A gamble at love pays off

True love can indeed be found at work, as there is a significant trend of companies being supportive, to some reasonable extent, of the inevitable office romance. In industries employing personnel with people-oriented skills that offer a high level of social interaction on and off-duty, finding your significant other at the workplace is a most adventurous fact of life.

Brad Wilson, born and raised in Cadillac, Michigan, did not foresee that his decision to move to Saipan to work for Best Sunshine International, Ltd. as a slot shift manager would accede to a life-altering celebration. Working on a consulting project in Las Vegas when he was offered to come to Saipan to work at the casino, Wilson did not think twice about accepting the offer. About three years prior to that, Wilson was in Chile, South America heading a gaming consulting venture, and he recalls a strange coincidental moment.

“When I was in Chile in 2012, I was asked a question, which was, “Where would you want to live if you could live anywhere in the world?” And I said, “Saipan.” I lived in the neighboring island of Guam from 1983 to 1985 when I was in the Air Force, and I remember being enthralled by the beautiful island of Saipan when I came to play golf. And here I am. Until now, it never ceases to amaze me that I’m living the realization of what I was hoping for; a job that I thoroughly enjoy despite the challenges, and the fulfillment not only of the home I envisioned in my head, but sharing it now with the woman of my dreams. For so many years I had a clear vision of what I wanted. It’s fate that led me to Winnie.”

Winnie Terrado, a native of the Philippines, is a long-time resident of Saipan. She helped run a Japanese restaurant jointly owned by her sister and brother-in-law before seeking employment with Best Sunshine. A bit on the shy side, this sweet lady is nonetheless always ready to dazzle guests with her cheerful countenance and helpful disposition. Hired as a rewards club host at Best Sunshine’s players club, Terrado is required to have a work ethic that withstands the rigors of her job with unflagging congeniality. She says, “The first time I met Brad, I was sitting with other newly-hired employees at the HR department onboarding on our first day of work. He happened to pass by, and randomly talked to all of us. He was nice and engaging in a casual way. I remember that day clearly, he was carrying a backpack. I felt naturally drawn to him in an instant.”

Brad chimes in, “It was love at first sight,” to which Winnie concedes with a big smile. She adds, “I didn’t realize it then, but I had butterflies in my stomach. The next day I reported to work, he was there working on schedules and going about all that official business of temporarily managing the players club with the slots department.”

“That was a huge misconception about us,” Brad clarifies, “that people assume that she worked for me,” explaining the challenges brought about by the budding romance between the two. He recalls, “Initially, it was a balancing act that we had to go through because of the fact that we are both working at the same company. But technically, she didn’t work for me. That was a difficult moment back then; we had to wait until her department was defined on its own before we came forward.”

Shortly after coming to work at Best Sunshine, Typhoon Soudelor hit the island. Its aftermath unmistakably drew them both closer together; the hurdles that ensued prompted a natural concern to look after each other’s wellbeing. “I remember lining up with her for five long hours at a laundromat for two loads of laundry,” Brad says. “There was a long line of laundry baskets. It was hot and miserable, but we had the best time because we were hanging out together.”

Rephrasing the mutual opinion of seeing the unexpected blessing in the guise of a typhoon, Wilson adds, “It was a terrible typhoon but somehow, because we were together, it didn’t really matter. I’ve had my share of typhoons and hurricanes and tornadoes, and Soudelor was definitely one of the worst conditions that I’ve been in, but it was okay because she was with me.”

After being proposed to by finding the ring hidden in a bag of her favorite chocolate, Terrado said yes. The couple tied the knot and officially became Mr. and Mrs. on Oct. 7, 2015. “He’s very sweet, in fact, he’s gotten even sweeter after we got married,” she claims. “He never fails to give me little surprises that show he pays attention to me. He writes me daily love notes and still lavishes me with my favorite, chocolates.”

This positive bearing spills over to their careers. “We’re both focused on the success of the casino. That is our common goal. Best Sunshine provides a very wonderful opportunity for everybody to develop and diversify one’s career,” Brad says, emphasizing his own advancement within the company ranks to marketing analyst.

“Saipan is our newfound home. We have plans to travel and for me to show Winnie the world, but Saipan is a good place to call home.”

So is that the happily-ever-after ending? Wilson replies with a smile, “This story goes on happily. It never ends.” (PR)