I recently had the question posed to me, “When a landlord or apartment complex asks what your primary source of income is, what do you tell them?” As a hard-working soul in the adult industry, I have often had to skirt the question. None of the honest answers are really acceptable to the general public. What landlord wants you making porn in their house? Or worse, what if your landlord knows what you do and tries to take advantage of you? What if you just don’t feel like telling them? After thinking of all the truthful answers I could give (camgirl, porn producer, adult actress, stripper, courtesan) I often find myself coming up with creative ways to appease such inquirers without letting on too much about what I really do. I might say “online media consultant” in place of camgirl, “model” in place of adult actress, “cocktail waitress” in place of stripper, or even “personal assistant” if I really feel like stretching the truth. Hell, I have the skills to backup all those answers. But when I get to the phrase “courtesan,” I find myself at a bit of a loss for crafty phrases to cover my tracks. Regardless of what I say, the landlord will see the sometimes-hefty and ever-varying monthly paystubs I have with me as proof of income and wonder “What does she really do?” That’s what I’m here to answer today. I’m here to tell you what I really do as a legal courtesan.

There aren’t many places in the United States where a person can say “yeah, I’m a prostitute,” without promptly getting arrested (or at least fined). But in Nevada there are a few little counties that allow such heathenry to exist. In case you were wondering, Las Vegas is not in one of those counties. But if you ever visit Vegas, you might hear a few murmurs of a place called “Pahrump.” Pahrump exists in Nye county, and It’s the closest place to the Las Vegas Strip that has fully legal and functioning brothels. So now you have a choice, you could settle for the questionably-clean, albeit inexpensive, escorts you find in shady motels along the strip, or you can take a small trip about an hour away from Vegas to a fully-legal whore-house. There are a couple houses out in Pahrump, and each hold about 25 prostitutes when at full capacity. All the girls are licensed by the county to sell sex, are STD tested, and are patiently waiting in the brothel’s bar for you to come pay them a visit. It might be a little nerve-wracking to show up at some place in the middle of the desert in full view of a bunch of people who know why you’re there, but hear me out. It’s fun. That’s right. It’s fun! You have a seat at the bar and take a drink and next thing you know you’re being approached by all these beautiful women who want to give you their undivided attention. Then you get to pick the one you like best and take her back to a nice clean room for a good time! You can even look online and reserve a girl ahead of time. It’s awesome.

There are a few rules you have to observe at the brothels. Let’s start with how to act while you’re in the bar. First and foremost, be respectful. Don’t touch a girl inappropriately and be aware of personal space and boundaries. You don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, especially the girl you want to spend time with! Second, you can’t discuss any sexual acts or prices outside of the girl’s room. It’s the law! Third, the girls have their own code they have to act by, including giving each other a fair amount of time to talk to you. Once a girl approaches you, she has a limited amount of time to get to know you and bring you back to her room. What happens once you’re in her room? Well, each experience varies, but expect to negotiate a price before anything exciting happens. Pricing often depends on how much time you want to spend with the girl and what you want to spend your time doing. Be sure to tell her if there is anything specific you like – and be clear about what she is okay with doing. Everyone has sex differently, so when you think something might be an obvious part of relations (such as kissing, foreplay, and cuddling) remember to bring it up anyway! Communication is key to ensuring you have the best time possible! Then the girl is going to check you for anything that might hint to an STD or STI. It might feel awkward but it’s important for her health and safety. Lastly, condoms are always mandatory, as per the law. Even female condoms are required for oral sex. It may seem like this spoils the fun, but I promise it makes it better for everyone. Most houses require the girl to take payment before she carries through with any acts. Be sure to have cash and a credit card on you, as what you want may cost more than you’re expecting and it’s customary to tip the girl once you’re done. Most brothels use a discreet billing system, so if you have a significant other looking at your bank account, the charges won’t look like anything suspicious our out of the ordinary. I know, I know, you got the gist of it but now you’re wondering how it works. What is it like from the inside?

I’ve only worked at one brothel in my life, and so far, it’s been a decent gig. Actually, it's more than that. It's a legitimate profession. You have to have a business license and a sheriff's card to do it. And you have to have skills! The brothel I work at is open 24 hours of the day, 7 days per week, and it’s what we call a “lockdown house.” That means the girls must stay a minimum of 7 days and work during specified shifts. Most of us work around the clock, though, because it’s almost impossible to predict when people are going to come in and when the house will be empty. Working there, I get an average of 6 hours of sleep each night. The majority of a girl’s time is spent sitting in the bar waiting for patrons to arrive, or catering to the wonderful fellas who just came in. The brothel provides us with food and drinks, but we can send out drivers to get us anything specific that we need or want. It’s not uncommon for patrons or friends to send us pizzas! We can also receive mail at the brothel, and many girls have wishlists for you to peruse and spoil them with gifts sent to the house. It’s always wonderful to arrive and see several packages waiting for you! We cannot use our regular email to communicate with patrons, we have to use the brothel emails which can only be accessed on site. Even there, it’s very restrictive about what we can discuss – absolutely no money or sexual acts can be discussed there. We also cannot exchange any personal information with patrons. It could lead to illegal solicitation of sex, and that would get the brothel in a lot of trouble (and we would lose our jobs). Everything is heavily monitored for our safety. There is a gym and a pool at my brothel, and most of the girls use those amenities daily. We are responsible for keeping our rooms clean and changing out the linens after each patron. There is a washer and dryer in case we need to wash our clothes, too! Some brothels have special rooms with themes like BDSM, body-to-body massage, classroom, and office. The brothel I work at has themed rooms and little houses called “bungalows” that the patrons can rent out with the girls for a couple hours. They’re very private and each has its own little theme! They have whirlpool bathtubs, champagne, huge beds, and an open menu! Speaking of menus, my brothel is also the best restaurant in town, so often-times the people who hang out in the bar are locals just there to enjoy a night out. On slow nights, we hang out with the locals and play card games and joke around.

Being at the brothel is like being with a little family of people. We are all different and we are all there for different reasons. I’m one of the youngest girls, and also one of the newest, but I can say that without a doubt it’s one of the nicest little communities I get to be a part of. From the girls I work with to the hostesses to the patrons who come there, it’s decent all the way around. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a great deal of hustle that goes on in these places, and I couldn’t even begin to describe all the ins and outs of what it’s like to be a legal prostitute. It’s something you just have to experience for yourself. But I have a dream that someday society won’t look down on girls like us, or the people who come indulge in our services. Until then, I suppose I’ll have to continue coming up with creative ways to tell people what I do. I’ll be doing it for a while, I know that! What do you tell people you do? Are you open about your profession or do you keep it a secret?

Thank you so much for reading my article! I hope it was enlightening! Please feel free to follow me on twitter at @bunnyalamode or visit me on tumblr at missalamode.tumblr.com!

- AJ Bunnie Hughes