Love shack

Greg Peters cut his teeth as a salesman, and he's owned a handful of businesses over the years, including a dog kennel and a restaurant. The newlywed dad now mans a pair of Adam & Eve franchises in Reno and Carson—colorful stores that runneth over with lingerie, adult toys, sexy bridal and Burner gear, and extras such as therapeutic lubricants for women who are recovering from cancer. Women and couples are the bulk of Adam & Eve customers, actually, and Peters says 60 percent of patrons are female. Men are welcome too, of course, and some ask Peters for rather personal advice. He's happy to dish it out.

So you say you save marriages? Tell us about that.

A hero story I have: This guy and this gal came in, and they didn’t want to talk, and part of our job is to get people to open up and tell us what they’re trying to accomplish. So he finally opened up, and he said, “Greg, I had prostate surgery eight months ago. I’m never going to be able to ejaculate again. I can get it up, but I have trouble keeping it up.” And I said, “OK, let’s start with a movie, some bath salts, do some massage, try a [supplement] pill, a penis pump, a cock ring.” He calls a week later and says, “Greg, you saved my marriage.” I was like, “Yes!” That’s why we pride ourselves on the educational side. We have an education night the third week of every month … People come in and learn something. A couple weeks ago, we had The Safety Side of BDSM. We had a dominatrix here, Michelle [McHardy], who actually teaches some sexual health stuff at UNR. She knows what she’s doing.

Helping people as much as you do, does anything shock you anymore?

Ha! Oh, yes. People use their bodies in all kinds of ways. This was shocking: A guy walks in and goes over to our lube bar [then proceeds to squirt the product into his hand], and goes, “Can I use your bathroom?” It’s like, “Nooo!” That sort of thing really doesn’t happen often, though. We call them creepers, and we really don’t get the creepers too much. But one of the craziest things I’ve heard to date—OK, did you see Meet the Fockers, with the fake boob to breastfeed the kid? So there's these fake boobs, and a guy wanted one of those. And I said, “I don't really have that. You can try a maternity store or something, but why?” He said, “Well, we're into infantilism … .” We don't judge. Whatever turns you on. I don't care.

What would you suggest for a person or couple who’s new to this sort of thing?

There are a lot of guys out there who feel like a toy is going to replace them, and that is absolutely not true. There’s so much more about sex for a woman. For guys, it’s more about getting your rocks off. Can a woman have an orgasm with just a vibrator? Of course, but it’s not the same. There’s no connection. So, something simple like a [vibrator] is the easiest way to start. Or a cock ring. They’re all a little bit different. …

How’d you get into this, anyway?

I was looking for a business to start, and thought this would be a perfect fit. And it is. I love it.

So what else can our readers know about you?

I recently got married, and I have a couple of kids. They’re 11 and 17, and they’re not involved in the business. They know we have it, but they’ve never been inside the store.

Do they know what kind of store it is, though?

It’s not really discussed. If they ask, it’s a lingerie shop, a little clothing boutique, and they’re just not allowed in. But my daughter, she’ll be 18 soon, and she has a very good idea, if you will. She’s apparently proud of it. She’s told a few of her friends at school, which we’ve told her not to do—don’t involve other people in our business.

Can I print that?

Sure.