Friends With Extra Benefits (30 page)

Josh glanced at Natalie and found her still
seething. Sighing, he looked down at the release agreement and
began reading. Moments later, he shook his head with a frown.
"There is no way you're getting off the hook for a quarter million
dollars when the value of future books in this series is worth at
least fifty times that."

"Ms. Grayson will be publishing the next book
with or without this release," Stanley shot back.

"Well, then, prepare for another lawsuit."

"Mr. Roth, bring it on. The publicity from Miss
Brookhart's first suit still has the book on the bestseller's list.
We're quite confident that Miss Brookhart is now herself a
celebrity as a result of this ordeal. And as a celebrity, we
believe that her image is fair game, and you'll lose at the next
trial. Either way, we would relish the publicity another
sensational trial such as this would bring."

Natalie whispered in Josh's ear, "They can't do
this, can they? She can't write about me again. I—"

Josh softly said, "Calm down. I'll take care of
this."

"We're going to require final approval of the
manuscript, and you're going to have to come up with something in
the seven-figure range for this—"

"Mr. Roth, it's not going to happen," Stanley
interrupted. "We're not turning over editorial approval to your
client. You have our offer. It's good until the end of the month."
He stood and Jillian followed him.

Josh rose from his chair and left Natalie
sulking at the table. Josh and Stanley shook hands. Josh nodded to
Jillian before she and Stanley slipped out of the room. Turning
back to Natalie, Josh said, "I think we can at least get them up to
half a million."

She stared at him with her expression
unreadable.

With a hopeful expression, he asked, "Would you
like to go to dinner tonight to discuss it?"

Shaking her head, Natalie gave him a tired look
before standing and heading for the door.

"Natalie... Natalie!" Josh called after her.

She turned back, "Are you like the worst lawyer
on the planet?"

"What? No, I... Look, we won and—"

"We won?" she said sarcastically. He opened his
mouth to reply, and she held her hand up to stop him.

"We didn't win."

"I'm sure I can get a better offer."

Natalie shot him a tired look.

"Dinner?" Josh pleaded pathetically.

Glaring at him, she slowly turned and left the
room.

Two days later, Josh sat in his office, wearing
a bright smile. He glanced at the clock then called out to
reception for the third time in the previous twenty minutes. "Is
she here yet?"

"Mr. Roth, no. She... Wait, yes, she just walked
in."

"Send her back."

Josh stood, straightened his tie, cupped his
hand over his mouth, blew into it, and checked his breath. He shook
his head with a grimace, thinking he should have skipped the
coffee. Quickly, he opened a desk drawer and fumbled for a pack of
mints.

Just as he slipped one into his mouth, Natalie
took a step into his office.

He smiled at her as he quickly tried to suck the
mint down.

"I..." he began then choked on the mint. Natalie
stared at him with an incredulous look.

He coughed, cleared his throat, then plowed
ahead, "I have great news."

"They increased the offer?" Natalie asked.

Josh approached her. "No, but..." She turned to
leave. He put his hands on her shoulders and guided her to a chair.
"It's better."

After closing the door, he swallowed the mint,
checked his breath again, and rushed to his chair. Josh sat down
and gave her a big, goofy smile.

She frowned. "What the hell is it, Josh? I hope
you didn’t bring me all the—"

"You'll never guess who called me last night
from L.A.?"

She gave him a tired look. "I don't know...
Snoop Dogg?"

Narrowing his eyes, he scoffed. "A Mr. Hugh
Hefner."

"No way." Natalie's mouth shot open, and she
moved to the edge of her seat.

Josh nodded. "Evidently, you have a big fan in
the Playboy mansion. They want you to be the centerfold in the June
issue."

"How much?"

He widened his eyes. "Seven-hundred-fifty
thousand."

"No freaking way." She beamed as she jumped up
and began pacing around the room.

"Heff followed the trial. He heard about the
pictures, and they want you do a nude pictorial of all the ballet
poses. Plus, they want to do a full article about the trial and the
book, all of it. This is big."

