Jam PressThey say you’re only as young as the person you’re dating, and this couldn’t be more true for two lovebirds with a 20-year age gap from Miami.
Desiree Gato and boyfriend Mike have proved their sceptical friends wrong, as their special chemistry has kept them together despite the significant age gap.
However, a stranger looking at the couple wouldn’t think twice. With Mike’s youthful appearance, the pair actually look very similar in age and people often can’t guess who is the older of the two.
Jam PressPhotographer Mike met Desiree – or Desy, as she prefers to be known – while they were working on a photography shoot together. A successful realtor, Desy is also a model, sharing her pics with her 933,000 Instagram followers.
According to Desy:
We met in 2016 when we did our very first photo shoot together. I drove all the down to Miami from Tampa to shoot with him.
However, things didn’t immediately become romantic following the shoot. Desy actually believed Mike to be gay during their first meeting, and the pair remained friends for around a year before sparks started to fly.
Jam PressNow the besotted couple are fully committed. They even own two businesses together and have plans to tie the knot in the future.
Both are keen travellers and also share a love of Disney – the pair are proud holders of Disneyland annual passes. Indeed, they even intend to say ‘I do’ at the happiest place on Earth.
According to Desy:
We have so many plans. Just not kids. We are NOT fans of kids.
Speaking of her attraction to the man old enough to be her dad, Desy said:
I love how much he makes me laugh. And he says he loves my ambition – he admires it.
Jam PressDesy regularly earns up to $7,000 a month modelling lingerie online, and Mike is reportedly ‘very understanding’:
Mike is very understanding, and very liberal when it comes to my freedom. He lets me go out with my friends, and makes sure I never feel I’m missing out on experiences just because I’m in a relationship.
However, the couple’s friends haven’t always been 100% supportive of their relationship, with many still believing their love won’t last.
Desy revealed:
None of our friends think we’re going to last. Well, Mike’s friends think he’s some sort of pimp or something. They salute him.
Mike’s parents apparently ‘worry heavily’ but are supportive of the relationship because they see how happy Desy makes their son. On the other hand, Desy’s parents have ‘welcomed Mike with open arms’ and already treat him like their son-in-law.
Jam PressAnd despite their huge age gap, they don’t often get stared at in public because – in 22-year-old Desy’s words – Mike, 42, only looks ‘about 27’ anyway.
Desy hopes their happiness will help others to change their opinions on relationships that have a large age gap:
We wish people understood we don’t care what they think. We don’t ask for opinions or take into consideration what anyone says about our relationship, because we’re so happy together. We just work.
All the best to Desy and Mike!
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.