Raquel Leviss and James Kennedy‘s love story has a very interesting beginning that Vanderpump Rules fans didn’t get to see on the show.
In a new interview on Lala Kent and fiancé Randall Emmett‘s podcast, Raquel shared the surprising story about how she and the rapper/producer initially met and how their relationship grew into what it is now.
“It’s like the perfect fairy tale love story,” Raquel stated on Give Them Lala … And Randall, sharing how, while a student at Sonoma State University, she visited her sister in LA to spend New Year’s Eve at PUMP — and a special someone just happened to be DJing that night.
“We had dinner reservations [there] and James was DJing and I was [seated] at table number seven which is right by the DJ booth. I thought he was so cute and I had gotten out of a relationship recently at that time and James was like, the only guy that I thought was really attractive,” she said. “So I go over there and [requested] Beyoncé and he was like, ‘I don’t normally take song requests but for you I will.'”
Raquel was delighted by the instant chemistry between them as well as his thick British accent — which she at first thought was fake.
“I’ve noticed that James will amp up his British accent according to who he’s talking to,” the reality star laughed, charmed at the memory of their meet cute.
“So the midnight NYE countdown …. he’s announcing on the mic and I’m dancing by him and then he pulls me over and we kiss at midnight!” she exclaimed. “He invited my sorority sister Mandy and I to this place he was DJing afterwards and I was like, ‘Hell yeah!'”
“Did you let him hit it the first night?” Lala inquired.
“I can’t believe you’re asking me this because no one has asked me straight up that way,” said Raquel, clearly a little bashful about the question. “The answer is … yeah. It was going to be a one-night-stand!”
The reality star explained how she was in her third year at college in Northern California, but James wanted to continue dating long distance, so the two held on to their romance even while apart.
“The first date that we had when he came up to visit me … we went wine tasting ’cause that’s what we do in Sonoma County,”she laughed. “We got a party bus and we went out there to all the different wineries.”
Visiting wineries might be a thing of the past for James and Raquel since James became sober last year, but the two continue to keep their relationship strong and enjoy spending time together (and with their puppy Graham).
That made Lala and Randall wonder … are James and Raquel considering wedding bells in their future?
“I definitely see that in the future for us [but] we’re not in a rush,” Raquel explained. “I still feel like I’m really young.”
Even if James, 27, and Raquel, 25, aren’t planning to walk down the aisle on a [three-part?] episode of Pump Rules anytime soon, the two love birds remain solid — and James’ BFF can definitely tell.
“I will say this,” Lala proclaimed, “There have been moments when James and I are in the studio and [he’s said] ‘You know … ‘Raquel is the one.'”
Photo Credit: Credit: WENN Rights Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo