Some people like their jobs, other people love their jobs; but, I really love my job. My assignment this month: cover opening night at Rick's Cabaret, New York City 's newest gentleman's escape. Why escape? Because as soon as you step inside Rick's, you'll feel as though you've escaped from all the carnage, the mundane and trivial matters affecting the world. Rick's Cabaret is three floors of wall-to-wall eye candy, delicious gourmet food, extremely courteous staff, a sexy atmosphere, a booming sound system and a guarantee that each time you visit Rick's, you'll look forward to your next trip to this midtown heavenly getaway.

Rick's is new to New York City but the club has steadily built up a name for itself in the industry. A gentleman's club that is the only publicly traded adult club on the Nasdaq exchange [NASDAQ: RICK], Rick's has several operations around the country with more clubs to open in such cities as Miami and Chicago. Catering mainly to an upscale clientele, Rick's makes it its mission to treat all their customers like VIP's and at home with its blend of Southern hospitality and ladies that are the perfect cure for sore eyes. But speaking as someone who has experienced Rick's, I can tell you that what sets Rick's apart is its willingness to make each patron feel like a king or queen as soon as they step foot inside.

Opening Night

I arrive a little after eight for the first night of this four-night grand opening party. Before this evening, my one and only time at a gentleman's establishment was 10 years ago when some friends who took me to Bear Necessities for my 20th birthday: a tiny but well-known strip joint and bar, catering to the hard-working blue-collared Long Island crowd. This time around, I'm a VIP for the night, a member of the press so I do my best to be professional at all times. But at Rick's, even the most jaded of reporters can't help but crack a smile and get a little carried away. First things first: I'm greeted at the door by the club's PR staff and I'm immediately escorted to the third-floor VIP area and given a tour of the club. The first thing you realize about the club is that it's loud inside but the music is perfectly spun and suits the ambiance of the club. It's a mix of rock, dance, anything to set the mood for that moment. Keeping things going is Willie Beaux, a 17-year veteran and the man in charge of the $85,000 state-of-the-art sound system. Despite having DJ'ed everywhere, he tells me that he's never felt more at home.

As the club publicist shows me around the third floor, he makes sure to point out the eight private VIP suites where privacy is assured and, I heard, where they're kept busy all night long. It was still too early before things really heated up upstairs but I decide to stay and talk to Lou, the stunning bartender who makes the best monkey rum (rum & tonic). She along with the rest of the bar staff throughout the club absolutely know their way around a bar. Guys, don't be afraid to approach Lou as she is one of the friendliest faces at Rick's; easy to talk to and one hell of a bartender. I decide to visit the VIP area several times during the night and there was Lou working hard, flirting with the patrons, making them feel special and earning each tip. No wonder she was asked to join Rick's.

After about 45 minutes, I realized I hadn't even checked out the girls so I walk down to the second floor, where there's an excellent view of the main stage on the first floor, plus views of the line of girls waiting to do their thing on the second-floor balcony. This gives me the opportunity to also check out the crowds. Rick's is geared towards an upscale, professional clientele but everyone from all walks of life is welcomed here. Rick's also knows how to get to a man's heart by laying out a spread of several mouth-watering dishes prepared by chef Daniel Cohen, believed to be the only CIA trained chef (Culinary Institute of America) employed by an adult establishment. As for the girls, they're playful, very friendly but they won't hassle you.

As for the rest of the staff, I can't say enough nice things. They're courteous and respectful to everyone who more than go out of their way to show each customer a memorable experience. Even the customers were friendly. As I walked throughout the club sporting my SexHerald collared shirt, I'm suddenly being asked the questions. I gotta tell you, it feels good to brag a bit about my gig as an adult writer. I think I may have brought a few more visitors to our site.

Bring On the Babes

One of the most attractive girls at Rick's--and that's saying a lot since they were all gorgeous--was Anna, a 20-something dancer with a bit of an accent with moves that can be described as jawdropping. I ask her what it takes to be a dancer, what sort of qualities should a dancer have, the best part of her job, etc. But what I found most interesting was her response to my question regarding her profession. Because many people still foolishly view dancers and what they do in a negative way, Anna states, "The job does not define a person. The person defines the person."

Shortly after saying goodbye to Anna, I meet up with my SexHerald colleagues who arrive just as the party at Rick's really begins. We make our way to our table for dinner and it's the first time I notice the servers. Unbelievable! Like the dancers, the servers will also sit down and talk to you, flirt, tease you a bit and even sit on your lap while you're deciding what to order but don't get naked, as far as I know. Our beautiful server, Iresol Cardona, was absolutely charming, classy and nicely filled her Rick's issued lingerie uniform. But it was me who had the pleasure of chatting it up with Iresol for a couple of minutes. Ask for Iresol to serve you when you visit, you won't be disappointed. She's good at what she does and she, much like everyone else I spoke with, is very happy to be working for Rick's and enjoys meeting all the different types of patrons that walk in. I felt the time go by fast but, it was time to say goodbye and let her make her money. Iresol, you're going places, and true to my word, this trained actress and dancer is the best unknown performer to have graced a Broadway stage so all you talent agents, make your way down to Rick's and ask for the club's sexiest server.

