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Counting Down
Jackson Lafayette’s life is nearly idyllic. He’s newly married to his husband, Alex, and they’re madly in love. They’ve just bought a house together, have two dogs, and are basically as happy as can be. The only fly in the ointment is Jackson’s boss, Mr. Simpson, whose homophobia is creating a hostile work environment for Jackson.
When conditions at work escalate, and Jackson begins to show physical symptoms of stress, Alex must help him understand that unless he stands up for himself, nothing will ever get better.
When conditions at work escalate, and Jackson begins to show physical symptoms of stress, Alex must help him understand that unless he stands up for himself, nothing will ever get better.
29 pages, ebook
First published September 11, 2012
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 14, 2012
3.25 stars
First of all, this short story doesn't count as romance, in my perspective. This is more of story close to real issues, about a man who must face hostile work environment from his homophobic boss. Each of the short 'chapter' starts with a situation at the office, that forces Jackson to postpones his dinner date, his vacation, and being unable to put his husband, Alex, on his company's insurance.
I find it thoughtful -- it reminds me that this discrimination still happens in everday life -- but at the same time, a bit frustrating. I'm upset with what Jackson has been going through; at the same time I understand that it is not easy for someone to just quit their job, when the economy is not supportive. At least Jackson's husband, Alex, is helping him (and always provides some lovin' at the end of the day).
I wish the story is closed with a more hopeful note though ... SPOILER WARNING:
First of all, this short story doesn't count as romance, in my perspective. This is more of story close to real issues, about a man who must face hostile work environment from his homophobic boss. Each of the short 'chapter' starts with a situation at the office, that forces Jackson to postpones his dinner date, his vacation, and being unable to put his husband, Alex, on his company's insurance.
I find it thoughtful -- it reminds me that this discrimination still happens in everday life -- but at the same time, a bit frustrating. I'm upset with what Jackson has been going through; at the same time I understand that it is not easy for someone to just quit their job, when the economy is not supportive. At least Jackson's husband, Alex, is helping him (and always provides some lovin' at the end of the day).
I wish the story is closed with a more hopeful note though ... SPOILER WARNING:
September 24, 2012
It is a sad fact that minorities the world over have to fight for the right to be treated with the respect and consideration, not to mention basic fairness, that should be every human's birthright. This story illustrates, with graphic clarity, how one man goes from being treated like sh*t to standing up for himself. Jackson has the support of his husband, Alex, and that plays a crucial role, but the work, the gathering of his courage and resolve, that is all his own doing. It has to be, since this is his story, his life to improve, and his fight to win.
Jackson is a nice guy who wants to do a good job, earn a decent salary, and go home to the man he loves. He is good at what he does, but unfortunately, his boss doesn't approve of the fact that he is gay. Jackson's boss is a lying, cheating, disgusting bigot who thinks he owns everyone who works for him and can do to them whatever he wants.
Jackson hates being treated like that but the thing is, like most of us, Jackson needs his job. He has a mortgage, wants to go on vacation, and doesn't like confrontations. The problem becomes unmanageable when his health starts to suffer, and Alex invokes "the husband rule" - which basically says he is right and Jackson has to do as he's been told. This gives Jackson the courage to stand up for himself, and it was a beautiful moment when he finally does. To his surprise the world doesn't end, on the contrary, he feels free.
I felt for Jackson all the way, and his very gradual change from a scared rabbit-like person to a lion who roars in self-defense was a beautiful thing to watch. It was slow, and almost unnoticeable, which only made the story more realistic for me. If you like reading about characters who grow and change, if a realistic battle for equal rights is what you're looking for, and if two men who stand by each other no matter what happens is something you enjoy witnessing, so to speak, you will probably like this story as much as I did.
NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review.
Jackson is a nice guy who wants to do a good job, earn a decent salary, and go home to the man he loves. He is good at what he does, but unfortunately, his boss doesn't approve of the fact that he is gay. Jackson's boss is a lying, cheating, disgusting bigot who thinks he owns everyone who works for him and can do to them whatever he wants.
Jackson hates being treated like that but the thing is, like most of us, Jackson needs his job. He has a mortgage, wants to go on vacation, and doesn't like confrontations. The problem becomes unmanageable when his health starts to suffer, and Alex invokes "the husband rule" - which basically says he is right and Jackson has to do as he's been told. This gives Jackson the courage to stand up for himself, and it was a beautiful moment when he finally does. To his surprise the world doesn't end, on the contrary, he feels free.
