If your libidinous mind can imagine it, there’s probably already a term for it
GFE (n, abbreviation) the “girlfriend experience,” a service provided by sex workers that combines a financial transaction and a genuine romantic relationship
Roddick had requested the GFE, so Sandra knew to be extremely affectionate during their session, with lots of hand-holding and tender caresses.
The GFE is a service that requires quite a bit of emotional labor and heartfelt attachment from the sex worker involved. More than sex is on the table here; the main sell is companionship. It’s a longer, more entangled encounter that could easily remind one of a geisha relationship, in which sex can be involved but is not the centerpiece. The sex worker agrees to offer intimacy on a level beyond that of a brief transaction, and the client expects the sex worker to pretend they have a shared history and an established connection. It’s basically a lo-fi, no-frills version of the sexual role-play we’ve talked about before.
The GFE means different things to different people. It can mean a candlelit dinner at a fancy restaurant followed by a cuddle on the couch in front of Netflix. Or it can be more like an informal therapy session peppered with occasional love-making.
The GFE has made a lot of appearances in pop culture and current events. Among other things, it was the subject of the STARZ show The Girlfriend Experience and the Steven Soderbergh film of the same name. One of the GFE’s most mainstream media moments was back in 2015, when now-retired NBA player Lamar Odom went on a drug-fueled binge at the infamous Love Ranch brothel in Nevada. The lion’s share of his jaw-dropping $75,000 bill went to a girlfriend experience that included 24-hour access to two female partners who were expected to accompany him to a range of activities, from dining out to watching TV (in addition to the obvious).
We all deal with loneliness and isolation. For those who have the dough for it, booking a GFE can be a healthy way to assuage those feelings. It’s yet another of the countless ways in which sex workers can make our lives better and make us feel a little more human.