It was April 2013 when Frank Bordoy first spotted Amanda Flores at Clyde’s, a bar and restaurant in Alexandria, Va. With her dark hair, runner’s body and quick laugh, he found her adorable.

Or to be more accurate, he thought, “Damn, who’s this fine looking woman over there?”

But Ms. Flores was chatting with another guy, and Mr. Bordoy wasn’t sure if the two of them were together or not. They weren’t. In fact, Ms. Flores had noticed Mr. Bordoy, too. How could she not? He was dark and so cute — “the only Puerto Rican looking guy in the place,” said Ms. Flores, now 37. “He was super handsome and had that Caribbean look to him, and I just melted. It was totally superficial.”

Mr. Bordoy sidled over and began talking. He and Ms. Flores quickly discovered similarities: She grew up in Silver Spring, Md., with a Mexican mother and Ecuadorean father. He was from Danbury, Conn., by way of Puerto Rico. She worked in marketing and advertising at Geico; Mr. Bordoy, a former Marine, had moved to the area to attend the police academy. Both were divorced, with two children younger than seven. Both were stubborn, liked to cook, and had similar senses of humor.