Natalie turned to him. "And the settlement?"

"They won't budge. But I read the release, and
it's fair. They've outlined how you'll be portrayed, and it really
isn't that bad. I mean, actually much better than you already were
in the first—"

"Stop talking before I walk out of here," she
said with a grin.

"Sorry... So, are you happy?"

Natalie gave him a sexy smile as she slowly made
her way to him. Rolling his chair out from the desk, Josh spun
toward her.

"I've missed you so much," he whined.

"I don't think I hate you anymore." Natalie
slipped down to her knees in front of him.

"That's, uh, good."

She placed a hand on each of his thighs and
slowly ran them up toward his fly. "Do you think you could get Heff
up to a million?"

Josh began, "I'm not sure if they..." He stopped
talking when she pulled her hands away from his pants.

She frowned. "Oh, I think there's room for
negotiation."

"There might be some," Josh said slowly.

Placing her hands over his growing erection, she
massaged it a bit. He closed his eyes as she unzipped his fly and
pulled out his manhood. She worked it until it was fully hard,
opened her mouth, and moved down until she was within a millimeter
of his hot flesh before she glanced up at him. "Tell me you'll get
them to a million."

Josh opened his eyes and stared down at her.
Natalie's warm breath tingled his sensitive skin. Her lips were so
close to it as she breathed out once more, waiting for his reply.
He fought to speak.

"Tell me," she repeated.

"Uh, I, uh..." he murmured as he wished he were
just a half inch longer, for then he'd be inside her lips.

"A million... Say it," she whispered.

He nodded, mesmerized. "I'll get them to a
million."

She grinned before wrapping her lips around
him.

The night of Victoria's birthday party, the
crowd gathered in Jillian's backyard out by the pool. Adam and
fifty of Victoria's friends were in attendance, and the event was
catered with delicious food and featured a bartender and wait
staff. Victoria was just entering her thirty first week of
pregnancy. Looking at her from the back, you could barely tell she
was pregnant at all, especially in her stylish, short maternity
dress. The front was another story. There, she carried the baby
beautifully in a fairly large, yet compact, ball.

Her breasts were, however, enormous. They had
somehow expanded even further since the trial. All the other women
looked her over jealously as nearly all the men who glanced at her
imagined what she'd look like naked. A few even enjoyed a pregnant
woman sex fantasy as they watched her mingle with the crowd.

Victoria and Adam stood together, chatting. Just
as the cake was being carried outside, Victoria grimaced in pain
and clutched her stomach. Adam grasped her elbow; she smiled and
shook her head as she rubbed her hand over her belly.

"Wow that was different." She exhaled deeply.
"It didn't feel like a normal kick by my little friend here."

He held her, and she was fine for a moment until
her mouth opened wide, and she doubled over again. Jillian rushed
over, concerned, as Adam put his arm around her waist and helped
her to a chair.

"I'm fine, really."

Adam and Jillian knelt down next to her as the
guests stared on in silent concern. Brian came over and put his
hand on Jillian's shoulder. "Is she okay?"

Jillian said, "We should take you to the
hospital."

"No, really I just need to sit for a—"
Victoria's words dropped off as she moved her hand down between her
legs. "I'm a little wet down here. This can't be my water, right?
It's too early for that. Jillian, what's going on?"

"Don't worry. Brian, get the car," Jillian said
calmly.

Brian rushed off as Jillian directed two male
guests to help Victoria to the driveway. Jillian sat in the
backseat with Victoria as Brian drove quickly to the hospital.

She was whisked up to the maternity ward, where
a number of tests were performed. Both Victoria and the baby's
vital signs were stable. Victoria had experienced a premature
rupture of the membranes, which led to a leak of the amniotic
fluid. She was given antibiotics to fend off any potential
infection and corticosteroids to help the baby's lungs mature
faster, in the event that a premature delivery would be
required.

Brian called Jim and updated him on the
situation. Jim was ready to get in the car and make the twenty-four
hour drive to Miami, but Brian talked him out of it. Brian promised
to keep him informed of any change.

