He wrote to my website account about a month before I was due to be in Toulon. Sean made a short introduction using good English and asked about my Airbnb location. I sent him a copy of the link so that he could see where I was staying. He knew the place and encouraged me to cancel it and stay at his Airbnb in Hyeres where we could share his bed.
This behavior was overly forward for me. I could be happy to have an afternoon adventure with someone I haven’t met before but to stay with someone for three nights was too much risk even for me. I recalled doing that in Europe a couple of times more than ten years ago, but I was now single so long that my sleep was not predictable and I didn’t want to be a nuisance for my host. I politely explained that to Sean who understood and hoped that we could meet while I was in the South of France.
I wrote to him after settling into my scenic place in Toulon where I had a balcony with a pleasant view to the sea and hills. Sean was busy the next day but the one after that he had to come to Toulon to take care of some administrative problem with his driver’s license. He planned to do that in the morning and then we could meet if I were free. This offer I readily accepted because he had a car and I would get to see more of the area. We arranged to meet in the parking lot of Old Fort St. Louis which was on the sea just a short distance from me in Toulon.
Our timing was excellent in that I observed his grey VW pull into the parking lot as I was approaching on foot. He noted me walking and rolled down his window to wave. Sean looked just like the picture that he had sent. He was a slender build middle sixties Frenchman with light brown curly hair and a welcoming smile. I climbed into the passenger side and we had a friendly handshake. Sean declared that he could show me some of Hyeres and that I would like it more than Toulon. Hyeres was more upscale and had better people he insisted. I made no comment but kept an open mind on the matter. It was a beautiful sunny day in the high seventies with a good breeze. I asked how long Sean had lived in Hyeres and I learned that he had grown up there as a young man. He had come to love the sea and being on the open water. Many days he would go wind surfing to feel the freedom of the sea. The area was often very windy and sunny so that even when it wasn’t warm, he could put on a good wet suit and be on the water. I had never done so, even when I was younger, and I was impressed that someone his age would be so athletic and daring. His small frame didn’t suggest that kind of strength or endurance but there seemed to be a low light energy.
As we crossed the bridge to Hyeres, Sean began pointing out places where he would sail and houses where he knew so and so. He worked as a part time realtor and had helped people locate places. Now he had a couple of Airbnb spots in Hyeres. He drove me to one and we climbed three flights of outside steps to get to the unit which was half way up a good size hill. The view to the sea from there was as impressive as he had told me it would be, but he didn’t prepare me for the inside of the unit. It wasn’t quite like walking into a hoarder’s space, but there were books and collectibles and marine gear in multiples including an old brass diving helmet. Clearly, he didn’t have OCD! Sean told me that he was going to look into selling some of the items, but it was just too much labor and he would rather be on the water. I wondered if he had been that way his whole life or it was part of his aging process.
We departed the condo and he drove us along a number of narrow winding roads to where he lived. Sean had a small condo that had a fine balcony with a view to the sea. This place didn’t have clutter like the other space. He suggested that we sit and enjoy the view on such a nice day. He began to pull items from a small refrigerator and I sensed that he was putting out a simple lunch. The “simple” lunch included about ten items as he kept remembering more foods that he wanted me to try. Smoked salmon, cheese, ham, croissant, cornichon, fruit, olives and of course a French bread. He kept insisting that I try everything that was presented, so I took small portions so as not to overeat. Everything was delicious and we had a pleasant conversation while dining al fresco on the balcony.
I learned that he had never had a partner, but many long time lovers and friends. He enjoyed a good community life in Hyeres, especially with others who loved the sea as much as he did. Sean made sure that I was completely full before clearing the table. And, of course, we had to have a small aperitif to conclude our repast.
I was not particularly attracted to him but now was the point where sex would be initiated or not. In his writing, Sean had invited me to his bed so I expected that he would do so, but no suggestion was made. I had taken a seat on the sofa in the living room and when he was finished in the kitchen, he also sat on the sofa but a couple of feet away. Sean seemed uncomfortable now that we had gotten to this juncture. Perhaps this was his usual way, I couldn’t know. I asked if he minded if I undid the buttons on his shirt and he didn’t object, so I moved closer to be able to do so. He was very tanned and smooth chested. A small amount of extra weight declared his love of eating, like most Frenchmen. He was completely passive during the unbuttoning which seemed out of character since he had declared himself to be a top. Perhaps he was actually shy, so I asked if we should go to the bedroom for privacy.
