Actually, a couple of days.
Two days ago, the hot, LOCAL 22 year old blonde college student met me for coffee after exchanging a few messages. We had a great time chatting; she thinks I'm smart. And, partly thanks to a local partner in crime, was quite happy to arrange our first BCD date a couple of days from now...for $200.
Today, I drove 70 miles to the nearby "big city", a town of around 500,000 with the flagship campus of the major state university, as well as a sizable community college. And....
1. SB #1 flaked. She was a NCNS for our coffee meet. She's been flakey all along, in our messaging, so this was not exactly a shock, and I pivoted to
2. The lunch meeting with SB #2, who turns out to be a stunning, slim, half-Hawaiian, half black, dance instructor. Gorgeous, smart, chatty, not mercenary, apparently fascinated to talk to me, and, in the end, very pleased with a $200 ppm arrangement. After her divorce, she had a lesbian relationship for a year or two, and they were a DUO on SA "to spice things up", but now they've split up. Oh, the thoughts this provokes! And, she's happy to drive up to my small town 2 days from now, or, "Whenever that helps us get together". Her suggestion, not mine!
3. SB #3, that I messaged on the way to the "big city" turns out to be a pee four listed pro (Las Vegas based) who's in town for family reasons, leaving tomorrow and it's 250 "roses" while she's in town and advertising on SA. This woman is 2.5 years on TER and an overall 8.6, with a $400/hour rate. She's happy to accept $250 and would gladly go to lunch as well.
4. SB #4, who I saw 2 weeks ago, messages me (while I'm waiting for SB #2 to arrive) that she "misses me" and gives me a detailed list of the days/times she's available this week. Also $200, and she is a tiger in bed, and has no gag reflex

.
5. SB#5, who works in my small town, messages me the same "When can you sneak away again to see me?" (I'm married, and she knows I have limited availability). I saw her 3 weeks ago, and she wants to meet again, in her even smaller town north of here.
The takeaways here: (1) 4 months ago, I knew nothing about SA, (2) I read, listened, asked questions here and tried to applied what I had learned, (3) I made mistakes, I got blocked, I was too blunt in some cases, and too oblique in others, overpaid in some cases, and missed a few by negotiating too hard, but I learned to read the signs, (4) I gradually learned that, while SA is totally (TOTALLY) different than TER/pee four, it does, kinda sorta have rules, or at least somewhat predictable processes and responses, (5) unlike client/escort setups, here the CLIENT can set, or at least influence, the rules of engagement, (6) there are more, possibly MANY more SBs than SDs(!!), (7) SDs are in demand, (8) politeness, consistency and the willingness to walk away work well.
I don't know how to summarize all of this, except for two points. When I started seeing TER/escorts I was eventually amazed at how easy it was. You learn the ropes, and it's...easy. SA has a totally -different- learning curve, but in the end, it is in many ways, even easier. You need a LOT more patience, but the rewards are amazing. Once you get a critical mass, you're in a very good place, although you still have to expect and accept glitches. (Note that nothing I am describing got me laid in the past 3 days...but it will soon!)
I retired 2 years ago from a large East Coast city to the small town where I now live. I'm 62. I'm "not repulsive" as GaG says, but also....nearly 63. Women in their late teens to mid-20's are chasing me, telling me I'm "amazing" in the sack (I think I'm average), and seeing me for 3-4 hours at a time (all I can usually "sneak away" for) for half to a third of the comparable provider rate. And there are 5 of them texting me for repeat dates, and there are 3 or 4 more that I have declined to see, plus 3 or 4 on the "potential" list.
I just can't believe it. Keep working on it guys. It's worth the effort.