A Night at the Ariston Baths

by Michael Murphy

  By the time he got up from his bed and opened his door, the hallway was empty. He closed his door and returned to his book, but a few moments later, he heard something new. Once again opening his door, he listened, trying to find the source of the sound. Walking a short distance along the hallway, it became apparent that the noise was originating from Martin’s room. He suspected Martin had brought a gentleman home, and he really wanted to caution Martin to be quiet and not draw attention to his activities. He lightly tapped at the door but heard no response. He tried the doorknob, fully expecting the door to be locked. He was rather surprised to find the door unlocked.

  “Martin?” he whispered, even though the room was brightly lit. “Martin!” he repeated.

  He did a visual search of the room, widening his eyes with shock when he spotted Martin—on his bed, naked with an equally naked man on top of him. Martin’s legs were spread and thrust backward toward his shoulders. The man on top of him was extraordinarily masculine, with a body that apparently earned its living through hard physical labor. The man’s physique said dockworker. His body was incredibly muscled, seeming to ripple with each thrust forward.

  The noise Theodore had heard was the headboard striking the wall on each strong thrust of the man into Martin. In addition, Martin was moaning, not from pain but from apparent passion. His head was thrown back, and his eyes were closed. His arms were stretched out above his body, each gripping a post on the headboard of his bed.

  Theodore was frozen. His heart was beating so aggressively he was afraid it would burst right out of his chest. He found himself holding his breath until his brain screamed for oxygen, and he forced himself to breathe once again.

  His sharp intake of breath made Martin and the man notice him. With a goofy smile, Martin started to sit up, “Hey, Teddy!” The man on top of him had other ideas and was not interested in having Martin sit up or move in any way. He shoved Martin back flat onto his back, never once missing his stride. With Martin returned to where the man wanted him, the stranger turned to Theodore, smiled, and asked in an unusual accent, “You want to go next, mate?”

  Theodore was speechless. The man was quite good-looking, and he certainly was rugged, Theodore’s mouth hung open, but no sounds came out. He was snapped back to the moment when the man growled, “Get naked or get out. I don’t need no audience.”

  Theodore felt his face flush. He backed out of the room, taking one last glance at Martin to see he was once again seemingly in the moment with his newfound friend. Theodore closed the door and retreated to his own room.

  As horrified as he had been that Martin was being so dangerously obvious he also found himself aroused. The image of the man on top of Martin, his face, the rhythmic pounding of the bed against the wall, Martin’s soft moans—they were like a match to tinder to his libido.

  In his room, he ensured his door was closed and locked before throwing himself onto his bed, wrestling his member out of his pants, and taking the problem in hand. It took next to no time at all before he was exploding with a vigor that was surprising. He could not remember ever being quite so aroused. Even as he basked in the afterglow of the moment, he found the whole episode titillating.

  Normally after coming, it was his body’s predisposition to fall asleep. But he also would not have just witnessed his best friend being thoroughly and aggressively manhandled in such a fashion. Theodore rose from his bed, tidied himself, and then paced as much as his small room would permit. With one ear listening for the sound of anyone in the hallway, Theodore slowly went back and forth, thinking.

  Perhaps forty minutes later, a tapping sounded on his door. Throwing the door open, he found Martin in the hallway. That was not surprising, since he’d been expecting Martin, but Martin was stark naked! In the public hallway of the boarding house where they lived.

  “Have you taken complete leave of your senses?” Theodore demanded, attempting to pull Martin into his room to get him out of sight should anyone happen upon them. But Martin resisted. “Cover yourself!” Theodore ordered harshly.

  “You want a go at him?” Martin asked, ignoring Theodore’s question. “He’s quite good, let me tell you. A little demanding in his needs, but then you know how I enjoy that occasionally.”

  “Are….”

  “Yes or no?”

  “No!” Theodore said, appalled by the suggestion that he would share a man with Martin.

  As quickly as he’d arrived, Martin disappeared back into his room. Theodore heard Martin’s door open and close once again, followed by heavy footsteps retreating down the hallway. A moment later, there was a tapping at his door once again. Horrified that he would again find Martin naked in the hallway, he quickly opened the door. Thankfully, though, Martin was fully clothed. Theodore heaved a sigh of relief.

  Pushing into Theodore’s room, Martin smiled and threw himself backward onto Theodore’s bed.

  “Oh, what a night.”

  “Martin, you cannot ever again appear naked in the hallway. Someone could have seen you. Do you know what would happen if someone had seen you? They could have summoned the police, and you could have been arrested. You do realize that, don’t you?” Theodore was so angry he wanted to shove Martin against the wall to try to knock some sense into him.

  “Oh, Teddy, you worry too much.”

  “And you, make some stupid choices. Frequently you do not worry enough, and I have to worry for both of us.”

  “Relax. It’s just sex.”

  “It may be just sex to you, but to the rest of the world it is illegal. You could be arrested,” Theodore sternly cautioned.

  “No one was harmed. It’s not like we were fucking in front of an audience or something.”

  “You might as well have been, given how much noise you were making. There was no mistaking what was going on in your room. It’s a miracle no one called the police.”

