The beginning
People have a very black and white view when it comes to the escort industry, automatically they think you have a problem emotionally or physically, drug addiction, abuse of some kind has happen to you to be interested or wanting to start in this business, seeking attention from strangers means that you must of had suffered in your child hood, but this is simple not the case.
Glamorised in TV series, critiqued and shown in a very dark and frightening light, from rape to murder Hopefully my account will help people seeing in between the lines and show people a completely different side and that it can be like any other job with it good and bad points.
Just to inform you before my story begins, I don’t have drug problem or an addiction of any kind, I was not kicked out at the age of 15 and left homeless on the streets and saw this as the only way to make money; I was introducing to this in a very formal way which would almost remind you of a job interview.
I grew up on a normal suburban estate just down the road from a secondary school. My parents both worked hard to provide for me and they are still happily marriage after nearly 40 years together. They were my ideal of a long term relationship, they fought and bickered but they wouldn’t of been without each other. My mother once described my dad as her best friend who she can’t stand from time to time but couldn’t see her life without.
Childhood was uneventful, school, playing outside as we didn’t really have gaming consoles which they do today or smart phones and tablets and before Sky TV came along we had to deal with only 5 channels. But I worked hard and my parents supported me through out college to become successful in my future careers.
Before being introduce to the escort business I was working as an engineering administrator with a local engineering employer in my home town of Yeovil Somerset, it was a large town with it good parts and bad parts.
My days were quite mundane and I would sit clock watching and waiting for 5pm and for when I could get home and relax. The work wasn’t boring or bad but recently my life had taken a turn for the worse and I was just interested in dealing with work or people at the moment ….
I had been living with my parents after a break up and had to move home, this had been a particularly hard time in my life as my independence had been restricted and I was finding myself having to live under someone else’s rule. Most people who have had to move home after a significant amount of time in their own place will feel my pain at this time.
It didn’t help that me and my mother were about as compatible as chalk a cheese; she was very brash and bossy and liked things done in a particular way, her way in fact was the only way things could be done and if that was not complied with then she would nag and nag until this was achieved and then would continue to nag even when it was completed. She watched every soap and reality show and just loved to gossip and shop.
Me on the other hand was the exactly the opposite, I like to relax with a glass of wine and chill when I got in from work and would like to be left alone. My viewing habits were very different as well, I could distinguish from one soap to the other and didn’t get the point of any of them. I would rather be watching a documentary or a crime story, and if noting good was on then a good book and a glass of wine would have been a great night for me.
It was coming to a point where my independence had started to clash with my over baring mother, we were arguing on a daily basis and I really didn’t it to affect my relationship with her anymore.
On the positive side of living with your parent in the short months I had move back I had started to save money each month, and within a short space of time had saved enough and got myself to a point where I was financially stable to have another try of living on my own again, but this with no man in tow.
Every day at work I was looking for places to rent, deciding on a prefect propriety for me was easy this time I only had to care about myself. A house with a garden, at least two bedrooms (well you always need a extra room for mates to stay when the inevitable party was planned)! And for every woman a perfect kitchen and bathroom.
I had searching for about a month and had found a house which was perfect, but unfortunately this had fallen through, my heart was heavy and I really couldn’t get excited about anything which was coming up. at lunch time I had visited my friend who was off work due to back surgery, instead of being supportive and asking how his back was recovering I had decided to sit and whinge about the fact that I didn’t have the house I wanted and how my life was in a pit of despair (being highly dramatic).
Justin was a mature friend who I had met when I was working at and IT company on the help desk. When I first met him I thought he wear a grumpy middle aged man, who hated his job, but slowly we had become really good friends; he would come a collect me for cheeky cigarette breaks and lunch times.
Justin was in his forties quite short, His appearance was bad, he wasn’t fit but also was overweight either, he is what I would call a typical Middle single man and would always wear the same types of clothing, black skinny jeans with his company polo shirt and a fleece jacket. His style reminded me of an English version Elvis, he was slick or anything but he was a long term bachelor who had never been married.
Secretly I thought the reason he was being so friend was that he was trying it on and fancied me a bit, as he would go grey quiet or warn me off people if they start to show any interested, but he was always a good friend and only ever helped and support me with anything that I had going on in my life. Plus, it was nice to have a work friend who would take time out of their day to come and talk with me.
