Three Years After Meeting, He Asked What She Was Doing Later That Day

One day in May 2021, out of the blue, Gianluca Bianchezi sent Cynthia Hinojosa a direct message over Instagram asking her what she was doing — that day. It had been three years since they met through mutual friends in April 2018 at the Tecate Pa’l Norte music festival in Monterrey, Mexico, where both live. “I thought she was beautiful and very cool,” Mr. Bianchezi said. “We started following each other on Instagram and I occasionally commented on her stories over the years, but we never spoke or texted.”

When Ms. Hinojosa saw Mr. Bianchezi’s message asking her out, she decided to respond. “I had nothing to lose,” she said.

Over text, they decided to meet that evening for drinks at Pepper Kitchen Bar, a rooftop establishment that they each frequented in the San Pedro Garza García suburb of Monterrey.

It didn’t take them long to realize they had many things in common, including a shared love of hiking, skiing and poetry. “Halfway through the date, I turned to Gian and said, ‘Do you realize we’re basically the same person?” Ms. Hinojosa, 37, said. “‘The only difference is that you’re blonde and I’m brunette.’”

Ms. Hinojosa, who was born and raised in Monterrey, where she received a bachelor’s degree in fashion design from the University of Monterrey, is a makeup artist and the founder and owner of the Phoenix by Phoenix + Crown beauty brand.

Mr. Bianchezi, 33, whose parents are from Brazil, was born in Lombardy, Italy, but moved to Monterrey at the age of 2. He received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and a master’s degree in business administration from the institute’s Graduate School of Management and Business Administration. He is a web developer and the founder and chief executive of Sierra Labs Automation, a global software development company based in Monterrey.