  “Please relax. You are entirely too tense. You need to have a big, strong man take you to bed and ride you like a horse in a race.”

  Theodore gasped. “I would much rather know who I take into my bed, thank you very much.”

  “And how’s that working out for you?” Martin asked, knowing the answer.

  They were quiet for a moment, both studying nothing on the floor.

  When Martin lifted his head, Theodore could have sworn Martin had somehow lost five years and looked substantially younger than his age. He had a look of youthful innocence that Theodore found captivating. Had his anger and worry not been so great he would have reacted differently, but his upset took precedence.

  Kneeling beside the bed, Theodore took Martin’s hand and told him with as much sincerity as he could muster, “You are the most important person in the world to me. I need you. I cannot imagine life without you. Please, please, please promise me that you will not put yourself at needless risk. Please.”

  Sitting up, Martin looked at Theodore. “I promise. But if I’m going to promise to be more responsible, then you have to promise to try loosening up and living a little—safely. All right?”

  “Maybe if I’m along with you, I’ll be able to stop you from doing anything too stupid before it’s too late.”

  “So are we agreed?” Martin asked.

  “Yes.”

  Martin got a smirk on his face that forewarned Theodore that some pithy statement or catty question was imminent. “So, you got a good look at the two of us going at it. Tell me, what did you think?”

  “I think it would be fair to say I was surprised.”

  “You know very well that is not what I meant, silly boy,” Martin told him. “The man. The sex. What did you think of the guy?”

  “He was… very muscular,” Theodore answered.

  “And you left before you got to see his biggest muscle.”

  “What…. Oh good Lord.” Theodore felt himself blush.

  “I was thanking the good Lord for blessing him so amply and teaching that man how to use that muscle.”

  Theodore blushed some
more, but finally simply had to ask, “So what… what are we… talking about?”

  “In the muscle department?” Martin asked, knowing that was exactly what Theodore meant.

  Theodore nodded.

  “Mind you, I did not have a ruler to measure, but my estimate is that he was about nine inches hard. And thick too. Oh, let me tell you, he scratched the itch I had and then some.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” Theodore told him with a stony countenance.

  “Of course you are, my dear. Of course you are. All men everywhere should be happy for me after the experience I just had.”

  “Will that… be sufficient… to hold you for, say, a few weeks?”

  “A few weeks? A few weeks?” Martin asked in mock outrage. “I’ll have you know that it may not even last me until tomorrow morning. You see, while scratching that itch I’ve had, that gentleman showed me a whole bunch of other places that needed scratching as well.”

  “You know, if it would keep you from making such a spectacle of yourself and putting yourself in such horrible danger, I would be willing to try helping you out… with your itching.”

  “Thank you, but we both know it wouldn’t work.”

  “It’s late. I need to get to bed. Good night, Martin,” Theodore said. He couldn’t get away from Martin quickly enough that night. Not only had he seen Martin doing something unbelievably reckless, but he’d also just been rejected. Theodore could only take so much abuse in one day.

  Chapter Thirteen—A Night at the Ariston Baths

  AFTER MORE than a week of pushing and constant nudging—not to mention a great deal of push back and hesitation on Theodore’s part—Martin convinced Theodore to accompany him to the baths one Saturday night. Martin had explained during one of their many conversations on the topic that he had visited numerous bathhouses in the city to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each.

  “It has been my observation that while our kind are in all of the bathhouses, right now more of us congregate in the Ariston Baths on Saturday nights than anywhere else,” Martin explained.

  “Why?” Theodore asked.

  “The manager there is one of us. He keeps those who wander in innocently out, while allowing us time to… how shall I put it? Be ourselves with one another.”

  “He can’t know who… um, who likes men and who doesn’t. He can’t ask every man who comes to the door that question.”

  “No, he doesn’t ask. He’s a pretty good judge. It’s like he’s got some sense of who is and who isn’t. By just watching them for a few seconds, he can usually read a man and know which side his bread is buttered on.”

  “There must be a lot of customers who show up and want just to take a bath,” Theodore said.

  “Not when we go. We go at about midnight, when all the other men are home in their beds with their women. At night, the Ariston Baths belongs to us.”

  “But it’s so late,” Theodore protested. “I don’t know if I’ve ever stayed up that late.”

  “Well, then it’s time you did, and a good shag is a perfect reason.”

  After arguing, Theodore finally gave in, and at eleven o’clock on Saturday, February 21st, he found himself out on the cold street walking with Martin toward the bathhouse.

  Even though it was Saturday night and he did not need to work the next day, Theodore was nonetheless accustomed to waking at his usual time every day. Consequently, that night at a few minutes before eleven, he was cold as well as sleepy. He was most definitely not in the mood to be heading out, especially someplace as frightening as the bathhouse.

  “The later the better,” Martin explained. “The Ariston is really good about keeping the noninverts out, but if they do get in, they’re mostly finished and gone by this hour of the night.”

  They had bundled up heavily to make the walk to the bathhouse on Broadway and 55th Street. From the outside, the place looked not at all frightening. Martin had apparently noticed Theodore’s reaction because he asked, “Not what you had expected, is it?”