I felt for Jackson all the way, and his very gradual change from a scared rabbit-like person to a lion who roars in self-defense was a beautiful thing to watch. It was slow, and almost unnoticeable, which only made the story more realistic for me. If you like reading about characters who grow and change, if a realistic battle for equal rights is what you're looking for, and if two men who stand by each other no matter what happens is something you enjoy witnessing, so to speak, you will probably like this story as much as I did.
NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review.
October 2, 2012
Reviewed on Hearts On Fire... http://heartsonfirereviews.com/
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. Mr. Kelly deftly tackles the subject of homophobia in the work place in this well written short. Jackson and Alex are a modern day gay married couple with a mortgage and car payments. Life for Jackson is good until he enters the office each day. His boss, Mr. Simpson is a homophobic tyrant who treats Jackson like trash. The stress of his hostile work place soon takes its toll on Jackson's health and with the support of his husband Alex, Jackson files a grievance with the State Labor Board. I enjoyed this well written short and think that we all need to be reminded of just how unequal office policies still are for many people. I liked Jackson and felt for his plight in these poor economic times where one is afraid to quit a miserable job for fear of not being able to find another position. What I found particularly appalling was the behavior of Jackson's co-workers and their lack of support for Jackson. Mr. Kelly used a unique style when writing this story in that each major infraction against Jackson's basic rights were counted down, hence the title, until Jackson was fired. It almost gave the story the feel of a documentary. There was not much to the other characters as the story revolved around Mr. Simpson and Jackson. The message the story sent is that every person taking a stand for equal rights is a move forward. I highly recommend this moving story to everyone as you may find yourself standing in Jackson's shoes one day.
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. Mr. Kelly deftly tackles the subject of homophobia in the work place in this well written short. Jackson and Alex are a modern day gay married couple with a mortgage and car payments. Life for Jackson is good until he enters the office each day. His boss, Mr. Simpson is a homophobic tyrant who treats Jackson like trash. The stress of his hostile work place soon takes its toll on Jackson's health and with the support of his husband Alex, Jackson files a grievance with the State Labor Board. I enjoyed this well written short and think that we all need to be reminded of just how unequal office policies still are for many people. I liked Jackson and felt for his plight in these poor economic times where one is afraid to quit a miserable job for fear of not being able to find another position. What I found particularly appalling was the behavior of Jackson's co-workers and their lack of support for Jackson. Mr. Kelly used a unique style when writing this story in that each major infraction against Jackson's basic rights were counted down, hence the title, until Jackson was fired. It almost gave the story the feel of a documentary. There was not much to the other characters as the story revolved around Mr. Simpson and Jackson. The message the story sent is that every person taking a stand for equal rights is a move forward. I highly recommend this moving story to everyone as you may find yourself standing in Jackson's shoes one day.
October 3, 2015
This was good but I felt it ended too soon. I wanted to know what the outcome of was. I think I'm supposed to be an adult and all literary and be okay with how it ended but I'm not.
There were times I was practically screaming mad at the boss. I was even angrier at his coworkers. Somehow as horrified as I am by evil people, part of me says, "they are mentally ill and so messed up and evil, I can't even hold emotion for them" but the every day person who just stands by while evil happens? Those folks I really want to shake and scream at. At times my believability was strained because not one person even came up and commiserated with the MC in private, but mostly I was just angry.
3.5 stars but I'll round up because it was so sweet.
There were times I was practically screaming mad at the boss. I was even angrier at his coworkers. Somehow as horrified as I am by evil people, part of me says, "they are mentally ill and so messed up and evil, I can't even hold emotion for them" but the every day person who just stands by while evil happens? Those folks I really want to shake and scream at. At times my believability was strained because not one person even came up and commiserated with the MC in private, but mostly I was just angry.
3.5 stars but I'll round up because it was so sweet.
March 22, 2015
Review can be found at The Armchair Reader
This site is down. Here is the review.
This story by Kiernan Kelly is a short from the Torquere Charity Sip series this year benefiting NOH8.
Jackson and Alex have been married for a few months in this story that opens on Valentine’s Day. Jackson has managed to get reservations for the most exclusive restaurant in town. As he’s getting ready to leave, his boss, dumps a file with hours worth of work on his desk. He belittles Jackson saying the rest of the guys have wives and girlfriends to go get last minute flowers and candy for and then finished my making a derogatory slur. Jackson feels he has no choice but to comply and call Alex and cancel the dinner. Stunningly, no one comes to Jackson’s defense or even has the good sense to just leave during the abusive conversation with his boss.
As the months go by, Jackson’s boss continues to belittle and deride him, using slurs and threatening his job. Jackson is becoming more and more tense, but he is reluctant to say anything because he feels like with the house and his other financial responsibilities, he cannot afford to lose the job. Alex keeps trying to tell him that they will be fine and it’s really more important that Jackson take care of himself since the stress of the job is starting to manifest in physical symptoms – headaches, stomach aches, near panic attacks.
