It wasn't the most romantic date.

But there was something about Michael Cezar — maybe his shyness or his cute smile — that Aleathia Acosta just liked. "Ace Venture: Pet Detective" notwithstanding.

They sat in his car, on the top floor of the parking lot at Pearlridge Center, when he popped the question: "Do you want to be my girl?"

How could 15-year-old Acosta say no?

From that day on — Dec. 1, 1995, to be exact — the two high school juniors were inseparable. They went to proms together, hung out with their friends and fell asleep on the phone talking to each other at night.

By graduation, though, they had a tough decision to make.

Acosta, who was attending Sacred Hearts Academy, wanted to go to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas because her uncle lived nearby. Cezar, a baseball player from Damien Memorial High School, wanted to play for a junior college in California.

But the thought of not being with Acosta changed his mind.

"He followed me," Acosta said, with a laugh.

The two moved to Las Vegas right after graduation in 1997, living away from home for the first time.

"In college, we met a lot of different people and were having fun, and that was kind of an obstacle for us," said Acosta, 25, who grew up in Pearl City. "But (the experience) really strengthened our relationship. We were each other's family there."

They weren't sure if their high school romance was going to last. But they did have family history on their side.

Both Acosta's and Cezar's parents were high school sweethearts. So they didn't think it would be impossible — but they kept their fingers crossed.

"We didn't expect to be together for so long because it's not very common," Acosta said. "But it was destiny how it worked out for us."

While still in college, the couple moved into their own apartment near campus. Cezar got a job busing tables at the Flamingo Hotel. Acosta, who wanted to be a nurse, started working at Roy's Restaurant.

Living together wasn't as easy as they had thought. For starters, he's messy, she's a neat freak. He'd leave a trail of clothes from the door to the bedroom and wipe his hands on her decorative towels.

"He didn't understand what a decorative towel was," said Acosta, laughing. "It was hard because we're very different. ... We had to get used to each other's pet peeves."

But their differences balance out, Cezar said.

"It's like yin and yang," said Cezar, 26, who grew up in 'Aiea. "It's a good thing, because opposites attract."

In the summer of 2002, they decided to take the next step: becoming homeowners. They bought a three-bedroom house in Henderson, Nev., about 20 minutes from the Strip.

They talked about marriage, but never seriously. They never even looked at engagement rings.

So imagine Acosta's surprise when, on their seventh anniversary dinner in 2002, she noticed a ring box with her chocolate souffle.

"He caught me totally by surprise," Acosta said. "I was in shock. ... I would have just expected him to say, 'Let's get married.' "

By then, the couple had careers to worry about. Cezar graduated from UNLV with a degree in hotel administration; Acosta earned a degree in nursing. He got promoted to assistant food and beverage manager at the Flamingo; she quit nursing after four months to become the sales and marketing manager for Roy's Restaurant.

They figured they'd wait to get married. Neither were rushed to get hitched in the first place.

"We weren't really thinking about marriage before," Acosta said. "We weren't in any hurry. And I didn't want to rush him. We're both young. I figured whenever he popped the question, that's when he was ready."

They wanted to get married on their dating anniversary — Dec. 1 — but they both couldn't get away during the typically busy holiday season.

A ceremony was held on June 18 at the church at Sacred Hearts Academy in Kaimuki, the reception at the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki. About 250 guests — dozens from out of state — attended.

Life hasn't changed much for the newlyweds. They still watch movies at home and eat out at restaurants. (The recent U.S. Little League World Series was a focal point for the couple. Cezar, who played competitive baseball, wanted to get TiVo just to tape the games.)

While they love the lifestyle they have in Vegas, they both want to come home someday. Hopefully to raise a family. But not right now.

"Our marriage is still new," Acosta said. "Even though we've been together for almost 10 years, there are things that we are still learning about one another. Now we talk more about serious issues, things like financial issues, starting a family and the future of our careers. But it's nice, because we make decisions together now. There are more things that we will encounter together on our journey as husband and wife. But I know that we will be able to handle any obstacle on the way."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.