Avery Bushman
The tall, slim blond with multiple piercings and a bare midriff blushes and smiles in a way that would belie her current profession and location -- she’s a sales associate at Hustler Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. Here, where they sell, among other things, chocolate body paint, X-rated videos and a line of greeting cards reserved for buyers who are 18 or older, the store’s motto -- printed on the back of all staff T-shirts -- is: “Relax it’s just sex.”
Where the action is: I’ve been here a year and a couple months. I like my job. I’m from Missouri, but I came here to Hollywood seven years ago. I came out to be a model and I do model some on the side for an agency that specializes in models with piercings and tattoos. I like the action here in the store, the customers.
At night it’s really hectic. Especially when all of the clubs let out. But I’m working days now, so I’m assigned to the lingerie section -- I unpack the merchandise, fill in places where things have been sold and attach security tags. I do that in between helping customers.
Selling a couple of things: My favorite customers are couples. First they go to lingerie and pick out something, then they go to the sex toys. And it’s really neat to see really older couples shopping here. What do they buy? They get sex toys, X-rated DVDs or VHS tapes.
One of the items that draws the most attention is the virtual doll -- it’s $800. Oh, and in lingerie we’ve got a new boy shorts set with matching cami. On the cami you’ve got a choice of KISS, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, like that.
Defense strategies: The worst kind of customers are the ones who come in and ask you: “Can you model this for me?” Or, “Will you sit in that bondage chair?”
It used to really bother me, but now I just ignore them -- they’re either immature teenagers or drunks.
Perks: Well, beside enjoying working with most of the customers, I get to see celebrities come through all the time. Yeah, a lot of them come in, but I guess I’m not supposed to say who they are.
-- Carolyn Patricia Scott
