Naked Ambitions of Tiffany

Buckel Water Parks Inc was a corporation with big plans, and even bigger investors. It was all explained to Tiffany during a private office meeting.

"Would you be interested in different responsibilities?" the boss asked. "We like your speaking skills. It's refreshing and different than what we usually have."

She smiled, "Thank you. I'm ready for whatever you have to offer."

"Don't get too excited yet. This assignment was turned down by a few others in our company."

"How come?"

The boss leaned back and sighed. "Well, Tiff, we're focusing on more water parks, first and foremost. But our investors have sights on other things. Things which, as it turns out, have a very lucrative market."

"That sounds interesting."

"I'm talking about nudist resorts. Now before you say anything, just think about it. It's for adults only. It's also a water park. And most importantly, clients are willing to pay top-dollar for it."

The thought had taken Tiffany by surprise. Especially since her boss and the corporation had such a family oriented reputation.

"I'm not bothered by it," Tiffany said. "There's nothing morally wrong with a nude water park."

He flashed a broad smile. "Excellent. So you're on board so far."

"I'm not opposed to being involved."

"Great. Because we have property in northern California which we'd like to become our first nudist park. We have the designs, the plans, business strategy, everything... The problem is, we're having trouble getting permits because some residents are against it. You know, the religious Christian types."

"I see..."

Tiffany nodded and she tried to hide the fact that she was slightly offended by the boss's dismissive tone towards religious people. She was a devout Christian herself, which the boss seemed to have sensed.

"Not that there's anything wrong with Christians," the boss clarified. "But being denied a permit is obviously bad for business."

"We would need a strong PR campaign," Tiffany said after some thought. "Luckily, we're dealing with a small population, I presume. I was raised in a small town, so I know how things work."

"Go on," the boss said with a strong sense of interest.

"People in these areas are very community oriented. They participate heavily in the political process. Our best chance would be to set up a town hall, then plead our case to the people. We would have to explain that the general public will be shielded from the nudity and that everything will be tastefully done. Furthermore, it would greatly benefit the local economy and create good paying jobs. That should be the general strategy."

The boss's eyes widened. "My gosh, you're an angel."

"Not quite, but I try my best," she said with a cute perk.

"It's settled. You're officially the new liaison for this job. And I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Tiffany was taken aback. In a good way. She had been with the company for a few months and she was already thrust into a major role for a multi-million dollar development deal.

"I... I don't know what to say... wow?"

"That's a start," he nodded.

"What exactly am I going to be doing?"

The boss sat upright. "When I first pursued this development deal, I made the mistake of sending square businessmen to the town and our plans were rejected. This time, I'm going to send you as our representative. You would know how to talk with them. And I expect you to convince them. Tell them why this deal will benefit the town."

Tiffany sat expressionless for a moment.

"I've never been involved with this level of deal making before."

"Do the things you said. Set up a town hall. Talk to the people. Use your legal experience. Use your charm. Use your cuteness. Use everything. Just get us the permits."

"Okay," she slowly nodded, even though she was unsure of herself. "Am I supposed to do this alone?"

"No. I'll send you with Christine-Jade Wong, our accountant. She'll provide assistance and will brief you on the financial matters."

Tiffany felt a slight jolt at becoming a boss to someone else. She also felt a buzzing excitement being paired up with CJ, in what could potentially be an epic business trip.

"That sounds doable," she nodded.

Bold Plans, Naked Ambitions

In the small town where plans were being laid, Tiffany drove from their motel to the auditorium with CJ sitting in the passenger seat; a scrawny Asian girl with a big heart, brains, and a witty sense of humor.

They didn't know each other that well prior to this, as they were both fairly new to the company and they worked in different departments. But their relationship these past few days could best be described as sisterly mixed with mild flirtation.

After parking, the duo went to the trunk of the car to get their props. They had brought everything from display models, to boards, to hundreds of pamphlets to hand out to everyone. The town hall was starting in an hour and this would be their well-planned public relations attack.

They warmly greeted the public officials and then prepared themselves for the reckoning to follow.

"How are you feeling?" CJ asked, when they had a private moment backstage, while people were entering the auditorium.

