Dan walked briskly toward the nondescript rental car waiting for him in the parking lot. He opened the passenger door and laid his computer bag on the seat then shut the door and walked around to the driver's side. He opened the door and slumped heavily into the seat. Expelling a sigh of relief he loosened his tie before starting the car. The radio was on a news channel prompting Dan to search for music to sooth him on the ride back to the hotel. He found a rock station then put the car in gear.
The fifteen minute drive to the hotel was uneventful. Unless that is you want to count being cut off three times and being flipped off once. Dan just chalked it up to a typical rush hour. The sky was overcast and it looked like it might rain. Dan drove into the parking deck across from the hotel and found a spot on the fourth level. He exited the car, retrieved his bag and walked to the stairwell marked in large yellow letters on the gray cement wall. After dropping down one level Dan strolled across the glass enclosed walkway that connected the parking deck to the hotel. He entered on a mezzanine that overlooked the hotel lobby. He entered the first available elevator and rode upward to his room on the 16th floor.
The door to the room released with a click in response to the swipe of his room card. The room was decorated in muted greens. Dan put the computer bag on the desk chair and started to undress. He stripped down to his underwear carefully hanging up the suit while tossing the other clothes onto a shelf in the closet. He would fold them when he packed up to leave in two days.
Two more days until the flight home and a return to his own bed. Dan put on his work out clothes. A pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and cross trainers. Next he retrieved his I-Pod and ear buds from the computer bag. He left the room plugging in the ear buds as he walked to the elevator. By the time the elevator door opened he was getting lost in the music. The first step to coming down from another demanding day on the road.
The elevator conveyed him to the 2nd floor where he exited and walked to the exercise room. He was relieved to find an available elliptical machine to the rear of the room. He acknowledged the four other travelers who were already present with a few perfunctory nods and mounted the machine. He fumbled with the unfamiliar controls setting the time and resistance.
Dan settled into the routine. About ten minutes in he began to perspire. The tension and bullshit of the day began to slowly wash away. One of the anonymous men had left and another had joined. The television was on ESPN. The I-pod masked the sound in the room.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the door swing inward. He shifted his attention to the door to see a woman entering the room. From the distance she appeared attractive. She wore a gray sleeveless athletic shirt trimmed in green and matching jogging pants. He guessed she was about 5'3". As she neared him he confirmed that she was indeed attractive, very attractive. She appeared to be in her mid thirties. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a short pony tail. Her youthful appearance was only betrayed by the slight creases that were visible on the outside of her stunning jade green eyes. A grin slowly crept across Dan's face as he appraised her approvingly. She flashed a bright white smile when she noticed him smiling at her. He acknowledged her smile with a nod which she may not have noticed as she turned away to climb on the treadmill in front of him to his left.
He watched intently as she checked out the machine controls before she dismounted and began a regimen of stretching exercises. She faced the front of the room as she slowly rolled her head from side to side and round before reaching for the ceiling. When she completed this series of stretches she braced herself against the treadmill leaned forward and stretched out her hamstrings and calves. Dan admired the toned body as she continued moving to sit on the floor and began performing abdominal and arm stretches while facing perpendicular to him. As she leaned to touch her toes he had a clear view of her cleavage. He guessed she was a 34 C. When she finished she looked up and caught him staring. Luckily his face was already red from exercise. He was pleased when she again grinned broadly at him as she arose, turned and stepped on the machine.
Dan was now about twenty minutes into his workout and the perspiration was flowing freely. He felt invigorated by both the exercise and watching his gym mate. He watched as he began to walk briskly on the treadmill. He was mesmerized as he gazed at her firm bottom flexing with each stride. She was in very good shape for her age. Dan thought her body expressed all the best features of a woman her age. He surmised that her butt and breasts were both probably a little larger than in her youth; yet they still were both round and firm. He would enjoy today's workout more than usual because of her presence.
About five minutes into her workout she began to jog. A few minutes later she was running. Dan noticed the sweat glistening on her exposed skin. The shirt rode up a bit on her back exposing less than an inch on skin above the waistband of her pants. The sheen of sweat was present there as well. Dan felt the desire for this beautiful woman building in his mind and loins.
When Dan reached the end of his forty minutes of exercise he was disappointed. He wiped his face and neck with the towel as he slowly walked to the front of the room to the water cooler. Only he and the woman remained. He hadn't noticed anyone leaving since he was to intent on watching her. Breathing heavily he gulped down two cone shaped cups of water trying to look casual. She had slowed to a walk entering the cool down phase of her workout. They made eye contact. He couldn't help himself as he smiled at her again then turned to leave.
As he stepped into the hall he could see the pool across the hall. He moved closer to look at the hours. Maybe he would take a swim tomorrow for a change of pace. When he read the sign on the door he noticed that there was a sauna in the pool area. That sounded great. He opened the door and moved toward the sauna. He slipped off his shoes and socks and left them outside the sauna but left the I-Pod on as he entered guessing that the dry heat shouldn't do it any harm. It was a small sauna with two benches. At best it would accommodate half a dozen people. He spread the towel that he'd picked up on the way into the sauna on the lowest bench. Since he was alone he decided to lie down. He closed his eyes and soon felt the sweat oozing out of his pores.
A few minutes later he felt something brush against his leg. He opened his eyes with a start to see his workout companion climbing to the second bench. She was looking at him and her lips were moving but the music drowned out her works. He sat up franticly pulling out the ear buds.
"I'm sorry; I couldn't hear you" he said pointing at the ear bud. "I didn't mean to hog the whole place." He blurted out as he rushed to sit up and make room for her to.
As she sat on the higher bench she replied, "Oh, don't worry. I was just trying to apologize for being so clumsy and bumping you. I didn't mean to disturb you. Please lie back down and relax."
"As small as this room is that would be rather rude. I'll be fine sitting up anyway. I might get too relaxed and doze off otherwise. "
He noticed that her legs were bare and she had a towel around her waist. Dan admired her firm thighs and taunt calves. Her shoes were missing to. Her red manicured toenails matched her fingernails and lipstick. He looked back at her face when he realized he was being too obvious and was relieved to see the hint of a smile on her lips.
"Sorry, I ... um, thought you were dressed differently in the gym. I didn't mean to stare."
She pause, then replied. "No, your right I didn't want to ruin my pants or shoes. I left them in the changing room." She leaned toward him and whispered conspiratorially, "Don't tell anyone. I've just got my underwear on under here", she said pointing at the towel.
It was then that Dan realized that she was flirting with him. She had followed him into the sauna. She was interested in him as he was in her. His mind began racing. It had been a long time since he had been in this situation.
It had only been seven weeks since the divorce from Cathy was finalized. She had filed for divorce six months before. It had shocked and hurt him horribly when he got the papers and he was still far from over the emotional havoc it wreaked on him.
He met Cathy at work when he was just out of college. They dated, moved in together and married four years later. Then after eighteen years of marriage and two children together it was over. He blamed himself. He was too immersed in his job. He took her for granted, or so she said, and that was that. It was still painful to think about. Now he lived in a small apartment and saw the kids on weekends. He was still trying to pull his life together and his self esteem was a little low, to say the least.
He pulled himself back to the present and tried to think of a response. He said the first thing that popped into his head. "I won't turn you in to the sauna police if you join me for dinner." He immediately felt like a bit of an idiot.
