Emily was ecstatic. She re-read the letter several times just to make sure she was seeing it correctly. Each time, she got more excited. Years and years of hard work had finally paid off. She got into Law School.
It wasn't easy to pay your way through Undergraduate school, which Emily had done by meticulous saving and working several jobs at a time. Even though she still had debt, she felt it was a manageable amount that she could continue to pay down in her early earning years.
Law School, however, was a completely different story. She had no idea how she would pay for this. The institution that accepted her did offer a small scholarship, but Emily would need to figure out a way to cover her expenses which will be plentiful.
But not tonight. She was too excited. She was going to go out with her friends and celebrate.
Then her phone buzzed as she checked a text message. Several text messages in fact.
Em. I miss you. I really want to try to make it work again.
She sighed. Riley again. They broke up halfway through her Senior year in college yet he continued to send her texts just like this one. She checked the others.
I have visions in my head of your gorgeous body. I keep picturing your amazing tits and how you used to wrap them around my cock
Emily shook her head as she read on.
You don't even realize how beautiful you are. Inside and out. You are perfect. Your body is perfect. Your smile is perfect. Please let's fix things.
Emily could not bring herself to ever allowing Riley back into her life. He was the one who made the decision to cheat on her with his ex-girlfriend. There was no forgiving that in her mind. She did, however, allow herself to be flattered by his words. Regardless of who it was, it was always nice to hear someone say she's beautiful.
"You can't be texting me this. I told you we are through. Please stop." She typed back. After no immediate response, she put her phone in her purse and got ready for the night.
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"We're so happy for you, Emily. This is all you ever wanted," Rebecca said with a smile as she and two other girls sat at a bar table with Emily.
"Yeah," added Christine. "You're gonna be a bigshot lawyer probably helping us degenerates get out of trouble someday."
Emily smiled. "Funny," she said. "I guess I'll have to concentrate on criminal defense law."
"So have you thought about what you'll do for work this summer? Going to law school in three months suddenly doesn't seem so distant anymore, does it?"
Emily shrugged. She hadn't given it much thought. She had all but accepted the fact she'd likely be bartending or waiting tables somewhere for low wages. The thought of it actually gave her anxiety. "I don't know guys," she said. "I think I'm gonna be fucked financially for a long time."
"Well, I know a friend at a staffing agency who is looking to fill a ton of spots at a resort in town," Christine said.
"A resort? So, like waitstaff?" Emily asked.
Christine nodded.
"Ehh," Emily responded. "It's such low pay. I wish there was something else I could do that could help out a bit more."
"No, not this one," Christine said with a smile. "This is a little different."
"How do you mean?" Rebecca chimed in.
"So I guess it's a really high hourly rate. And benefits and all that too. My friend told me $35/hour!"
"Shut up! For waiting tables?" Emily was shocked.
Christine nodded. "And bartending and whatever else they need I guess. But yeah, it's really good pay."
"That sounds either fake or just too good to be true," Rebecca said. "Not buying it. Where is this place?"
Christine now openly laughed. The others were perplexed. "What?" Emily said. "Were you joking or something?!"
"No, no, I'm not kidding. The place is... it's the place all the way up North Shore Drive. The one with the big gate."
"That's the nude resort, right?" Emily asked. They were all aware of the resort as it opened several years ago to massive pushback from the community. A very wealthy investor came in and opened a huge clothing optional resort. In order to get buy-in from the town, she offered to renovate three schools as part of the deal. It passed.
"It is," Rebecca answered. "Club Tranquil. Or Tranquility," she laughed. "Whatever. It's the nudie club."
Emily stared off in the distance as she thought about the position. It sure was a lot of money for working as a service person at a resort. And now that she was headed to Law School, she would need to get every single penny possible to not only pay off undergrad, but begin to pay down the mountain of debt she was about to be on top of.
"Emily's thinking about it!" Christine said.
"I can introduce you to my friend who can get you an interview if you want," said Rebecca. She clutched Emily's arm. "No pressure," she whispered. "Whatever you want."
The rest of the night played out with more drinks, some dancing, and some late night takeout. It was nice to be celebrating Emily's good news. But all night, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the position at the resort.
"Introduce me to your friend," she said to Rebecca towards the end of the night. "I really need that money."
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North Shore Drive was famous for its hotels and beaches that stretched for miles along the California coast. When Emily was a child, her parents used to rent the same house out every single summer not too far from where she was headed today. As she periodically glanced out at the shoreline when it was safe to do so, she couldn't help but feel nostalgia creeping in, remembering the lovely times she had as a child.
Club Tranquility was located all the way at the end of North Shore Drive, right before it became the state highway. The location had changed hands many times over the years. That was until Martha Grace, a wealthy businesswoman from Silicon Valley, marched into town with a vision of a clothing optional resort.