"To be honest, an early retirement from legal practice sounds good right now."

"What is it? The crowd size or the fact that you're representing a nude park?"

Tiffany became tense. "The nude thing."

"Alright, I'm going to do something for you that will boost your confidence. It's my variation of a yoga meditation technique. Are you ready?"

Taking in a deep breath, allowing herself to keep an open mind, Tiffany nodded.

"I'm ready."

Putting her hands on Tiffany's shoulders, CJ grasped tightly. Their eyes were deeply locked and they were mere inches apart. They could practically smell the coffee aromas in each other's breaths.

"You've got this," CJ said with great confidence. "Ask yourself how you got here. Why did the boss choose you? Deep down, you know the answer. Now repeat it to yourself, over and over again."

Tiffany gave it a try. Being no stranger to basic yoga, she was able to maintain a focus and give in to the mantra a few times. CJ squeezed Tiffany's shoulders tightly again and gave a little shake so things would sink in.

"Phew," Tiffany exhausted deeply, putting her coffee breath all over her friend, who didn't seem to mind. "Okay, I think it's worked. I'm feeling a little better right now."

CJ smiled, "Now we're talking. And if it's any help, you look cute in that outfit. I'd say a lot of men are going to have secret erections while you speak."

"Umm, thanks?"

"Sexual confidence is still confidence. Use everything to your advantage."

When CJ winked at the end, Tiffany could tell that it was a genuine sign of affection. They truly completed each other on a major job like this.

***

There were more than 100 people in attendance for the town hall, which was more than expected. It shouldn't have been a surprise, since a nudist resort opening here was the biggest political topic on people's minds.

City officials stood at one side. CJ stood on the other side. The townspeople filled the seats and the rest stood in the back.

Tiffany stood behind the podium, facing the crowd. She didn't have a copy of the speech in front of her, since she always preferred to memorize everything. It made her speeches sound more genuine and from the heart.

Nerves continued to grow as the Mayor took the microphone and began the town hall. He explained the importance of a good debate and encouraged people to have open minds.

When the Mayor finally introduced Tiffany, she put on her game face, despite her uneasy feeling which refused to settle.

"Good morning," she said into the microphone. "I'd like to thank everyone for coming. These are important matters and I won't waste your time."

So far, so good. Everyone looked engaged and interested while Tiffany spoke. Her friendly demeanor appeared to relax everyone a bit.

She continued, "My name is Tiffany McAlister. I'm here on behalf of Buckel Water Parks Incorporated, which is a development company that builds, operates, and maintains water parks. As you're all aware, this company owns the plot of land a mile away from the lake and has plans to redevelop it. The future plans allow guests to be, well, less-dressed than the average water park."

There were a few laughs from the audience, but her 'less-dressed' joked bombed.

She forged ahead, "In other words, we'd like to build an exclusive nudist resort. It will be legal, safe, and anyone over the age of 21 will be able to join. I'm sure there are many fears amongst residents from what a nudist resort would do to a community like this. I'd like to ease those fears."

With the audience fully captivated, Tiffany gestured to the model images that faced the skeptical crowd.

She continued, "As you can see, this resort will feature state-of-the-art facilities for rest and relaxation. There will be places for guests to eat, sleep, and have a good time. The layout is perfect for swimmers and sunbathers, as well as people who just want to lounge in the water. The general public will be shielded from these activities. We will ensure that people passing by this resort will not be getting an unexpected view of these activities."

People continued paying sharp attention and some people even nodded. She felt her speech was working.

She continued, "There are many additional benefits to this community as well, in terms of job growth and increased tax revenue. If you turn to page 2 of the pamphlet, you will see that Buckel Water Parks plans to hire roughly..."

"It's a nudist resort!" a man shouted from the crowd. "We don't want that here!"

"And I perfectly understand that," Tiffany replied calmly. "We're doing our best to preserve the rich culture of this community."

An older woman stood. "What do you know about our community? Have you ever been here before?"

"Well... no... but..."

"So you're an outsider telling us about our community?"

