by Luke Young
The four watched in complete horror. Victoria scrunched her face up. “Suddenly I don’t feel so bad.”
“Yeah, he needs some help,” Jim said.
“Jesus.” Brian scoffed. “He’s lapping it up like a starving Tom Hanks in Castaway!”
Jim copied the video files onto four small USB devices. Brian and Jillian took one home and locked it in their safe. Victoria locked one in her own safe and they gave one to Marci. The final copy remained in Jim’s pocket as they set off to prepare for the day’s shoot.
55
At just after seven that night, the production wrapped with Steve gathering everyone around for a glass of champagne. The crew of nineteen polished off six bottles as they celebrated. About ninety minutes later the last of the production staff left the house and all that remained were Victoria, Jim, Steve and Marci, sitting in the living room relaxing on the sofa.
“I think we’re going to be a hit,” Steve leaned forward, refilling his glass.
“Do you?” Victoria asked with a sneer.
“I really do.” Steve took a sip.
“Well, we saw the real show,” Victoria said.
“Real show? What are you talking about?” Steve let out half a chuckle.
“You know, the version where you trick my husband into getting a hand job from the porn star. The one where you make it look like he was coming on to her.” Victoria took a sip from her glass. “Oh and the one where you include all the footage of Rebecca accusing me. The one where I look guilty of murder.”
Steve scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I showed them the episode.” Marci glared at him, folding her arms.
“You did what?”
“I showed them the real episode.”
“Well…” Steve shot Marci a sneer. “You’re fired.”
“Fine.” The production assistant replied, taking a sip of champagne.
Turning his attention to Victoria, Steve rose to his feet. “And there isn’t anything you guys can do about it. I don’t care how many lawyers you hire. This show is gold and it’s going to air.”
“Oh, we aren’t getting lawyers.” Jim grabbed his laptop off of the table, pulled the USB drive from his pocket and installed it in the slot.
Victoria picked up the remote and flipped on the television. “We’ve been working on a little show of our own that you might find interesting.”
“Fuck you guys. I don’t care what you—” Steve stopped speaking when the image of the massage room appeared on the large screen. Everyone watched as Sergey stepped up to him and began massaging his buttocks.
“How did you…” Steve turned to them then returned his attention to the television.
“Wait this is a good part coming up.” Jim jumped ahead to where Steve was trying to force Sergey’s head down to this lap.
“You can’t do anything with this.” Steve sneered at Jim.
“Oh, can’t we.” Jim pointed to the screen. “And here’s the season finale. Not much of a cliffhanger, but pretty compelling.”
Jim flipped ahead to the image of Steve riding the dildo, climaxing then enjoying the result.
“Holy shit!” Marci exclaimed. “I didn’t see that part. Yuck.”
“Wait!” Suddenly really, really concerned, Steve put his hands in the air. “We should talk about—”
“And don’t think this is the only copy.” Jim held the USB drive up. “In fact, would you like this one?”
“No.” Steve shook his head. “What do you want?”
Victoria said, “We want final cut approval.”
“Okay.” Steve slumped down on the sofa, holding his head in his hands.
“None of that awful, fake, set up crap about us is ever going to be shown anywhere.” Victoria shot him a pointed look.
“And if it is, our episode is going viral,” Jim added.
“All right.” Steve stood and moved to within a few steps of Jim, glaring down at him. “The show would have been good. I know great television and I could have made you both stars. It doesn’t matter how you become famous. A star is a star.”
“We don’t care.” Victoria shrugged. “We’ll take our chances with the real show. One that portrays who we really are.”
“Fine,” Steve grumbled, turning to Victoria. “Then don’t expect a second season.”
“Good,” Jim said. “And Steve?”
When Steve turned toward him, Jim punched him right in the face, dropping him down to the floor in a heap. The producer curled up in the fetal position, holding his jaw and moaning.
Jim stood over him, glaring down. “And that’s for putting our daughter in danger with some porn star.”
Victoria looked at her husband, impressed.
“Now, get the hell out of here,” Jim said as he rubbed his hand, grimacing.
Slowly Steve climbed to his feet then made his way to the door.
The next day the ‘final cut approval’ agreement was signed and Jim made one last copy of Steve’s massage video, placing it in their bank safe deposit box. Within two weeks the entire eight-episode season was approved to air by TV’s newest potential reality star. While not all that compelling, it was honest, raw and Victoria thought, entertaining enough. With the ‘softening’ of the show, Steve’s production company lost the interest of their original network and were currently shopping the show around for a new partner.
Jim and Victoria received partial payment for their participation in the show with the final payments coming due only if the episodes were to air. No one was entirely hopeful that would occur, but at least they got a free kitchen renovation out of the deal.
56
Celebrating the couple’s exit from their all-too-real reality nightmare, Victoria and Jim invited Jillian and Brian over for dinner. They sat in the dining room finishing up dessert and enjoying a last glass of wine from their second bottle. All except Jim were probably a little over the legal limit, just a little, but luckily no one had to drive. Jim was staying sober just in case of an emergency for either couples’ kids. The twins were asleep in their playpen and Kaylie had finally conked out on the sofa after exhausting herself doting on and playing mommy to her two young cousins. She prepared the boys a pretend dinner, which they promptly launched back at her while giggling and cackling with glee. Afterward she mumbled something about wanting girl cousins, but continued to retrieve items the two little monsters would throw across the room, over and over, without fail.
Jillian emptied her glass. “It’s been a busy couple of months.”
“Tell me about it.” Victoria shook her head. ” We appreciate you coming over. We’ve been so caught up in our own thing that I haven’t seen you guys much lately.”
“I know.” Jillian nodded. “There was something I’ve been meaning to tell you, but…”
“Really? What?” Victoria asked.
Jillian sighed. “I don’t think you want to hear this. I don’t want to make you mad. We were going to tell you the other day when you came over for dinner, but you were so upset about the show and we just couldn’t.”
“Oh God, now I have to know what it is,” Victoria began “There isn’t anything you could ever tell me that would make me mad. I’m sure of it.”
“Really?” Jillian asked hesitantly.
“I’m positive.”
After taking a deep breath to summon the courage, Jillian began. “All right so Kathleen and I have sort of become friends.”
“Okay. That’s nice,” Victoria said. “I’ve been meaning to ask you how she’s been working out on the show.”
“Oh, she’s great,” Jillian replied.
“Good. Good. I can’t wait to see her in it.”
“So what I wanted to tell you was, um, I guess… yes, we are close… close friends I mean. She’s such a nice person.”
“Good.” Victoria smiled. “And I’m sure if I ever get to meet her I’ll think she’s nice too.”
“Oh, she is.” Jillian turned
to Brian wearing a distressed frown. “Isn’t she nice Brian?”
“Yes, she’s nice,” Brian agreed looking away as he avoided making eye contact with Victoria.
Victoria chuckled. “Okay, so we’ve established that she’s nice. What the hell are you trying to tell me?”
“She, um, she wants to have a baby and, um…” Jillian frowned slightly then continued, “… and we’ve agreed to help. I mean, Brian will, um—”
“That’s so generous of you.” Victoria sipped from her wineglass. “She doesn’t have any children?”
“No.” Jillian shook her head. “And she wants it more than anything.”
“So back to jerking off in a cup huh, Bri?” Victoria quipped.
Brian began, “I, um—”
“Wait, but I thought you said you were never going back to one of those fertility clinics.” Jim laughed. “Last time you went you were the construction crew’s main attraction.”
Brian stammered, “I was, but, um, this is different.”
“Different…” Jim’s eyes brightened. “Wait, you aren’t going to actually have sex with her, are you?”
“No. No. I mean, um…” Brian shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Victoria studied their guilty faces for a few seconds before opening her mouth to speak. After a couple false starts and a shared look of wariness with her husband she simply said, “You guys are acting weird. It’s like our bizarro world best friends are over.”
Jillian lifted her palms up. “Wait, I’m just going to come out and say it.”
“Good. Finally!” Victoria let out an exhausted sigh. “I was hoping you would while I was still young. Well, relatively young anyway.”
Jillian smile politely before clearing her throat. “Kathleen, Brian and I have been getting, um, very close.”
“Okay we sorta covered that already,” Victoria said.
“We, um…” Jillian looked her in the eye. “… we had a night together.”
“A threesome?” Victoria leaned forward, her mouth falling open.
“Yes,” Jillian replied.
“So you’re letting Brian deliver his sperm first hand,” Victoria began slowly with an edge growing in her voice with every additional word. “And you are participating?”
“Um, well, by participating you mean…?”
Victoria gasped. “I mean is this woman eating your pussy?”
Jillian’s eyes widened. “Eating? I mean, I don’t like to use—”
“Okay… I don’t care what you call it.” Victoria continued in a prissy voice, “Is she placing her tongue ever so tenderly on your vagina?”
Jillian shrugged guiltily. “Well, I…”
“I cannot believe this.” Victoria closed her eyes for a moment. “For years I’ve been trying to get you guys in a threesome with me and now you’re actually doing that with an actress who is playing me! This is fucking insane. I mean, what a slap in the face.”
“It has nothing to do with you!” Jillian pleaded.
“Oh, it has everything to do with me!” Victoria sneered. “It’s like those stories you hear about people breaking up with people and finding someone who looks like their ex and sleeping with them just to get over the heartbreak.”
“That makes no sense.” Brian rolled his eyes. “We didn’t break up with you.”
“Still.” Victoria folded her arms.
“Come on,” Jim said. “I don’t think that’s what they’re doing at all.”
“What do you know,” Victoria grumbled. “It’s just that I figured if you were ever with a woman you would be with me.”
“I understand.” Jillian nodded. “I just didn’t want to spoil our friendship.”
“Yeah, right…” Victoria emptied her wineglass then reached for the bottle. “You’re just not attracted to me.”
“I am. I truly am. You’re beautiful,” Jillian pleaded.
“Okay. Yeah. Right…” Victoria fired back, grumpily.
