But what about those times, rare as they may be, when love does enter the equation? Too further complicate things, not only does love enter the equation but the gent is secure enough so that the lady not only continues as an escort but does so mostly on multi-day dates? While that scenario is one in a million it should not be discounted.
Originally Posted by discreetgent
I'm not so sure it is a matter of the man's level of security so much as his personality type. Furthermore, I think the catch-all word we use for a variety of forms of affection (i.e. "love") can be construed to have so many meanings as to be very confusing. Some languages have many different words for expressing the nuances rather than just one catch-all word.
Especially within the escort community, and likely disproportionately within HDHs, you will find people who are polyamorous. These are people for whom, within human limits, romantic affection they may feel for one person doesn't necessarily or automatically diminish the romantic affection they feel for another. It completely turns the monogamous ideal of only being able to love one person on its head. I am not sure how widespread this capacity is.
To complicate matters, you'll find a goodly number of personality types who are capable of manifesting a form of romantic affection to which many cannot relate and some might even say is not love at all because they can't grasp it. I call it "love without possession." It is the ability to romantically love someone for who and what they are but with reduced (not entirely nonexistent, but greatly reduced) levels of jealousy and possessiveness. For SOME women, particularly very independent women, men with such a capacity may be ideal; but for other women, such men make them feel unloved because they see the man's possessiveness as evidence of affection. I think it is rare for a man to be utterly devoid of possessiveness; but for some it is diminished or very well controlled for the perceived benefit of the woman.
This is a long way of saying that, ideally, if a man decides to have a provider as his S.O. and she decides he would be a good match; if she is going to continue providing he would have to be one of the rare men with diminished or controlled possessiveness and she would have to be confident enough that his lack of expression of these traits didn't make her feel unloved.
In some rare cases, it can work.
With providers, I personally limit emotional connection to something I call "love as a response to values." This can encompass such concepts as admiration, appreciation, and adoration. Some might call it a form of spiritual, chivalric or even platonic love. It is something appropriate for a good and close friend about whom you care.