Friends With Extra Benefits

by Luke Young

  Natalie continued, “I’ve had calls from people who’ve read the book… I mean even the title screams that it’s about me. I practically invented the term, ‘The Leg Thing.’ That’s what everyone called it at school. She even stole the title from me.”

  Natalie squeezed the bridge of her nose as her eyes became weepy. She sniffled, and her gaze slowly traveled to Jillian as she curled her lip, fighting back tears. She glanced back to the jury with a puppy dog look. They were all with her, shaking their heads, frowning and glaring at Jillian.

  “You poor thing,” one female juror whispered.

  Josh said, “Okay, Natalie, are you aware of anyone else that either Rob Grayson or Brian Nash know who can perform this ballet move shown on the cover?”

  “No. There are very few people who can,” Natalie announced smugly.

  Nodding, Josh turned to the judge. “Your Honor, if it may please the court, we would like to demonstrate how Miss Brookhart can perform this ballet move and how it is identical to the book cover image.”

  Maxwell pondered this for a moment. “Yes, Mr. Roth. I believe that we would all like to see this.”

  The men in the jury all sat up just a little straighter.

  “Miss Brookhart needs to change into a leotard, if that’s okay. It’ll just take a minute.”

  Nearly every man in the courtroom moved to the edge of his seat with his eyes glimmering.

  Maxwell said, “Certainly. She may use the restroom attached to the courtroom.”

  Natalie stood and made her way to meet Josh at the plaintiff’s table. He pulled a bag from his briefcase and handed it to her. She headed off to the restroom as Jillian whispered something into Stanley’s ear.

  Two minutes later, Natalie appeared wearing a black leotard and looking absolutely drop dead spectacular. Slowly she waltzed her perfect rock hard body in her bright pink sock-covered feet toward the front of the courtroom. The men’s pulses quickened as they all stared at her. All women (well, except for two) looked on jealously.

  Glancing up at the judge, Natalie said softly, “I just need a minute to warm up.”

  He nodded while wearing an awestruck smile.

  Natalie brought one leg up halfway and held it for a few seconds and then returned it to the floor. Next, she repeated the identical stretch with the other leg. After taking a deep breath, she slipped down quickly into a perfect split. There was an audible gasp from the jury. After languidly stretching her body out along one leg, holding it briefly and then the other, she moved her torso back to the center and quickly popped up. The jurors looked on, impressed.

  She smiled. “I’m ready.”

  Maxwell said, “Proceed.”

  She glanced at Josh, and he returned an approving nod. All eyes were on her, and no one made a sound. Natalie stood perfectly still, took another deep breath, and slowly and gracefully lifted her right leg until it was pointed straight at the ceiling, while the other remained firmly planted on the floor but up on the ball of her foot. She held her leg there with one hand, almost effortlessly, as nearly everyone looked on, completely blown away, their jaws slacking.

  The male jurors’ eyes all got lost in Natalie’s crotch area as the fabric of her leotard struggled to cover all her important parts. Most tilted their heads, caught up in a dream-like state. Glancing at them, Josh held back a smile.

  Jillian scoffed, and Victoria held back a laugh as Josh walked slowly over to the flip chart. He asked, “Are you doing okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Natalie replied.

  Josh flipped back to the large image of the book cover as he said, “And once again, here is the book cover, so an accurate comparison can be made.”

  Most jury members’ eyes moved between the cover image and the live demonstration, although a few of the men never looked away from Natalie’s crotch as the leotard appeared to be slipping away right before their eyes.

  The judge took a deep breath as he glanced quickly to the flip chart, and then his eyes traveled slowly down Natalie’s lithe body. He sighed while a dreamy smile spread over his face. Shaking his head, he fought his way back to reality, painting on a more appropriate professional expression.

  Brian found himself staring at the demonstration, as well. For a moment, his mind drifted back to when Jillian had performed that move for him bare-ass naked, and while she held that sexy position, they had actually done it. Closing his eyes, he pictured the way her calf rested against his shoulder as he was making love to her on that spectacular day. It was a sexual experience he would never forget.