Finally when the boss decides to take time off with some side dish (not his wife), he makes Jackson take on the work for a meeting that is to take place during Jackson and Alex’s planned vacation. It costs them money to change their plans, but once again his job is threatened and finally Jackson agrees to confront his boss when they return.
Of course the confrontation does not go well and the boss accuses Jackson of being too “sensitive” and not able to take a joke. Jackson tells him that he has talked to a lawyer and once again the boss threatens his job. Not surprisingly, as soon as Jackson files the official complaint and the investigation begins, he is “downsized.”
I really wanted to like this story, because I think the subject matter is important and relevant today when there are few laws in many States to protect GLBT people from this type of hostile work environment. Unfortunately I just didn’t feel a connection with the characters in this one – it just felt a little too earnest or something to me. The boss felt like a cartoon and the revelation that he was a cheater as well was a bit of a cheap shot and not relevant to the story. I already found him plenty abhorrent. I also found it a little hard to believe that virtually no one stuck up for Jackson in his workplace – even when the boss wasn’t around – nor was the boss apparently concerned about adverse publicity. Employers may not care at all about the employees, but I can say after a 30-year career in HR working for and with plenty of bullies, they are certainly worried about lawsuits and bad publicity.
This site is down. Here is the review.
This story by Kiernan Kelly is a short from the Torquere Charity Sip series this year benefiting NOH8.
Jackson and Alex have been married for a few months in this story that opens on Valentine’s Day. Jackson has managed to get reservations for the most exclusive restaurant in town. As he’s getting ready to leave, his boss, dumps a file with hours worth of work on his desk. He belittles Jackson saying the rest of the guys have wives and girlfriends to go get last minute flowers and candy for and then finished my making a derogatory slur. Jackson feels he has no choice but to comply and call Alex and cancel the dinner. Stunningly, no one comes to Jackson’s defense or even has the good sense to just leave during the abusive conversation with his boss.
As the months go by, Jackson’s boss continues to belittle and deride him, using slurs and threatening his job. Jackson is becoming more and more tense, but he is reluctant to say anything because he feels like with the house and his other financial responsibilities, he cannot afford to lose the job. Alex keeps trying to tell him that they will be fine and it’s really more important that Jackson take care of himself since the stress of the job is starting to manifest in physical symptoms – headaches, stomach aches, near panic attacks.
Finally when the boss decides to take time off with some side dish (not his wife), he makes Jackson take on the work for a meeting that is to take place during Jackson and Alex’s planned vacation. It costs them money to change their plans, but once again his job is threatened and finally Jackson agrees to confront his boss when they return.
Of course the confrontation does not go well and the boss accuses Jackson of being too “sensitive” and not able to take a joke. Jackson tells him that he has talked to a lawyer and once again the boss threatens his job. Not surprisingly, as soon as Jackson files the official complaint and the investigation begins, he is “downsized.”
I really wanted to like this story, because I think the subject matter is important and relevant today when there are few laws in many States to protect GLBT people from this type of hostile work environment. Unfortunately I just didn’t feel a connection with the characters in this one – it just felt a little too earnest or something to me. The boss felt like a cartoon and the revelation that he was a cheater as well was a bit of a cheap shot and not relevant to the story. I already found him plenty abhorrent. I also found it a little hard to believe that virtually no one stuck up for Jackson in his workplace – even when the boss wasn’t around – nor was the boss apparently concerned about adverse publicity. Employers may not care at all about the employees, but I can say after a 30-year career in HR working for and with plenty of bullies, they are certainly worried about lawsuits and bad publicity.
September 28, 2012
“There's a hero, If you look inside your heart, You don't have to be afraid of what you are...Then a hero comes along, With the strength to carry on, ...Then you'll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you.” ~ Mariah Carey
Jackson Lafayette's boss, in 'Counting Down' by Kiernan Kelly is a bully. The man takes sadistic pleasure in tormenting Jackson every chance he gets, knowing that Jackson won't do anything about it. Jackson just wants to be left alone so he can work in peace. Unfortunately, his boss is enjoying his discomfort too much and will never let that happen. The badgering he's being subjected to will continue until Jackson finds his inner hero and fights back.
