Before leaving the office where I worked as a PA for the evening, I nipped to the bathroom to style my hair, touch up my make-up and apply a spritz of perfume.
You might imagine I was heading out to dinner or to meet friends in the pub.
In fact, I was going to my local David Lloyd leisure club in Berkshire, my sights trained not on getting sweaty in a fitness class or lifting weights, but on hopefully catching the eye of a handsome man.
Last week, a former club member of the Finchley branch said she’d heard rumours of scandalous hook-ups in quiet corners of the gym, and I can confirm they do happen. I should know because I’ve had sex with two men at David Lloyd.
Recently out of a five-year relationship, I had a lightbulb moment when my best friend said her boss had joined the upmarket gym.
I knew it was billed as a premium club and a quick Google search showed it had an eye-watering membership price to match, which could only mean one thing: it would be the perfect place to meet a better class of bachelor.
Luckily for me, you could buy a day pass for £15 at the time, so I treated myself to one twice a month, and approached each visit as an opportunity to meet guys.
It didn’t take long for me to spot a lovely looking man with sandy hair (my type) working out. At first, he didn’t even notice me. But when I saw him again a few weeks later, we ended up chatting by the water fountain.
He asked if I fancied a drink and we went to a local wine bar, kissing as we said goodbye and swapping phone numbers, after which we exchanged flirty messages.
Our writer began attending the high-end David Lloyd health clubs in the hopes of attracting an eligible bachelor
Josh was attentive, confident and well-spoken. With a smart Audi and a banking career, he wasn’t the sort of man I met at my old gym at a local leisure centre.
Cleverly, I’d asked when he tended to work out, then engineered my next visit accordingly.
He mentioned he always went in the spa after doing weights, which was my cue to swerve the elliptical machine, put on a sexy bikini and hang out in the hope he came in.
My plan worked. I was sitting in the jacuzzi when he appeared in his swim shorts, gave me a flirty smile and climbed in. At nearly 9pm, the place was deserted, so before I knew it we were kissing – and then having sex amongst the bubbles. It was thrilling and not something I’d ever done before.
I panicked someone might walk in or we’d be spotted on CCTV, but Josh told me to relax. I was too caught up in the moment to care, but perhaps he was getting off on the risk. He certainly wasn’t worried about being rumbled, so I suspect he’d done this before.
I hoped our encounter might lead somewhere but neither of us texted the other, so, slightly mortified, I avoided using a day pass when I knew he’d be there.
After that, I had drinks dates with a couple of attractive alpha male types with jobs in tech, but nothing came of them other than a smooch at the end of the night.
Looking at the demographic of the other women with day passes, I clearly wasn’t the only one trying to bag an eligible man, though.
Members swiped in using the app or a plastic keycard, whereas day pass holders had a paper pass we scanned in – so easy to spot.
Most were women with a lot more sass than you’d have if you were just there to exercise. You could see them a mile off with their perfect hair and make-up, and cropped sports bras to show off toned midriffs.
Competition was fierce, and I was starting to wonder whether Josh might have been a one-off.
Our writer had sex with two men during her visits to the club – in the jacuzzi and in the sauna (picture posed by models)
She says there was always the fear that one day she’d walk into reception and be pulled aside by a staff member saying: ‘We’ve seen you on CCTV having sex’
Then along came Dan, an advertising exec who simply oozed charisma. He was incredibly handsome and he knew it. In his 30s, like me, he walked into the sauna one evening when I was relaxing after a swim.
One by one, the other people left and when we were alone, we started chatting. His opening line was: ‘I needed this after the day I’ve had.’ I was mesmerised, and so flattered he seemed interested. When he made a move, I just thought, take me!
As we talked, our legs brushed, then he gently touched my thigh, and one thing very quickly led to another.
Less than an hour after meeting, he had peeled off my bikini bottoms and we were having sex in the sauna, although I feel ashamed admitting this now. Again, the sex was exhilarating because it felt so naughty – and unexpected.
Just like Josh, Dan was so confident I doubt it was his first sexual encounter in the spa. There were no cameras in the sauna itself, but someone could easily walk in…
When it was all over, I awkwardly told him I’d better go and get showered, adding, ‘I might see you in the coffee bar,’ to which he didn’t respond. I hovered in the cafe, but he didn’t appear and I didn’t want to look desperate.
We didn’t even swap phone numbers, although I’d hoped we would.
I saw him in the gym once after that, but I kept my head down and we didn’t speak.
I realised that, after six months of fun and flirting, perhaps it was time to call it a day at David Lloyd before I got a reputation.
I’d begun to see that finding a rich boyfriend is no good if you don’t have anything in common – and that anyone who slept with me so soon after meeting probably wasn’t going to be boyfriend material anyway.
Then, there was the fear that one day I’d walk into reception and be pulled aside by a staff member saying: ‘We’ve seen you on CCTV having sex.’
It was time to head back to my trusty leisure centre instead. I beat a hasty retreat before anyone could ask me to leave, but I’ll never regret the wild times I had at David Lloyd. If you want a little no-strings fun, it really is the perfect place to work out.
Names and identifying details have been changed.
