The Kiss Quotient

Michael “Phan” looks through his mail, debating whether to open his sexually transmitted disease screening or his bills. After seeing his owed amount and confirming that he has no conditions, he gets ready for his Friday night of escorting. He has done sex work for three years and now appreciates a component of revenge directed towards his father. As he gets ready for the night, he thinks of erotic situations to become aroused. He then goes to the Clements Hotel, making assumptions about Stella as he prepares to meet her. In part, he is worried that she selected him based on his Vietnamese-Swedish heritage that makes him look like a popular Korean actor. He is surprised by Stella’s youth and attractiveness, as well as her formal way of greeting him when he introduces himself. After a few moments of discomfort from Stella, she tells him of her proposition: that she hire him exclusively for several months so he can teach her how to be good at sex. Michael does not commit, and they talk briefly about Stella’s work as an econometrician. He is attracted to her intelligence and enthusiasm for her job. He admits that he knows self-defense, which Stella finds attractive. After they eat, Stella admits her nervousness, and at Michael’s suggestion they go to her hotel room.

Stella becomes overwhelmed with nerves and excuses herself to the bathroom. She had picked Michael on the escort website because he looked kind, but his attractiveness frightens her. He approaches her from behind and asks to take down her hair, which she allows. She is distracted by a black mark sticking out from underneath his tee-shirt, and he pulls up his sleeve to show her some of his tattoo. She tenses when he kisses her by her ear, then relaxes when he does not make any other moves. When he notices her discomfort at the idea of kissing him, he asks if she wants to his tattoo and removes his shirt to show a large dragon that runs the length of his abdomen. He coaxes her into an embrace, and she is surprised at his arousal. They begin to kiss until Michael French kisses her, then laughs when Stella compares it to a pilot fish cleaning a shark’s teeth. He kisses her again and is patient as she slowly realizes she likes kissing. He then leads her back to the bedroom.

Michael lays down on the bed and, when he sees Stella’s discomfort lying next to him, kisses her to help her relax. When he starts to undress her, she looks frightened but begins to undress herself. He stops her and she cries. He asks if she had been assaulted in the past, and she claims no. Michael is enraged to learn that men have had sex with her even when she was in a state of obvious distress. He suggests they watch a movie and snuggle to help her relax, but Stella has contact concerns. Michael jokes about his sisters making him watch Korean dramas to make him cry. They settle on the action movie Ip Man, and he tells her to undress to her underwear. She is uncomfortable but does what he asks and joins him in cuddling. They chat about his hobbies and secret talents. Between their talking and the movie, Stella falls asleep.

Stella is surprised to have slept in, waking up as Michael showers. He comes into the room. She grabs his tee-shirt to wear and brushes her teeth, alleviating some of her schedule-based anxiety. Refreshed, she asks if he will continue with her lessons, and he declines. When he offers her a partial refund, she declines, asking if he has a colleague who would be willing to be her teacher. This angers Michael, but Stella insists, giving him her phone number to contact if he thinks of anyone. He worries for her safety, and she shows him her taser. Michael confesses that he does not see clients more than once following a client who got too attached, which hurts Stella’s feelings. She tells him to leave, but after he does, he realizes she is still wearing his shirt. Before she can decide what to do, he returns and says he will give her three sessions as long as she promises “‘not to go crazy when it ends’” (45). She agrees and they kiss until her mother calls. Stella answers the phone and Michael bids her farewell, which her mother catches and asks about. As Michael leaves, her mother asks Stella for more information about him.

Michael participates in a kendo match, using the physical activity to push away thoughts of his father and his own internal “badness” (46). He changes in the hallway, where teenage girls see him. His cousin, Quan, teases him for it. Quan is muscular and covered in tattoos but is also attending business school while helping his family’s restaurant. Michael’s thoughts drift to Stella before he reminds himself that she is a client. Khai, Quan’s younger brother, offers to teach new students, and Quan teases him about his social cluelessness. Michael briefly compares Khai to Stella before Quan asks about his mom’s health. Quan then invites him to a night club, but because the invitation is for Friday—the day that Michael works as an escort—Michael declines. Quan questions if Michael has a secret girlfriend, but as they walk outside Quan also kindly assures Michael that he would still love him if he were gay. Michael, though appreciative, merely claims that no one is good enough to bring home. Michael expresses regret for distance that has grown between him and Quan, but Quan is supportive. As he leaves, Michael thinks once again about Stella and is eager for their next session.