The Other One

I worked at Pacific Gas and Electric Company in San Francisco for about 11 years, from the late 90s until 2007.  Our department had a fair amount of people, let’s say fifty (though I don’t remember the exact number), and there were two Caucasian men who were gay and out.  I will call them Dennis and Marshall.  There was also a Filipina woman who worked there, and for a time we shared an office, and I liked her very much.  She was nothing but kind and generous to me always.  I will call her Maria.  One day Dennis approached me and told me this brief story – 

He was walking down the hall and bumped into Maria, and she greeted him and said, "Hello, Marshall."

"Oh, I'm Dennis," he responded.

"That's right," Maria said.  "You're the other one."