  He pulled himself from the fantasy just as Jillian turned to him and rolled her eyes. Brian shook his head in disgust, and they shared a grin.

  Glancing at her attorney, Jillian found him staring at Natalie’s body along with every other owner of a penis in the room. She scoffed and then bumped her knee into his under the table.

  Stanley’s eyes shot to Jillian’s angry stare. He shook his head and yelled out, “I object.”

  The judge gave Stanley a confused look as all eyes in the courtroom went to him. “On what grounds?”

  “I, uh… to the inflammatory nature of this demonstration.”

  Maxwell shook his head and grimaced. “Overruled.”

  All eyes returned to Natalie. Josh’s stare traveled down her body slowly. After ten seconds of drinking in her amazing body, he fought his way back to Earth and said, “Okay, Miss Brookhart. Thank you.”

  Natalie slowly returned her ceiling-pointing leg to the floor and looked up at the judge with a gentle smile.

  The judge stated, “Let’s take a ten minute recess while Miss Brookhart changes.” He leapt out of his seat and rushed to his chambers. He was glad he was wearing a big freaking robe.

  Brian stood with Jillian outside the courtroom. Leaning in close, he whispered, “When she was doing that, all I could think about was you in that position when we did it.”

  “Really?” Jillian grinned.

  “Yeah, I had to stop myself from thinking about it, because I was getting worked up.”

  Jillian wiggled her hips. “God, I just got wet myself.” She put her hand on his waist. “Maybe later you can help me work off some of the stress of the trial.”

  They shared a grin until Jillian’s smile faded. “Hey, have you seen Rob yet today?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “He was supposed to be here by ten.”

  Stanley Parrish walked up to Jillian and said, “Can we have a word?”

  Jillian nodded then looked at Brian. “Try to find him okay?”

  Brian said, “I will.”

  Brian headed down the hall as he dialed Rob’s number. The call went directly to voice mail, so he left a message. When he turned back to Jillian, Stanley was heading away from her and into the courtroom.

  Brian walked back to Jillian. “He’s not picking up. I left him a message.”

  She gave him a concerned look.

  He added, “But I’m sure he’s on his way.”

  “Yeah, maybe he’s in traffic.” She shook her head. “Stanley tells me I’m being called next. I’m not sure I can do this.”

  “You’ll do fine.”

  She stared up at him. He opened his arms, and she slipped inside.

  27

  Josh stood glaring at Jillian as she sat nervously in the witness chair. He paused a moment. “Ms. Grayson…” He grinned. “… or should I call you Mrs. Nash?”

  She squirmed in her chair. “I’m keeping my name, you know, for my career and—”

  “Ms. Grayson, isn’t it true that the Rebecca character in your novel is wholly based on my client, Natalie Brookhart?”

  “It is not.”

  Exhaling deeply, Josh flashed the jury a skeptical look before returning to Jillian. “Rebecca in your novel is an ex-ballet dancer, and Natalie is a ballet dancer, isn’t that correct?”

  “If you say so.”

  A few members of the jury held back a giggle, but Josh was not amused.

 
With an edge in his voice, he asked, “Ms. Grayson, in your novel is Rebecca an ex-ballet dancer?”

  “Yes.”

  “And are you aware that Miss Brookhart once studied ballet?”

  “Yes,” Jillian replied sarcastically.

  He continued, “In your novel, the Rebecca character was dating your Brice character, and you wrote how she attended his tennis match and then disappeared in the middle of it. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “And Miss Brookhart actually attended one of your husband’s tennis matches and, in fact, did disappear. She was also dating him at the time. Isn’t that correct?”

  Jillian widened her eyes. “She was dating him and half the men on campus.”

  Almost everyone in the attendance roared with laughter. The judge cracked a smile until he caught Josh’s angry stare and banged his gavel hard against the wood block. The room fell silent.

  Judge Maxwell said, “Quiet! I will have order in this courtroom.”

  Josh cleared his throat. “Ms. Grayson… and one of those men she was dating was your son, Rob. Is that correct?”

  Jillian glanced down at the floor then back up at Josh. “Well, yes.”

