I didn't wake up until 3 in the afternoon to write this so sorry if it's a little sluggish.

The Thursday before I was supposed to go to work for Mr. Rainey was my birthday. I was eighteen finally! My mom was throwing me a little party. She wanted it to be bigger but I wasn't one for a long of contact with people. My best friends were my conscience and Clover.

I got up that morning and walked into the living room. I was really surprised to see everyone was already there. My mom liked to get the ball rolling. My Mom, my grandmother Anny, and my Auntie Hermie were sitting on the couch.

Wow. What are a party. This might get out of control.

Must you always be a smart ass?

Yes.

I left them to argue walking over to the couch.

"There's the birthday girl!" My grandmother said opening her arms.

I didn't want to but I ran forward and gave her a big hug. She patted me on the head as if I were a dog.

"I can't believe she's eighteen already," Auntie Hermie said smiling at me.

They moved over to make room for me on the couch. The coffee table was covered in beautifully wrapped presents. I noticed one thing that looked like it had been mailed. It must have been from one of the on line friends I have in different state.

"Go a head and open them," My mother urged.

I didn't waste any time ripping at my presents. Ten minutes later I had a new CD player, a few Cds, new horror novels, The silence of the lamb DVD, and a necklace that looked like it came from France. The last present I opened was the one that looked like it had been mailed. To my surprise it was from my new boss. It read from 'Mort Rainey and John Shooter.'

"Who is Mort Rainey?" My grandmother asked.

"Oh!" My mom said. "He's a very famous writer that Shadow is now working for!"

"That's wonderful!" Auntie said. "Shadow needs to get out more."

Damn. They are getting excited. I told you this party was going to get out of control.

Would you shut up already?

I rolled my eyes and opened the package from Mr. Rainey and Shooter. A book called 'The Classics of Rainey' fell out. It was a limited edition series that had his best works in it. I opened it to find his signature on the title page with all note written next to it. It read :

To a wonderfully nice and smart girl named Shadow.

"You keep that up," My mother said. "It's going to be worth a lot money."

I didn't care about the money. I had just met Mr. Rainey and he had already got me a birthday gift. That meant a lot to me. That book would only be sold over my dead body.

"Wait," Mom said looking at the names on the package. "John Shooter?"

"He's a friend of Mr. Rainey's," I explained. "He dropped by about a week ago."

"He lives with a guy?" Grandma asked.

"I guess," I said with shrug. I hadn't really put together that they lived together.

"Things are changing," Auntie said. "There are a lot of gay men out there."

Oh! I get it. That must have been what Mr. Rainey was keeping from me. I understood completely. That was his private business. I had nothing against gay men. To each his own. Mom didn't look to happy about it.

I heard Clover laugh but I didn't pay any attention to it.

"Gay?" she asked. "That's a shame. He is a really good looking guy."

"Most gay men are very cute," Auntie said.

"While you three talk about the cuteness of gay men I'm going to go to my room," I said picking up all my presents. "I had some stuff to take care of."

My Mom, Auntie, and grandmother gave me hugs and kisses before they would let me out of the living room. I couldn't help but skip to my room. I was eighteen and the day after tomorrow I was going to go to work at a real job.

I figured that a bunch of older women would automatically think if two men are living together they must be gay. My grandmother and all her friends do. Plus I needed a way to keep Shadow's mom from bugging Mort.