When I had finished a relationship with a person I worked with, he was the biggest support I could of asked for, he was constantly ensuring that I wasn’t sat around wallowing in self-pity, he got me out and about, he would turn up uninvited and take me out for the evening. I was glad to have him in my life, he stopped me from getting depressed and picked me up all the time.
Justin just looked at me, and started to smile while shaking his head;
“For God sake Annmarie! You come here to visit me as I have been stuck in the house all day, and all you can do is moan about life is so hard and that you have seen one house and your life is over! Don’t be so stupid and pathetic, something will come along, it takes most people a few months before they find their perfect house. Stop being so dramatic!” Even though it sounds like Justin was Amy and shouting at me, he just knew how dramatic I could be sometimes and how I complained about how was life was against me, so needed someone like him in my life so he could bring me back down to earth with a reality check.
Even though I didn’t like what he was saying, I knew it was true, I couldn’t keep sulking and blaming the world for my problems I had to get on with it. Walking back to work after leaving Justin’s flat, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for myself, I wasn’t where I wanted to be in my life at this age. I was 24 years old 2 failed relationships, agency job and still living at home with mum and dad; all my friends had permanent jobs in good companies or either training for university courses to get themselves on a graduate scheme or already married.
Getting a house had to be my first step and was more determined to get somewhere no matter what I needed to do.
Sitting back at my desk the office felt awfully stuffy, it was quiet with everyone still on their lunches so I decided to have a look on the company Internet page for houses to rent. I had only been looking for a few seconds when I saw the ad of my dreams
**NEW AD**
2 bedroom
Mid terrace
5 min walk to industrial estate
Available now no deposit
£550pcm
SERIOUSLY!!!
I thought to myself, I got so excited I nearly dropped my mobile while quickly dialling the number on the advert. In the back of my mind the negatives started to creep in:
It has to be a dump?
The place must be in a really bad area?
How long had the ad been up I bet I am already to late!
“hello.. ooo … sorry .. yes I have seen your advertisement on my companies internet for the 2 bed house and was wondering if it was still available?”
My heart started to beat quick than jack hammer, I was bracing myself for the inevitable answer of NO.
“well yes it is, when would you like to come and have look? I don’t have anyone viewing tonight if you can make it?”
I wanted to scream as loud as possible, I couldn’t believe it was still available and I would be the first person to see it! Oh had my luck finally change for the better.
Accepting the invitation for the first viewing a hung up the phone and had the biggest smile on my face, it was like fate had heard my moaning to Justin and had decided to give me a helping hand.
That afternoon at work consisted of me emails and messaging everyone I could think of about the viewing I had, my reservation on the condition of the house had come down to one point. I am taking this house no matter what! The only thing which can put me off now is if the kitchen has holes in the walls.
I was trying to find things to make the time pass quicker my mind just kept going back to the viewing, I knew the location of the property so was even more reassure that it would be in a good condition as it was just down the road from our favourite pub the yew tree inn and also on a very private and clean estate. I kept googling for street views of the house, and then searching for any estate agent pictures of inside the house, but of course because this was a private let so there were none.
4:30………… 5pm………. 5:25
Packing away all of my belongs and taking the longest amount of time to shut applications on my PC I had just shut down my computer and started walking as slowly as possible to the clocking out machine to waste time, my manager shouted my name but I tried to ignore it as nothing was making me late tonight.
5:30. sign out. FINSIHED
I walked as fast as possible to the main gate, kindly my mother had offered to come with me to view the property; even though I think I was also starting to grate on her nerves being back at home, she also cared about what time of accommodation her child would be staying in; she would never of let me rent somewhere which she would describe as a “doss hole” but she was also happy that I was not moving to far away that she couldn’t come over and snoop and moan about the state of the place and then decided to do the house work for me.. this was always a bonus, but also annoying as I would have just finished cleaning and she would come it and nag that it wasn’t good enough and start it again herself.
