The Boxer and the Blogger

Chapter Twelve: Rule #1- No Kissing

Chapter Twelve: Rule #1- No Kissing

It was unusually hot today.

Or maybe it was just Aunt Carol's beady eyes glaring at my back from her permanent sitting spot by the window.

Either way it was hot as fudge.

I wiped my forehead and started to squeeze lemons into an empty pitcher.

"No one's going to buy your lemonade." Travis spat and then saw the deflated look in my eyes and softened his tone. "And even if they do, we won't make enough cash to replace those damn plates." He finished carefully.

My eyes drifted towards Grayson who looked bored out of his mind.

"Grayson, what do you think?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. "It's not like I care." He paused. "But let's say for some odd reason that I did." He lifted his shirt from his body.

My eyes widened. "Grayson, put your shirt back on!" I glanced around nervously. "What if Aunt Carol sees you!"

He stared at me. "People like lemonade when it's hot. I'll give you that." He walked around to Arsen and put his hands out as if he was expecting something from him. "But they also like 'fun'."

Arsen didn't just take his shirt off and hand it to Grayson like a normal sane person would. No. Instead he ripped it off and growled like the incredible fudging hulk.

He continued over to Travis, now collecting his shirt. "And fun-in-the-sun to a girl is kissing hot guys with six packs." He gestured to himself and smirked.

I crossed my arms and glared at each of them. "Put your fudging shirts back on and make this dang lemonade, now!"

No one made a move and my stern attitude faltered. "We are not doing this."

"Tatum," Travis walked over to me and gently put a hand on my shoulder. "We both know you won't make enough money to replace those plates just by selling lemonade. So let Grayson help." His voice lightened. "Plus his idea is pretty awesome if you ask me."

I shook me head and cracked a small smile before putting my serious face back on. "But I want to help too."

"WHAT!" Grayson had a mortified look in his eyes. "You are not kissing anyone!"

Travis and Arsen gave him a weird look and smiled at each other. "Why do you care?" Arsen sang.

"I don't." Grayson gritted out.

Okay, ouch. Wow, he's a crappy friend.

"Then there shouldn't be a problem with Tatum kissing a few boys. Right?" Travis chirped.

I narrowed my eyes at all three of them. What are they up to?

Grayson never answered.

*****

I rushed out of the house and out to the lemonade- I mean kissing booth. Grayson took a quick glance at me and looked relieved.

I scrunched my face in confusion and examined myself. I was in one of Travis's old too-big T-shirts and a pair of light blue denim cutoffs.

I mentally shrugged and headed to the back of the booth.

"What do you think you're doing?" Grayson's words were clipped. "You didn't really think you were going to actually kiss people, did you?" He laughed hysterically and handed me a plastic container filled with torn pieces of paper. "Kissing is for the big boys, Matum. You will be handing out these." He shoved the container into my arms and took my previous place.