Escort comes from the English verb "to escort" and originally means simply: to accompany someone. A lady at a gentleman's side, at dinner or in a hotel bar. That is what the dictionary says.
Hollywood turned it into a fairy tale. The elegant woman in an evening gown who is paid simply to be there, on his arm, in the right light. Pretty Woman sends its regards. And part of it is even true. Most of an evening consists of presence: time and attention, and a conversation that doesn't sound like it's watching the clock. The ladies tell me this again and again, and gentlemen often hear it for the first time on the phone.
But Hollywood cuts away at exactly the interesting moment. The camera pans to the window, the credits roll. In real life both sides know that between two adults an evening can hold more than small talk. Closeness and touch, too. And sometimes longings one would rather not talk about. I say this openly because I don't like myths that pretend there is nothing there.
What matters is how it comes about: by mutual consent, out of desire and trust, never out of pressure. In practice it is almost always uneventful, because gentlemen behave and both sides know what they may look forward to. A lady only says no when the basis for a lovely evening is missing. These are small things anyone can understand: the meeting place is suddenly changed. Arrangements that were clear beforehand no longer count. Someone hasn't made the slightest effort to arrive clean and fresh. Or he is so rough and demanding that charm has nothing to do with it anymore. That is not a whim, that is respect in both directions. I have told before how I see this myself.
The fee is for the time and company of a woman who sets this evening aside for you. That is exactly why a date is not an order where, in the end, you receive what was on the slip. I described the difference here.
In the movies there is a happy ending. With us there are clear arrangements in advance and a lady who stands at your door on time. It is less cinema, but it holds up.
On the phone many ask first: "What exactly is included?" An honest question, and my answer is always the same. An evening, with everything two adults wish to make of it by mutual consent.
Now I'm curious what you thought before you first called or wrote. Just companionship? Companionship with the possibility of closeness? Or you simply didn't know? Vote below, anonymously and honestly.
If you'd like to work through the terms that come up on the phone, you'll find them in our Escort Glossary, for example Dinner Date, Fee and Discretion.
Discreetly yours,
Lena