The Making Of Alexis Valdez: Chapter 3

PERSONA

Reader advisory: The following episode includes descriptions that may not be suitable for younger readers, including discussions of sexual content. Reader discretion is advised. 

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It wasn’t long before I eased into my new persona. I imagined what Alexis Valdez looked like, dressed like and how she spoke. No longer tethered to the fear of my father’s judgement or resentful for being treated as an inconvenience by my mother, I was free. Moving out to live on my own at 16, I became the architect of my life. By 18, I was making the kind of money and creating the lifestyle that I wanted. 

I’m a natural hustler and I have a presence. The kind of quick-witted, open-minded and kind-hearted woman that men feel at ease with. So my introduction into the world of sex work was a seamless transition. I lead with my personality instead of my assets and I move on my own terms. Regardless of what other women offer up in this position, I only do what I feel comfortable with. 

Doing things my way begins when I introduce myself to a potential client. When they enter the parlour and all the other girls line up, I’m already setting the tone for our interaction. I have less than five seconds to seal the deal, so I make every second of it count.

It starts with a handshake. With that first touch, I want them to feel my presence like an electric jolt through their body.

When we make eye contact, I tilt my head slightly and give a bold yet subtle stare that says, I’m the kind of woman you want to spend a few hours with. I make it feel as if time pauses and it’s just the two of us standing in a room. 

My goal is to coax you into forgetting that I am just one of many in a lineup of beautiful women. I like to call this lineup the “heaux train”—a time when all the available women on shift at the parlour present themselves to prospective clients. At the sound of a doorbell, we know it’s showtime. 

Click, click, click, click is the sound of our heels strutting to the entrance to meet our prospect, dressed in pink, black, red and whatever shade of lingerie fits our mood that shift. One at a time, we each introduce ourselves.

“Hello, I’m Ava,” says a woman further down the train. 

“Hi, I’m, Daisy,” says the one to my right. 

“Hello, I’m Alexis Valdez,” I always declare with a slight roll of my tongue. 

Getting picked is an art and strategy that I’ve mastered over the years. I had to. Imagine standing in a lineup of eight or nine beautiful women whose job it is to be every man’s fantasy. Most of them are the real-life version of the type of woman you’d find on screen of your boyfriend’s favourite porn—perky fake tits, a slender frame, long hair and usually white or mixed. Sometimes I can’t help but compare my thicker body and natural G cup breast to them. But in the moment, when it’s time for me to turn it on for our clients, I feel like the sexiest bombshell in the room. 

I’ve heard people criticize this process, saying that the “heaux train” objectifies us and reduces women to our looks. I believe it actually gives us all a fair advantage to use what we uniquely have to get what we all want. 

I’m confident that out of the other nine women standing beside me, I’m going to give you the most memorable experience you’ve ever had—which didn’t include sex. 

That’s probably shocking to most people who hear all kinds of stories about what goes down in massage parlours, but for me, it’s about more than just spreading my legs for random men. I believe in creating an experience that my client will never forget—making them feel seen and appreciated like they’re the most important man in the world for those few hours. 

The adventure starts right at the moment our hands clasp and my name rolls from my lips. Foreplay starts from a few feet apart when we lock eyes and I give you a gaze that shakes you to your core. 

It’s showtime! 

The receptionist walks him into a room and the first thing he must do is shower. In those few moments, I quickly pull items from a little pouch I carry with me. Depending on the spot, sometimes I have my room already setup. Most times because these parlours get so busy, you never know what room you’ll be in, which means I have to travel with everything I need. Items like candles, oils, body wash and hot wax are all packed into a small bag. 

I have about three to five minutes to freshen up and reapply my makeup. Most of my peers are grabbing their bag with condoms in it. I’m not one of those girls. I’m focused on setting the mood for my client. I’m scurrying around the room arranging my oils, hot wax and the perfect playlist. 

Doing this may seem kind of cheesy or too intimate of an experience to create outside of a relationship, but it's my way of setting the tone for the session. So when clients enter the room, they know that they have to adjust to match my vibe, not the other way around. 

Not everyone who comes to the parlour is looking for sex, but the ones who do usually forget about it when they enter my room. The elevated experience that I create is not what they are accustomed to getting anywhere else, but it’s my playground and my rules. 

Some men try to assert their expectations and get me to lie down, but I turn it back on them. 

“No, you lay down honey,” I respond firmly. 

My boundaries are unshakeable. Years of bartending enabled me to read a person and their body language quickly and easily, so I know who to be more firm with while always staying charming.  

I walk into the room with a smile on my face, smelling fresh and the first thing I do is welcome them with a big hug. 

“Hey honey, how are you? Nice to see you,” I coo in their ear. “Have you been here before? Have you had a massage?”

“You don't worry. You're in really good hands from here,” I say before sauntering away to start the playlist.

My tiny skirt gives them a peek that builds the anticipation. I know what they’re thinking at that moment; they want to get vulgar and explicit. But I’m in control. 

Our hour-long session is a sensual journey and I keep them captivated at every moment. I don’t remove my clothes until maybe 20 minutes or more into the booking. Only then will I slowly begin to undress and slather coconut oil over my body. Hopping on top of them to rub myself against the backside of their frame, I can feel the tension of their anticipation. 

Teasing them from head to toe with my lips and fingers, I turn them around and maintain eye contact with a coy smile. Once I get to this point, they usually don’t last very long. If there is time left, I like to end our session with cuddles or I’ll hop in the shower with them.

For ten years of my career, this was how I made money. I provided sensual massages that were erotic but never crossed the line to full-service. My skills were top notch and I invested in taking a massage course to learn all the techniques. With the experience I provided, it was easy for me to maintain clients. I’d pull in up to $1,500 on a good day and eight or nine hundred on a regular day strictly from massages—no extra stuff. 

However, things changed after I had my son at 28 years old. I left the business for five years to raise him and work back in the restaurant industry. When I returned at 33 years old, social media and the new generation of workers completely flipped the game I thought I knew right on its head. 

It became difficult to operate as I had in my career for years. I was making good money, but it was nowhere near what I used to make years earlier. In this new world, on a good day, I would earn five or six hundred dollars at the end of a shift. 

The new girls were ruthless but shortsighted. They’d perform extra favours beyond a massage and charge less. The men became accustomed to this new way of service and expected me to do the same. 

After years of making sure that I created an ambience, perfected my skills and built relationships with my clients, I couldn’t imagine getting right to sex with someone I’d just met. But I realized I couldn’t go back to who Alexis Valdez was before. The game was changing and I had to keep up or get out.