My husband and I have this kind of relationship with both a man and a woman, and it’s wonderful! We really truly care about each other, but it has all the upsides and none of the downsides of some of the other kinds of relationships we’ve been in. We saw Lane last Friday and actually talked about this. He said that he’d do the same thing in our shoes.

Paid companionship comes with a lot of historical stigmas, but it actually has so many benefits. You have to find the just-right person but if and when you do, it’s pretty terrific. Go for it!