Azu asked Josh Lanyon:

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Josh Lanyon I think Sam probably made the first move. As you say, he's an intimidating, even legendary figure within the Bureau and Petty, though interested, would probably have not had the nerve to make the first move. I imagine the seduction would have happened much like it happened with Jason: a meal, drinks, more drinks and a possibly blunt offer from Sam. The difference being he knew Petty longer and had more opportunity to form an opinion of his character and evaluate any possible risk. I think the arrangement with Petty had probably become kind of a regular irregular thing, but there would have been a few other willing coworkers through the years. The thing with Petty would have been the closest to an actual relationship, which Petty probably came to understand and build on. Unfortunately, while Petty was falling in love, Sam was always conscious he was never going to love anyone again and was simply a man on a mission. Of course, that wasn't true, but Sam believed it was true, and that's really all that matters. He's too meticulous and careful too pick up random boys off the street. He would be looking for a particular type of sexual partner (emotionally mature, stable, zero risk). I'd say he had a reasonably active, largely impersonal sex life before Jason. He probably had unrecognized, unacknowledged feelings for Petty that might have grown into something more, depending on circumstances. He says--hints--to Jason in one of the books (Monet?) that he knew his feelings for Jason were different when he stopped these other liasions. I seem to recall Petty says something to the effect that he suspected Sam had become involved with someone else when they didn't get together on Sam's last visit to the field office.

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