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‘When Someone Shows You Who They Are,
Thank you, Maya Angelou! I keep thinking of this as I drive around Bend, Oregon, in this beautiful fall weather, thinking about my life.
When it comes to Michael Venice, I have decided to believe him the first time.
The first time we texted each other on the Bumble App, he asked me nothing about myself, other than my whereabouts in L.A.
The first coffee date, he asked me pretty much nothing about myself — nothing about my career, my family, my mis-givings, my dreams. He must have asked me a few things, but as I recall, we mostly discussed things in general and things about Michael.
It was still fun. We had chemistry that built over the hour.
We made out against his car, and he told me I should come over that evening. I said, “I don’t think I’ll be doing that. I don’t really know who you are.”
I left L.A. the next day, no expectations.
And yet, once back in Oregon, Michael reached out to me more. I had gotten under his skin.
Eventually, he got under mine. We had long talks on the phone. We laughed a lot. We dissected the world. We said crazy things to each other. Something was building.