This one is almost softcore, so if you want more, you have been warned. Enjoy!
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Tara Benton read through the advertisement one more time. It started out just like any other:
Seeking: Advertising Director
Company: Fierce Feminism Media
Location: St. Albene, California
Compensation: 110k+, 401k and full health care benefits
Requirements: Fine Arts Degree preferred, 5+ years of experience in advertising (publishing and/or sales), ability to write and edit copy, proficient experience with Excel, Word and Photoshop, good with people
Tara was more focused on the more detailed pitch that followed.
FFM is a third-generation publishing company. With syndications in magazines, websites and a plethora of web, television and new media affiliates, FFM is committed to helping advance women's rights across the globe. Your role will be pairing FFM's advertising clients with methods that allow them to piggyback off our existing partner brands. With so many avenues of media and advertising opportunities, it is critical to maximize every clients' dollar. If you have experience courting clients, selling ads, being creative (yet also analytical), then you just might be the perfect fit. Apply online here, or at our website. Exhibitionists preferred.
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Tara kept reading those last two words over and over. What did that mean? "Exhibitionists preferred."? Was it a joke? Was it intended to mean something else?
Six years ago, Tara and her husband quit their day jobs and started a sports and fitness tabloid that served five counties in Southern California. They handled everything from selling ads, managing freelancers, writing and editing copy, all the way down to distribution. Their hard work paid off. After five years, they were grossing over 80 thousand dollars a month with a 20 percent net margin. Not too shabby for a couple of kids just out of journalism school. But that's also about the time that Tara caught Eric in an affair. It took over a year to get untangled from the shared business and the marriage. Tara took a one-million-dollar payout, knowing that fighting for more would take too long and Eric may tank the business by then.
After paying taxes on the money received from the settlement and the attorney's fees, Tara was left with just enough to buy a modest home in the heart of downtown, paid in full. She loved it there and wanted to experience the bustling, city life while she was still young enough to enjoy it. However, there wasn't much savings and Tara needed to work. She read back over the advertisement once more. To Tara, it sounded like this employer was a fairly small operation, but with a healthy number of clients. The work paralleled some her own experience. In her old role, Tara handled every kind of task that could relate to a client's needs. Still, she didn't understand what it meant by "exhibitionists preferred."
Ultimately, Tara disregarded the weirdness of it and customized her CV and cover letter, zipping it through the system. Two days later, she was pleased to receive an invitation for a personal interview. Even better, it was only twenty minutes by bus. Excitedly, she scheduled the interview and freshened up her portfolio. She had extensive samples of work, from designing ads, to full-blown marketing campaigns and more. She wanted to bring her best.
Tom Hastings seemed like a very nice man; mid 40s and he stayed pretty fit. Tara noticed he had no wedding ring. "Should you get this position, Tara, you will be taking the place of Erica Preston. Allow me to explain what she does. Some of our clients may benefit from advertising on multiple platforms and in multiple places. Maybe they are advertising nationally or regionally, but specifically to a particular clique or crowd. Erica's role is to find the best combination of media and messaging fit for each client. We use viral videos, celebrity messaging, video campaigns, print, radio, web, you name it. We spend a lot of time analyzing markets and then doing the best we can to place the most effective advertising, where it best benefits the clients and their prospective audience."
Tara sighed and replied, "Yeah. I suppose that might entail some things I'm not very familiar with, after all."
"It's not as hard as it sounds. It just requires some dedication and a bit of passion. Your portfolio is very impressive and you've worked many sides of this. Selling, designing, copy. I know you handled a lot."
"But it was much more limited in scope, and to just one publication. Not across so many platforms and options," Tara took another breath and smiled. "Nevertheless, the challenge of this sounds exciting. It opens so many opportunities for me to utilize my skillsets in various ways."
"That's good to hear. Tell me how this sounds. Should you work for us, you can work from home two or three days a week, but we expect you in the office on Mondays and Thursdays, as we prefer some meetings to be in person. We also like people to be here on some Fridays. That's usually the day we host our special events. The point is, we offer flexibility, so long as the work is getting done. When would you be able to start?"
"Sir, are you telling me I have the job?"
