I love a good adventure. Whether it's getting dressed up in a onesie or going on a three-hour hike, I like to keep an open mind to trying anything new that comes my way.  A few weeks ago, I did something unusual, all in the name of adventure: I booked a date with a male escort. That's right - for one night only, I was an escort client.

I know some of you might be thinking, "Why see an escort? Aren't you getting laid enough already?" There are many different types of sex; the sessions I have with my clients have a different flavour to the ones I have in my personal life. I was curious to know what seeing an escort would feel like...would it be more like one or the other? Or perhaps a different sort of experience entirely?  I've been doing this job for more than seven years. In that time, I've found myself in all sorts of interesting situations, and had sexy adventures that would make some ‘normal’ folks' hair stand on end.  But even with all my experience, I wanted to know what it would feel like to invite someone else to take care of me, rather than the other way around.

There was another reason, too. Over the past couple of months, I've been creating a series of online courses that are designed to help guys get the most out of their escort sessions. I’ve seen sex workers before – long before I became an escort. But, honestly, working for so long in the business means I’d forgotten what is was like to be on the other side of the fence. To show other people how to have better experiences, I wanted to remind myself what it felt like to be a client.

I first spotted male escort Brad Pierce on Scarlet Blue – his sexy selfies caught my attention. He seemed thoughtful and relaxed – exactly the kind of person I’d get along with. But even after I made contact and booked a date, I wasn't sure if I was making the right decision. Would this experience teach me what I needed to know?

If I was looking for perspective, the experience didn't disappoint. My lessons in being an escort client were about to begin...

The first lesson I learned was how incredibly nerve-wracking an escort session could be. Even before my date arrived at my apartment, I could barely sit still; I was pacing, checking my phone, anxiously tidying my bedroom. Usually cheerful and confident, I was reduced to a nervous mess. By the time Brad actually arrived, it was going to take a miracle to get me into a relaxed frame of mind!

Brad arrived punctually, walked on in, and made himself at home. With quiet conversation, he somehow managed to rescue me from a state of nervousness so intense that I couldn’t even pour a scotch without my hands shaking. Within twenty minutes, I felt completely comfortable in his presence. Knowing how to put someone at ease is one of an escort's most important skills; I hadn't realised how reassuring it is when someone and makes you feel as though you've known them for years!

Things progressed naturally, from chatting on the couch, to making out, to getting sexy. And that's when my second lesson was learned.

I really love casual sex. Whether meeting new clients, getting it on in the kink scene or getting on Tinder, I always enjoy connecting with new people. Meeting someone new and getting naked with him wasn’t a challenge, but I was really interested to observe what happened when I really started enjoying myself. At first, I was curious. Then I felt a profound gratitude that Brad had taken the time to cure my anxiety. After that, it was more of a friendly connection, a feeling that deepened into admiration as things progressed. And then I suddenly found myself wondering 'Have I started to have feelings?'

This was the lesson I had been hoping for. Because when you book an escort session and it turns out perfectly, feelings do come into it. Happiness, gratitude, affection, admiration...all this, and more.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with having feelings during an escort session. Although many folks think casual sex shouldn't be emotional, I disagree; I think ALL sex involves emotion. If it didn't, we wouldn't enjoy it. Sex is more about the brain than it is about the body - our connection to our partners determines how much we enjoy hooking up. When an escort is skilled and empathetic, those feelings of connection do happen. Knowing that my enjoyment was acceptable helped me relax into the experience, even though I knew that our moment would end when the session was over.

Our time together was all too short…but we both had smiles on our faces when we parted ways. I’d learned the lessons I came for: I was reminded what it's like to be an escort client and I discovered how great it feels when things work out exactly the way we hope.