The hall was littered with garbage and broken glass. Something was seriously wrong and I would need to quickly gain entrance to my unit on the second floor. With my key in the lock, the only other person in the stairwell, asked to use my phone. I looked up to see a girl in the unit above me and quikly apologized while jolting into my space; locking the door behind me as quickly as possible. As the night went on, garbage and broken glass piled up, screams got louder. It finally culminated in multiple ambulances swarming the block with multiple EMTs maneuvering through the wreckage with the girl bound to a stretcher, threatening them through a spit guard. 

She was supposed to be on a flight back home to California. I had interacted her just the day before when the agency asked me to stop by and collect her house cut. She was curt, barely opened the door, and was on a phone call as she handed over the money. Just a typical, run-of-the-mill interaction for any escort agency. I was often tasked with collecting the house cut at the end of shifts also preparing rooms, managing laundry, greeting new and anxious women; keeping a general lookout for the building. Due to this girl’s unexpected layover at Bellevue psych ward, I was then tasked with holding onto her oversized suitcase until she was able to retrieve it. 

Weeks went by, we tried to get ahold of her through the hospital and other girls. I opened the suitcase to see if there was anything with alternative contact information. Irrelevant paperwork, used make up, and hair extensions, nothing useful for finding this girl was inside. However, there was something in there that would ultimately spark a big influence in my life- two sets of high end lingerie, brand new with tags, tucked in a zippered compartment. Agent Provocateur’s red mesh with black lining Lorna and Honey Birdette’s blue Natalie. Both full sets, complete with bra, panties, and garter belts. 

I tried them on and while I busted out of the smaller sized bras, something clicked. As a sex worker, I should see myself as both expert and connoisseur of all things erotic. Providing a top shelf, first seat experience means keeping abreast with the industry and being knowledgable in the products necessary for high end services. But at the time I was still working for an agency with cheap cookie-cutter clientele, why spend my hard earned money on expensive lingerie they will rip and stain, lube they will wastefully spill, and other such items? If they weren’t paying luxury prices, I never felt the drive to provide reciprocate. Whether wearing lingerie for them or myself, I was usually thrifty and never gave much thought about the items I purchased.

As I transitioned into independent work and started to charge those luxury prices, I knew I needed to provide luxury experience to justify the increase. Just like any other career, in order to move up the ranks, be taken more seriously, and add qualitative value, it requires you investing in higher industry standards. I believe there should be a difference between a $300/hour service versus an $800/hour. For me this difference can be seen in how much effort I put into cleaning and preparing my space, using higher quality products that create an atmosphere of luxury. Things like candles, toiletries stocked in the bathroom, bedsheets, and lighting should be thoughtfully purchased with the intention of raising the quality of the incall location. This level of quality control was something my past agencies never wanted to invest in. Some girls kept their spaces clean with an air of seduction, others were total pig sties. I remember thinking to myself “I would never be able to get turned on enough to want to have sex in a messy, smelly space.” Since it was up to the girl to maintain her space, there was no consistency in what sort of room a client might end up in. As an independent escort, the sum of my work is much more than the acts I provide. I want to utilize as many things as possible- from what I can control, account for, and influence- to display my expertise. 

Aesthetics and beauty are also major aspects of sex work. And no- I am not talking about whatever conventional attractiveness a person is or isn’t born with. This is about the extra effort put into high end sex services. Before each appointment I make sure my nails, hair, and make-up are up to par. I also pick out my finer lingerie (though by now, nearly my entire collection is “finer”). All these details I inspect and labor over, yet they are subtle and faultless enough that clients may not outwardly think of them as part of the indulgence they are paying for. Owning even just a few basic staples (robe, bra/panty sets) can affect one’s perceived status and general authority. They say to dress for the role you want- Well, I want to be an irresistible, extravagant companion, well-versed in the art of eroticism. Wearing good quality, well-fitted lingerie is part of the fantasy. Many of my clients come from dead bedrooms and/or lack of intimacy. Answering the door dressed in sensual fabrics that are subconsciously and consciously associated with sex already stands out from what they may be used to/are trying to escape from. stands out f. appearance seamlessly comes together forming a tapestry of opulence. And it all started with some discarded lingerie from a mental breakdown.  some discarded lingerie from a mental breakdown. 

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