Name: Maeve Jones
Name of your partner(s): Justin Black
How long have you and your partner(s) been together?
2.5 years
How did you meet?
I attended the premiere of “Headwaters Down,” a documentary about the James River, at Gallery 5. I met Justin, one of the filmmakers, that night! His love of the river and of Richmond was infectious. I’d just moved to the city a few months before. Now, Justin and I live together on the Southside with our two dogs and cat, and we’re getting married in October!
Where was your first date?
Edo Squid for dinner, then the Virginia Opera’s “La Boheme.”
What qualities do you admire most about your partner(s)?
Justin is so passionate about the Richmond community, as a musician, as a filmmaker, as a raft guide, as an environmentalist, and as a neighbor and friend. He always has an encouraging word or piece of advice for others, and he has never. Ever. Met a stranger.
What’s the most embarrassing or hilarious thing that’s happened to both of you together?
Justin loves to swim in the James. He also loves to cold dip. Usually, he’ll pack a pair of dry clothes to change into. One particularly cold winter day, Justin was not so discreetly changing into dry pants, and I was “keeping watch” (enjoying a cheeky view) when we realized too late that a couple was approaching. They got a laugh!
If your relationship had a movie genre, what would it be and what would the title be?
Rom-com with a tinge of black humor.
Do you have any unique traditions or rituals in your relationship?
Justin and I walk down to Ring Rock (up from Reedy Creek) with our dogs at least a few times a week. I started going there with Justin when we first started dating, and last July it’s where he proposed to me! He had to ask me to ‘get out of the water, please,’ so he could pop the question.
What’s a quirky or random talent your partner(s) has that never fails to impress you?
Justin can whip up a delicious meal from half an onion, a carrot, and a prayer. I’ve told him he should write a cookbook for single men called “Meals to Make Her Marry You.”
What’s the most unusual or unique date you’ve ever been on together?
We once watched live theater in the catacombs beneath a church in Baltimore, Using the glowing ice in our drinks to pick our way across uneven graves and open chambers … but I work at the Poe Museum, so we took it in stride.