  “And there is a character in your book named Ryder, based on your son, who dated the Rebecca character. Isn’t that correct?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Josh smiled. “I’m going to take you through a few of the plot points and you just answer yes or no if these events are, in fact, in the book.” He asked snidely, “Can you do that?”

  She fought back an evil look as she replied, “Yes.”

  “Mr. Nash admitted to Natalie that he read a diary entry he believed to be about him, and in your novel Brice admitted the same fact to Rebecca. Is that correct?”

  Jillian grit her teeth quickly then composed herself. “Yes.”

  “Miss Brookhart can get into the ballet position known as ‘developpe leg devant ala derriere,’ and in your novel, Rebecca gets into that same position. Is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mr. Nash met Miss Brookhart at a Super Bowl party, and in your novel, Brice and Rebecca meet at a party. Is that correct?”

  Jillian gave him a tired look. “Yes.” She folded her arms and leaned back defiantly in her chair.

  Josh stared at the jury while wearing a shit-eating grin as he said, “Miss Brookhart drove to Miami during Spring Break to see your son, Rob, and in your novel, the Rebecca character drives—also during Spring Break and also to Miami—to see your Ryder character. Is that correct?”

  Jillian remained back from the microphone as she said softly, “Yes.” Josh returned his eyes to Jillian and waited with his eyebrows raised. “Could you repeat that?”

  She leaned in and said loudly, “Yes, it is.”

  “All right… And Ms. Grayson, even the title of the novel, The Leg Thing, is, in fact, derived from the name of Miss Brookhart’s ballet move.”

  “Well, yes, but—”

  “You stole her likeness without her permission didn’t you?” Josh interrupted.

  “I did not!”

  “Now, isn’t it fair to say that your entire novel is based on true events surrounding Miss Brookhart’s life, and you made no attempt to secure a release from her to use these events or her likeness?”

  Folding her arms, Jillian stared Josh down. “It is not fair to say.”

  “Well, then, how do you explain the title and the ballet move and the diary and the tennis match and everything else that—”

  “There is one thing that is based on your Miss Brookhart,” Jillian interrupted as her blood boiled.

  “Yes, what’s that?” Josh asked.

  “My Rebecca character is an anal whore, and so is your client.” The crowd gasped, and the judge gave Jillian a surprised look. The jury stared gape-mouthed at Jillian as she breathed heavily while glaring down at Josh as if she wanted to snap his neck like a twig.

  Natalie looked up, appalled, pointed at Jillian and screamed, “You little bitch!”

  Judge Maxwell slammed his gavel into the block twice. “Miss Brookhart, you will not speak in my courtroom unless you are in the witness stand.”

  Natalie stared angrily at Jillian. The judge asked sternly, “Miss Brookhart, do you understand?”

  Natalie shook her head. “She can’t call me—”

  “Ms. Grayson can say whatever she likes while she’s on the witness stand.” Maxwell made a face and shook his head as he glanced at Jillian. “Even if it’s to her detriment.” He returned to Natalie. “Keep your mouth shut now, Miss Brookhart, or I’ll have you removed.”

  “Yes, Judge.” Natalie sat back in her chair and stared at Jillian like she wanted to pick up the fight right where they left off in St. Barts.

  Judge Maxwell said, “Continue, Mr. Roth.”

  “Ms. Grayson, so not only did you create a character solely based on Miss Brookhart, but you also chose to paint that character in an unflattering light.”

  “That’s not true. The characters in my novels are usually a combination of my imagination with bits and pieces of some people I know, have observed, or may have heard about.”

  Sighing loudly, Josh looked back to Jillian. “How can you explain all the similarities between Natalie and the Rebecca character in your novel?”

  “Coincidence.”

  “Coincidence,” Josh replied as he nodded his head just staring back at Jillian. He turned to the jury and scoffed before repeating, “Just a coincidence.”

  “Yes,” Jillian shot back confidently.

  “The diary…” Josh held his fist up and counted the items off one-by-one on his fingers while speaking loudly with a sarcastic tone.”… the tennis match, the dating of the son, the trip to Miami… all coincidences.”

  “That’s right.”

  Josh studied the jurors’ skeptical expressions. He repeated snidely, “Okay.” He grinned then turned back to Jillian.

