Still, Mel now describes her first weekend as a sugar baby as “the easiest money I ever made.”
But it was also the easiest money she ever spent.
Despite her aversion to Tom, she began to search for a new sugar daddy, this time with less trepidation and more experience.
Mel went on lunch, dinner and drink dates. She shared ritzy hotel rooms, was a guest in an oceanfront condo, sailed in a yacht and got a couple’s massage with a near stranger.
She learned from her mistake with Tom, always meeting a potential sugar daddy at a restaurant or bar for the first time. This way, she wouldn’t feel obligated to disrobe hours later, and if she disliked him, she could leave.
When Mel mastered how to compartmentalize her feelings, being a sugar baby became a viable way to make money. And since graduating summa cum laude at FSU in May, Mel, taking a year off, has been a full-time sugar baby.
She has money for manicures, pedicures, cute shoes and new clothes.
She put the money she got from Tom toward an active social life with age-appropriate friends and an LSAT prep course.
Her most hefty purchase, breast implants, cost $5,000.
In a rare moment of introspection, Mel does recognize that while her financial position has improved, it came at an emotional cost.
In an era where daughters are frequently close confidants with their mothers, Mel has secrets. She feels pangs of guilt every time she invents yet another story as to how she got her Fendi bag, another spa trip, a tan during a cold front or another dress.
Keeping a boyfriend is also difficult, with long, unexplained absences when she cannot be reached.
Until a few weeks ago, Mel wasted few thoughts on sacrifices. She had little intention of retiring from her part-time career.
Then she started to date someone, a relationship that didn’t begin on the Internet. He’s mature, she says, has a good job, laughs at her jokes and he’s her age.
There are no discretion and pay-to-play rules. He can meet her family and she can meet his. People don’t stare. She’s not a trophy but an equal.
He is worth giving up sugar dating, at least for now.
Editor’s note: Mel is a real person, and all the details in the story are real. Due to the nature of the story, her last name is being withheld. The hotel scene was recreated from interviews with Mel.
