‘DWTS’ Couple Val Chmerkovskiy and Fiancée Jenna Johnson on How a Close Call Led to Their First Date

Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson may be relationship goals now, but they almost didn’t even go on their first date.

The Dancing With the Stars pros recently recalled the unconventional way in which they ended up going on their first outing together during an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle.

“I was crossing the street on Melrose Ave, she almost ran me over,” Chmerkovskiy said as Johnson confirmed “This is a true story!”

Johnson said she slammed on her breaks before realizing she recognized the man who ran out into the street and she was seconds away from running over, PEOPLE writes. The near-death experience led to them going on what they referred to as a “spontaneous” first date.

“She came over and I taught her how to play chess and that was our first official date,” said Chmerkovskiy.

During the interview, Johnson and Chmerkovskiy also recalled their June engagement in Venice, Italy.

“You completely surprised me,” Johnson told Chmerkovskiy. “I love him so much much, but he’s pretty incapable of planning anything ahead. And so we were in Venice, and basically went through all of his bags and didn’t see anything. And so I was like, ‘Just gonna enjoy the trip.’”

The dancer hired a local camera crew to film the proposal without Johnson knowing.

“We were sitting in this cafe, and I have three undercover cameras,” Chmerkovskiy explained of how the proposal went down. “I was in Venice 15 years ago and I promised myself that when I meet the love of my life, this was where I was going to propose.”

“It was perfect,” Johnson added.

The couple has dated on-and-off since 2015, but now they are getting closer to walking down the aisle and have already discussed starting a family.

“I think Jenna’s going to be an incredible mom,” Chmerkovskiy told PEOPLE recently. “She’s already an amazing companion and I love her very much for many reasons — her loyalty and ambition and passion for life in general.”

He added, “I know our future is bright because together we can do anything we want to do. I can’t wait to have her by my side.”

Their wedding is expected to take place in 2019, with Chmerkovskiy previously saying it will feel like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Eastern Promises meets Meet the Parents.”

“A big reason why I fell in love with Jenna was how much she cherishes her family,” he added. “And my family means the world to me. Our families are very different but the common denominator is love. Together we can build a bigger family and create a bigger village.”

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