Visiting Amsterdam one day I was asked 'how much'
Amsterdam Bukakee Club
after crossing the Skinny Bridge this is where we ended up.
My name is Sean I live and work in Den Haag for an oil company it was a quite Sunday for a change of scene I took the 35 minute train ride into Amsterdam. After arriving at Centraal Station I walked with the crowd in the general direction of Dam Square as all visitors do intentionally or otherwise if they follow a crowd in Amsterdam.
It was a hot day I was wearing short tight fitting Fred Perry shorts with matching top and trainers, as I walked through the narrow crowded streets the crowd started to thin out as they disburse into bars, cafés and fast food outlets. Ahead of me the crowd parted into two groups one went down the canal side towards the Red Light District and the other into a narrow lane lined with sex shops with toy's and DVD's.
As the oncoming crowd walked towards me from Dam Square I noted someone looking at me, somehow we seemed to have made eye contact with each other. He had a distinctive Nordic look, blond hair, about my height and build and dressed similar to me in shorts and top but with very eye catching red trainers, as we started to pass each other he side stepped in front of me and asked.
"How much?"
I was taken by surprise I had just been propositioned not expecting him to speak to me, I hesitantly asked "what for/where?"
{not to be a good choice of words}
.
"Have sex back at my hotel" I recognised the hotel name it was expensive and exclusive.
Instinctively I said "sorry NO!" as I tried to side step past him.
Blocking me he replied. "Ok how about a coffee as we are both here alone in Amsterdam?"
I don't know why but I said "ok" his English was perfect with a distinctively soft Nordic accent, turned out he was Swedish, his name Bjorn and 45 years old. I was approaching thirty at the time.
We went to one of the many canal side outdoor cafés for coffee, Bjorn ordered two coffee's that I had never heard the name off before, turned out to be a Rope coffee's laced with good time something or another.
Before long and a second coffee we were chatting too casually and intimate for only knowing each other for very short time. I later found out this was the desired effect of the coffee it makes you relaxed and drop your guard by giving you unfounded confidence in your surroundings. Usually I am overly reserved but directly asked him if he regularly propositioned strangers in the street, his answer was a surprise to me well maybe not.
"Yes; this is Amsterdam."
I had now lost my reserve maybe it was the coffee or Amsterdam or Bjorn, I don't know maybe all. I leaned over and discreetly asked "why me I am not Gay?" Then confidently sat back in my chair.
He leaned over discreetly, both our heads now almost touching as he placed both his hands on top of mine and said.
"I think you are and what's more so do you."
I didn't know what to say I could feel a twinge and stiffness just at the thought of it. As I heisted I could see brightness build in Bjorn's eyes and one of those below the surface smiles start to form. Not to be outdone with my new found courage and confidence.
I bluntly challenged him. "Ok what make you think I am gay?"
His answer was not what I wanted to hear.
"You are in Amsterdam's Red Light District, a well-known haunt for gays meeting on a Sunday afternoon at Dam Square, you are provocatively dressed advertising your availability, which was what attracted me to you, I am equally dressed and you are attracted to me.
Earlier when I held your hand you didn't reject it you joined in as you held my hand in acknowledgement. Also you don't carry a man bag as a statement, like I do with your oils etc. stating you are looking for propositions.
That's why I believe you are a closet gay waiting to be released, so do you, which is nothing to be ashamed off. Are you willing to explore this with me today to see if you are, or not? I can show you what it is like to be gay without actually having sex together or I could fulfil your curiosity."
I knew Bjorn was right, in part at least, so I confessed.
"Inwardly I think I might be gay, my co-worker Zac whom I shared a work pod with and work with on a day to day basis is openly gay, not camp or anything like that and I somehow feel attracted to him, possibly I even overcompensate for it.
We go out for beers together after work on a Friday afternoon as does most of the office, one day he invited me to join him, his partner and friends at a beach barbeque, subsequently we all went out for meals as a group which I enjoyed. Some of his friends thought I was gay too and hit on me for casual sex as they thought there was more to my relationship with Zac than work. Zac and his partner have an unusually open relationship.
At a bar one night one of his friends came over to speak to us called Thomas who I thought was gay, Zac introduced me to him and he joined us for the rest of the evening. Apart from both of us being reserved we seemed to get on very well from the outset and had some common interests, it was one of those fate things, we both had tickets for an open air all night music festival the following night just outside Utrecht and agreed to travel to it together.
We both lived in the same part of town so we traveled home together that night on the tram and we seemed to bond further, even after we got off the tram we stood talking for a while, both of us reluctant to part. But we did, that night I didn't sleep thinking about him, the following Monday I found out from Zac he had the same sleep issue.
We met the following night at the same tram halt, Thomas had suggested as it was a gayish type music festival we go dressed in short tight fitting shorts, tops and trainers. It took us about an hour to get there only to find it had been canceled at the last moment, something to do with an amplifier failure. Took us about the same time to get back to the tram halt but Thomas was very quiet and distant unlike our outward journey where we were engrossed in each other, initially I thought it was the disappointment of the music festival being cancelled.
No it wasn't; he didn't know if he wanted to get into a relationship with me although he initially thought he might like to; the Zac influence. He even went to Amsterdam the preceding Sunday like me provocatively dressed with the intention of being picked up, but wasn't. Now he was less sure if he was gay I didn't know what to say we parted and went our own ways."
I said to Bjorn "here and now, like Thomas I don't know if being openly gay was something I wanted but I do feel a sort of attraction to you."
I tried to change the course of the conservation as I was losing my confidence by commenting on it being a hot day. Bjorn said his hotel had a roof top swimming pool and spa area and did I want to go and sit there in the sun and have a beer with him. I knew I had lost trying to redirect the conversation and said "yes" still don't know why, but I did.
It wasn't far so we walked there crisscrossing over the canals including crossing over the famous Skinny Bridge, talking as we went about anything and everything but being gay. In part, I was still hopeful of diverting away from his intent behind us going to his hotel, but I was getting more and more excited about it. It was then that I said that I didn't have any swimwear with me, which was obvious.
Bjorn said "ok I can arrange it at the hotel."
We arrived at the hotel's impressive entrance retrieved his key from reception then he took me over to the hotel shop, there was plenty of swimwear for sale, but, were all rainbow or gayish colours and alluring in their cut. It turned out it was an exclusive hotel like I thought but with a predominantly gay clientele.