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Inside the life of a call girl

By Matthew Sweeney | Special to amNewYork

8:19 PM EDT, March 13, 2008

It's not hard to find it, you just have to be able to afford it.

Hundreds of high-end escort agencies and pricey independent prostitutes are a Google-search away, but with rates that run from several hundred to several thousands for a few discreet hours, who's paying?

Melissa Gira, a freelance journalist who said she once worked part time in the sex industry, claimed that among her previous clients were former law enforcement officials, ex-military men, and boardroom execs.

"One even introduced me to his lobbyist," she said. "Is that hubris? I was the one trying to keep it more discreet. He wanted to take a photo of all of us in front of the White House."

While many shake their heads in wonder that a high-powered, public figure like Gov. Eliot Spitzer would be mindless enough to hire prostitutes, some in the industry say it makes perfect sense.

"I'm absolutely unshocked and I can't believe anyone in the media is shocked that a politician is hiring prostitutes," Gira said. "Especially for someone in a position of power it's a value proposition to hire a prostitute rather than have a mistress. What you're buying is discretion."

In New York City, post Rudy Giuliani, the oldest profession has increasingly moved indoors. And with the expansion of the Internet, it's become accessible to anyone with a hard drive. Today, the industry -- particularly the high end of it -- is bigger and most sophisticated.

"There's a lot more money to be made in New York than other places," said "Emily" -- not her real name -- who is a friend of Gira's and still works as a call girl based near Washington, D.C.

"A higher ratio of affluent people who are able to indulge. A higher percentage of wealthy bachelors," said Emily, 26.

Gira, 30, was a grad student in San Francisco when she used to travel for work, charging $5,000 for an overnight visit and anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 for a weekend, depending on how far she had to go, whether she had to buy expensive clothes, and so on.

According to Emily, most independent call-girls who advertise online -- herself included -- will charge $400 to $700 per hour, not including travel costs. The Websites offer a personal cell phone number or e-mail address for prospective customers. Many women also post their schedules on their site, listing the towns and cities they'll be visiting so people can make appointments.

When she travels, Emily, who is also a college student, sometimes works through an agency and depends on it to connect her with customers. She has limited experience with agencies but knows that they often require their customers to be vetted.

Any client -- governor or not -- must go through a screening process that may include a referral, either from another customer or another call-girl, or some personal verification before an agency like the Emperor's Club would send a prostitute to him, Emily and another call-girl who spoke with amNewYork said.

Spitzer allegedly paid $4,300 to the Emperor's Club and Ashley Alexandra Dupre, 22, money that included an upfront deposit, most likely several hundred dollars for travel, and money toward sex in the future, in addition to sex with Dupre.

If Spitzer made any mistake it was in believing that a high-priced agency could be more discreet than a private transaction, Gira said. She said her customers came to her as referrals from friends who were prostitutes working independently.

Spitzer reportedly requested oral sex without a condom. It's far and away the most common unsafe request from customers, Emily said. Some customers assume that they don't have to use protection and have to be educated, she said.