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grabbed some duds for you, too.”
    “What kind of duds?” The hackles on the back of his neck stood up.
    “Never mind. I got it all sorted out.” He nudged Austin into the executives’ office and down the hall. “Boys over here.” He flicked a hand behind him. “Girls over there.”
    He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Peg’s that way?”
    “Yes and deedee.”
    “Then I should be going that way.”
    “All in good time, hottie. Listen to brother Rico. Her mom and sis-in-law are in there with her, besides Priscilla.” He shook his head. “You don’t want to be there, trust me.”
    He put two and two together. “So her father and brother are this way.”
    “Oh, you are a smart one.”
    Halting, he asked, “And you think they’d be any better?”
    Rico nudged him again to get him moving. “But you have me, so that makes all the difference.”
    Somehow he wasn’t convinced.
    Austin stopped in his tracks, pivoted, and marched the other way. “I’m going to see Peg first.”
     
    ***
     
    “Torture, I tell you, pure torture,” Peg whispered under her breath to Priscilla.
    “They love you,” her friend pointed out. “But their taste in clothes is…how can I say this?”
    “Tasteless?” Peg offered, holding up a pair of white cotton panties and a pointy, white bra that could hold a couple of gallons of lead.
    Priscilla cringed. “They insisted on helping. You should have seen the look on Rico’s face. He’s personally going to see to the banning of all such undies.”
    “Ma, Buffy,” Peg said between gritted teeth. “I can handle getting dressed. No need to wait on me.” Pink cheeked and freshly scrubbed from her shower in the boss’s private bathroom off his office, she clutched a fluffy green towel around her.
    “We need to talk, dear,” her mother said, smoothing her hair into place. Her new blue dress picked up the color of her eyes perfectly. “About the boy.”
    By the boy , Peg knew she meant Austin.
    “Peg, you know we only want the best for you, so don’t take this the wrong way,” her sister-in-law said, clutching her hands. She bit her lip. “Um…he’s smitten now…but it might wear off quick.”
    “Cut to the run,” Peg’s mother said.
    “Chase, Ma. Cut to the chase,” Peg corrected her.
    “No one else has shown any interest. So don’t wait for the wedding. Put a ring on it before he changes his mind.” Her mother’s advice didn’t surprise her.
    Priscilla shoved a bunched-up wad of material at her. “Here, Peg, try these. They’ll be much better.”
    “Don’t try to distract me, Prissy,” Peg said, but grabbed for the black lacy lingerie. She backed into the bathroom and left the door halfway open while she dropped the towel and shimmied into the delicate fabric. “Mother, what are you up to?”
    “We told,” Buffy piped up.
    “Peg, it was for your own good,” her mother added.
    “Told what?” she asked, looking down at the skimpy attire; it barely covered her important parts.
    “The press—”
    “What?!” Peg and Priscilla cried out in unison. Peg rushed out of the bathroom and into the executive office just as the outer door opened.
    Austin, with Rico following, barged into the room. “Peg—” He whistled long and low.
    Heat swooshed into her cheeks. “Hotness, what are you doing here?”
    “O-M-G, Peg!” Rico cried out. “You’ve been hiding that all these years! Girl, you got some legs on you.”
    With all eyes on her, Peg wished she could crawl away. Instead, she took a half step back and then another. Priscilla rushed to her side and tried to shield her. “Thanks, pal, I owe you,” Peg said, trying to avoid looking directly at Austin.
    But he was there in front of her and nudging Priscilla aside. “I’ve got this,” he said and backed Peg up into the bathroom, slamming the door behind them.
    On the other side of the door, she heard her family and friends talking all at once. Chaos . But it was nothing compared to what her