Saturday, the booths were set up and as luck would have it, Team Six was across from rival Team Seven. While all of Team Six appeared ready, willing, and eager, Ezra had to "encourage" Team Seven to come out. Chris came out with a black shirt and black jeans, very edgy. Vin came next, representing rugged and outdoorsy. He had a hat, fringe jacket and tan pants and boots. Nathan wore a tight red t-shirt and pants that emphasized his muscular frame. Josiah was casually attired with his cross hanging from his blue shirt. His hair and beard were trimmed. "Safe and fatherly," was Ezra's thoughts. Ezra himself dressed as a debonair gentleman. Ezra was there to attract the cultured women, Josiah the older ones (Josiah had thanked Ezra wryly for this). Nathan's tight t-shirt emphasized his muscles, much to Rain's obvious displeasure. Vin was the cowboy type; Chris the dangerous bad-boy type; Buck groomed casually to enhance his natural charm.
All of them were definitely counting on ladies' man Buck to bring in the volume and the money. And five of the seven were pretty happy with their choices.
"Where's JD?" Buck asked.
Ezra went back to drag the youngest agent to the booth. JD looked mid-teen with an oversize shirt and torn jeans and tennis shoes. JD was to represent the innocent, non-threatening one and much to his discomfort, he did. One look at the broad grins of Team Six, and JD's misery was complete.
Of course, Jankowski was the first to yell, "Hey, Kid! Junior high is down the block!"
JD glared angrily at Ezra. "You look fine, my young friend."
"Dunne!" Trey Morgan hollered. "You aren't allowed to go after grade schoolers!"
"That's all that will look at me," JD moaned to the others.
"Just remember it's only for four hours," Ezra consoled. "One of us needed to look non-threatening and very young, and you obviously fit the description."
"For once I'd like to be the dangerous one, like Billy the Kid," JD muttered rebelliously. "Or a cowboy like Vin," he added enviously.
The next few hours did not go as well as Ezra specifically thought they would. Mary Travis had teased Chris as she gave three $100 bills and made the kisses lingering much to the delight of the others. But Chris was not in a good mood and his bad-boy scowling persona was a little too realistic and scared potential women off. Ezra, always a good draw with moneyed women, had overnight developed a nasty cold and his red face, watery eyes and continual sneezing and coughing took him out of the big contributors. Maude, who showed up in honor of her mother who had breast cancer, eased the pain a bit when she thrilled Josiah by kissing him and giving him a $1000 check, then spoiled it by walking up to Ezra, saying, "Ezra, darling, gentlemen don't sniffle. You need to lie down. I'll bring you my favorite chicken soup and take care of you until you get better."
The horror of being taken care of by Maude made Ezra cringe, and she added to his displeasure by saying loudly, "Are you sure this is just a cold and not the flu? You look flushed." After that, any women in line for Ezra backed off and one of Team Seven's major draws was out. Ezra contented himself by knowing the others could pick up the slack and muttering, "the only chicken soup you make is from a nearby restaurant." Nathan would have had a much bigger line except for Rain's constant watchfulness. She deliberately doled out $10 per kiss and kept her place in line while shooing others away, much to other disappointed potential women wanting a kiss from the handsome black man and Ezra, seeing another big draw underperforming.
Ezra sighed. With Chris, himself and Nathan not drawing, that left the others. Ezra was suprised to see that Buck did not have a big line, and the reason was heard in two giggling office staff's conversation, "Why, Buck, we don't have to pay to kiss you – we get to do it for free." Buck was glum as he pondered the way his "animal magnetism" had backfired.
Vin had the nerve to mutter, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free, Bucklin," leading to the first hearty laugh the team enjoyed, except for Ezra. Cough. Sniff. Sneeze.
Team Six was doing exceptionally well, judging by the lines and loud laughter as well as smug looks sent Team Seven's way.
"Probably paid all their relatives to participate," Ezra muttered, feeling more feverish.
Josiah had done well, and rugged, handsome Vin was definitely a draw. JD's line consisted mostly of adoring older women who pinched his cheeks, patted his hair and dispensed motherly advice. The money they gave was pretty generous, but Ezra knew it would take much more to win. Finally. JD spotted a crowd of several young teenage girls giggling and pointing his way. Ezra sighed. How much could a teenager's allowance be? Finally, the first girl apparently got enough courage to approach shyly. "My friends," and she nodded towards the group, "laugh at me because I don't have a boyfriend and so I've never been kissed," and she blushed, hiding her face under soft brown hair. "So I have $25, and if you could, I mean ..."
Touched, JD thought back to when he was the youngest and smallest in all his classes, with no girls bothering to glance his way.
"What's your name?"
"Brittney."
"Pretty name." And suddenly, JD didn't care about the taunts from Team Six, the contest, or anything else. He lifted the girl's chin, taking a moment to reassure her, and then softly kissed her on the lips. The smile on her face and the light in her eyes made all the aggravation he had endured worth it. Brittney run back to her group squealing and the other girls lined up. JD was kind and gentle with each one, his kisses soft and the girls kept stuffing his box with money. He made sure he asked each one their name, smiling at the homely ones as well as the cute ones and became a hero to the giggling girls.