Jackson and his husband, Alex are everything a couple should be—supportive, loving, passionate, and nurturing. Alex is an absolute doll. No one could do the 'for better or worse' thing better than he does. Instead of being angry when their plans are disrupted by Jackson's boss, Alex makes lemonade out of the lemons, always finding a way to smooth things over. Alex realizes that Jackson has to fight his own battles and tries to stay out of it. However, when it starts affecting his health, Alex draws the line and strongly encourages Jackson to stand up to his boss before something disastrous happens, and reassures Jackson that he has his full support no matter what. Jackson agrees to try and even if things don't turn out as hoped, he's still better off because he found the courage to try.
The characters are easy to like because of their loving and supportive relationship. I became emotionally involved with them right away and cheered them on as they fought off the bigotry of Jackson's boss, whom I just loved to hate. Besides presenting the ideal couple, Kiernan also dealt with the serious issue of harassment and the emotional and physical problems someone could have from being in such a toxic work environment. In addition, the story also promotes the idea that anyone can be a hero, that heroism does not have to be an earth shattering event. Sometimes being a hero simply means being true to yourself and doing something which will make the world a better place to live. Thanks, Kiernan, for this delightful tale.
Jackson Lafayette's boss, in 'Counting Down' by Kiernan Kelly is a bully. The man takes sadistic pleasure in tormenting Jackson every chance he gets, knowing that Jackson won't do anything about it. Jackson just wants to be left alone so he can work in peace. Unfortunately, his boss is enjoying his discomfort too much and will never let that happen. The badgering he's being subjected to will continue until Jackson finds his inner hero and fights back.
Jackson and his husband, Alex are everything a couple should be—supportive, loving, passionate, and nurturing. Alex is an absolute doll. No one could do the 'for better or worse' thing better than he does. Instead of being angry when their plans are disrupted by Jackson's boss, Alex makes lemonade out of the lemons, always finding a way to smooth things over. Alex realizes that Jackson has to fight his own battles and tries to stay out of it. However, when it starts affecting his health, Alex draws the line and strongly encourages Jackson to stand up to his boss before something disastrous happens, and reassures Jackson that he has his full support no matter what. Jackson agrees to try and even if things don't turn out as hoped, he's still better off because he found the courage to try.
The characters are easy to like because of their loving and supportive relationship. I became emotionally involved with them right away and cheered them on as they fought off the bigotry of Jackson's boss, whom I just loved to hate. Besides presenting the ideal couple, Kiernan also dealt with the serious issue of harassment and the emotional and physical problems someone could have from being in such a toxic work environment. In addition, the story also promotes the idea that anyone can be a hero, that heroism does not have to be an earth shattering event. Sometimes being a hero simply means being true to yourself and doing something which will make the world a better place to live. Thanks, Kiernan, for this delightful tale.
November 28, 2013
Free Christmas short from Torquere.
The politics take over, for me the emphasis was too much on the situation and making a point than developing the characters, as a result I never fully connected.
Jackson is a complete pushover, meekly accepting abuse from his boss until the very last minute. While working enviroments can be terrible and bad management homophobic/sexist/racist/just plain nasty, exists, Jackson's manager Simpson comes across as a caricature. He's over the top in his jovial bullying, a married hetrosexual he's openly cheating on the 'ball and chain' while denying civil partnerships validity. Its all too much and as such lost its credibility with me, none of the characters felt real or had any depth to them.
The politics take over, for me the emphasis was too much on the situation and making a point than developing the characters, as a result I never fully connected.
Jackson is a complete pushover, meekly accepting abuse from his boss until the very last minute. While working enviroments can be terrible and bad management homophobic/sexist/racist/just plain nasty, exists, Jackson's manager Simpson comes across as a caricature. He's over the top in his jovial bullying, a married hetrosexual he's openly cheating on the 'ball and chain' while denying civil partnerships validity. Its all too much and as such lost its credibility with me, none of the characters felt real or had any depth to them.
September 20, 2012
I don't know that I have ever had such a visceral reaction to 29 pages before in my life. The way that Jackson is treated by his boss and the apathetic reactions of his co-workers made me so angry and sad. No one should ever have to put up with being treated in that way. I loved Alex, what a wonderful, understanding and supportive partner he was for Jackson. The fear that Jackson experiences over losing a job was so real and the courage it took to follow through was amazing.
April 23, 2017
I would have liked less swallowing cocks and of the the sex scene in the middle that felt out of place, and more of an ending.
November 6, 2013
This is a relevant subject, prejudice in the workplace, but I wish Simpson had been portrayed a little less outrageously. As he is, he is more of a OTT bad guy.
July 26, 2016
Liked the characters but the huge build up of verbal abuse by the boss and then the end without a real resolution. Disappointing.
January 1, 2014
Loved it!
March 28, 2016
Stopped too soon.
December 9, 2013
Gah, his boss. Die, die in a fire!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews