38- new feeling

Men maintained belong to a tradition as ancient as concubines and hetairas, but quieter. This practice, much more common than we think on this side of the world, became part of the culture in Asia, where for centuries noble ladies have employed young men, barely disguised as servants, to satisfy their intimate whims. Since the invention of the automobile, the most common position for a gigolo has been that of a driver. In recent decades, these kept men, like geishas, have been exterminated by the whirlwind of capitalism and in their place, independent professionals have emerged. And not to mention, in the 19th century, the official lover, tolerated by the husband as long as he was discreet, had a name in Italy: cicisbeo. And why not? Marriages were not then romantic outbursts, but economic and social arrangements. Love was not part of the deal.

One gets married to hate. That's why it is necessary for a true lover to never talk about marriage, because being a lover means wanting to be loved and wanting to be a husband means wanting to be hated, writes Madeleine de Scudéry in the 17th century. If husbands had mistresses—maîtresse in France—and many had a string of illegitimate children, then their wives could seek love in other arms.

Nowadays, any woman capable of paying for this type of service can hire an expert lover for a few hours to guarantee pleasure, hygiene, and absolute discretion. These young men, generally bisexual, are trained in erotic crafts that most husbands cannot even imagine. Their lives revolve around the instrument of their art: the body, which they must keep healthy and attractive. Free from the pressures of work, of hard-earned and therefore scarce money, as well as from the vanity of power or the torments of a guilty conscience, they dedicate their energy and time to the sacred occupation of sensual pleasures. And I say sacred because it goes back to Taoist philosophy, in which the sexual relationship between two people symbolizes the union between the gods in the act of creating the universe, although I doubt that the gigolos roaming around Japan or any other place in the world tempting ladies have ever heard of Tao or anything similar.

My good friend Miki Shima, the illustrious Japanese doctor whom I turn to when I need to cure ailments or inquire about the exotic, maintains that these modern male prostitutes in his country often memorize a large part of the singas, ancient erotic manuals, called "pillow books," because they were stored in lacquered wooden boxes that elegant ladies used to rest their heads on at night without disturbing their hairstyle. The illustrations in the singas are brutal for those who are not familiar with them: couples entangled in clothes, with elaborate hairstyles, an expression of almost idiotic bliss on their faces, and equipped with enormous threatening genitals, copulating in highly interesting positions. Once the eye becomes accustomed, singas are quite instructive. Despite the fact that most women are content with two or three classical variations, luxury Asian gigolos are capable of offering the entire repertoire for the right price: galloping horse, jade flute, mandarin ducks, mated swallows, and other acrobatics with names longer than I could jot down during the conversation. Dr. Shima reminded me of the importance of diet to stay in shape, which is an urgent necessity in that profession, and told me about an acupuncture master from whom he himself has learned the most delicate techniques. The man has lived for over a hundred years with a full set of teeth and black hair, never missing a single day of frolicking with a fruity young girl, thanks to the ginseng, which he takes by the handful, and a fabulous soup for which Miki Shima obtained the recipe for these pages:

ACUPUNCTURE MASTER'S APHRODISIAC SOUP

For two people, in a beautiful clay pot, with the proper ceremony, place: four pieces of Korean red ginseng, a quarter of a chicken, two chopped scallions, four slices of fresh ginger, two tablespoons of red or white miso. (In any reasonably cosmopolitan city, you can find the ingredients in Asian markets). Cook over low heat until the chicken becomes tender, while reading an erotic text, and at the end add half a cup of sake and six raw langoustines, which should boil for only five minutes to preserve their potency.

Not only in Japan can women afford the luxury of a professional lover by the hour. Executives on business trips in Europe and the United States also turn to them, but that is not openly discussed. The information is whispered.

I met one of these gigolos at an airport hotel in Frankfurt, where I was waiting for one of those early morning flights to India. I suppose the anecdote would have been more flavorful if he had been a young Chinese man, with a glossy black ponytail and slanted eyes, an expert in Taoist erotic practices, but I was not so lucky. In my case, it was a good-looking guy, blond, of indefinite age, wearing jeans, a backpack on his back, and a tennis racket. His clear eyes and somewhat shy demeanor inspired instant trust in me, he seemed like a young college student. He asked me in English where I was from and when he heard the word California, he smiled delightedly; he immediately informed me that he was born in Los Angeles and worked as a model to pay for his studies. We found a table and settled down to share a coffee and pass the time chatting. In less than ten minutes, he suggested that I get a room to rest, as I still had several hours before my flight, and he offered me a massage with aromatherapy and "something more." I must have looked at him with the innocent expression of a grandmother because he charmed me again with another smile, this time without a trace of shyness, and assured me that his fee of three hundred dollars was the standard in such cases. He discreetly showed me a paper that I didn't have my glasses handy to read, but I believe it was the result of a blood test. I am not accustomed to mercenary caresses, and besides, I felt it was a sin to spend that sum of money on selfish purposes when there are so many people in need of charity in