Sean agreed and we went into the contiguous room where he first pulled the curtains to provide privacy, but I don’t think anyone could have seen in since the window faced the sea. We took off our clothes, but he kept on his underwear. I began to understand that while he was clearly a gay man on the outside, he was closeted on the inside. Perhaps he was just not attracted to me and didn’t want to offend me as his guest.
I slid my hand across his chest and enjoyed the smoothness of his body. I let my hand wander below the waist and cupped his cock and balls. He wasn’t aroused but that didn’t surprise me. I slipped my hand inside the colorful underwear and began to massage his cock which started to come to life. Sean lifted his arms above his head but didn’t touch me. I moved my head down to his cock and slid the underwear off of his privates. I put my warm mouth on the mushroom cap of the protruding cock and sucked it before moving down the shaft. His dick didn’t really respond after that initial growing and soon I lay back on the bed parallel to him with our faces looking up at the ceiling.
“I don’t know why, but I’m just not into it today,” he offered apologetically. I agreed with him that there wasn’t a good response and that it was fine with me. “Not to worry,” I declared as I relaxed further onto the bed. Actually, it was fine with me since I wasn’t particularly attracted and my best guess was that it was the same for him. At no time did he ever reach out to touch me or make any sexual advance.
We lay on the bed for ten minutes or so when I asked if there were a beach or a place along the water where we could go walking. Sean lit up and declared that there were a number of places and that he also enjoyed walking along the water. We got dressed and he made sure that I hadn’t left anything behind which I had not. I saw no point in being indoors if we weren’t going to enjoy being physical with each other.
Sean drove for about fifteen minutes taking us past houses and small hotels as well as four story condo buildings. I noted that this beach area had the same type of colorful restaurant buildings offering seafood and ice cream as did many seaside places on the planet. It was a weekday so there were only a dozen other cars in the dirt parking lot where he placed the car. We headed along a narrow dirt path through some wetlands areas where there were also some deciduous trees.
About a kilometer later we turned and took a path toward the beach area. Sean didn’t alert me that we were going to the nude beach, but I was neither shocked nor surprised when the naked people began to appear. The beach was about ten meters of sand between the grassy, tree area and the sparkling sea. A few people were on blankets on the sand but some individuals had tucked themselves into the area where the sand met the vegetation. Some were face up and some were displaying their well tanned naked butts. Like most nude beaches, everyone was relaxed and there was a slight cruisy attitude, especially from the single men. The age range was thirties to seventies with very attractive bodies as well as not so attractive.
We walked along the beach for about a kilometer when I noted a dead tree trunk that could be used as a resting spot. It wasn’t so much that I was tired, but I wanted to sit and look at the water while I listened to how quiet it was. There were no jet skis, no loud people or music, just the simplicity of a beautiful, natural setting. I wanted to savor those moments and soak in the aquatic energy to nurture my inner soul. Sean didn’t mind and he informed me that they kept changing plans about the shoreline trees as to whether they helped the soil or not. They would get planted and then cut down depending upon who was in charge.
We enjoyed that location for about fifteen minutes when I suggested we turn around. The beach and the people on it hadn’t changed from our first walk, suggesting that people came and stayed for some time at this quiet oasis from city life. We arrived back at the car and I asked Sean to drop me off at a bus stop that would take me back to Toulon. I had looked on the Internet the day before and noted that it could be done. He was happy to do that and be relieved from the task of driving me back to Toulon. There was a parking lot by the bus stop and Sean kindly chose to stay with me while I waited for the bus. He wanted to make sure that I found the right bus since there were two that came to that stop.
The bus stop had electronic signage that alerted us to the timing for the next bus but Sean declared that it wasn’t reliable. It would be twelve minutes before the next bus and I would have to transfer at the halfway point to another bus on the same road that went along the shore back to Toulon. There was a surf shack on the other side of the street and Sean suggested that we take a look there while we waited for the bus. He assured me that waiting for the bus was not a problem for him. I thanked him for both offers and we explored the open air, rustic surf shack which I was certain he had been in many times.
The bus was about ten minutes behind schedule, but it was still a beautiful sunny day and I was outside, so I didn’t really care. As the bus approached, we had a friendly hug now that we had become friends, even if we were not sexual companions. As I rode the bus to Toulon, I wondered what Sean had anticipated our day would include. It was clear to me that I had made the right choice to stay in Toulon.
We continued to communicate as I traveled and when I saw sailing vessels in other Mediterranean cities, I took pictures and sent them to Sean, for which he expressed gratitude. I was grateful for Sean’s personal introduction to Hyeres and all of his kindnesses.