an excerpt

One of the girls said:

”Prostitution isn’t like other businesses: beginners earn more and the more experienced earn less. Always pretend you’re a beginner.”

Maria still didn’t know who the “special clients” were; they had only been mentioned on the first night and no one ever spoke of them. Gradually she picked up the most important tricks of the trade, like never asking personal questions, smiling a lot and talking as little as possible, never arranging to meet anyone outside the club. The most important piece of advice, however, came from a Filipino woman called Nyah:

“When your client comes, you must always groan as if you were having an orgasm too. That guarantees customer loyalty.”

“But why? They’re just paying for their own satisfaction.”

“No, that’s where you’re wrong. A man doesn’t prove he’s a man by getting an erection. He’s only a real man if he can pleasure a woman. And if he can pleasure a prostitute, he’ll think he’s the best lover on the block.”

~ Eleven Minutes
by Paulo Coelho