So far tonight I've meet several interesting people and I'm having a truly great time. After some food and drinks, we're joined by Allan, the publicist who showed me around the club when I first walked in. He's working hard as well, mingling with the VIP's, chatting it up about Rick's and why Rick's is the place to be. He takes time to sit down with SexHerald and, like any good publicist, is still pitching away. I can't recall who made the suggestion, that monkey rum Lou served me was strong, but suddenly I'm being led downstairs to the dressing room area. I'm there to meet the house mom, Lyndsey, a wonderful woman who took the time to speak to me about what it's like to be a House Mom. It's obvious the girls really look up to her, a few affectionately calling her "mom" as she tends to them and answering my questions.

Since the place opened, Lyndsey has been working hard, making sure the hundred plus dancers that night had everything they need. It's Lyndsey's job to be a "mom" to the girls. She talks to them, gives them advice about whatever problem they're going through, keeps the dressing room area stocked, helps out with their hair and makeup, designs the gowns--she singlehandedly made thirty floor-length dresses for this particular evening on just two hour's sleep--be a disciplinarian when necessary or their best friend when they need one. And the girls look well taken care of. I'm actually impressed with the dressing room, where each girl has their own station to sit in front of and do whatever it takes to make themselves look good. Most of the girls were upstairs but the few that were there didn't seem to mind this complete stranger doing his best not to look directly at them while they were getting ready. This so far was the highlight of my night, seeing all these beautiful women just being themselves.

As I leave I ask Allan if other clubs allow just anybody with a press pass into the Rick's is the only club that has allowed journalists into the dressing room area and see for themselves how well the girls are taken care of. Back upstairs and I have the opportunity to meet Eric Langan, President and CEO of Rick's Cabaret International Inc., and the guy who may just have the best job in the world. A nice friendly Texan, he is extremely cordial and is obvious that he's proud of his clubs and the fact that Rick's is poised to take its place among the elite clubs in New York City . I immediately take a liking to him, especially after he sets me up with a complimentary lap dance with Jesse, a tall, statuesque blonde who's also just as friendly and charming as the rest of the girls. After a sensual and very exotic dance, I talk to her and find that she also enjoys her job. She explains that flirting, being touchy feely now and then is all part of the job but her main focus is to leave the customers totally satisfied with her dancing. She wouldn't be doing this if she didn't feel safe, and Rick's makes sure all the girls are treated with dignity and respect.

Indeed, and although privacy is assured in each of the eight VIP suites, should the girls feel at all unsafe, they can freely walk out through the beautifully designed velvet curtains and chain mail outer curtain. A dancer for several years, Jesse has enough regular clients who simply enjoy her time and only want to talk. Some of her clients she has never even danced for, they simply want her company for a few hours, and whenever she's thinking of them, she will call you up to come on down or email you when it's a slow night to come and talk to her. Now that's going above and beyond the call of duty.

The night is winding down, for me at least, and I just want to get out of reporter mode for a little bit before going back to work and enjoy the show. I talk to Claudia, another stunningly gorgeous server who mentions that you can never go wrong when you deliver service with a smile and just try to have a good time at work.

"My Job is to Throw the Party"

I spoke to a few patrons who each had a couple of interesting things to say about opening night. It was a sea of Wall Street types getting together being men and having fun. That's the main thing Eric Langan wants his customers to experience. "Have fun first, make money second. My job is to throw the party."

By the mid-nineties, Eric become CEO of Rick's Cabaret. After experiencing initial problems with taking the company public, Rick's has grown considerably over the past ten years. "When I first started out, it was bikers that came into the club. It has gone from catering to bikers to multi-millionaires. The sound system alone at this club cost more than it took me to buy my first club. But, everyone comes out here to party."

That's the feeling you get when you enter Rick's. Despite catering to upper-end clientele, there isn't a hint of exclusivity, that you have to be earning a million plus or a hundred thousand plus a year salary. Celebs and execs are there but everyone is treated equally, as long as you're there to have a good time, spend a little money and have a couple of drinks, you will leave totally like a new man.

"The thing about Rick's is, no matter who you are, you can act crazy, be yourself. At other clubs you feel like you have to conform to their rules and you can't totally feel at ease," says Reed from New Mexico . Only for Rick's would I travel all the way to New York to attend the opening and I'll be here again."

"Every club has beautiful women, great food, good music but what I like about Rick's is that it caters to little guys like me," says Walt from Baton Rouge . "I'm a paralegal, don't make anywhere near as much as most of the people here tonight but to the staff, you're not just another patron, they really care about servicing you and making you feel at home. I feel like a VIP whenever I come to Rick's."

“I was just walking and I saw a small group of guys hanging outside the club," says Ralph T from Queens . “It's late, I should be going home and I don't really go to strip clubs but I got curious and decided to see the place. I'm glad I did. Everyone is so friendly and there's lots of girls. There's too many to pick but I'd like to come back. How did you get a job reporting about strip clubs?"

The Night is Over but the Fun is Just Beginning

It's late and if I'm ever going to get some sleep I decide to leave but it will be a night I won't forget. From the dancers on down to the security staff, the servers, bartenders, everyone who made it a great night, this is what they do every night. Rick's doesn't have the pretention of other gentleman's club. It's a place for the high-class executive who hasn't or doesn't want to grow up and wants the freedom to be a big kid in the sexiest amusement park imaginable. But it's the staff that makes it possible, a staff that works and plays well together. No big, pumping security guys looking over your shoulder. Rick's is an institution that will change the way a gentleman's club is run in New York City and the rest of the world.