Usually, I just keep to myself, living what would be society’s standards of a ‘normal’ life. I wake up just when the first beams of sunlight are filtering through the clouds; I go about mundane activities and support myself with an average salary as an office manager- but do you know that old saying, “There is more than meets the eye?” Although I haven’t the foggiest idea of whom first conveyed this adage, I firmly admire that man or woman for being so wise.

America is known as the country of freedom and equality, but it might as well, for that matter, be known as the country of prejudice, racism, and homophobic beliefs. One is so quick to judge by merely a person’s skin tone that they are inferior- so quick to say that a gay man will definitely contract AIDS within his lifetime. Don’t get me wrong, I love America, but when I came out as gay three years ago, people I had called friends wouldn’t even meet me in the eye.

That was three years ago, I was just twenty-one then. Now, as the manager of the office, regardless of how against homosexuality they are, every employee looks at me with respect. Not just because I hold the power to fire their sorry asses, but because I was still Jacob Mitchell- my sexual preference aside. Even with that assurance, when it came to the day I planned to show my boyfriend around the building, I was skeptical.

“Jake, come on, I’m dying to see the place. If you are going to let some arrogant employees get in the way of us…”

I didn’t let him finish that sentence. I already knew what he was going to say and just the thought of losing him made me feel queasy. Half screaming into the receiver of my cell, I shook my head despite that Adrian couldn’t see.

“Please don’t even make me think about it. I love you Adrian.”

I couldn’t see Adrian either, but I could feel him smiling as he spoke back.

“I love you too. Besides, if anyone were to be an ass about us, you could just give em’ the boot, right?”

Now I was smiling, spinning with glee in my swiveling desk chair. Adrian could always make me feel better.

“So when are you coming, again?”

“ASAP.”

I felt my nervousness rising at that point. Even though I was crazy about Adrian, finally introducing him to the employees after two years of dating… Well, even as a manager whom was trained to be able to deal with stressful situations, this was quite nerve wracking.

However, I had to suck it up, because it seemed as soon as I had hung up, my secretary told me through the intercom that Adrian had arrived. I checked my wristwatch, and realized twenty-five minutes had passed. I felt sort of like I had lost a grip on reality, even if it was only for a short period of time, but I knew that wasn’t why my hands were sweating as I headed for the lobby.

I didn’t have intentions to get on Adrian’s nerves, so I bottled up any anxiety I had and forced a smile on my face. As soon as I saw him in the lobby, my false grin became a real one, and Adrian was now smiling back. He was so handsome, I thought as I made a mental note to thank whomever responsible for my getting so lucky and finding