The kissing booth had become the talk of the building, with water cooler gossip of women hoarding their money and private bets on which agent would make the most money individually and which team would.
Ezra's face had brightened as the word "bet" circulated, even though he denied starting it. Team Six was rumored to have contributed to a large pot betting on their group of muscled men to win and were heard debating how to spend it. Since Team Six was the least popular ATF team, other teams had jumped on board to bet against them.
Currently, the youngest ATF agent was the most miserable agent in the entire building. He was lying on the sofa in the break room with his hair held back by a headband borrowed from Laurie and a mixture resembling gray vomit on his face.
"JD, what in the world?" Chris asked, as he came in to refill his coffee mug. Ezra, Vin and Buck followed, open-mouthed.
"Help!" was the soft moan.
"Don't move, JD!" Josiah commanded. "You others, git! This will get rid of the big zit. After all, the kissing booth is in two days."
"Larabee, here's the report on the Atkins file," and two men stopped and stared at scene in the break room.
JD heard the voices and froze. It would have to be two members of Team Six: Team leader Patrick O'Brien and the biggest man and mouth, Lou Jankowski.
"Whatsamatter, Dunne, forget your bib?" Jankowski jeered.
"Maybe it's the latest beauty mask," O'Brien added.
"He don't need it. He's already a Pretty Boy." Jankowski sneered.
Both men found themselves surrounded by Chris, Vin, Buck, Ezra and Josiah. JD, humiliated and stunned, lay quietly.
"Careful, Larabee," Jankowski growled. "Any bruises and you'll have a harder time getting women to pay to kiss any of you."
Team Seven faces reddened at the implication they would lose a fight with the two Team Six men.
"Care to bet on that?" Ezra drawled, as Chris restrained Buck with a hand.
"Yeah. $700 says we whip your team."
"Done." Ezra answered.
"Give me the report and get out," Chris snapped. Jankowski and O'Brien left with big grins. Buck knew it would be less than thirty minutes for the encounter to spread throughout the building like wildfire.
"Shoudda let us punch them," Buck grumbled.
"No need for that," Ezra practically purred. "We'll hit them where it hurts the most – their wallets."
A sudden movement caught their attention as JD sprang up from the couch, running to the sink and vigorously scrubbing his face.
"JD! NO!" Josiah hollered, but to no avail.
"I'll never live this down!" JD wailed between splashes of water. "The zit didn't even show!" He toweled his face so vigorously his face reddened more than it had been from the embarrassment. He ran out of the break room and sounds were heard from a desk opening, a few exclamations and bangs and then a loud yell, "VIN!"
Vin, trying to sneak out, was suddenly caught and thrust up against the wall by a red-faced JD. "Now, JD, it was for your own good, didn't want you to be tempted with the kissing booth coming up," Vin tried to placate.
"It's all gone, Vin! My candy, my Twinkies, everything!" JD shouted as Vin broke free and JD chased him down the hall.
"Ten says Vin escapes!" Ezra waved the bill.
"Naw, JD's mad and he'll catch him." Buck laughed.
Ezra's face dropped as howls proved Vin had been caught and Buck snatched the bill from Ezra's hands.