Ezra, still sniffling and coughing, was even more discomfited by the reappearance of his mother. "Darling boy, why are you still here?" she exclaimed. Then she caught Josiah's eye. "Mr. Sanchez, darling, you are such a good kisser I had to come back and reward you."
Josiah grinned, glad to get another opportunity to kiss Maude while raising a few eyebrows at the fervor the "preacher" kissed Maude with. Afterwards, Maude sighed and said, "My, my, none of my husbands could kiss like that. What would you say, Mr. Sanchez, to becoming my next husband?" she teased.
Ezra choked and Josiah answered, "If we marry, you would have to call me Josiah. Would that make me your stepfather, Ezra?"
"Perish the thought," Ezra shuddered. Sneeze! Cough! Sneeze!
Maude then, to Ezra's horro,r stepped up to JD's line and even brushed past a few teenagers. "Excuse me, darlings."
JD, surprised, stammered, "Hello, Mrs. Standish."
"Darling, you are just so cute and irresistible; I decided to add to your donation box." Maude twittered, while JD looked helpless and turned red.
"Mother! He's young enough to be your grandson!" Sneeze, cough, sneeze.
"Nonsense, darling boy! JD could only be my SON if I gave birth to him when I was a teenager!" And Maude grabbed JD and planted a hearty kiss on his lips.
"Sweetie, you are just so adorable. Ezra always wanted a little brother. I could adopt you."
"Mother!" Sneeze, cough, sniffle, sneeze. "How much wine did you have at lunch?"
"Only four glasses, darling boy! Only the best!"
Coming to JD's rescue, Evie Travis pulled JD aside to introduce him to a teenage girl sitting in a wheelchair while watching the action with a wistful expression. "JD, sweetie, this is Amanda Ridgeway. She's the daughter of my close friend, Carolyn Ridgeway."
JD took the hand of the girl, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and the frailness of her body. She had a scarf tied around her head, but smiled shyly through the prettiest brown eyes.
JD knew the signs. He had lost his own mother to cancer. His own shyness forgotten, he made small talk with her, finding out she loved horses and wished to become a veterinarian as she loved animals. "I've not been able to go to school much because of my treatments," she said softly. "I do hope to go back next week. And . . ." she blushed, "go to the prom. It would be a dream of mine . . ." Left unsaid was the thought of everyone that it might be her only chance to attend a prom.
JD's heart ached. "I never went, either," he told her. "I was taking care of my mother, who was very sick, studying, holding down two jobs – and no girl wanted to go with me," he confessed.
Amanda's eyes widened as she looked at the cute young man. "They must have been idiots!" she blurted out.
"Well," JD said, flattered, "I was always the youngest and smallest boy in my classes because I got put ahead two grades. And I didn't have time for sports and stuff."
"I know," Amanda offered softly. "If you are different . . ."
JD had always been impulsive, which could be good or bad. "Amanda, if I'm not too old to take – would you let me be your date for the prom?"
Her eyes lit up and the smile was blinding. "Of course I would! You're not too old, JD! And I would be the envy of every girl in the school," she giggled happily.
JD and Amanda missed the sudden tears in her mother's eyes. "Evie," she started.
"You can trust JD," Evie Travis stated simply. "He's a wonderful young man."
JD and Amanda chatted for a few minutes, then he bent to kiss her softly. "I have to go back, now. But I'll be in touch, Amanda."
Two women and a happy girl watched the young man walking away with a light step and whistling softly.
JD continued to do his part, kissing the other girls who had waited in line, but was glad when the event ended ten minutes later. He no longer greatly cared who won as a team or individual – even though he wanted Team Seven to come out on top. His mind was on a sixteen-year-old girl and how to make her prom as special as possible.
Ezra's mind was still on the bets. Seeing the smug faces across from him, Ezra forced himself to walk over to congratulate what he thought was probably the winning team.
-
Sneeze! Sniffle! Cough! Ezra was more miserable than ever. Nathan had been trying to get Ezra to go home but Ezra stubbornly refused until he heard the results of the contest. Orin Travis came in the offices, smiling. "The kissing booth raised twice the money any other event in the past has. Congratulations to you, Chris and your team. You pulled it out, with a couple of last-minute big donors."
"We won?" Ezra whooped. Sneeze, sniffle, cough, sneeze.
The other men high-fived and grinned, savoring the victory.
"Before I go on, most of Team Six are out with colds," Orin said sternly. "Would anyone of you know about that?"
Seven innocent-looking faces looked back at him, including Ezra.
"While the odds of them being sick at the same time are not good; their bad habits and atrocious manners may have led to the . . ."
"Yes, that's okay, Ezra," Orin hastened to interrupt. He turned to JD, shaking the young man's hand warmly sand saying softly, "You made a courageous young girl's day yesterday, JD. I'm proud of you, Son."
"So who drew the biggest amount individually?" Buck asked impatiently though miffed that he wouldn't be the one.
Orrin smiled. "Quite an unexpected result. Congratulations, Josiah. You outshone everyone else."
"Josiah?" Five voices chimed in.
The big man smiled and leaned back in his chair. "When you've got it, you've got it."
Just then a big bouquet of flowers was placed on his desk. Josiah inhaled and opened the card. "What a woman."
Ezra snatched the card, and then dropped it, flabbergasted. "Mother!"
THE END?