Never thought of a 205 as a place where hipster hookers met up...
I meet my madam for the first time at a vegan restaurant in New York's East Village. Heather, a friend who has worked for her for more than a year, is the connection. She has told the madam that I am researching a story about the history of prostitution in New York City. And that is true—but my involvement in the subject matter seems to be getting more complicated by the day. I can feel myself getting drawn deeper and deeper into Heather's world.
...s that a bad thing? I look at Heather, a 28-year-old who has a coveted job in fashion media, in her slinky black dress and silver Cartier bracelet. She looks happy, confident, prosperous. The madam does too. She is in her mid-thirties, tall and lanky. She's wearing black leggings and motorcycle boots and has a vintage Gucci purse looped over her arm. If we met at a party I would peg her as an affluent Ivy League–educated scenester with a media job—and I'd be right. When she isn't hooking up hot young professional women with lonely (or just horny) rich guys, she works as a consultant for a major news organization. And that MBA from a university whose very name makes peoples' hearts beat a little bit faster no doubt comes in handy when trying to determine the maximum hourly market value of a romp in the sack.
....
I pull off my sweater, step out of my jeans, and stand self-consciously before her in my underwear. "You've got a great ass, but your tits are too small, frankly," she observes. "I mean, I'm sure you have no trouble getting dates, but the girls will tell you, men love breasts." Then she adds decisively, "I'm thinking $950 an hour." I feel a bit queasy but don't protest. I am curious and honestly flattered that she is recruiting me. The force of her personality and the journalistic mystery of what will come next both act powerfully on my mind, pushing me forward.
....
I first met Heather—her working name—about a year ago. We were sitting at the same VIP table at a tony New York nightclub called 205 along with some pro hockey players and big-time artists. I had seen her at various parties and recognized her sleek, dark hair and honey-colored skin. I introduced myself, and it turned out we had a lot of friends in common. Heather moves in both fashion and media circles and refers to herself as a "quasi party girl."
....
"These sleazy banker types came up to us and asked if they could join our table," Heather recalls. At first she told them to get lost, but she relented after the men ordered a cheese plate and some nice wine. One of the guys took a seat next to Heather and, after some small talk, disclosed that he had just left his wife. "I'm looking to spend my money," he said. He was fiddling with a cash clip stuffed with $100 bills. She accepted his business card and later Googled him. The man turned out to be a honcho at a major investment firm; the New York Times had profiled a charity he had started.
The next morning she called his office. "I got shaky when he answered," she recalls, "but when he figured out it was me, it was better." That night she went to his apartment in Trump Tower. "It was pretty straightforward. He offered me $3,000 to let him fuck me. I almost leaped on him."
...
"Every artist needs a patron," she laughs. Her boyfriend thinks she's an event planner. "I feel guilty sometimes when I come home and he's asleep and I'm still wired from my night, but I always climb into bed next to him and try to fall asleep. When he wakes up he likes to touch me and make love, and that's when it hits me." She knows she could stop working—she doesn't really need the money anymore—but selling sex seems to have a grip on her. "Maybe it's a power thing. Beyond the money I'm making, it has kind of become an obsession. It's fast and fun. What we do may be illegal, but honestly I don't even worry about that."
Heather estimates that, all told, she has slept with about 20 men who weren't clients and more than 70 who were. The relationships can sometimes be closer with men in the latter group, especially with customers she has seen regularly for two or three years. "Some of my clients think that we are in love...
....
by Daba
by captain_jazzy_pants