People in the audience began talking over each other. Some supported the hecklers. Others were telling them to be quiet so they could hear the proposal. Others were supportive of the idea of building a nudist resort.

The Mayor interjected himself into the debate and appealed for calm. The crowd listened when the Mayor told everyone to speak in an orderly manner, and to give Tiffany a fair chance to respond.

Tiffany took a deep breath. "I'm also a resident of California, if that helps. I was raised in a small town, just like this one. I understand what these issues mean. And I wouldn't be part of this unless I thought it would be beneficial to your community."

"How?!" a woman shouted.

Beads of sweat formed underneath Tiffany's shirt.

"Well, I never had a chance to mention the financial benefits that a nudist water park would bring. Particularly, we would be hiring..."

A man stood and shouted, "We don't profit from sin! We're a Christian town and we respect traditional values!"

There was more rumbling within the crowd, which the Mayor was able to quell, and the people calmed down.

Tiffany responded, "Sir, I can assure you, there's nothing immoral about adults wanting to be bare. It's perfectly natural. I understand that it sounds indecent and obscene, but the reality is, nudists are just normal people. There should be nothing wrong with consenting adults wanting to relax in a certain way."

"You say it's not immoral, but what about the sex toys in the proposed facility? It sounds like a sex party to me."

Tiffany looked puzzled. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm not familiar with what you're talking about. I haven't seen any plans regarding sex toys."

"The last group of representatives came to this town with a sex device," the man said angrily. "They said it was going to be part of the facilities."

Tiffany shook her head. "Sir... I can assure you... I've never heard of any such..."

"She's lying!" another man shouted.

"Our town isn't for sale!" an elderly woman yelled.

Someone screamed, "If it's NOT obscene, then why don't YOU try it?! Show us that it's normal! Then we'll believe you!"

"We don't want sinners coming here every summer!"

"Summer vacations shouldn't be ruined by nudists!"

The crowd erupted in a much louder manner. Some were in favor of the development deal. But a vocal group was staunchly opposed.

It became chaos and the Mayor ended the discussion for the day. He told everyone to come back tomorrow at the same time. He then scolded members of the audience for not being respectful to the guest.

***

Tiffany leaned against the wall. She was in the backroom of the town hall building. Tears were in her eyes and CJ tried to console her.

"Forget it," CJ said. "You did the best you could."

"I feel like such an idiot," Tiffany replied, struggling to speak. "I've never been so humiliated in my life. I'm going to be fired. I know it."

She cried a little bit and put her hands over her face. When she got a hug from CJ, it helped.

Taking the phone out of her pocket, Tiffany called her boss and gave a quick summary of the catastrophe which had just taken place in a public setting.

"Everything was going so well," Tiffany further explained on the phone call, while fighting back tears. "I felt that I was engaging the audience. I hit every note perfectly. But before I could make the important economic arguments, people started shouting at me. It was horrible."

"Oh my god," the boss sighed. "I was so sure that you'd succeed."

"Well you were wrong. This is the worst day of my life."

There was another pause on the line. Both of them were speechless. There wasn't much to say.

"Is there a backup plan?" the boss asked.

"The Mayor is speaking privately with city leaders right now. He'll give me an update soon."

"That's good news," the boss replied. "The deal is still in play."

"Why didn't you tell me about the sex toys?"

"The what?"

"The sex toys," Tiffany said slowly. "The last team that came here showed them around. There are still some in the building. I saw them."

The boss paused for a moment. "Oh, that. We're not entirely sure if we'd still use them. I figured we shouldn't mention it again."

"I got ambushed. Plain and simple. I should have been a lot more prepared. You should have told me."

"I apologize for that, Tiff. That's my fault."

Tiffany calmed down. "Can we talk later? The Mayor is coming over here."

"I wish you the best of luck."

The call ended and Tiffany and CJ stood upright for the Mayor who was approaching them. Wiping the last of her tears, Tiffany put on a brave face for this important conversation.

"Don't be discouraged," Mayor Lagassi said in a steadfast manner. "It's just that people here are very passionate about their community. These are people who want a quiet life. They don't want the hassle of big city, and they certainly don't want nudists coming here. I deeply apologize for things getting so out of hand."

