Not sure about bargirls, but I know a whole bunch of it-girls and professional girlfriends from back in the day that are very happily married, have children, and normal lives. Quite a few are close friends.
They all had jobs, even careers. They were choosy but were game for "taxi fare" and a few drinks if they liked you and you were single, but unavailable when spoken for. Quite a few are still friends today, others I bump into occasionally. Most are now in their late 40s and still looking alright.
This is pre-influencer OnlyFans days. That seems to have created a new variety of mercenary. Maube just because I'm older now, but the whole scene seems very different now. A lot of women seem to be straight up ho's or completely inaccessible. That delightful middle ground seems gone.