So you got the itch, but you're new to this business of buying sex. You flip through the adult classifieds and find one that says "Absolutely Necessary: Some things U just can't live without (true enough, you think) & I'd like 2-B-1 of them." You punch in the number. Veronica answers.

When buying sex, the hardest part is finding out how much the various services cost. The girls have to be careful, you know. Might be a cop on the line. Veronica's approach is more direct than most. The client might say, "I saw your ad and I'd like to see you. How much is it?"

To which Veronica answers, "$150 an hour; $200 for night-time appointments."

"What do I get for that?" the man might ask.

Veronica doesn't fool with introductory lap-dances or "massage." "It's full service," she'll coo. "You'll be completely satisfied. It's wonderful. When you're old and in your rocking chair, you'll still be looking back on it."

She's careful not to mention specific sex acts, but the message is clear.

Veronica says that some other call girls quote certain rates and then hit their clients with extra costs. With her, "It doesn't cost more when you get here," she says. "It's a flat rate, no surprises."

Veronica reckons her rates are in the "middle range" of appointment sex. She prefers to do business in her small home. If you want to meet her at a hotel, for instance, she'll likely charge $25 an hour more. If you take her out to a nice place, though, she might charge less. One guy wanted her for an entire New Year's Eve, she says, and it cost him $600.

Veronica says she doesn't kiss, doesn't give head (too intimate), doesn't do exotic acts. "It's maybe a quick hand job and straight [missionary position] sex," she explains. "A guy might offer to pay me extra to do it doggie style, but I won't. It puts me in a vulnerable situation."

At $150-$200 an hour, what if the client gets off early? Does he get action for the rest of his hour? Veronica laughs. "Oh no no no, honey," she says. "Per hour is really a way of saying, 'till you're through.'"

Veronica, 38, has been a pro since her teens. She started walking the streets, but hasn't done that for a long time. She does do side-work, though. Sometimes, if her schedule is light, she'll work the street and solicit for other girls. She brings the johns back to her place and takes half of the hooker's fee, which usually runs between $50 and $100.

Because Veronica gets out and about, she's familiar with prices for street sex. It's cheaper. "A blow job goes for $20, but you might get one of these nasty ho's to do it for $10," she says. "For sex [copulation], $50 is on the high end. You can usually get it for $35. They'll do it anywhere. They like [a local fast-food joint]. They take a guy into the bathroom, sit him on the toilet, straddle him and get him off."

—Eric Snider

This article appears in Nov 10-16, 2004.