I was in the middle of a meeting, and my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. I ignored her call the first several times, but then I started to get worried. My best friend, Chrisette, was blowing up my phone. Her children are my godchildren. Had something happened? I stepped out and called her.
“What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is great. You’re going on a date,” she said.
“I am?”
“You are,” she replied with total certainty. “I just met this guy. He’s cute and he’s the managing partner of his law firm, and I think you’re going to really like him. He’s based in Los Angeles, but you’re always here for work anyway.”
Chrisette is like a sister to me, and I knew there was no use in arguing with her.
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“His name is Doug Emhoff, but promise me you won’t Google him. Don’t overthink it. Just meet him. I already gave him your number. He’s going to reach out.”
Part of me groaned, but at the same time, I appreciated Chrisette’s takecharge approach. She was one of the only people to whom I could talk candidly about my personal life. As a single, professional woman in my 40s, and very much in the public eye [as California attorney general], dating wasn’t easy. I knew that if I brought a man with me to an event, people would immediately start to speculate about our relationship. I also knew that single women in politics are viewed differently than single men. We don’t get the same latitude when it comes to our social lives.
This story is from the March 2021 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
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This story is from the March 2021 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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