Eventually the stretcher returned, silence resumed, and the older man left, probably done in by the heat. The other guy and I were alone and I was still wondering what he did. I think I finally settled on jogging. He eventually moved from the lower to the upper bench (the same level I was on) and asked if I minded if he stretched out. "No, of course not," I said. I wasn't sure what to make of the question since even fully stretched he didn't come nearer than two feet to me. And he certainly wasn't lying in any particularly provocative pose. He kept his towel on, and even as he began to stretch again--going through leg lifts and extensions that would have been randy from another angle, his demeanor wasn't at all cruisey. He was body modest.

Yes, I actually did think all that from just one comment.

Finally I said:

"Do you dance or jog?"

"I'm a dancer. I can't stand running."

"Me either," I said. "It's duller than hell. What kind of dance? Ballet or modern?"

"Modern, Although I've studied some ballet."

Like any serious dancer, I thought.

"Yeah, I would have guessed modern," I said.

"Is Saturday usually like this?" he asked. I guess he meant was it usually this quiet?

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