Most of us quick to think that if a person is a sex worker, then it must have been the outcome of a miserable and awful life. Because why would anyone take up this profession by choice, right? But then the human mind is a complex thing; what is pleasure for someone could be taboo for someone else. 

Lantana Bleu is a former high-priced call girl and also the author of a series of erotic novels called The Spicy Secrets of a Jet-Set Temptress. In her piece on Refinery29, Bleu writes about what made her become a high-priced escort. 

As she says she grew up like anybody else, and with “crooked teeth, permed hair, and a complex about being too short”. Like any adolescent child, scandalous talk shows were her forbidden fruit. It was during that time when she discovered a “certain kind of woman”. She says: 

It was when she had become a college student in Manhattan and had lost her virginity did she realise that she really loved sex. It was also a way of coping with her low self-esteem. 

After she became a stripper, she found glamour, pleasure, topless dancing and a new sense of self in that profession. But even the most exciting things eventually turn mundane if done on a daily basis. So, when the smokey bars and unending nights wore her down, she took up a daytime job as an office temp. However, this job soon made her feel dull.

Her therapist concluded that she had a case of occupational obsession. He advised her to explore the world that she was obsessing about. So, she decided to go after it.

However, she was still conscious about her body and believed that she would not be able to do what the other girls could. But she suddenly learned that one could work with whatever they have got.

“Overweight? No, you’re zaftig and curvalicious. Got that goth look, dark-violet hair, and a tattoo or two? There’s a man out there ready to worship you with his dollars. A “boring”-looking librarian with an advanced degree, pencil skirt, and glasses? Oh my god, when you own that and work it — all of it — the phones will ring off the hook” writes Bleu.

And before she knew it, she learned to hold her differences precious. There is no perfect idea beauty and character, she understood. 

Self-discipline and rigorous routines led her to master her life and even her emotions. Bleu discovered that it was not only about sex for many of the men who came to her. They were also “stressed, insecure and troubled”.

“I’ve come to think of escorting as a helping, healing, and entertainment profession — not just for my clients but also for me. Yes, I worked for money, and I loved every single gift and tip I got on top of it, but I worked just as much for the life that came with it. It took me to a better place, where I could recognize, embrace, and cultivate my own uniqueness. I was an escort, but not just for the money” says Bleu as a final word. 

You can read the entire article here.

Images are for representation only.

Design Credit: Disha Bhanot