She looks through the on-line job listings

"What's with all the pop-ups?" asked Alice once she logged onto the computer terminal that had been assigned to her.

"Oh, it's an old system," said Marian, the ever-watchful librarian. "So the pop-up blockers don't always work as well as they should. The price you pay for using a publicly-funded computer system, don't you know?"

"What site do I have to go to find a job in this city?" asked Alice.

"ENF dot.com," said Marian.

"ENF?" asked Alice.

"Employed New Females," said Marian. "The standard employment site for female newcomers to our fair city."

"Don't you have a site that's more -- you know -- co-ed?" asked Alice.

"Yes, but most of them require a fee before you can sign onto them," said Alice. "A large fee. ENF dot.com doesn't do that -- which is a good thing for you."

"I guess," said Alice, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"What kind of job do you want?" asked Marian.

"Lab assistant," said Alice.

"Very well," said Marian.

Marian typed in some words and then cried, "Voila!"

A long list of job listings came up.

Wow! thought Alice. With this many possibilities, I'll find a job in no time.

Then she started reading through them. Not one of them asked for a mere lab assistant. Instead almost all of them asked for a lab assistant who was willing to double as a laboratory test subject. And the condition most often attached to such listings was inevitably "Must be willing to go nude."

"Really?" asked Alice.

"If you were that prudish, perhaps you have stayed in your home town," said Marian.

"But you get to wear clothes," said Alice. "Why can't I get a job like yours?"

"Do you have a degree in library science?" asked Marian.

"No," admitted Alice sheepishly.

"That's why," said Marian. "If you had planned ahead with your education, you would have a nice cushy job. But no, you young girls have no idea what sacrifices most women have to make in order to have a job that allows them to cover their breasts and their vagina."

"I thought you liked being naked," said Alice.

"Sure I do," said Marian, with a roll of her eyes. "Now. When I have a choice. It's not so bad going naked when you have a choice. But not everyone gets such a choice."

Alice noticed that Riley had gone silent and that was up to her to ask the next question.

So she asked. "So what happened?"

Marian just looked at her with a sad smile. "Someday when I know you better, I'll tell you. But for now, let's find you that job."

Marian hurriedly scrolled through the listings and then paused.

"There," she said. "There's a listing that does not require nudity. In fact, they encourage you to come in fully dressed."

"Thank God!" exclaimed Alice.

Then, after taking a quick glance at Marian, Alice muttered, "No offense."

Marian just replied, "None taken."