  “No. I had sort of pictured some dark alley with a single unmarked doorway.”

  “The Ariston is one of the most fashionable apartment buildings in the entire city. Quite a host of well-to-do people have residences here.”

  “And do they use the bath facilities?”

  “I have no idea. They very well might,” Martin told him.

  Martin led the way to the entrance into the bathhouse located on the 55th Street side and pulled open the door. Theodore, not knowing what to expect, tried to take in everything, but all he could see at the moment was a small office with a man standing behind a counter.

  “Good evening, gentlemen. Here for a bath?” he inquired.

  “Yes, sir, we most certainly are,” Martin answered for them.

  “Admission is one dollar per man,” the clerk told them. “If you want a room that’s extra.” The man winked at Martin who gave a chuckle. “Afraid I’ve spent too much earlier in the week, so I fear I should skip the room tonight,” Martin answered, giving the man a silver dollar that he had ready in his hand. With Martin’s encouragement, Theodore did the same. In exchange for the coins, the man behind the counter handed over two large white sheets that they were to use to wrap around themselves if they felt modest while moving around the baths. He explained where they could hang their clothes and opened another door to admit them to the inner part of the bathhouse.

  Theodore wouldn’t have known which way to turn, but Martin had been to the Ariston on a fairly regular basis and had become something of a fixture. As such, he knew his way around the facilities and immediately led Theodore to where they were to undress.

  While Martin was quite comfortable being naked in the presence of other men, for Theodore on his first visit, nudity was an entirely new concept. The only person Theodore had ever seen entirely naked was Martin, and to the best of his knowledge, the only person who had ever seen him naked, other than his mother when he was an infant, was Martin.

  Martin immediately removed his clothes and hung them in the small cabinet. Theodore had not started to take off any of his own, trying to decide if he should stay or run. When a very handsome man walked past their location, slowly, while completely naked, Theodore’s eyes went wide with wonder. He gasped in shock as he tried to politely study every inch of the man’s delicious body. Not only was the man ruggedly handsome, muscular, and solid, but he also seemed to have eyes for Theodore. A small smile crossing his face, the man stared intently at him.

  “Martin, who’s your friend?” he greeted Martin in a deep, masculine voice. “I don’t recall seeing him here before.”

  “Cuth, this is my best friend that I was telling you about.”

  “Hello there, best friend. First time?”

  “Um, yes,” Theodore answered. He was nervous but also incredibly aroused by the sight of the man who strode around totally naked with absolutely no hesitation, but then, Theodore thought, if he had looked as incredible as this creature, he’d perhaps walk around naked for all the world to see as well.

  Theodore’s gaze raked over the man’s body, not finding anything objectionable anywhere along their journey.

  “What’s your name, sweetheart?” the man asked.

  “Who?”

  “You, darling,” the man told him.

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you,” he answered, leaning in closer until their faces were merely inches apart.

  Theodore’s heart was pounding so hard in his chest he was afraid it was going to break loose. He was sweating, not because the room was hot, which it was. The man leaning in, closing the space that separated them, was his picture of what the perfect man would look like.

  Theodore was lost in the man’s intense eyes. He felt like slipping forward into them, and he was not willing to fight off the feeling. There were worse places he could find himself. He whimpered audibly.

  “So,” the man said, snapping Theodore out of his near trance, “do you have a name?” />
  “Yes.”

  “And what is it?”

  “Theodore.”

  “Well, hello, Theodore. Nice to meet you. I’ve got room two for the evening. If you feel in the need of some company, why don’t you come on over and give me a knock.”

  “The door?”

  “Among other things,” the man snickered as he turned and walked away.

  Theodore reached and roughly grabbed Martin by his shirt. “Martin! Did you see that? Did you see that?”

  “Yes, I saw that. The night is very young. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  “I don’t need to see anything else. I’ve found him. That is my perfect man.”

  “You mean I’m not your perfect man?” Martin asked, teasingly.

  Theodore stammered as Martin had clearly anticipated based on the snicker he gave.

  “Now,” Martin said, “I’m nearly naked and you haven’t removed anything yet. Come on, Teddy, take off your clothes.” To emphasize his point, Martin removed the last of his clothing and stood fully naked. He raised his hands beside his body and gave Theodore a huge smile. “See?”

  Theodore now had incentive to get himself ready, since the man of his dreams was waiting in room two, wherever that might be. With remarkable speed, he stripped out of his clothes and joined Martin.

  As Martin had done, Theodore took the sheet he had been given and wrapped it around his waist.

  “Come on,” Martin indicated, urging Theodore onward. As they walked, Martin gave the grand tour. Theodore was unsure which of the many things he saw stunned him more: the opulence of the place or the number of completely naked men they encountered. Some of those men had their sheets loosely wrapped around themselves, some at the waist like he and Martin wore theirs, while others had theirs draped around their shoulders. One man they passed had somehow managed to arrange his sheet as a toga, much like the old Romans used to wear, at least according to a textbook Theodore remembered.