I am 23 years and I am an exotic dancer at an exclusive club. I love what I am doing, but the work is very hard. I make more than enough to support myself, especially after I dance and spend time with new friends.

My best friends are men who are my clients. Women who are not in this kind of business don't like girls like me who dance and strip right down. They don't know how to get men to give them lots of money. Many of these men who are my friends are businessmen. When they go to bed with me, they tell me how life is boring at home.

different hotels

I have a client who used to come to my apartment during his lunchtime and spend about 40 minutes with me. I see him every week. Sometimes we do not have sex but I bathe, massage and powder him. I don't even have to tell him how much money to give me. Someone saw him one day coming from my apartment and told his wife. He had to lie his way out. So now we meet at different hotels.

Some people would say that a girl like me is bad, but people like me have to live and nothing is bad about being an exotic dancer and stripper. A friend of mine is now living in Georgia because a white man fell in love with her at a club and took her to America with him.

I don't want to marry a white man, although I am brown. I will soon be able to buy my own apartment. I have a boyfriend but he cannot come to my place unless he calls me. I hope you won't condemn me. I know you will not because that is not your style.

B.M.

Dear B.M.,

I hope you realise that you will not be able to dance and strip for a long time. I don't think men will want to admire a girl who is not very attractive. What I am trying to say is that I hope you will go back to school and become qualified so you can get yourself a job or even open a business before you get old. From what you have said, you are doing well financially. I can see why married women would not think highly of girls who practise such a profession. They believe you and your colleagues are encouraging their men to be bad and taking away their money.

On the other hand, it is true that many married women take their husbands for granted and are not willing to do anything in the bedroom to spice up the relationship. Some men are always looking for kicks and that is part of the reason why they go to these nightclubs.

I can't sanction what you are doing. I hope you visit your doctor often and would bear in mind that it is dangerous to have unprotected sex. I thank you for writing and I want you to know I look forward to hearing you are back in school and pursuing a different career.

Pastor