Logan Cruz got kicked out of her dad’s house when she was 18. She then moved to the West Side and had to walk two miles to her first job at Forever Yogurt and an additional mile to her second job at Jimmy John’s. Down on her finances, Cruz started dancing at a strip club. There, she heard co-workers discussing a new employment opportunity: being a sugar baby.

”I’ll meet up at a bar or something, grab dinner, drinks and then usually we end up getting a room.”

According to dating website Seeking Arrangements, a sugar baby, often college aged, is an individual with an appetite for a relationship filled with new experiences. Unlike prostitutes, sugar babies choose whether the relationship includes sex.

According to Cruz (her stage name), now 23, being a sugar baby is a paid relation- ship, but both parties try to make it feel as genuine as possible. For Cruz, that means building a friendship first.

“You have men who are looking for a connection, for an escape, for somebody to make them feel good,” Cruz said. “It’s good for me, too, because I get that break where I forget about the rest of the world.”

Many people Cruz makes arrangements with prefer to keep their anonymity. Some are businessmen who fear losing their jobs, and others are married and fear losing their relationship. To maintain discretion, one sugar daddy even flew her to Las Vegas during a business trip.

Before meeting with her clients, she usually sends a message explaining how much compensation she expects and what she is and is not comfortable with in the bedroom.

Cruz said she is well aware of the risks that come with sex work but takes extra precaution to avoid harm. She always meets potential partners at a public place first. When the two go somewhere private, she texts a friend and lets them know where she will be and when she will be done.

“If this goes seriously wrong, I might never be seen ever again,” Cruz said.

Despite the possibility of danger and the negative opinions of other people, she en- joys the job.

During a date, Cruz is a different version of herself. She enjoys stepping into a different headspace and forgetting about her real life. Some nights she is a leathered-up dominatrix, and other nights she is dressed as a business woman.

“I know people are going to look down on it,” Cruz said. “I enjoy my time, and I like being able to have the extra income to count on. I could definitely see myself do- ing it for a long time.”