Things you don't know about...being a gigolo
Things you don't know about...being a gigolo
Richard Gere in American Gigolo
'Golden', 30, is a jazz musician who has been a gigolo for ten years.
He is based in London and has female clients across the world
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I’ve been ‘paid’ in sports cars
Being a gigolo is different to being an escort or prostitute. I don’t receive money; I provide a woman with great sex and she picks up the bills. My clients ply me with champagne and fund expensive breaks to places like New York and LA. I’m also showered with gifts such as suits and sports cars.
Clients range from celebrities to business executives
Generally, most are successful, single older women (‘sugarmamas’), who live all over the world - from Miami to Japan.
Being ‘arm candy’ is not enough
As I tend to have one client at a time over a period of two to three months, it helps to be entertaining and a good conversationalist. Just as ‘normal’ relationships have a natural time span, so does a relationship with a gigolo.
Every city has gigolo hangouts
Gigolos regularly find themselves at the same venues looking for clients. In Miami it’s the Delano hotel, in New York the Mercer hotel, and in London Sketch nightclub. Mostly, women approach me. As I’m good-looking it’s easy to catch their attention. They are usually predatory, honest and confident, so there is no confusion over what we’re getting into.
Gigolos have a radar that tells them what a woman wants
You know in the first few minutes whether a woman wants a gigolo relationship or something more meaningful. It’s a chemistry thing - the way she talks or flirts with you.
Rules include never asking a client’s age
Or stealing another gigolo’s ‘sugarmama’, mentioning other women when you’re with a client, or paying for anything! One woman didn’t realise she had to pick up the tab and left me with a huge bill. I didn’t take it any further.
I have felt demeaned at times
One client wanted to whip me during sex but I felt that she was crossing a line, so I got out. I didn’t like the insulting way another spoke to me in front of other people so I let that relationship fizzle out too. I have my pride and no amount of presents or parties can compensate for being treated badly.
You are past it at 40
I didn’t set out to become a gigolo; I fell into it to put a roof over my head while struggling to become a musician. I won’t be doing this in ten years’ time – I’ll be too old. Although I’ve never fallen for a client, I would like to get married and have children one day. But I have no regrets about my past. Why would I? I’ve been living every man’s dream.
Gigolo by Golden will be published on 12 June by Hodder & Stoughton, £6.99
Compiled by Jo Upcraft
Photograph: Allstar
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