Jillian gazed at her friend with the gears turning in her head then finally she said mockingly, “So you really want to go down on me? All these years that’s been your desire?”
“I wouldn’t put it that way, but yes, I have thought about it.”
“I’m not all that,” Jillian began. “Brian, tell her it’s no fun to do that to me.”
Brian stared ahead like a deer about to be mowed down by an Escalade before chugging the remainder of his wine glass. With all eyes on him, he cleared his throat and began, “Well, um, yeah, I mean, some days it can be a struggle. Especially more so now with the babies. She doesn’t respond when I’m doing that. Hardly ever. I mean, it’s insane. I’m licking and licking and touching and fingering and it’s like she’s a zombie. I’m pretty sure I’m doing it right and I hear that normal human women actually like this kind of thing, but it’s like she has no feeling down there at all.”
“Okay.” Jillian shot him an angry look. “Thank you so much, honey.”
“You asked.” Brian shrugged apologetically. “I was just trying to help, but maybe I overshot the mark just a tad.”
Leaning toward his brother, Jim whispered, “Haven’t you learned anything about answering questions truthfully?”
Brian raised his palms. “I guess it’s the wine. Never go up against a tough question when you’re under the influence.”
The women simply stared him down.
Sweat suddenly pooled on Brian’s forehead. “You know, being married to a woman isn’t easy. You get asked these impossible questions and you get tricked into answering.”
“Right.” Jillian shot him a look which screamed he was never getting near her lady parts with his mouth, fingers or any other part of him ever again.
“Honestly, you seemed a little more into it with her,” Brian began. “I mean, when she was licking you. But you really seemed to enjoy going down on her. That I remem—”
“Brian!” Jillian interrupted then she turned her attention to Victoria. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“Yeah, okay.” Victoria refused to look at her. “Jim, do we have another bottle of wine?”
“I don’t think so.” Jim replied, a bit terrified.
“I thought I told you to be sure we had enough wine for our friends,” Victoria scolded.
“Sorry, I didn’t get a chance,” Jim replied.
“Well, I guess friends might be a strong word.” Victoria frowned.
“Look, do you want me to go down on you right here?” Jillian rose to her feet. “I will. Just hop up on the table and let’s go.”
The men instantly perked up, their eyes wide. They sat perfectly upright like a couple Catholic school boys with arms folded neatly in front of them. They glanced at each other before smacking their dry lips together then returned their attention to Jillian.
“You’re just saying that.” Victoria grimaced.
Jillian said, “No, I’m serious. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings and if you want us to experience that together, we can.”
“I don’t need your pity lick.” Victoria said. “I think we should all just call it a night.”
“Wait, I didn’t want it to be like this.” Jillian shook her head then shot her husband a frown. “Thanks so much, Brian.”
“Huh?” Brian’s eyes bugged out. “What’d I do? How is this my fault?”
“Oh, you know,” Jillian replied. “And if you really don’t, I’ll explain it in incredible detail later.”
“Great,” Brian grumbled. “Can’t wait.”
Jillian exhaled deeply, turning her attention to Victoria. “Do you want to know the truth?”
“I believe that I’m entitled to the truth,” Victoria replied.
“I think you’re beautiful and sexy, and I have thought about being with you in that way.”
“You have?”
“And while I was with her, my mind did flash to you on more than one occasion.”
“It did?” Victoria’s lips parted.
“Yes.” Jillian nodded. “But I really do think it could ruin our friendship and our friendship means so, so much to me.”
“It means the world to me too,” Victoria replied with her lip quivering.
Jillian shot her a sincere smile. “And I would never want to jeopardize that over a few minutes of pleasure.”
“Well, it would probably be more than a few minutes,” Victoria said smugly.
Jillian giggled. “You’re probably right about that.”
After pausing a moment, Victoria sighed. “I guess I understand.”
“Good.” Rising to her feet, Jillian opened up her arms to her friend. “Can I get a hug?”
“I’m not letting you leave without one.” Victoria stood and the two close friends shared a tender embrace as tears streamed down their cheeks.
Jim and Brian looked on smiling and shaking their heads, obviously moved.
Jillian pulled back from her friend. “You know I love you.”
“Oh, I love you too,” Victoria said, her voice cracking with emotion.
After a few moments of silence, Brian said, “Jillian, are you sure that you shouldn’t go down on her now? I mean, I’m touched and honestly a little turned on right now.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking that might not be a bad idea,” Jim began. “We’ll just sit right here and watch.”
Gazing at their husbands, the two women shook their heads, holding back smiles.
57
The call came in at 2:27 pm. Brian was in the middle of a tennis lesson at the club and a voice mail was left on his phone, by his lovely wife, which simply said to call her back. Unfortunately, after the lesson he ran into a group of three who had lost their fourth for a planned doubles match. He stayed on playing for two solid hours and it was the most fun he’d had on the court since, well, since Jillian’s extracurricular activities at home a couple months earlier. When he finally made his way back to his office it was just after 5:00 pm and he plopped down on his chair sweaty and exhausted.