Legally Nude Ch. 12

When Kirsten sat back down at her steno machine, she was, as is customary, facing the witness, whom I sat next to, with her back to opposing counsel across the table. Kirsten gave me a wink and then swore the witness. I think that was the first time that I ever saw the oath administered by one nude lady to another nude lady.

Genny's deposition went the same as Scott's. Again, Jane didn't have anything to ask that hurt our case. Even Jane apparently appreciated the futility of her mission (or her client had tired of wasting money) because she concluded the deposition several hours earlier than she had with Scott the day before.

Kirsten dressed then packed up her steno machine and left. Carla had taken Genny and Scott to another room in our suite to post-mortem. With no nude females remaining in the conference room, Jane's client rep and her associate departed quickly, telling Jane that they'd meet her "back at the office."

Jane, however, lingered. Once we were the only people left in the room, she came around the table to where I was standing. We faced each other a few inches apart, me completely naked and Jane in another conservative dark suit.

"You know, Harry, when I agreed that you and your clients could be naked in these depositions I thought that I was setting you up to embarrass yourself. Instead, you, your clients, Carla, and your assistant have acted like normal people in a normal office working on a normal case. It's just that none of you have any clothes on. How do you do it? I don't think that I could."

"Jane, being naked around other people is only embarrassing if you allow yourself to be embarrassed. Once you realize that there is nothing to be embarrassed about, it is liberating and empowering and, frankly, a lot more fun than working in clothes. You should give it a try." Jane just made a "hum" sound and walked out to the elevator.

Not long after Genny and Scott's depositions, we negotiated a walk-away settlement. No money changed hands. Each side released all claims against the other and promised to play nice going forward. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.

A few months later, after the weather had warmed, Carla, Erin, and I decided to have a pool party at the house and invite the twenty or so nudist lawyers whom we knew of in the local bar. For yucks, we also sent an invitation to Jane. In bold print at the bottom of the invitations, we had written "NOT CLOTHING OPTION-FULL NUDITY REQUIRED."

Unfortunately, our party was largely a washout due to heavy rains. One younger couple showed up and our phone rang several times with others calling their regrets. Erin, Carla, me, and out two guests were sitting under a temporary tent having drinks when I heard a car on our drive. Walking through the rain to the other side of the house, I saw the headlights of a Mercedes coming up the driveway. The Mercedes parked in our largely vacant parking apron. Jane stepped out of the driver's door and another female lawyer from her firm stepped out of the passenger side.

In the heavy rain, the two ladies were swiftly soaked. It looked to me like neither lady wore anything under her top. Jane stepped forward and extended her hand.

"No one showed because of the weather," she asked. I nodded affirmatively.

"Perhaps that's best," Jane said a bit mysteriously. "You've only got skin, but our clothes are getting soaked. Can we get out of the rain?"

I led Jane and her younger colleague inside the house. I stopped and turned to face them. Jane held up her hand. "I know what you are going to say," she said. "We read the invitation, 'full nudity required.'" Then Jane smiled and said, "So, where can we put our clothes?"