A meeting with E in the gym sauna

When I first enter the sauna today there's only one other guy inside and I can't tell who it is. The guy is lying there on his back, naked, but I can't see his face because he's got a slightly damp flannel on it. Maybe there are a few guys who I can identify just by looking at their cock, but this guy isn't one of them! Of course just by lying there like that I am sure the guy is gay, it's one of the things I mention in "How gay men cruise gym saunas and steam rooms". Soon the guy takes the flannel off his face to find out who's in the sauna with him. I instantly recognise him and he recognises me too, its E. I hadn't seen E in the gym sauna for a couple of weeks (see Back in the gym in London in the men's sauna) so it's nice to bump into him.

On one occasion last December there are a lot of non-participants in the sauna, so me and E go elsewhere in the gym for a bit of fun. There's a small obscure lockable room I know which used to have a sun-bed in it, so we head there. Although we've been having a bit of fun with each other in the sauna for many months, he has a surprise for me once we're there. We're taking our shorts off when he looks me in the eye nervously and says "I've never done anything like this before". I'm a bit surprised but I try not to show it. "Don't worry, just relax" I say, smiling at him.

I've been in that kind of situation quite a few times. The other guy is effectively saying that he knows he's about to do something that's definitely gay and he's frightened. Frightened that he's finally going to have to admit to himself that he might be gay, frightened about what this means for his future, frightened that he'll probably enjoy it. The situation always makes we want to take special care of the other guy, to cuddle him, and try to make him really understand that he's not the only one. On this occasion the room has nowhere suitable to lie down for a cuddle, so once we're both naked I slowly walk up to E and put my arms round him and give him the biggest, nicest hug I can. Gentle intimacy between two men is so beautiful.

Back to today and I feel sorry I hadn't turned up slightly earlier. "I've already shot my load on my own", he says. Poor guy, I reckon the gym might be the only sexual outlet he has. How can I encourage him to explore his sexuality I wonder? He'd make some guy a lovely boyfriend. Just looking at E had made me feel horny and E notices. So he comes and sits next to me. One thing leads to another and eventually E helps me shoot my load too. "Good to get it all out, isn't it", he says, "feels so good".

Afterwards we chat a while. He's just been on holiday in Kenya on safari with some friends of his, so no wonder I haven't seen him. I want to turn the conversation to the subject of sexuality, perhaps by asking him if he has a gaydar profile, but I don't get the chance because another guy comes into the sauna. Damm. E's such a nice guy, next time I see him I must try harder to talk about the issues I feel he doesn't want to face.