He cussed. “It’s Saturday. Why you bothering me today?”
“Look, bub, that alien thing in my bathroom, that’s why!”
“Just flush—"
“Not anything like that. Holy mackerel, Sup, I’m talking about the water leak. Again. It’s like bunnies, multiplying fast.”
“Whaddaya mean?”
There was a whooshing sound from the other room. She ran to the bathroom. Water soaked every inch of her once pretty sage green bathroom. “For criminy’s sake. We have our water baby.”
“You’re always talking in riddles.”
She grunted. “Look—”
Austin nudged her. “Here, let me.”
She handed over the phone and turned back to the dripping mess in front of her. Her family crowded in the doorway, sticking their heads around her to see. She turned the top page of her clipboard and found a fresh one and began scratching out details of the disaster.
“Buddy, this is Peg’s…boyfriend.” He stopped talking for a minute. “Yeah, you heard right. I just got back in town from a long gig. Never mind that. We’ve got trouble here. Water damage. Possible mold growing. What’s the name of your insurance company?”
It wasn’t two seconds later that Austin hung up the phone. Smiling, he said, “He’ll be right over.”
“How’d you do that? He never moves that fast for anyone, especially the people he’s supposed to be working for. Sweet talker,” she said, eyeing him closely. What was his secret? Maybe she could bottle it and sell it at King’s. She’d make a fortune for the store.
“You’re next,” he warned, dropping his gaze to her lips.
Her mouth tingled. Her body hummed.
Yep, he had a way with people. Even her. Now that was a first. Geez, Louise, what the heck was going on with her?
***
“I can’t believe they kicked me out of my own apartment,” Peg muttered under her breath as she paced her office at King’s. Her insurance company had banned her from remaining in the unit until the place was dried out and there was no hint of mold to be had.
Her family lounged either around her or in her boss’s office, all of them calling local hotels for rooms for the night.
“Yo, Pegilicious,” Bruno, the night guard, said as he strolled into the room and looked around. “Any luck?”
“Nada,” she said, holding the phone away from her ear, still waiting for the canned music to end and a live person to answer. “Everything’s booked solid. Charlie and Alex are on the West Coast, but, get this, her stepmother and the colonel are staying there for the weekend while their house is being renovated. Mr. Puddles is there, too.”
“No wonder they left town.” He chuckled.
Peg joined in. “Yeah, and Marcus and Francie are living in a sea of boxes since they’re going to move out of the penthouse in a week. They’re stuck like Chuck, too. Barely kept their bed from being carted away to the storage unit.”
“What about baby girl? Her and Griffin?”
“Filled to the gills with his wounded war buddies. The charity event this weekend. They’re hosting the guys in his unit. Priscilla’s doing.”
His eyes went round.
“Slap me upside the head, too. I couldn’t believe it when he agreed.”
“Mr. Griff? No way!”
“I told her she had to take pictures, because the man hates to be around people.”
“Except us, of course.” He chuckled.
“Hey, I’m still breaking in the boss. Maybe something’s finally working.” Peg loved Griff as a boss, but she was still trying to get him a sense of humor. Too bad she just couldn’t buy him one. Fat chance!
Bruno’s radio crackled. “Need a hand here, Bruno, to close up. You at a decent stopping point?”
“Sure thing,” he said into the radio. “Roger and out.” He looked at Peg and shrugged. “New guy. Hand holding, you know.” He turned to leave and threw over his shoulder, “You can always stay here at the store tonight. You’re family. Nobody would mind a bit.”
The music clicked off in her ear. A dial tone buzzed. “Here, here?!”
“Where else can you go?”
***
Austin shook his head. Saturday night, with Peg and her family, locked up in King’s Department Store of all places. How in the world had he gotten mixed up in this in the first place? His sister. It was all her fault for getting him to that bar.
The only bright side for Austin was he’d been sheltered from the world and the press for a while. Now, if only it would hold out, he’d be thrilled.
Peg made one last-ditch effort to call her super. “No can do, guys and gals. He’s not lifting a hammer until the crew gets there on Monday morning. At least he got the water sopped up and the fans to dry it out are still going.”