Thursday, January 13, 2011

FLEX your Nudity & Growing up at the Baths

Being in Ohio for the past 3 weeks has really taken a toll on my sex life. I think it probably has more to do with living with my parents than it has to do with Ohio itself. I've come into contact with some really hot guys via the Internet but they live 30 miles away. Now in Ohio that isn't so far away but in NYC, 1 mile away is like crossing the steppes of Russia. Its hard to hook up with that distance and with the guys living that far away from each other. So after a long week working (I'm doing a gig close to my parents), I decided to go to Flex, the only Cleveland Bathhouse since Club Cleveland closed. If I am not mistaken, Club Cleveland was one of the first, if not the first, gay owned bathhouses in the country. They had had an older space opened in 1965 and then transitioned to a brand new building around 2000 I think. I'm not sure. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Club Cleveland was the first bathhouse I went to in 1994 the summer before I moved to NYC. I moved home for the summer to work and save money to move to NYC and used the excuse that I was going downtown in the afternoons to go to the library. Little did my parents know, although maybe they do now, that I was going to the baths to get naked and to suck dick. I didn't have much sex in college. I attribute it to not feeling very good about my looks or body. I was homely compared to my other friends and I didn't have the experience to assert myself. Yet, I had this desire to get naked and be sexual with guys. I know I didn't need a romantic or psychological connection to make it happen. I just needed the  confidence. I figured out that I needed to go to a bathhouse and just go for it. I made sure that I didn't use a credit card to pay for my entrance. Although my bill was still paid for by me, it would be going to my parents and then they would open it and give it to me. I didn't want any odd charges that would make their alarm bells go off. I researched the Club, this was before the Internet, in a Damron guide at Waldenbooks. (Shoot me an e-mail or a comment if you remember Waldenbooks!!) A locker was somewhere around $10 in the afternoon  and $15 on the weekends. I brought cash.

I pulled up to the address and circled for a while. It was pretty non-descript building that had a green awning that said the address. I pulled into the side parking lot that was semi full with about 10 cars. Walked in, scared shitless, but determined to get off and get some experience! The attendant checked my ID and told me that before 8PM on the weekday, all lockers were $5 for guys under 25.  GET OUT! I had just turned 22 the month before. I was going to come a lot. I entered and they gave me a towel ad a locker key. As I made my way upstairs, I passed a hot tub on my left and a hallway with doors in front of me. I climbed the steps and made my way through the dark to find my locker. I put my clothes in the cabinet and put the towel on. Still a little shy.

I explored the various areas and since it was the afternoon, the place wasn't that busy. I kept my towel on in both the sauna and the steam room. Shy. I ended up getting sucked off by someone but that was about it. There was a corner upstairs that had ledges where you could watch porn. I got sucked off there. I wasn't into butt sex then and looking back I should have been! Ah well. Youth is wasted on the YOUTH.

I went back about 3 times a week that summer and got more comfortable and eventually graduated to weekend nights and would end up coming home to my parents, who lived about 40 minutes away at the time, at about 4 or 5 in the A.M. I told them I went out with work buddies and didn't want to drive home drunk. So I napped at their place until I was sober. My point is, is that I had a lot of young, sexual awakening experiences at that bathhouse.  My first threesome, foursome, fivesome and many group sex experiences. I started renting rooms there and began to lay naked on the bed with the door open. There was a game of guys passing and trying to figure out in the dim lighting if they were hot or not. Also trying to figure out how to get rid of them if they weren't hot. I also graduated to the thrill of wrapping up my towel on a rack outside the steam room and walking in totally naked except for the room key around my wrist. Entering the steam room and making out in the hot moist dark room with many guys at one time. ADDICTIVE!

After I moved to NYC, I ended up going back to Club Cleveland every time I was home. I think in order to keep competitive, they decided to build a new building right next door and offer lots of nicer amenities. Once they built it, they tore down the old building. The new building was cool but it never seemed to be as crowded as the old one. Honestly, I think the baths were dealt a deadly blow with the Internet age. Why go somewhere for sex when you can order in?

With all of this in the past, I went to Flex this past Saturday, hoping beyond hope I could get laid. I drove up and the place is an old greyhound bus station. The bones of the place are so cool. The layout is great and the amenities are fantastic. The only problem, is that when they have 20 men, it is EMPTY because the place is so huge. They need at least 100 men to make the place a hit. They have open showers that are so sexy and open to anyone walking through the lobby. I got naked in my room and contemplated leaving my towel. I brought it with me because the walk to the showers is sooooooo long. I didn't wrap it and slung it over my shoulder. I took the 5 minute walk downstairs to get to the showers. I was the only one in them and they had about 20 shower heads. Was lonely. Lots of looks from the 5 or so men walking by. None of whom were great.

I eventually stood at my door naked and a new guy walked by who had a very nice body and seemed cute enough. He nodded and passed me by giving me a hard look. I knew this had to be the one or I wasn't getting laid. He circled back and smiled at me. I smiled back and he immediately grabbed my dick. We went into my room and after about 20 minutes of kissing, sucking his cock (about 6"), getting my ass eaten out (GREAT JOB), and fucking me (only OK), I had gotten laid in Ohio. THANK GOD! I'm looking forward to coming home to NYC where I can order in my sex!

R.I.P. Club Cleveland and may the good days once again return if there ever were good old days.

If anyone has a great bathhouse story or a favorite bathhouse in your travels around the world, please post in the comments.

No comments:

Post a Comment