The amber glow of the bar painted everything in a hue of cheap nostalgia. Gigolo Joe sat, a sculpture of relaxed confidence, swirling the ice in his glass. It wasn’t a question of if he’d have company, but when.
She slid onto the stool next to him. Not with a flirtatious glide, but with a direct, solid presence. Her name was Keisha.
“They tell me you’re the best,” she said, her voice a low hum that bypassed his ear and went straight to his spine.
Joe offered his trademark smile, a thing of practiced warmth. “They tell me a lot of things. I prefer to be judged on my own merit.”
Keisha nodded, appraising him not like a piece of meat, but like a complex equation. “Let’s skip the dance. The small talk. The ‘what’s your sign.’ I’m not here for the fantasy.”
“What are you here for?” Joe asked, his professional curiosity piqued. This was off-script.
“The mechanics,” Keisha stated. “The data. I want to talk about sex. Not the feeling of it. The architecture of it.”
Joe’s smile softened into something more genuine. This was new. “Alright. What’s the first parameter?”
“Efficiency,” she said, her eyes locked on his. “Not just endurance. I mean the economy of motion. A wasted movement is a loss of energy, a break in focus. It’s about the precise application of leverage and rhythm to achieve a stated goal. What’s your view on the optimal tempo? Not for show. For effect.”
Joe leaned back, truly engaged. This was a technical briefing. He liked it. “It’s a variable equation. The optimal tempo is the one that matches the partner’s resonant frequency. It’s not a metronome. It’s a conductor finding the rhythm of the orchestra. The goal is synchronicity, not speed.”
Keisha’s mouth hinted at a smile. “Good answer. Follow-up. The hands. Most men treat them as an afterthought, anchors or clumsy explorers. Your documentation says they’re a primary tool.”
“Documentation?” Joe chuckled.
“Reviews are data,” she said flatly. “The hands.”
“Right.” He held his up, examining them as if seeing them for the first time. “They’re not followers. They’re not secondary. They are a separate, simultaneous performance. They are the rhythm section to the melody. They anticipate. They build. They communicate. A touch on the hip isn’t just a touch; it’s a signal, a guide, a promise.”
“And the psychology of the client?” Keisha asked, moving on. “The one who pays. They are, by definition, entering a transaction to address a deficit. How do you navigate that vulnerability without exploitation? How do you provide a service that feels genuine without it being a lie?”
Joe’s playful demeanor faded into something more contemplative. “It’s not a lie. It’s a focus. My genuine desire in that moment is their satisfaction. I focus everything on that truth. I don’t fake passion. I manufacture absolute, undivided attention. That’s a rarer commodity than passion. And it’s what they’re really paying for.”
Keisha was silent for a long moment, finishing her drink. She placed the glass down with a definitive click.
“Adequate,” she said, standing up. “Your answers are adequate.”
Joe raised an eyebrow. “Just adequate? Doesn’t sound like a five-star review.”
“It’s not,” Keisha said, pulling on her jacket. “I don’t believe the theory can be separated from the practical application. I’ve collected the data. Now I need to run the experiment.”
She turned to leave, then glanced back over her shoulder.
“You’re booked. Tomorrow night. Eight o’clock. Don’t be late.”
And for the first time in a long time, Gigolo Joe was left speechless.