and relentlessly trying to convince her that dating me was a great idea. For six months, Shayna politely (and occasionally not-so-politely) gave me a clear answer; "No." My persistence finally paid off at a bar called Twiga. Whether it was my English charm or the agave talking is still up for debate, but she finally decided I was worth the risk—and I wasn't about to let the moment pass.
Five Years of "Yes"
Shayna's perspective
Since Twiga, we’ve spent five years turning “no” into an adventure - be it Stagecoach, Swiss mountains, or a calendar that rotates seamlessly between Diwali and Christmas. In these five years Chef Alex quickly showed me that a woman’s place was not in the kitchen. He reminded me that home was not a place, but a person. I reminded him it was also Fitness First Baker Street.
The Broughton Grange "Diving Lesson"
Alex's perspective
The "Long Game" reached its peak in July 2025 at Broughton Grange, my family home. After weeks of secret planning with both families, a nervous conversation with Shayna's parents to ask for their blessing, and several surreptitious photos of the open ring box next to a sleeping Shayna, I was ready. To get Shayna there without suspicion, I concocted an iron-clad decoy: a few hours of diving lessons in the pool to prepare for an upcoming trip. Little did she know that, on a summer evening by the koi pond, the “diving lesson” would be replaced with a much bigger life milestone.
