When I first got my job, I didn’t want to bring my sexuality up at work. It wasn’t relevant, there was no need for them to know. And on top of that my boss is very religious, and I had no idea how she would respond if she found out.
But low and behold, I ended up telling her anyway out of pure exasperation.
So, about a year ago now, I had been working at my new job for a measly three-ish months.
I work at a small local business, so there’s very little staff where I work. There were only two members of staff working on that day, which just so happened to be my boss (let’s call her Susan) and myself.
Everything was going normally, and this boy (I’m biologically female by the way, and my boss also isn’t privy to the fact that I’m trans) comes in shopping for a house warming gift. I was working the display table, so I was the main person he talked to.
This guy was wearing this cool jacket that I really liked, so naturally I complimented him on it. He also looked vaguely similar so I asked what school he went to, and low and behold he did not go to the same school as me. So much so he was homeschooled and lived in the next town over, which also is where he got the jacket.
Small talk comes to a close, he picks out his gift, pays and leaves. I should also mention, he was objectively cute. Handsome maybe.
And my boss was convinced I was flirting with him. Although I didn’t know this until closer to the end of my shift, and one of my coworkers came in to start hers. During the usual, “hey how’re you, how has business been so far,” Susan brings up the boy from earlier.
“It’s been quiet, though there was this cute boy that came in earlier that Rob really seemed to have a thing for!”
That made me stop in my tracks, and go over the mental tapes in my head, trying to figure out who she meant and where she got that notion from.
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh you know, that boy who lives in the next town over, with the jacket!”
Ding!! Memory match found!
“Oh, him! I didn’t think he was cute or anything, I genuinely liked his jacket.”
“Oh come on, you were totally flirting with him.”
“… no, Susan, I really wasn’t.”
“Yes you were, it’s ok! He was really cute, I don’t blame you!”
“He’s really not my type…”
“Oh he was cute, you totally liked him, asking about his school and everything~”
The conversation goes like this for a solid minute, and my coworker rolls her eyes and goes to clock in. After said minute of back and forth, I finally give in and say pretty loudly and just a tad annoyed,
At which point Susan freezes where she stands, and you can see the error screen playing across her face while my coworker starts laughing so hard she almost ends up on the floor.
After a solid 15 seconds of processing, all Susan can manage is a soft “Oh,” before clearing her throat and continuing what she was doing. Though you can hear in her tone how those three words shook her understanding of reality for the longest seconds she’s ever experienced.
My coworker and I still laugh about that instance to this day, and the part that makes it even better is that my coworker already knew I wasn’t straight due to gaydar. Susan hired two members of the alphabet mafia without even realizing.
That moment also had the honor of shaping my friendship with that coworker too, seeing as how it was only the second time we’ve ever met, the first time only being for a few seconds.
Though I’m not sure what was funnier, me shouting “Susan, I’m gay!”
Or how a few months later when I was putting products in a straight of a line on the display table, Susan walked past with a smile observing my work and said in all seriousness,
“Oh, you’re straighter then I am!”
