An escort tells all

Female, 32, Andersonville
I met my first “John” on Craigslist, but I never intended it to be an escort situation. One night I was like, God, I have nothing to do tonight. I’d love to go out on a date. So I decided to go on Craigslist’s “men seeking women” to see if anyone else was bored. One guy wrote, “I’m in town for the week and I have nothing to do tonight. If anyone would be interested in having drinks and conversation, I’d be really into that.” I was like, Drinks and conversation? Sounds great.

So, I e-mailed the guy my photo and he e-mailed me his. He was a young, slim, attractive guy. I thought he’d be fine for a one-night stand. We talked on the phone a little bit. He sounded normal, intelligent. He told me to meet him at a hotel downtown, in the bar. So I packed a couple of condoms in my bag—I was thinking I’d probably have sex with this guy.

I met him, we had drinks, and he said, “Would you like to go up to my room?” We ended up kissing in the elevator a little bit. We went into his really wonderful suite and we lay down on the bed together, both still fully clothed. He was rubbing his hand over my face, being very sweet and affectionate, then he said, “So, how much is this?” My mind raced a mile a minute: Shit, he thinks I’m an escort! Wait, I was already going to sleep with him. I can get money and sleep with him, too! He’s already gone through so much work, he’s not a cop. How much do escorts charge a minute? Finally, I said, “It’s $350.” I was trying to be smooth. I don’t know if it came off that way. He said, “That’s no problem. I can just go to the ATM downstairs.”

We started making out again, and then he got a call. He said, “I am so sorry, I actually have to go to a business dinner. But would you go with me? I’ll just tell my colleagues you’re my girlfriend from out of town.” I said, “Sure, I don’t mind.” He said he had to meet with them for a little while first but could send me to the spa in the meantime. I’m sure he was thinking, I don’t want you to steal anything from my room. So I got a full-body massage and a paraffin wax treatment, which he told me to bill to his room. I was in heaven. He called while I was in the lounge to say he was back, and I went up to his room to get dressed up for dinner.

When we finally got back to his hotel after the meal, we ended up having sex. I stayed overnight. The next morning it was a bit awkward because I could tell he was not used to doing this. He was running late and almost seemed pissed he had to go to the ATM. But I was like, Hey, I am waiting for this. I was with you all night long, and I’ve never done this before. I want that money. I took the money, said it was great meeting him and to e-mail me if he’s ever in town again. We went our separate ways. I was on cloud nine. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends!

FIRST TIMER’S TIPS * Any anonymous hookup is potentially very dangerous—plus, doing it for money is illegal. If you try it anyway, avoid the “adult” or “casual encounters” sections, where you’re more likely to meet a cop. Go to “men seeking women.” * Exchange e-mails and photos. If he’s hesitant to send a photo, be wary. If the photo seems too good to be true, it is. If he offers you money immediately, he might be a cop. * The way to make sure you’ll be paid is to say things like, “Are you a really generous guy? Because I love generous and affectionate guys.” Generous seems to be direct enough where he’ll catch on, but also vague enough to minimize the risk of arrest. Another clue a guy is looking for an escort: He says he’s a businessman from out of town, whether or not he actually is. Look for somebody who is at a very nice hotel.