Fortunately, I can work from anywhere and while Elko in January may not be the warmest, most attractive winter destination, for me, it held the possibility of a completely different type of warmth and attraction. This time around, the plan was to spend an entire week there, working remotely during the day and visiting Mona's in the evening. If the experiment proved a success, I hoped to repeat on a more frequent basis. Still, when mulling it over the question arose: is this crazy? Well, yes.
Being the midst of winter, travel concerns pestered me a bit, and with good reason. Upon arriving in SLC, I was greeted with a snowy, slushy mess. The rental car company tried hard to upsell me on a Jeep Cherokee, but with some trepidation I opted to stick with the reservation: a Toyota Corolla--hardly suitable for the conditions, but I couldn't stand to be ripped off. Heading west on I-80 it wasn't too long before I spotted a car in the ditch. And a little further, somewhere between Burmester and Skull Valley, there was a real nasty accident--a large pickup had summersaulted off the road, scattering debris everywhere. An ambulance was already at the scene, but the occupants had yet to be extracted. A mile beyond, a jackknifed 18 wheeler sat splayed across the median.
One concern about these Nevada trips has always been getting found out. So, in the weeks leading up to
this trip I had concocted a plausible work-related story which I carefully introduced over time so that a weeklong absence (and indeed future week long absences) wouldn't seem remarkable to anyone I know. But if I got into a bad car accident, in a remote part of a state in which I wasn't supposed to be, well, the whole story could crumble. So both in the past, and certainly now, in the depths of winter, I was extra careful behind the wheel. In Elko, when crossing the street, I would look both ways (twice), and even avoided walking under buildings with ice-covered cornices. I know, maybe a little paranoid. Still, between dodging weather systems and hiding my real reason for being away, the trip was starting to feel like some kind of special forces mission, as though conducting a covert insertion, trying to slip in and out, undetected (yes, the double entendres are intentional).
Luckily, once past Aragonite, road conditions improved. Even Pequop pass was in decent shape, with salt trucks going up and down on both sides, though the hills above were blanketed with thick snow. In Elko a cloud front had become lodged against the Ruby Mountains and so it was snowing in town. Now, I know many here are just interested in reading reviews, but there are some practical logistics that go into a weeklong Elko work-cation and there may be some who would find reading about that useful too. So, to digress for a moment, my first stop was Albertson's to stock up on groceries. Next, was a visit to the Performance Athletic Club to take out a one week membership--at $44, a real bargain, given the quality of their amenities (for a small town, Elko is fortunate to have such a place). Then I went to Home Depot to buy a padlock to use in the PAC locker room (tip: bring a padlock). And finally, I made my way to Stockmen's, which felt like coming home, the clerk even recognized me. Unfortunately, none of the rooms there have proper desks, nor do they have a business center, so I figured I'd kick off my work days in the cafe, then move on to the public library when it opened. Normally, I start the day at 7am central time, so there in Elko I couldn't help but wake up quite early, which meant finishing early too. But after slamming the screen shut on my laptop each day, there'd be nothing preventing me from bolting over to Mona's directly, catching everyone maybe a little fresher (and perhaps more cogent too).
At this point, I was super tired, having gotten up at 4am for a 6:20am flight, but I figured if I gave myself a few hours rest I could still party, which is what I proceeded to do. I should say, this visit wasn't without some very sudden schedule changes and I have to thank Louis for being so conscientious about keeping me informed and helping rearrange things. It's that kind of personal "customer care", which sets Mona's apart and why I think they're voted Rural Brothel of the Year so often.
As it turned out, I would only see two different women over the course of the week, only one of whom I had never partied with (and so I will focus more on her). But if I had to summarize things, say, pick a noun that best described the week, I guess it would be this:
fluidity. Not only did the parties progress
fluidly, were the interactions more
fluid (after so many repeat visits), but of course a lot of fluids were also involved, starting with drinks, different types of massage oils, lube, and, well, you know the rest...though because these were all multi-hour parties, some effort was also expended preventing the release of fluids (sometimes by both participants, if you know what I mean). So, not surprisingly, by the end of nearly every party the bedsheets tended to look like a work of abstract expressionist art, like something Jackson Pollock might have painted. Which actually makes me wonder...as odd, or even perverted as it may sound, but treated as a type performance art, I suspect an exhibit of used brothel bedsheets would actually be quite successful in the right kind of gallery.
At any rate, as each day passed, my routine became more refined, up at 5am, at the breakfast counter by 6am, along with the usual suspects--work crews in neon vests, complaining about their co-workers. The library opened at 9am, and on the days when the internet was working, I spent many hours there in the company of transients who would get yelled at by the staff if they put their heads down to sleep (after all it's not a shelter). So there they would sit, lackadaisically staring into space. The room felt like a meditation hall or an after school detention room, but for homeless people. But at the end of most days, I'd head to the gym, work out, and then go for "dessert", as Anna was to put it. At home, typically the biggest unknown each day is what's for dinner, but here in Elko it was who I was going to have sex with.
LeilaOn Wednesday a big blowing snow storm hit Elko, turning the streets and sidewalks into a snowy, wet disaster. It was also the day Leila was ready to start another tour. I had never partied with her before, but going by Louis' description, and a couple reviews, it sounded like she might be a good match, and I think she was. I would be her first party.
Leila is quite a pleasant, friendly young woman, curvy, with very pretty, bright eyes, a nice smile, and a lovely, lovely voice, which I couldn't quite place. She's very cute and I adored how she'd pause to bunch up and rearrange her hair while in the midst of a heated moment. And while she can become animated in conversation, she also has an understated manner, which is not really quiet or shy...perhaps
demure is the best word to describe it.
Anyway, it seemed like she had had a harried day, so I did my best to help her relax, which conversely required a lot of
unrelaxing effort on my part, though it was a greatly enjoyable expenditure. Over the course of an hour and a half I must have worked up more sweat than I had early running five miles at the gym. My brow was literally dripping.
Leila is fun, open, and easy going to be with...and her oral skills are second to none, slow, sensual, and packed with variation. She was enthusiastic and engaged, genuinely excited to be there, ready for exploration. In sum, if she appears to be your "type" and you click, then I am certain you'll have a fantastic time.
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There is a bit of a mindset switch you have to make when working all day and then heading over to a brothel. It would be hard to be effective in your job and be in the same relaxed frame of mind as if in town purely on vacation. And it's not like having a spouse at home either, and getting busy after a long day at the office, because that kind of thing is often spontaneous and doesn't happen on a scheduled basis, by appointment (normally). But I found that going to the gym after working and before heading over to Mona's helped create a break as well as being reenergizing.
Toward the end of the week, getting out of Elko and back home became the next worry. It had been snowing all week in Utah and snow was forecast for Elko on the day I had to drive back. And of course a huge storm was forecast back home too and then a polar plunge in temperature. The day before I was to drive to SLC and fly home, the very same flight I was to take the following day ended up being diverted to another city. Fortunately, things worked out ok. The next morning I left Elko early, just as the snow started falling. I-80 was largely clear, and my flight took off on time.
Do I recommend coming to Elko in January if you have to fly in from far away? Well, if you're lucky you can get away with it, but Nevada always seems like a roll of the dice.
