But before he could start to worry, the lady handed him his spare clothes. He left thankfully.

The aisle had become much emptier. Only a few men were running around, chatting in the corridor or obviously fondling in dark corners. Some of the guards were also chatting at open doors and didn't seem to care that inmates were still walking around openly. Because it was actually curfew in a few minutes. However, since no one prevented him from going to the showers, David didn't think about turning back.

When he got to the showers, there was no guard in front of it. No one was to be seen anyway. Maybe the showers were turned off?

David took a few steps into the shower area and heard water splashing. So at least they weren't turned off. He put his changing clothes and towel in an empty compartment and noticed that there was hardly anyone else. Only a black bathrobe and a towel hung on a hook. No change of clothes. Someone came here naked? And would go naked again? Brave.

It was dangerous to shower now; David was aware of that. But he hadn't gone all the way to the showers to turn back now. If there was only another man here anyway, there would be no problem. And if this became a reserved area, David would also wait until the shower was empty.

However, when he entered the shower room naked and the warm, stuffy air of mango shower gel poured into his nose, he saw the man in the far corner taking a shower. With his back to David, he was washing the shampoo from his brown hair. He wasn't very tall, maybe Antonio's size. Somehow narrow and yet muscular. A strange statue. But aesthetically. And not tattooed. A very rare sight.

David didn’t think twice and switched on the shower on the other end. He didn't want to bother the man. But before he could stand under the warm water, the man turned around. Their eyes met. The man looked good. His clean-shaven cheeks probably made him younger than he was.

When nothing happened after several seconds and they just looked at each other with interest, David pointed to the shower. "Is it okay if I take a quick shower?"

He would never have thought that being polite in prison would do any good. But the man suddenly smiled sweetly and nodded. "Of course." Then he turned around again.

David stood under the water and watched the ketchup flow from him and disappear into the sink.

"Is that blood?" the man asked carefully, looking over his shoulder at David.

"No, that's ketchup," David replied, lifting the corner of his mouth. "A few colleagues thought they were funny."

That probably amused the man a little as he lost the panicked look and instead smiled. "Okay, I thought something had happened again."

"No," David sighed, turning off the shower to rub himself with the soap. "Thank God no."

David felt that the man was watching him for a while before he turned the water off too. He heard his bare feet go over the tiles and finally disappear past David behind the compartments.

"Are you new here?" his voice came from the other side. David meanwhile washed himself off again.

"Yes. Since yesterday."

"Oh," the man said in surprise, peeking out from behind his head with a towel so he could look at David. He rubbed his hair dry. "How do you like it?"

David didn't quite know how to answer it, as if he turned around with a smile. "Is this a trick question?"

The man laughed with amusement and wrapped the towel around his neck like a scarf while rubbing off the water there. “Yes, probably. Sorry, it's shitty here, I know.”

"How long have you been here?" David asked, noting that he was actually having a normal conversation with someone for the first time since he arrived. Nobody bugged him with legal stuff or private things.

"For almost 5 months." The man disappeared behind the shelf. "Not that long, unlike many others here."

"Yeah, some have been here for years," David sighed, thinking that he wouldn't be spared being here for a few months. Thank God no longer than that. Anyway, David hoped so.

"Why are you here if I may ask?"

David hated the question, but actually struggled to answer it. Especially when the man was standing next to him, knotting his black bathrobe while staring at him curiously. Not once had his eyes gone to his cock. So was he really interested?

"Because of my ex-wife," David said, and was about to start another explanation when the brunette man grinned.

"I see," he said smugly, cocking his head. "Did she deserve it?"

The shower fell silent for a few seconds, until David broke eye contact and looked down. Although he had gone through the story so many times - in his head, with his lawyers, with the police - it was different. For the first time, someone asked him if she deserved it. It took David a few moments to answer this question. Finally, he nodded. "Yes. Has she."

"I understand," the man said in a really sympathetic tone. “Most of them are here because they have executed vigilante justice. Unfortunately, that's against the law.”

David smiled at the statement. When their eyes met again, the man winked at him. "Buck up. With good behaviour, you can get out of here quickly.” He grabbed his towel and tucked it under his arm. "Take care of yourself. There are many crazy people here. Maybe you should avoid your ketchup friends too.”

"I would like to. But they won't leave me alone until so far,” David sighed, turning off the water. He passed the man and quickly dried himself.

"Then do something about it."

David laughed. "Should I throw ketchup on them too?"

The man smiled. But it was a cold smile. "No. Throw something more effective at them and they'll leave you alone quickly.”

"I don't want any trouble with the guards." David quickly put on his underpants. He was getting cold. Or was it the atmosphere?

“Nobody wants that here. But before you get harassed for the next few weeks and months? I would advise you to do something. And if it's just stones that you throw at them. Or putting little fork tips in their food.”

David didn’t know if those were sane suggestions or pure sarcasm. Because grating fork tips right into the food? Who would do that? How did one get such a sadistic idea?

"However, if you really want to do something with ketchup so that the idiots get it’s from you, you can lure them into the shower and put the bags in their asses," the man suggested, grinning almost from ear to ear.

Sarcasm, David told himself.

"I'll talk to them sometime."

Then the brunette man laughed and shook his head. "You are sweet. You don't fit in here.”

"You're probably right," David sighed, dressing completely. Both men left the shower room. David with the wet towel in his arms and his ketchup clothes in the other hand. There was still no guard anywhere. Let alone other inmates.

"Why isn't anyone here?" David finally asked, looking around furtively. "There were a lot of people passing the shower earlier."

"There are hardly any here at this time," the man said succinctly, and started walking. In the opposite direction from which David had come. "I like to shower alone."

"Sorry to disturb this calm," David said sincerely, trying to smile.

The man returned the smile. "Oh no. It was nice to talk in peace. The others are always a little difficult.”

"Oh yes," David whispered, walking the other way. With a little distance, both men stopped again.

"See you. If ketchup gets thrown at you or something else,” the man laughed, waving to David. "Good night."

With that, he left.

"Good night," David replied calmly, wondering if this man had been an inmate or if he was one of the guards. Maybe a visitor who got lost?

While David went back to his cell and got bawled out by guards three times on the way because the curfew had long started, he thought about taking a shower at this time more often.