"Valentine's Day and Christmas are the busiest times of the year because men having affairs usually want to see their mistresses, so we're often hired to see what they're up to. When I'm booked for a job, I'm given a report on the man. I have a photo of him and know the places he goes - usually bars or clubs - so I can turn up at his favourite haunt and get on with my job. I also find out the type of women he prefers - blondes, brunettes or redheads - so I can adjust my look to his taste.

"Then I carefully dress so I look funky, but not sleazy. It's important to be polished, clean and attractive but I like to ensure that I've got a hint of the Pamela Anderson look about me. I opt for a suit, so I don't look tarty, but I favour a tight, short skirt, a form-fitting jacket, quite low-cut, usually in baby pink, and high heels. It's important to look normal but to have all the "come on " signs about you. Quite often I'll wear a wig, particularly to make my hair really long and thick, and I apply a fair bit of make-up. I keep my fingernails long and painted and always wear pantyhose.

"When I walk into the bar I check things out and then go straight up to the guy in question and sit down near him. Then I take out a cigarette and ask him to light it. Instantly the guy knows you want him to chat you up and this rarely fails to work. Quite often I end up with several men fighting over who's going to light my cigarette. It's really quite amusing, but I always have to direct my attention to the one guy. Most men are very polite to me, so it's not that difficult to get a guy talking. I've found if you give a guy the opportunity, especially if you're being a bit of a slut, he'll take it.

"Over a few drinks and some more conversation, I start to get a little more intimate - touch him on his shoulder, knee, leg or arm, to indicate I'm keen on him. On rare occasions, some guys tell me to leave them alone and want nothing to do with me, but most times, guys like to chat and have a laugh. They love to think a woman's interested in them. As a rule, most guys don't bitch about their wives, but some will come right out and say, 'I'm married, but so what?' They don't see wives or girlfriends as barriers to having fun with other women.

"Eventually I try to entice him to go somewhere else with me. Often it's just to another bar, or I might invite him to a party where I tell him there are going to be heaps of other good-looking girls. Some guys are quite happy to chat and drink in a bar with you, but falter when asked to go somewhere else. If he says he does not want to go, I push the issue, telling him how great it's going to be, and how much I'd love to go with him, but if he really doesn't want to go, then that's cool.

"Of course, many guys do want to leave with me, so if that's the case, I take things a bit further. Some guys try to kiss me and I just go with the flow. I keep it at a level that I'm comfortable with. The agency doesn't require me to do anything sexual with the men, but I'm in control and if I think the situation requires it, or if I want to, I'll kiss them. Likewise, if a guy invites me back to his apartment, I'll see how I feel about the situation. I've never felt unsafe while working, but I'm careful and well-trained in what I'm doing. I prefer to be in a public place, but sometimes that's not possible. Usually a guy is so drunk by this stage, nothing sexual happens anyway. They're not capable of it.

"I'll admit that I've slept with a few guys, but that was my decision and I've no regrets. Sometimes you're just attracted to them, so you think, why not? You have to be careful though, because you know to start with you're intruding on a relationship and your main concern is just to do your job.

"It's easy to distance yourself from things while you're working. I feel like I'm an actress playing a role. I equate what I do with being at a dinner party where there's an idiot who keeps trying to come onto you. You just have to deal with it and go with the flow. That's how I treat the men in my work.

"At the end of the night, I file a report on what happened. While often we disappoint women with our news about their men, sometimes we've helped save marriages too, and that's great. Other women, while upset, are ultimately happy to find out what the man they're involved with is really like.

"I find my job interesting and exciting, but to be honest, I do it more for the money than anything else. I get a real kick out of the cash. I earn $40 an hour and I'm paid for a minimum of four hours, even if the job doesn't last that long. I usually earn about $1,000 a week. But it's impossible for me to tell people what I really do or my cover would slip. Instead, I just tell them I work in an office. I've had to learn to become very secretive."