Porn: The Business of Pleasure

Forgive me, CNBC, for stealing the title of your documentary for the title of this blog entry!

My introduction to the world of pornography came at a startlingly young age -- sixteen to be exact. I was in New York City over winter vacation, visiting a friend of mine who'd worked as an adult film star for several years before retiring.

Yes, I know how improbable that sounds -- but I assure you, it's the truth. As I've said before, I was never all that interested in socializing with kids my own age. The "adult world" was infinitely more fascinating, and I learned more outside the classroom than I ever did in it.

So, back to Julian and the former porn star in New York City. We were having dinner at a restaurant on the Upper West Side when a friend of hers arrived. He looked normal enough, wearing a handsome black coat and an even nicer suit beneath it. As I reached out my hand to introduce myself, he took a moment to look me over from head-to-toe.

"I need to go to the bathroom," my friend said. "Be back in a minute..."

After that, it was just me and the man. He ordered himself a martini as I sipped on my Coke, wondering if he'd notice that I was clearly underage. Much to my surprise, he didn't. I know this because the next thing that came out of his mouth was an offer to fly to LA and "audition" for his company.

"What company would that be?" I said.

He named the company and immediately I knew it was porn. After feeling my face blush, I calmly told him that I was only sixteen, and the last thing I wanted to see was him end up in jail. He laughed, thinking I was joking, until I took out my wallet and showed him my school ID.

I watched his face go white in horror before he began to apologize profusely over his actions. I did my best to assure him that it was an honest mistake -- one that people had made time and time again over the years. No worries.

My friend came back to the table, though I didn't tell her what happened -- at least not then. After we finished our meal and the excellent chocolate cake we shared for dessert, my friend and I hailed a cab back to the hotel I was staying at with my parents.

"I had a great night," I said, and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it. Enjoy the rest of your vacation."

When I finally did tell my friend about the offer, she was livid. Though she's not ashamed of her career in porn, it's a field she didn't want me entering under any circumstances. To this day, she doesn't know I'm an escort. And while I may regret saying this later, I can't help but wonder if meeting someone who worked in the sex industry influenced my later on.

Because of this relationship, I knew that not all sex workers were drug-addicted losers or in need of psychological care. Like I said, I learned more outside the classroom than I ever did inside of it...