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My Roommate Is a Male Escort, and It's Whatever

I answered a Craigslist ad looking for a roommate and came across a really nice guy with an amazing room open in his apartment. After a while I started to notice that he was always buying things, but never going to work. Originally, I thought drug...

About a year or so ago I answered a Craigslist ad looking for a roommate and came across a really nice guy with an amazing room open in his apartment. We hit it off and he seemed genuinely nice. After a while I started to notice that he was always buying things, but never going to work. Originally, I thought drug-dealer or parent funded, but I never noticed any drugs and he didn’t seem to talk to his parents very often, so I asked him what’s up. Turns out he’s an escort, with more than a few interesting stories.

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VICE: When did you first start officially “escorting”?

Justin: 20 was the actual first time I slept with someone for money, but I was doing it on and off until 23, when it became a more prevalent part of my life.

Was it a conscious decision, like “I’m out having sex, might as well be getting paid?"

Yes, I had friends who were doing it and they had mentioned it, and told me about it and I figured, if I’m going to do it and not get paid, might as well make a few extra bucks.  It wasn’t something I needed to do, more something I could do.

Was it offered to you, or something you decided to try?

The first guy offered it to me. We had met on a website called adam4adam. He was a 43-year-old white guy, married with children, and he said he had to be discreet, obviously. He met me at Clever Park in Robinson, which coincidently is the park I had played at, growing up.

Was there any sense of apprehension about moving into the business?

I really didn’t see myself moving into the business, it was more just something to do for extra cash. I was really nervous meeting the guy, but I got a rush from it. I wiped my lips, and he gave me a hundred bucks, it’s that rush that’s caused me to become more into the scene.

Do you consider it an occupation, or something that you use currently to get by?

It’s something I currently do to get by, it’s not something I want to make into a career. But what can I say, eventually you train yourself to become numb. Take a deep breath, tell yourself it’s going to be over soon, and think about that green.

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But it's your current source of income?

Yes, but it’s not something that I’d like to be defined as, I’m a lot more than a pretty face and a good hole.

How do you find clients and what’s the screening process for potential hooks?

I find clients via the internet (SeekingArangement.com, Adam4adam, and Craigslist when I’m desperate) or sometimes by word of mouth. Clients will refer me to other clients.

And the screening process?

I always have them give me their phone number first, and I use a blocked number. After meeting them, if everything is OK, I’ll give them my real number, if they’re a returning customer. I always have clients send exactly four pictures, all of their face with different backgrounds or poses. So that I know it’s the person I’m dealing with.

Any safety precautions?

At first, when lived in Pitt I would always tell a friend where I was going, but here I didn’t have that, so I just kept to meeting in public places like Starbucks, in the street, back of a cab, never at theirs.

Are there boundaries that are completely off limits, or does everything have a price?

No blood, no scat, no bareback.

Do you have set rates that you follow, or is it a more set your own price kind of game?

My rate is $200 an hour. Specialties such as watersports, spit, punching, are a hundred dollars extra, and overnights are $1,000-$1,500. Some will tell me how much they can afford, and sometimes things can be negotiated, especially with regulars.

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What sort of role do drugs play in the encounters?

Drugs are prevalent. A lot of my clients do drugs, but almost as many don’t. Some are sober married men from Jersey, and some are 72-year-olds who slam crystal meth and like to get spanked. For me, drugs are something I keep in my personal party life, but I need to stay on my game when escorting and keep my wits up.

Poppers have been happening in a big way, even in the straight community as of late. What are some of your favs? Are they the norm on a job? Do you know if it’s something strictly used by the gay prozi scene?

To my knowledge it’s a gay thing during sex, and it’s as normal as condoms on the job. When you leave the house you have your keys, wallets, cell phone. When I leave the house I have my lube, my condoms, and my poppers. The client provides cock rings and other paraphernalia. Poppers don’t take you out of it long enough to become a danger like the drugs mentioned in the last question.

There’s this stereotype of the high profile, secretive trick, and I know you’ve had your share of particularly interesting encounters, what are some of the more unexpected clients?

I’ve had everything from the regular gay guy who wants to get off, to a judge who likes to punch, a doctor who slams meth, a school teacher who likes watersports, and an owner of a major chicken manufacture plant who gets into fisting.

Oddest/Grossest encounter?

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The grossest was a 320 lb. man who I met in a motel in Kentucky, who wanted me to put a hood on him and attach electrodes to his genitals. I think that covers both grossest and oddest. Also, his dick was uncut and smelled like cheese.

What’s the sketchiest situation you’ve found yourself in? Have there been any knife a bitch moments?

In West Palm Beach, I had met a guy in a club called Cashmere. We went back to his place and he was doing heroin while I went in the bathroom to douche myself. When I came back he was sitting on the couch doped up. I asked him “what’s up?” and he said he was into choking fetishes. I asked to what degree, and he jumped on me and began to choke me furiously for two minutes. I kicked my legs and tried to escape. Afterwards he immediately apologized and I ran without even trying to get the other half of the money.

You’re in the sex game, so there must be at least some pleasure in it. Are there any particularly pleasurable experiences you can recall? What kinds of interactions turn you on?

To be honest, escorting doesn’t turn me on at all. Physically it turns me off, but the instant gratification of the monetary aspect of it causes that rush I mentioned earlier. I can make more in one day than some can make in a month.

I’ve heard you throw some terms around the home front and I thought we could take this time to define some things, what’s the difference between a Rent boy/Sugar baby/Escort/Prostitute?

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Rentboy is a professional escort found online or in an ad somewhere, always with a standard rate, they’re usually asked to come to events, and one on ones. A lot are pornstars who use that business as paid publicity for escorting. A sugarbaby usually sticks to one or two people who will spoil them in exchange for company, flown to places, shopping sprees, basically a younger paid confidant. Sometimes it’s not even sex it’s arm candy. Escort vs. Prostitute = someone who is doing it vs. someone who needs to be doing it for drugs or whatever.

Are there any moments you regret?

I live my life without regrets. There are certain things I might wish didn’t happen, but each experience you have makes you more intelligent. Everything is a learning experience.

Sexing for money has to have a shelf life. Is it something you see ending soon? How long do you think you or any one in the same line of work can hold up? Is there a certain goal in your life that you plan to move towards?

I know men in their fifties who are still escorting; it’s something that I could maintain throughout the rest of my life. Do I want to make this an occupation? No. I don’t know where I’m going to be five minutes from now let alone five years from now. I’d like to end up somewhere in the fashion industry, but I’m also a party girl, so as Amanda Lepore said, “I don’t have time to work because I’m to busy getting ready or going out.”

Do any friends or family know? How do you imagine the ones that don’t would react to the news?

My mother knows and she is completely against it, but she understands that I’m going to do what I’m going to do. She doesn’t know details, but she does know. A handful of my close friends know, and support me as long as I’m safe. If my father, who does not know, were to find out he would be more worried than livid. In terms of societal norms, it’s one of the worst things you can do, but who gets to dictate normalcy.

When the fuck are you going to start getting up before 3 PM and doing the dishes?

Not anytime soon.