Victoria spent the night in the hospital, and
her OB GYN arrived the next morning. Dr. O'Reilly met with the
staff doctor and both were in agreement that the baby was probably
going to come early and soon, but there was no way to know when.
Victoria remained in the hospital for one more night before going
to stay with Jillian and Brian, so she could stay off her feet as
much as possible.

The next morning during a routine exam, Victoria
was found to be already two centimeters dilated. The baby was
beginning to enter the birth canal and was in a good position for
delivery. There was no stopping it now. Brian called Jim
immediately, and twenty minutes later both he and Caroline were
driving to the airport.

As Jim and Caroline sat together on the plane,
he glanced down at her engagement ring and asked if she wouldn't
mind taking it off until they returned to Philadelphia. He
explained that he wanted to announce the happy news under less
stressful circumstances and Caroline reluctantly agreed. Just as
their plane was taking off, the two and a half pound baby was
delivered without complications. The lungs were only partially
developed, so the tiny baby girl was rushed off and placed on a
breathing machine. Victoria was able to only steal a brief glimpse
of her daughter before she was whisked away.

Jim and Caroline arrived at the hospital a few
hours later and discovered Brian and Jillian sitting next to
Victoria's bed as she slept.

Jillian quietly got up and met Jim near the
door. She gave him a big hug, and the four slipped out to the
hall.

"How is she?" Jim asked.

"She did amazing, and she's fine," Jillian
replied.

"And the baby?"

"She's on a breathing machine..." Jim sighed and
then rubbed his hands over his face as Jillian continued, "... but
the doctors think she's going to be fine."

"I have a daughter?" he began before his eyes
filled with tears. Caroline looked on, touched by his reaction, and
then moved close to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
She smiled up at him and placed her hand on his chest.

After pausing a moment to pull himself together,
Jim asked, "Can I see her?"

Brian nodded. "I'll take you."

Caroline and Jillian returned to Victoria's room
as Brian led Jim to the NICU. Before entering, Jim was given
instructions for proper hand washing and a hospital gown to put on
over his clothes. Once he was ready, a nurse escorted him to the
small isolette, where his daughter lay connected to the
ventilator.

Kneeling down, he stared through the clear
plastic to the tiny, beautiful baby with his eyes dripping and his
lip curled up as he fought to hold back his emotions.

The nurse said, "She's doing really well."

Jim nodded to her with a smile before wiping his
eyes. "Can I hold her?"

"In a day or two, probably, but for now, you may
hold her hand or stroke her head. A gentle, consistent touch is
what she needs right now."

"She's gorgeous."

"She is." The nurse smiled and took a step back
from him. Jim reached into the isolette and gently extended his
finger to her tiny hand. The baby reacted to his touch and wrapped
her little fingers around his seemingly giant one.

He blinked his eye, and a tear streamed down his
face. Moving his hand to the baby's forehead, he gently stroked her
skin. He ran his other hand over his face and stared at the baby
that he and Victoria had made and began to really lose it.

Jim said with his voice cracking, "Mommy and
I... are so happy that you're here."

He shook his head with tears streaming down his
face. He wiped them away and glanced around the room nervously.

The nurse spotted a doctor scrubbing up in the
outer room and said, "The neonatologist is coming in now to insert
a feeding tube. But you can come back and see her later."

Moving away from the isolette, Jim took one last
look at his daughter. He smiled. "Okay, thanks."

Victoria was now awake in her room with Jillian
and Caroline standing on each side of the bed.

Jillian said, "She's perfect. They think she'll
be breathing on her own in a day or two."

"I want to see her."

"You can soon."

Moving her gaze to Caroline, Victoria asked,
"How are you doing?"

Caroline chuckled. "Me... I'm good. How are you
feeling?"

"Tired. I'm sorry you guys had to rush down
here."

"Don't worry about it."

"I was hoping to put this off until you were on
Spring Break, but, uh..." Victoria widened her eyes. The three
women shared a smile.