Gym Dreams

You know the holiday season has come to an end when the gym starts getting crowded, you double take at the people that you swear were thinner the last time you saw them and you have to queue for machines.

Obviously I continued to go to the gym the whole time I was off...

It's weird but true, when you go to the gym you sort of have a time slot. You don't mean too, but you seem to end up going every day at the same sort of time. This ultimately leads you to see the same faces and this leads you to meeting Gym Man...

Gym Man is one of those guys that is there all the time, always wears shorts and always makes you forget how to do whatever it was you were doing.

The Gym Man that I see is built like a tank.

No matter what I am doing, be it sit up or running on the treadmill, he stares. It becomes such an un-comfortable stare that I have to turn away.

At first I thought he had seen how I was doing the sit-ups and thought I was doing them wrong, but then it was as I stood waiting for water, as I picked up weights or as I chatted to familier faces. He stared.

The stare followed me around the gym as Gym Man worked out.

The other week I stared back.

He was on the mats where I was having a break in-between sit up sets and I watched as he did his one handed press ups. As he finished his set he looked up to me looking. In my head I was screaming, "DANIEL turn away. Stop looking. DANIEL HE IS NOW LOOKING AT YOU! This is un-comfortable. TURN AWAY."

My mouth opened as if to speak and he looked down and started on his next set of one handed push ups. I got up feeling completely stupid and started to walk away. I saw him stop and look up and watch me go.

What was his problem?

Every time it was the same odd stare, intense and un-comfortable.

I don't know about anyone else, but I usually go to the gym not doing my hair and looking a bit rough and ready... This is usually what I do.

Yesterday I was ready to get back into the gym, full swing. I had my new jogging bottoms on that were slightly too big and walked into the gym (usual time) with a smile.

So what if I had done my hair today, so what if I might have worn a top that was ironed and so what if I had freshened my breath before I came. I was there to work out nothing else and work out is what I would do.

There he was.

I started the run on the treadmill, he hadn't noticed me.

I continued to run. Whilst side tracked in looking at Gym Man, I slowly started to realise that my 'slightly too big joggers' were now below my boxers. I pulled them up and held them, looking straight towards Gym Man, feeling relieved he wasn't looking back this time.

I finished my run without revealing anymore of my body and casually walked past Gym Man as he stood pumping up his arms.

Nothing.

He didn't even blink. I turned around and went to go back to the treadmill, pretending to have forgotten something. I slowly went to walk past him again and it was as if I wasn't there. I was tempted to pretend to knock past him, but felt stupid and went to the mats.

I started my sit ups laughing to myself that I had done my hair. I realised I was actually laughing out loud, not too loudly, but loud enough! I turned to my left to see Gym Man was next to me.

He stared. I shot my head the other way cursing at myself for laughing out loud and looking like a complete idiot.

I turned back and he was gone.

I left the gym confused. Was Gym Man into me? Was Gym Man just a guy that stares? Did Gym Man only like me when I was rough and ready?

Just who is Gym Man?