Tom shook his head, "Oh, no, I did not mean to imply that. Please don't misunderstand, Tara. I think you are a very good candidate. In fact, I think you may be the best I've interviewed so far, but I have five or six more people to interview."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I was ahead of myself." Tara was embarrassed, thinking she maybe jumped the gun a bit.
Tom held up his hand. "It's fine, Miss Benton. I'm sorry I came across sounding that way. No, I was only asking when you can start, as it might weigh in our final decision."
"Of course. And let me be clear, I can start immediately." However, there was one item still bugging Tara, so she finally broached the subject. "But... excuse me, but I must ask..."
"Yes?" Tom looked up.
"In the advertisement for this position, there was a note about "exhibitionists preferred."
Tom's face brightened, eyes wide and beaming. "Oh, yes. I haven't even gotten to that part yet. Are you, in fact? An exhibitionist?"
"Well, I... I, uh... by that... I mean, I wanted to ask you. What does it mean, exactly? Exhibitionists preferred?
Tom snickered and smiled, "That was something Erica told me to include. The girl we will be replacing."
"Erica?"
"That's right. You see, Erica loves flashing her breasts or tush, and it always makes my day. Kind of a fun surprise every time she does it. Anyway, I'd love to find a new partner who is willing to do the same."
"To flash you?"
"Yes, that's right," said Tom, smiling.
"That's completely inappropriate!"
"How so?"
"I mean, you shouldn't want women to do that!"
"Why not? Erica is gorgeous. Great body and she enjoys showing it off."
"You shouldn't talk about your female colleagues like that!"
"Why? I can't state a fact? A fact that she is aware of?"
Tom had Tara stumped, so she shifted the argument, "If some other applicant is equally as qualified as I am, but THEY are willing to flash their tits and ass, I bet you'd hire them over me. Right?"
"That's right. Why wouldn't I?"
"But what if they aren't as qualified, but they are still willing to show off their body? Who gets the job then?"
"I'm not stupid or shallow, Miss Benton. You'd get the job, of course."
"So ONLY if someone is as qualified as I am -- and IF they are willing to flash you -- then you would hire them over me?"
"Of course," Tom insisted. Tara was infuriated he was being so honest. He continued, "If a candidate is more qualified than you, I'd hire them before you... even if YOU were willing to get naked. I stated very clearly in that ad that exhibitionists are preferred. I did not say it was a requirement. Maybe you don't know me well, Tara, but my word is my word."
"Oh. Well, okay." She still felt like an argument could be made to the Department of Labor. "What if the applicant is I man?"
"And?"
Tara sulked, not sure what else to say.
"So I take it you are not an exhibitionist, then?"
"Well, uh, no. I mean, it never even crossed my mind to do such a thing. You know, like flash someone at work."
"I see. So you're probably not like Erica. She's a natural-born exhibitionist, that girl."
"I just don't understand why you would want someone like that," Tara pressed.
"Someone fun and pretty, who likes to show off their body? Not to mention, Erica is also very competent and accomplished. Why would I not like that? I mean, we work in a small office, often alone. It's quite fun when she strips naked."
"Strips naked?!"
"Or whatever, you know. She often simply flashes her breasts, but yeah, sometimes she strips off completely."
"I don't think -- if someone were willing to do that -- it should bear ANY weight in whether you would hire them."
"Well, it's unlikely. Like I said, Tara, you are the most qualified applicant we have seen so far. If you don't wish to be an exhibitionist, so be it. I won't let it affect my decision."
"But you said you had more interviews. What if someone more qualified comes in?"
"We went over this already." Tom huffed, painfully unhappy about this recurrent exchange. Tara knew Tom was about to end the interview. Without thinking on it, she started stripping right there. "Miss Benton, you don't have to prove you-"
Tara held up her hands. "You know what, Tom. You can cancel the other interviews. It's clear you believe I'm qualified. Not only am I qualified, I am also willing to do this. Exhibitionism. Why not?"
Tom buried his head in his hand, then sat back in his chair. "Miss Benton. You must know, first and foremost, I will never allow someone to be uncomfortable at work. If you don't wish to show off your body, it's perfectly acceptable."
"But it shouldn't even be taken into consideration when hiring!" shouted Tara, stomping her foot.
"I'm not sure I understand how you think it has been. I just told you... you are the most qualified candidate we have seen. Perhaps the most stubborn, too."