"It's not your fault," Tiffany replied, shaking her head. "I honestly thought I could do it, but I can't. It's useless. Sorry if we've wasted your time."

"Don't give up. We're old fashioned people. But just because we're conservative and religious, doesn't mean that we're all closed minded. Many of us want this nudist park here. Believe it or not, my wife and I are eager to join."

"Really?" Tiffany asked, surprised by the revelation.

"What I'm saying is, I've managed to convince the dissenters that the proposal is a great idea because of jobs and tax revenue. I've also explained that the nature of this community won't be negatively impacted."

"What are you saying?"

The Mayor gave a heavy sigh. "We might have enough votes to give you the permits, but there's a massive condition."

"Can we get to the point, please?" Tiffany asked. "What's the condition?"

"The people want to know that Buckel Water Parks aren't hypocrites. More importantly, they want to know that you aren't a hypocrite. They want to know that you practice what you preach."

Tiffany crinkled her nose. "Point?"

"The point is, they want you to get naked during the next town hall."

The cute face disappeared. "Are you serious?"

"I tried my best to reason with them. Believe me, this is the only way to get the necessary votes. It's the only option."

"Naked? Me? Is that what you said?"

"Completely," he confirmed.

"In the next town hall meeting?"

"In front of all those people," he confirmed again.

"Why?"

"As I've said, they want to know you aren't a hypocrite. If nudity isn't a big deal, if it's so natural, and if it's not obscene, then they want proof from you, since you're the face of the business now."

"Well, I'm officially jobless then," she groaned.

"Now wait a minute. You can't just quit. You can't. What sort of example would that set for young, up and coming business women?"

"Other business women don't have to get naked."

"Irrelevant," he replied. "Obviously this is your decision, and your decision alone. But remember, if you quit now, it's a decision you may always regret. Be strong. Set an example."

"Public nudity isn't my specialty, Mayor Lagassi."

"There's also one other thing that the Council wants."

"There's more?" Tiffany asked incredulously.

"Some of the city leaders feel that the sex toys are an obscenity. They feel that it will lead this town on a sinful path. So they want you to prove that it's natural."

"What kind of people are they?!"

"They're good folks, I can assure you. I tried my best to reason with them and this is the only deal on the table."

"I guess I need a new job then," Tiffany shrugged with a voice that was almost cracking. "Thanks for all your help. It was great meeting you."

The Mayor shook his head with disappointment. "Well, I don't blame you, Ms. McAlister. I just wish you the best in whatever you decide.

After shaking hands with both of them, the Mayor walked away.

While watching the back of the Mayor's suit as he left the conversation, an epiphany came to her:

This was her job. She made a commitment to her boss. She was determined to succeed. And her desire was ironclad.

She stood there feeling like an action hero who had just suffered a major defeat, only to regain composure to win at the end. The only problem was making her body comply with her mind.

Town Hall Exhibitionism

They sat down and had blueberry muffins and coffee for breakfast. Supposedly, it was the specialty of that town. But the food they ate wasn't on their minds.

"Are you kidding?" CJ asked in disbelief.

"I'm not the type of person that pulls gags. I'm being serious about this."

Tiffany casually ate another bite of the muffin and took another sip of her hot coffee.

"You're actually going to do it?" CJ asked. "All of those conditions?"

Tiffany nodded. "Being stubborn runs in my family."

"You're braver than a superhero," CJ said in awe.

For a moment, they laughed at the ridiculousness of that statement and everything they had just been discussing. Reality swiftly returned and their smiles slowly faded away. This was serious business, no matter how they tried to dress it up.

"That's assuming my body will allow it," Tiffany clarified. "Who knows, I might faint in the process."

"Luckily I know CPR."

"That's reassuring," Tiffany winced. "But if you want to leave, that would be understandable. I think that might even be better."

CJ's eyes made a sad expression. "Are you kicking me out?"

"No. Gosh no. I would never do that. I just think this might... you know... be really uncomfortable for you."

"The nudity aspect?"

Tiffany nodded. "Yeah."

"There's a lot you don't know about me."