A student, who spent hours in an interview for a part-time job, ended up falling in love with the boss, who was old enough to be her dad.
Suzanna Diaz, now 25, from Lake Jackson, USA, was looking for a part-time job in 2018 to earn some extra cash during her time at university when she came across a position opening in her local restaurant.
She went to the restaurant and was sitting down in a nearby booth, filling out a job application, when she was tapped on the shoulder.
She turned around and caught eyes with an older man, who introduced himself as Tony Kahanek, the 55-year-old general manager of the restaurant who was there to interview her.
As the two spoke, they realised they had a connection, so Tony asked Suzanna for her phone number before she left. Suzanna said she went home and replayed the conversation in her head over and over that night.
Suzanna received a text the next day from an unknown number, which she was apprehensive to respond to, until she realised it was Tony. They got chatting and a few days later, met up for dinner after work.
As they got to know each other a bit more, they found that they had a lot of similar interests and began sharing personal stories. Just before he dropped her home, they kissed, which Suzanna recalled feeling like a ‘whirlwind’ moment.
They kept their relationship a secret, wanting to avoid any negativity that could impact their relationship in its budding stage. But after a few months of working together and speaking every day, Tony asked Suzanna to move in as he wanted to come home to her at the end of the day.
Although she was thrilled, Suzanna knew this meant that she had to tell her parents about their relationship and she was nervous about how they would react. Suzanna’s parents initially asked if she was serious, but after seeing how genuinely happy she was, they accepted Tony into the family.
Tony’s mum, on the other hand, accepted their relationship straight away. She now hopes the two will one day get married and start a family together.
Several of Tony and Suzanna’s friends haven’t been very supportive – with weird looks from a couple of them stopping the duo from being intimate around them.
Others have made comments about how Suzanna must be a ‘sugar baby’ – which she has learnt to ignore.
Suzanna thinks that being with a mature man is more reassuring than being with someone her own age and feels a greater sense of appreciation from him.
Now, three-years later, the two are the happiest they have ever been and have started to discuss their future together.
“I was twenty-two-years-old when I decided to find a part-time job waiting on tables in my local area when luckily, a position opened up in a family restaurant near me,” said Suzanna.
“I rushed down there hoping to be one of the first to enquire so that I could secure the position as I was desperate for some extra money.
“As I arrived, they asked me to sit in a booth and fill out an application form and just as I finished, I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a tall, charming man, whose eyes sparkled before me – I was fixated on how handsome he was.
“I regained focus and he introduced himself as Tony, the general manager of the restaurant, and we began talking – until I realised the time and knew I needed to get home.
“My heart was still pounding with excitement as I couldn’t believe how infatuated I was with someone who I barely knew, until the next day when I received a text from him.
“We spoke on the phone until late in the night when Tony suggested meeting up a few days later after work for a bite to eat.
“As soon as I saw him, my heart started beating fast again and that’s when I knew that I had fallen in love.
As Suzanna and Tony realised that their relationship had escalated from employee and boss, they knew that they couldn’t hide it from their families and friends any longer.
“We told our parents, with mine being apprehensive at first, but supportive after seeing how happy we both were,” Suzanna said.
“Tony’s mother was over-the-moon and hasn’t stopped talking about us getting married, even though this isn’t on the cards just yet – but we’ll see this year.
“After a few months, we decided that we wanted to move on to the next chapter of our relationship and I began packing up my things to move in with him. I moved into Tony’s apartment and although I was scared at first, as I thought that living together so soon after meeting might put a strain on our relationship, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
“We get on perfectly together and right now, three-years later, we’re the happiest that we have ever been and have started to discuss our future together.
“I feel like I am experiencing a fairytale romance and have met my soulmate, something which I thought I would never have, especially at so young.
“I wish people would understand that a relationship can come from anywhere and can be with someone who you would least expect.
“Our relationship feels so natural for us and I believe this is because we choose to listen to our hearts rather than the opinions of others.
“Only you know the direction you want to take your life – if the relationship fits within this, then that’s all that matters. There is so much happiness that a lifelong partner can bring, don’t miss out because of a minor taboo.”