We pulled into a quiet little cul de sac surrounded by retirement bungalows on the left had side and semi-detached houses on the right. In the top corner of the street of the road there was a row of 3 houses they were all very pleasant looking with lovely gardens and the woods were situation just behind them. Number 37 which I was going to see was in the middle of the row and had a flourishing blossom tree in the front garden which was just starting to blossom with vibrate pink petals. It was like something I couldn’t image, and definitely something which I didn’t think I would be able to afford and be in my price range; again my mind turns to the negatives but my heart was already won over.
“Hello my mane is Karen; you must be Annmarie?”
A welcoming smile greeted us as the door opened, we were usher into the front room where instantly I started to smile. It was empty and nearly decorate a basic magnolia colour, the carpet was also a shade of beige and had recently been fitted, I looked around at the room and started to image where all the furniture I had started to collect would go and trying to measure the electrical points for when I needed to set things up.
Karen was a tall lady, masculine looking lady which a very mixed accent, she has moved from Australia to the UK several years ago, and the house had been a joint venture between herself and 2 sons, one of whom had moved back to Australia that year.
She was asking the usual mundane questions about my job and how long I had been looking, but I wasn’t really paying attention as I was becoming more and more immersed in the state of the house and how I could have been so lucky to find a place like this.
Walking into the bathroom was a bit of a shock, it was the same size as the small bedroom it was huge for such a small house, it was a marbled green tile on the walls which a grey granite on the floor, all the of the fixtures where new and it only had a shower, at first I thought this would be a drawback but I soon completely disregarded it once I had stepped into the master bedroom.
It was enormous it ran the length of the house, you could have easily fitted 2 king sizes beds plus the accompanying furniture to go with it and there would have still been room for you to do cartwheels. The walls and carpet where all painted the same colours as the front room was and looking out of the window gave you perfect view of the surround woods, you could see the wind moving them just slightly and when I open the window you could hear something but the sound of it rustling the leaves and the birds chirping.
My mum had taken over the talking and was ensure Karen was getting a positive report on my background and current financial status.
As we walk back down the stair we entered the kitchen; well if I wasn’t sold on the house before the kitchen would of don’t it for my no matter what state the other rooms has been in.
The surfaces where solid oaks with natural finish with cream cupboards, it was like something a country house, the cooker and oven was in the corner of the kitchen which I thought was an amazing idea as it was of the way. There were storage cupboard and a breakfast bar which had recently installed, it was perfect and also again on the large side, I could a party in the kitchen and garden alone and no one would need to go into the front room.
As for the garden it was all paved and some rockery just at the end which led to a gate to the alley way behind ht house and to a personal garage. That was it I was sold, I couldn’t wait for my mum and Karen to stop talking before offering to pay the rent there and then and for her to give me her account details.
I think Karen was a little taken back by upfront offer to pay so quickly. After speaking with my mother for such a long period of time while we had been walking around the house she had made her decision that I could rent the house from her as my mother had already given her consent to ensure rent was paid every month without fail.
We arranged to meet again the same time the following day and they would have the contracts and dates for moving in arranged, we were also going to do a quick run through on the inventory of the house so that it would not need to be done on the day of move in. I signed in and transferred the first of the rent to Karen while we were standing in the kitchen and left the property feeling happy and confident that I had just secure my very first house on my own and felt ready to embrace my new found freedom and independence.
It had been a few months since I had moved into my new house, I had thrown the housing parties and also had people over nearly every night of the week, but now I was becoming comfortable with my own company and spending nights in alone, just me and the TV.
One Friday afternoon a group of us were planning on our usual Friday afternoon lunch and drinks as we all finished early on a Friday, this was usual thing all the grad students and the under 25’s would do, we would attend social occasions and had a whole annual calendar planned with different activities these didn’t included the usual Friday nights and any other birthday or Halloween parties which would also be thrown within the year. This Friday has been pay day so our usual group 10 was increased to 15-20; we would meet in front of the work main gate and work to then descend on the yew tree pub by 1pm.
Now that I had moved house and it was conveniently down road from the pub meant that my house had slowly become the local hostel for the females of the group to drop of changes of clothes as we usually would spend a few hours at the pub, then go back to mine and get change ready for the next round and another meal.
That evening has ended quiet early as some people had hit the beer a little harder than others and so the evening of meals and maybe dancing and clubbing turned into just a social at the pub with beer and playing pool.
