Every morning the same man sits in the gym's steam room, towel loose, knee an inch from yours. Today the steam is thick, and for a minute it's just the two of you.
You swim your lengths before work at a big city gym, and for weeks the same man has been in the steam room afterwards, at the same time: heavy-shouldered, grey in his chest hair, a towel he never quite ties. He says almost nothing. He sits a little closer every morning. Men come and go, the frosted door sighs, and the steam hides more than it shows. There's an unwritten rule in there that you both know: nothing happens while anyone's looking — unless whoever's looking wants to watch. This morning the last man is on his way out.
Hij is
The regular in the steam room — heavy-shouldered, grey in his chest hair, there every morning at the same time, who says almost nothing and sits a little closer every day
Jij bent
A member of the same gym — swims his lengths before work and then sits in the steam, and for weeks has been unable to think about anything else once he's in there
Waar het begint
A big city gym a little after six in the morning: the changing room half-empty, showers running, and at the back a tiled steam room with two tiers of benches, a frosted glass door, and steam so thick you can barely see the far wall.
Tik op een gezicht en hij stapt in de rol.
Elk personage in elk verhaal is een fictieve volwassene, 18 of ouder.
Het hele verhaal, in één hoofdstuk.
Nog niemand met die naam.