Perla, 34, has worked for three years at Sheri's Ranch, a legal brothel located outside of Las Vegas. Prostitution is legal in Nevada only in the 24 licensed brothels in the state. Sheri's is among the more famous and upscale of these brothels, having been featured on the TV show Gene Simmons Family Jewels and on a BBC special about legal prostitution. Another Nevada brothel, Love Ranch, has been in the news this week after Lamar Odom reportedly had a drug overdose there. Neither Perla nor Sheri's Ranch had any comment on Love Ranch or Odom's situation.
I started in the strip clubs when I turned 22. I never danced nude, I only danced topless throughout my career as a dancer. I did that until I was 27 and took a bit of a break. When I returned back to the strip clubs, the economy had taken a little bit of a dip so instead of making the amount of money that I was accustomed to to live a certain lifestyle, I had to compromise. That's when I thought, Well, what else am I going to do and how else am I going to make decent money to provide for myself? You have customers that you establish throughout time as a dancer that want to take you outside the club and do different things, and I was always nervous to do something like that because obviously it's not legal. But knowing that there were men willing to pay for my time outside of the strip club made me think, What if I could do this legally? That's how I applied at Sheri's.
It was all done online. [I submitted] three pictures. The madame emailed me telling me a list of things to bring and what to be prepared for. When you come in, you need to fill out all your paperwork and then you go to the doctor because we do get tested every single week. We do blood tests and they test for all the STDs. Once you're clear, you go to the sheriff to get your sheriff's card. Once you've done that, you're teamed up with a big sister and she shows you around the house, gives you the rules and bar etiquette, then when you have your first tour, she goes with you to make sure you know what you're doing when you're talking to the customers about the house.
We have 12-hour shifts: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., and then 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. We draw for our shifts so you don't really get to pick. But you usually get what you want because you can switch. We are required to stay a minimum of one week, but I like to come up for three weeks at a time. In my down time there, I either check emails, or go to the gym, or relax by the pool or Jacuzzi. I usually like to go home for about two weeks then come back. I'm single. I truly just desire to stay that way because it keeps me focused. I don't need any distractions. About half of my family knows what I do for a living. My family is very supportive. They know I'm in a safe place.
When you're in the bar and there's a customer who comes in, we will know if that person has an appointment or is open. All the ladies who are on the floor get a chance to speak with them and try to get them to go to their rooms to negotiate. We're not allowed to negotiate any of our prices outside of our bedroom doors because it isn't legal, so we try to get them to come to our room. You have 10 minutes to talk to them and try to get them to come back with you. After your 10 minutes are up, you have to give that person an opportunity to meet with other ladies. It's kind of like speed dating. It's kind of cool for both parties to see if the personalities are meshing. Once your time is up, you're not allowed to go back and talk to them. They actually have to request you to come back and sit down for more time. We are independent contractors [and each negotiate our own rates].
I really don't get into specifics at the bar about what kind of party they're interested in. I always try to get them to take a tour of the house with me so I can show them the different specialty rooms. You kind of get a feel when you're on the tour, and it's just you two and not 50 people in the bar listening and watching; they feel a little bit more comfortable talking. When you show them different specialty rooms, they'll tell you, "Oh, this is something I'm interested in," or, "This is not what I'm here for."
There is a Jacuzzi room. It's solely for relaxation. We don't allow any sex in the Jacuzzi. It's good for before or after a party to unwind, or to take the pressure or any nerves off. We also have a bubble bath room, which is romantic. We have an S&M dungeon, which is pretty cool. When you take them into that room and you see their initial reaction, you can tell whether or not they're interested in that. It's our wow room; everyone's interested to see it. Some people are very intimidated by it, so it's not for everybody.
We get a variety of different types of men. They come from all walks of life. You have businessmen, blue-collar, white-collar. You have it all. I don't like to ask them about [whether they're married] when they're here. If I see a wedding ring, to each their own. I don't ask them, because they're not here to talk about their marriage. But I would say [about half] are married.
There is an overwhelming amount of couples that come in, and people don't understand that. Sometimes couples want you to interact with both of them, sometimes the wife just wants to watch, sometimes the husband wants to watch. It can go so many different ways. The most difficult thing I have to do is to make sure the woman is comfortable — she's the priority. If I feel that she's not comfortable at all with the whole situation, then I will just stop the party.
I think the funniest is when somebody wants to tickle the bottom of my feet. I am extremely ticklish, so when somebody wants to see your feet wrinkle up and tickle the bottom with a little feather, it literally is hilarious. The best experience is when the [men's] faces light up, seeing the same guys over and over again. Knowing that they come back to see you because you gave them such a memorable experience is so heartwarming and humbling to me knowing I can make a difference to somebody. When we have handicapped virgins who come in, that is tremendous for me. I am completely humbled by that. I love seeing that happiness. They don't have that in their everyday life, so seeing you can make a difference. It's such a wonderful feeling.
"Sex Work" is a weekly series that profiles women who have careers in sex-related industries — from porn stars to sex researchers and everyone in between. Check back every week for the latest interview.
