When Kheri Orisha Carter decided to audition in 2021, the fourth season of “Ready To Love,” a dating reality show on Oprah Winfrey's own network, that wasn't her idea.
“It was actually dare,” Carter said. “I was looking for love and I wanted to be a committed relationship.” But she didn't have much luck with the Washington dating scene. “It's small but big,” she said. “It's difficult to connect.”
The show was a favorite of Mr. Carter and her friends. So when they found out it was coming to Washington, they dared to audition her. She did so, and after some interviews she joined the cast.
Upon appearing on the show, she went through the first four episodes. This was long enough for Brian Thomas Kirkof to notice.
Her time on the show was short-lived, but she now says, “I obviously made sure Brian was able to find me.”
After seeing her on the show, Karhoef sent a message to Carter on Instagram on December 15th, 2021.
“I thought I was intelligent, strong-willed, composed, sexy and beautiful,” Kirkhoff said. “I had to meet her. I quickly chased her on Instagram and started to like her photos.”
She received a lot of messages, but Karhuf looked different, she said. “He was a gentleman.”
“She was writing posts about a 'thirsty' man. I used that post to slid her DMs,” Kirkof said. “I'm not that kind of guy. If you're going out with me, I can show you,” he said in his message.
After the call she was sure he was the person he said. They went on their first date for dinner at St. Anselm, a steakhouse in Washington's union market on December 19, 2021.
It was an immediate and mutual appeal, both said. “I thought she was more direct than the show,” Kirkhoef said.
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“He's extremely resourceful and an observer,” Carter said. “And the way he carried himself was very sexy.”
A second date at O-ku Sushi in Washington followed by a third x immediately.
They were still casually dating other people, but when he saw her on social media at a Wizard basketball game in Washington with someone else, she saw him post about a trip he was traveling with another woman, it was time for serious conversation.
“When I saw him on that trip, I knew I was serious,” she said. “So when we had the conversation I was very vulnerable with him.”
He received the message. “Then we realised how serious she was, so when we came back we talked about where we were heading,” Kirkhoff said. “That was two months after the date.”
Carter then said, “We started dating exclusively.” And in April 2022, they became official during a trip to Miami for Mr. Karhuf's birthday.
In August 2022, Carter moved to Karuhof's home in the Trinidad area of northeastern Washington.
Carkhuff, 58, is a senior government account executive at T-Mobile. He graduated from the National Louis University with a bachelor's degree in business administration and earned an MBA from Howard University. Mr. Kirkhoff was born in Buffalo and grew up in McLean, Virginia. He has two daughters from his previous marriage.
Carter, 41, is a real estate agent at RLAH @Properties. She graduated from the University of Houston and received a bachelor's degree in consumer science and merchandising. She was born and raised in Dallas.
Carkhuff proposed on March 7th in a private room at St. Anselm. He created the plot to have a late dinner with a friend to surprise Mr. Carter. “It's hard to hide something like this when you know someone,” she said.
The two were married on April 30th at the District of Columbia Marriage Office Superior Court by Marriage Director George Barber. “I felt like a teenager in love. I was whimsical, ecstatic, and proud to have married my best friend,” Carter said.
They then went to lunch at the capital Grill across the street from the courthouse, along with Carter's longtime friend Ijeoma Azubuko.
“A lot of people gave us a lot of love when we had lunch,” Carter said. “People we didn't know surprised us by paying for our meals. It made me cry.” That night they had dinner and drinks with dozens of friends on the Sly rooftop at the Moreau Hotel.
The couple is scheduled to hold a massive wedding celebration in Georgetown on June 20th. “Kheri and I didn't think we'd found anything like love and commitment we found in each other,” Carkhuff said. “I felt like I had really solidified my life with my real partner.”
