"One evening – I’d had a few – I was discussing men and one-night-stands with an old friend. I can’t remember exactly how the conversation went, but eventually she said you may as well get paid for it", recalls Robin (23, student at the Leiden Faculty of Science).

"I wasn’t really surprised, because she has a very casual attitude to sex – just like me. She confessed that she had already been working in a club for some time and I decided to tag along with her one day." Robin now has a well-paid job in addition to her study, with an hourly wage of 80 Euros net.

"It’s a great sideline", agrees her colleague Leonie (21), another Leiden student. "At least, if you love sex and seducing men and want to make some easy money."

Both students commute to Club de Villa in Beekbergen in the Veluwe region for their job. "The chances of meeting an acquaintance are much smaller so far away from home", explains the proprietor of the club, Marianne Roos (50), who employs students from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Nijmegen too. "Obviously, some clients follow the same line of reasoning – it’s happened once as far as I know. However, you both share the same secret." Leonie is realistic: "I don’t think that many of my friends can afford a visit."

Sitting here, behind the Villa’s long, black voile curtains next to a glass case displaying black, glass vibrators and a coffee table book containing erotic pictures by Helmut Newton and surrounded by large candlesticks, I’m convinced by this reassuring thought. Until midnight, a suite with female company costs 200 Euros per hour.

"That’s how the market works", explains Roos. "Not everyone can afford our prices - at least, not drunks trying to be macho."

Seated on one of the white leather settees, with her high heels digging deep into the deep-pile carpet, she shows me photographs of the building as it was when she and her husband bought it a few years ago. At the time, the grotty interior, decorated in an awful eighties’ style with lashings of beige and old rose, was the home of the Flamingo Sex Club. The faded colours in the photographs have eye-catching neon-pink accents - mainly plastic flamingos. "Actually, we wanted to create a posh gentleman’s club with extra services", she says. "The complete wellness range."

They had already bought the building when the plans were cancelled due a mistake made by the municipality. Plan B, rebuilding it as a residential villa and then selling it, was thwarted by the economic crisis. "We decided to try one more thing, but if we wanted it to work, we had to do it properly: stylish surroundings and girls who have at least higher professional education."

The business side is properly arranged too, Roos says. "It’s as legitimate as you can get. Before you set up a club like this, the municipality does a thorough background check on you. You have to hand in a pile of paperwork as high as this. Even so, the bank won’t lend you a penny."

It is early afternoon and behind her, at the bar, six ladies, busily engaged with their tablets and Smartphones, are chatting as they wait for clients. Some of them simply surf the net though others work on their studies when they are not busy. "I only work when my study schedule allows it", says Robin. "I work more often during the holidays and less during the exam period; it’s easy to arrange here." Her fellow students and her relatives have no inkling of her job. "Only that one friend. But I chat to the other girls when there aren’t any clients, and sometimes we have serious talks. It’s chill, actually."

Roos agrees with her. "You’ll not find a nicer team anywhere. We might not have staff outings to public places, but we frequently organise workshops on massage, games or etiquette. And my husband cooks dinner every night so we can all eat together. Just the standard meat, potatoes and veg." Nevertheless, staff turnover is considerable. "After about six months, they get a boyfriend, or want to do something else."

The girls wear their own clothes. "At first, I supplied their clothes", says Roos. "But the wardrobe was empty after six months and nothing was ever returned. By the way, they don’t have to wear negligees or lingerie, and they shouldn’t overdo the make-up either – that’s awful. But they’ll not attract anyone if they’re wearing jeans: they should look well-groomed."

Moving to an unoccupied suite, the club’s owner shows me how many layers of sheets and waterproof flannel undersheets are laid on the comfortable mattresses. "I’m keen on hygiene - I used to be a nurse. Safety too: we regularly invite the Municipal Health Service round for checks and everyone must use a condom or else they’ll be fired", she explains firmly.

But guests must behave properly too. "They must treat the ladies with respect. Luckily, we don’t often have to say anything and we don’t need a bouncer." According to Roos, most clients are respectable family men. "The most exciting thing guests want is a bit of low-key S&M, with a small whip and velvet handcuffs. Stockings and thigh-high boots are almost too much for them."

So far, Robin has never been shocked by a special request: "But I’m not easily shocked. Well, I don’t do anal or piss play." Leonie also has a few things she won’t try. "But no one has ever asked for them." The girls are allowed to refuse to do certain acts, or reject clients if they don’t hit it off. "But they must say so in advance" says Roos. "Once a client has entered a suite, he has certain expectations."

As may be expected, the first time was nerve-racking, as Robin recalls. "The first time, I was terrified, lying on the bed waiting for the hostess to bring a client. But my nerves vanished and we shared a bath. We had lots of fun and I have fond memories of it."

Usually the ladies make sure the sheets are replaced afterwards. "I often help" adds Roos. A small room contains two washing machines, two dryers, shelf racks with plenty of fresh bedding and an ironing board. "I enjoy those moments: I get to hear how it went. On a good evening, we have between fifteen and twenty clients so that’s quite a lot of washing", she sighs.

The taboo on the industry is a much greater disadvantage. "There’s a taboo on sex as something pleasurable in general, really. The sexual revolution needs to continue a bit." She hates it when parents of her ten-year old daughter’s classmates imply they don’t approve of her job. "But usually, I couldn’t care less about the whole taboo." Meanwhile, at the bar, five girls are chatting to two clients and a cute heart-shaped cushion has been hung on the door knob of suite 1 to show that it is occupied. Roos adds: "For some of them, this is a long-standing fantasy. They really enjoy sex. Of course the girls fake all sorts, but that doesn’t mean to say they don’t enjoy it."

(The names Robin and Leonie are not the girls’ real names.)

Highly educated hookers

*Studies in France and England reveal that that more and more students are turning to prostitution to pay for their studies.

*A 2010 study reveals that in the Netherlands, or more specifically, in Amsterdam, highly educated prostitutes only work in the upper segment of the escort industry or independently.

*In 2010, criminologists Wytske van der Wagen and Catrien Bijleveld and psychologist Annelies Daalder published an exploratory study on highly educated prostitutes. The study also contains a summary of various foreign studies on the subject, from which it can be concluded that the most important reason for this work is financial pressure.

*Their own, small-scale survey among Dutch student prostitutes reveals that being able to buy luxury items was a more important reason; other motives were excitement and fascination. All their respondents found that the social taboo on their work was more difficult to deal with than physical barriers.