We stumble upon a little town of Jerome by a lucky coincidence. We did not intend to stop here, nor did we intend to hang about. As we drive through, however, we can’t help but slow down, charmed by Jerome’s quirks. A stream-side open-air jacuzzi in a back garden, a nude sculpture on a side road, another nude bust in a gallery window… It looks like our kind of place, so we pull over.
Jerome, we learn, was once a booming copper mining town, and “the wickedest town in the West” (our instinct did not let us down!). As it’s fortunes turned, it then became “America’s largest ghost town”, to be then successfully re-invented as an artists’ heaven as retiring hippies descended there in the 80s.
As we explore Jerome’s nooks and cronies, we stumble upon “House of Joy“, a “brothel boutique”. It’s closed on Wednesdays yet we refuse to budge – we absolutely must have a peep inside. Luckily, it’s all local businesses here and owners John and Mary are nearby. We pull out all Coffee, Cake & Kink cards, they laugh and make us welcome. When they moved here from San Francisco (surprise, surprise), they bought Jerome’s historic brothel and re-opened as one naughty restaurant. As John shares the secrets of his perfect chocolate souffle, we immediately know why Conde Nast Traveller voted them one of the top 100 in the US… We laugh as he recalls “orgasmic” combinations of sex and sticky stuff, it all sounds all too familiar. Sadly, John’s motorbike accident put a stop to the restaurant and “House of Joy” now spreads joy of another kind, with Mary’s own range of cards, Betty Page bondage pics, toys and sexy knick knacks. We are especially intrigued by brothel tokens, and Mary treats us to one.
In the early days of the old West, we learn, when women were scarce and men, especially miners and cowboys, were young and full of vim and vigour, it was the solicitous and practical Madam who foresaw the need of catering for the unsuppressed desires of this neglected and lonely gentry. The big rush was on Friday and Saturday nights, Sundays were taboo. A customer purchased the token before ascending the stairs to the upper room, usually at the price of one silver dollar. It was then tendered to the girl of the customer’s selection, the usual receptacle was the girl’s stocking. Counting or “payoff” time was at daybreak when all the tokens were turned in for accounting. It was not uncommon for one girl in lush times to turn in as many as fifty tokens in one night’s work.
Cast from “House of Joy’s” original designs, ours entitles the bearer to “1 Screw, Bath & Beans”, in whichever order, although we are told girls liked to start miners with a bath. We love brothel tokens and wonder what would happen if we handed them out at Coffee, Cake & Kink to give to staff? Would it be a fun way to tip, or would we upset someone?
As we head out, we sense Coffee, Cake & Kink would work in Jerome, strangely enough. Whether or not Coffee, Cake & Kink would be welcome in any particular location is our personal test on how relax / open-minded any given place feels and Jerome passes in flying colours.
Beyond the mountains, in mining towns and throughout the dessert, multiple brothers flourish. We drive across expanses of Nevada and Arizona, spotting the ones discreetly tucked away like the “Shady Lady” Ranch, wondering at those erected proudly, the fairly tale castle-style, built with no seriousness of purpose other than having fun.
