Vapors

A young man disembarks a New York City bus and enters the St. Marks Baths. The clerk explains the pricing, noting a weekend rate of $3.50 and a weekday average of $2, and instructs him to deposit his wallet and valuables. He is issued a white robe, towel, and slippers and is warned that no food or beverages are allowed in the baths or rooms.

Inside the private room, he changes into his robe and sits on a bed, watching the steam rise from the baths. A clerk named Sam and another employee discuss the large crowd expected for Friday night, signaling a busy atmosphere. The room itself is quiet, contrasted by the noisy activity outside the enclosure.

A middle-aged man enters and introduces himself as Mr. Jaffee, asking if the young man would like some company and offering to sneak up coffee from the lobby. He mentions that this is his first time at the baths, while Thomas proudly notes that he comes there three or four times a week. The exchange sets a tense, awkward tone for their encounter.

Miss Parrish and Mavis, as well as Thumbelina and Taffy, drift by outside, trading crude comments about others in attendance. Their presence interrupts the exchange between Thomas and Mr. Jaffee, who maintains a cautious distance as the conversation continues.

Mr. Jaffee reveals he came to the baths because he doesn’t want to return home to his wife after many years of marriage. Thomas admits to Jaffee that he lied about his experience and that this is actually his first time at the baths. The discussion centers on pretending and seeking something beyond the everyday routine.

The conversation devolves into unsettling topics, including Jaffee’s references to his wife and his own dreams about women's feet. He playfully touches Thomas’s feet while reciting nursery rhymes and recounts odd observations about women’s sanitary pads and toilets, highlighting his troubled psyche.

Jaffee shares the anniversary of his 16-year-old son's death, detailing how the drowning in an upstate lake contributed to the breakdown of his marriage. He mentions that his appearance reminds him of his son, adding a layer of melancholy to the encounter.

Miss Parrish, Mavis, Thumbelina, and Taffy burst back into the room looking for a party, prompting Thomas to tell them to leave. Mr. Jaffee then says he wants to give Thomas a gift and urges him not to leave, promising that he will return soon.

After Jaffee leaves again, Thomas sits reflecting for a long moment before the four men return with a wrapped package. He opens it to find a paper sunflower, a gift that amplifies his sense of abandonment as he begins to cry.

A man walking past peers into the room and asks if Thomas is all right. Thomas assures him that he is, and then invites the stranger to come in, signaling a shift from conversation to vulnerability and openness.

The stranger disrobes and moves toward Thomas without words, signaling the onset of a sexual encounter. The moment is intimate and uncertain, leaving the scene to linger on Thomas’s emotional state as the situation unfolds.