Emily brushed a strand of loose hair from her cheek as she stepped into "Nail Envy", the tiny but buzzing nail salon tucked neatly between the vintage bookstore and a quirky bubble tea shop just off campus. She wore a confident smile, her lightly tanned skin catching the golden afternoon light. Summer break was ending, and with it came the return to student life, lectures, library haunts. And, of course, hallway admirers. Not that Emily tried. She was effortlessly stylish, always with a calm grace that turned heads without a word.

She had one tradition before every new semester: perfect nails.

"Emily! Back just in time," chirped Lana, the owner of Nail Envy, setting down a bottle of shimmer polish. "I've been waiting for you. Got a surprise, actually."

Emily slid into her usual chair, crossing one elegant leg over the other, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. "A surprise?"

"Yes! There's been an offer running over the summer. A local businessman sponsored five full nail makeovers. We've had four lucky winners so far, but there's still one spot left."

Emily grinned. "Sounds amazing. What's the catch?"

Lana leaned in a little, playful. "Two small things. First, you need to answer three fashion-related questions correctly. And second you get a sweet treat as a final "reward"." She even mimed the quotation marks.

Emily chuckled. "Sweet treat? That sounds tasty!"

"Do you have plans after this?"

Emily shook her head. "Nope. Just heading home. Why?"

"Good!" Lana answered, almost a bit too quickly. "I mean, just so you can enjoy the prize fully without any rush" she added, while looking slightly unsure of herself.

Emily hesitated, but only for a moment. "Free nails? Let's do it. Hit me with the fashion questions."

Lana's eyes sparkled. "Alright, question one: Which luxury designer is famous for red-soled shoes?"

Emily scoffed. "Please! Christian Louboutin."

"Correct! Number two: Which brand's logo is two interlocking Gs?"

"Gucci," Emily answered confidently.

"Last one: Which celebrity launched a billion-dollar cosmetics line called 'Kylie Cosmetics'?"

"Kylie Jenner," Emily said, practically rolling her eyes.

Lana clapped. "And that's three for three! I knew you'd know your fashion and beauty! You're officially our final winner!"

Emily smiled. "Time to make me look fabulous!"

Over the next hour, Lana worked her magic. Emily chose a soft nude polish - classy, understated, effortlessly chic. As the color dried under the UV lamp, she admired the elegant finish. It complemented her lightly tanned complexion and nude lip gloss perfectly. The polish had just enough shimmer to catch the light and the almond shape was polished to perfection.

"I swear, Lana, you're an artist."

"Well, I do have my moments," Lana replied modestly. "Now, time for the last part of the prize."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "The sweet treat?"

"Yep. But first, let me take a quick photo of those nails for the salon's socials."

Emily held out her hands delicately, tilting her wrists and flashing a soft smile. Lana snapped a few photos, satisfied.

"Alright," Lana said, "Time for the grand finale. Take a seat in that chair over there."

Emily walked over, still amused, and sat down. The chair was oddly cushioned, more like a prop than furniture. She looked around. "What exactly is this treat?"

Lana disappeared into the back room. "Just wait "

When she returned, Emily's eyes widened.

Lana was holding a massive custard pie.

"No way," Emily said, laughing nervously. "That's not serious right?"

"Oh, it's very real," Lana replied. "The businessman who funded this insisted every winner get a custard pie to the face as part of the fun. Some silly tradition, apparently. All in good spirit!"

Emily blinked. "That wasn't in the fine print!"

"Hey, I gave you a chance to back out," Lana said with a grin. "And don't worry, every girl before you got pied too. Consider it a ... messy rite of passage."

Emily looked at her perfectly made-up face in a nearby mirror, then glanced at the glistening pie - golden crust, thick yellow custard practically wobbling. She wouldn't have minded eating a slice, but the thought of wearing it felt completely different.

Emily groaned, sighed dramatically, then smiled. "Okay. But be gentle with me!"

Lana laughed. "Atta girl."

Emily closed her eyes tight, bracing herself.

SMUSH!

Emily felt the custard caress her skin with a slow, cool, ozzing sensation. It slipped slowly down her cheeks, clinging to her lashes, and dripped slowly onto her bare shoulders. Her elegant updo got a generous helping of the slimy filling, and a thick dollop splashed onto her nose, making her squirm in the chair, her hands waving helplessly around in front of her face

"Ewwwww!" she squealed through the mess. She finally had some sense of control over her hands again, and brought her perfectly manicured nails up to her face, carefully wiping the thick sweet goo away from her pretty eyes.

Lana was cackling. "You look incredible! Don't move - I need another photo!"

Emily posed again, reluctantly but laughing, her once-polished exterior now covered in thick, sweet custard. Her glossy lips peeked through the yellow mess, her hair with highlights of shiny yellow pie. Even under the splatters, her charisma shone through.

"Please tell me there's a towel," she said.

Lana handed her a warm cloth and a bottle of water. "You've officially been initiated."

Emily cleaned herself off the best she could, still giggling with the shock. "I'll never trust the words 'sweet treat' again."

As she patted her face dry, she glanced toward Lana. "So who is this mystery businessman?"

Lana shrugged. "No idea. He never gave his name. Just called in, paid upfront, and insisted on the same rules. Said we could use any photos we took in our marketing - it's created a bit of a stir locally"

Emily raised an eyebrow. "And you couldn't tell me the full details beforehand?!"

"I mean, I could. But where would have been the fun of the experience in that?!"

Emily laughed as she gathered her things. Her nails, at least, were flawless. And she'd definitely have a story to tell when the semester started.

As she walked out of Nail Envy, she turned back and smiled. "Hey, Lana?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time, I'm bringing a raincoat."

*****

Later that week ...

Back in her dorm, Emily scrolled through the salon's Instagram page. Her photos had made it. First, a gorgeous close-up of her nude manicure, and then ... the pie shot! Her face mid-laugh, smeared with custard, as was her otherwise perfect hairstyle. The caption read: Our fifth and final fashion queen! Congrats, Emily!

Emily rolled her eyes, smiling.

Then she paused.

A comment sat under the post.

"Bravo, Emily. A perfect finish. "

She tapped the profile. Private.

Emily leaned back, thoughtful. Mysterious businessman or not, she had her nails done, a funny story to tell, and an oddly satisfying ending to her summer!