My thoughts on being a “Work Wife”

Good news! I’m married!

Did I shock you there? No? Okay. Moving on.

Someone, please please please tell me that I’m not the only one this has happened to. I’ve heard the term before, of course, but until I used the mighty resources of The Almighty Google, I had no idea just how common this was. Googling the term brings up not only the expected Wikipedia article, but tons of personal essays and blogging rants. Some of them are absolutely hilarious. You want to see some very angry women? Google “work wives” and read some of the top hits. (I’m aware this may be offensive to some people, but it takes very little to offend me. So read on with a grain of salt).

I didn’t become aware that I was a “work wife” until late last week. We’re going through a huge merger at my office, and things have become tense this month (to say the least). People taking sides, people stealing offices and hating new bosses and trash talking everyone they can. And because we have a relatively small company – and workspace – shiz has been hitting the fan, big time.

But I know that someone always has my back – and that’s Jake, who, for the sake of argument, I’m going to call my work husband. Jake and I are relatively close in age and work in close proximity on an almost daily basis. I do work for a lot of different divisions within our company and Jake is the director of one of those divisions. He has a live-in girlfriend, Katie, who is absolutely awesome. She’s one of those people who you might be really, really good friends with if you had the chance, you know? Jake and I get along famously, but it wasn’t until last week that I had this epiphany. Here’s the evidence of my position as a “work wife:”

Example A: Jake will call me anytime between 7 and 530 with questions like, “can you stick up for me in the meeting tomorrow? I can’t be there.” Which I always do. Given, of course, that he’s right. And if he’s not, I let him know.

Example B: Jake brought me muffins, freshly baked by his girlfriend, when I was having a shitty week. (They were delicious) It’s become sort of a running joke. Oh, you want me to do that write-up for you? It’ll cost two muffins.

Example C: Jake and I are going to San Diego in February for a business conference. Jake’s girlfriend, Katie, is surprisingly okay with this, and told him off for not signing me up months ago.

Example D: I expect Jake to be available for personal venting moments between the hours of 7 and 530 every week day. And he always is. The same goes for when he needs to vent, or needs to be “talked down.”

Example E: Jake and I hate the same people.

Honestly, the last might be the most important of these. It’s sort of how working with my brother would be, I think. And in an office full of increasingly catty people, it’s nice to know that someone has your back, regardless. If they bring you muffins, it sort of seals the deal. The more thought I’ve given this, the more I like the concept. Given the obvious – that there’s no kind of attraction or other feelings involved – it’s sort of like having an ally in an office-oriented game of RISK.

So here’s the big question – what do you guys think about this? Ever experienced it yourselves? Deplore it?

Spill.