  “Wasn’t it true that you were upset when Mr. Nash left Miami with Miss Brookhart after he had begun an affair with you while vacationing in your home?”

  “We were not having an affair!”

  “Not having an affair.”

  “No, we weren’t.”

  Josh narrowed his eyes. “So, do you generally go skinny dipping with men you are not sleeping with?”

  Jillian’s mouth flew open as she stared back at Josh. She glanced at Brian, and he shrugged his shoulders, confused. She returned her gaze to Josh. “How did you—”

  “Answer the question.”

  “We were not sleeping together.”

  Josh grinned. “So, after you smoked that joint together, you were not swimming naked in your pool?”

  Jillian narrowed her eyes at Josh before glancing to Stanley for some assistance. He stared back at her, helplessly shrugging his shoulders.

  Glancing down at his legal pad, Josh began, “It’s all in the deposition testimony of a Miss Victoria Tamer… she is a friend of yours, is she not?”

  Jillian glanced to Victoria who returned an apologetic look and mouthed the word, “Sorry.”

  Josh repeated, “Is she a friend of yours?”

  Jillian paused and then said without a hint of emotion, “She was.”

  Several members of the jury chuckled and even the judge managed a smile.

  Josh continued, “Remember, you are under oath, Ms. Grayson.”

  After closing her eyes for a moment, Jillian stared back up at Josh.

  He began again, this time in a tired voice, “After you got high with Mr. Nash, isn’t it true that you swam naked with him in your pool and were so in love with him and jealous of Miss Brookhart that when he returned to college, you began to write a novel based on my client as an attempt to make her pay for stealing your—”

  “All right, the novel is based on her!” Jillian interrupted with her blood boiling over. “She’s a man-hating, manipulative little bitch. Her name was changed, the college was changed… no one wo
uld have known this had anything to do with her if she hadn’t filed this lawsuit.”

  Jillian took a quick breath. Everyone stared at her in complete shock as she continued her rant. “I can’t stand her. She’s a money grubbing, lying, spoiled little—” Jillian caught Stanley Parrish’s horrified glare, shut up, and closed her eyes tight.

  Widening his eyes, Josh glanced to the jury. He turned back to Jillian. “Thank you for your candor, Ms. Grayson.” He smiled brightly as he headed back to the table. “I believe I’m finished with this witness.”

  The judge looked at Stanley. “Redirect, Mr. Parrish?”

  “No, Your Honor,” Stanley replied sheepishly.

  “You’re excused, Ms. Grayson.”

  Jillian appeared woozy as she stood and made her way back to her chair. Josh slipped in next to the smiling Natalie, and they shared an evil smile. Natalie leaned over to Josh, and he moved his head closer to her. She whispered in his ear, “I’ve never wanted to suck a cock more than I do yours right now.”

  He turned to her with his eyes opened wide.

  The judge announced, “Mr. Roth, you can call one more witness before we break for lunch.”

  Natalie moved her hand to Josh’s lap and squeezed his penis through his pants. He nearly jumped out of his seat. He cleared his throat and began, “Your Honor, I would like to, uh, call—”

  Natalie leaned back over to him with her hand still resting in his lap and whispered, “I want to lick your balls, too.”

  Maxwell narrowed his eyes and asked, “Mr. Roth, your witness?”

  “I, uh…” Josh stammered as he took a quick peek at Natalie’s breasts. He glanced up to her eyes and watched as she licked her lips and mouthed the word now.

  He turned to the judge. “Your Honor, would it possible to break now? I, uh…”

  “For what reason?”

  Natalie pulled her hand from his lap as he replied, “I, uh, need to confer with my client before proceeding. We have what you could all a, uh, situation that needs immediate attention.”

  The judge shook his head. “All right, court adjourned until 1:15.”

  Natalie wore a grin and innocently folded her hands in front of her on the table as the judge left the courtroom. As the bailiff delivered instructions to the jury, she leaned over, cupped her hand over Josh’s ear and slipped her tongue inside. He held his breath, moved his hands to his pants for a quick adjustment, and glanced at her with a dreamy smile.