I’m a square woman who met a pimp in vegas who became my best friend for a year

Didn’t work for him, met in vegas on work trip and live across the country. I thought i’d never see him again so i played along with him assuming i was a sw (i’ve never done that). I went back home and he talked to me every day and sometimes for hours. He face timed me for a year and a half. He called me and talked for hours about life, philosophy, touring around the casinos, showing his hot tub, house, pool, showing the lifestyle i “could have”. I’m not materialistic, so it got more cerebral. It became about “freedom and fun”, an escape from the grind, endless escapism and companionship for the price of, “something you do for free anyway”. He said he admired my humor, honesty, intelligence. He wanted me to go stay with him there. I never went back. I liked the attention, and I felt safe enough being across the country. He came to my city twice and we spent time together. These were very impactful visits for me in different ways.

I had just lost my father before i met him. He told me all the details of his world. I would tell him I knew what he was trying to do with me, i told him i wasn’t in that world, he still persisted. I thought i was too smart to ever be susceptible. I’m not a victim of any thing. I liked him. He was my friend, even though I also knew he was probably a sociopath and his ultimate intention with me is not wholesome. He made me laugh a lot and we had interesting conversations and he did provide sort of a fucked up life coach figure. I can now completely understand how this happened and why it worked on me, and it’s not only being stupid/naive. I don’t think it’s “right” at all, but I understand now. It’s fucked up but it exists. He was also a colossal asshole with major psychological issues, but he was self aware. There are other things. The last time he was with me he took me out for pizza and ice cream the night before, after telling me the story of how his father abandoned him as a kid, told me he was going out for breakfast and to go back to sleep and we would go out later, when I woke up he was gone and i was blocked on every thing. It was the best thing he could have done for me. I’m in therapy now.