“Do you know where we’re going?” I asked him.

Grey’s eyes twinkled as he glanced at me in the mirror.  “Winifred and Michelle are checking for a store, so we can get you a coat.  After that, we’ll go to the address Penny provided.”

He maneuvered the traffic well, and once it slowed to a crawl, he turned into a parking garage that charged a ridiculous hourly rate.

“We’ll walk from here,” he said.

People crowded the sidewalks.

Let it in.  Push it out.  No one twitched or stilled.  No one dropped or bled.  In and out.  I continued to siphon and drain with each inhale and exhale.  Carlos stayed right beside me, probably watching me as closely as I was studying the crowd.

We hadn’t walked far when Grey paused before a boutique.  The mannequins in the windows modeled upscale clothes.

“They’re never going to let us through the doors,” I said, glancing at Carlos.  He at least didn’t look like a bum.  No offense to Grey, but he and I didn’t rise above the bum bar.

“They will,” Grey said.

He pushed his way into the store.  A woman looked up from the display she’d been dressing.

“Can I help you?”

“Winifred sent us for a jacket.”

“Of course.  Mr. Cole, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The woman’s gaze traveled to me.

“Winifred said you might need more than a coat.”  She kept her tone level, but I inhaled her feeling of agreement before I blew it back out again.

“Yeah, maybe something new would be a good idea.”  Where we were likely going, I needed to fit in; and my just-from-the-gym look wasn’t what I was seeing on the streets.

I turned to Grey.

“I don’t have a wallet,” I reminded him quietly.

He winked at me.

“Winifred took care of it.”

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you a few options.  Gentlemen, if you’d care for a drink, we have a waiting area to the left.”

Grey and Carlos stepped away, and the woman and I drifted toward the sparse racks.  For a clothing store, they didn’t seem to have much.  She led me to a rack with some cool black leather looking pants.

“My butt will never fit in those,” I said bluntly.

She glanced at me, eyeing me up and down, not judging but assessing.

“Would you consider a dress or a skirt?”

I would probably need to kick some serious butt later and didn’t want the world to see my undies.  But I couldn’t say that.

“I’m not much of a lady,” I said instead.  “I like being able to move my legs.”

“Let’s just take a peek at what we have.”

*    *    *    *

I found Carlos and Grey sipping cider in the waiting area while they watched passersby.  Both turned to look at me as I approached.  I wore a red-brown leather jacket, a trendy scarf, a comfy long-sleeved shirt, and the most awesome stretchy jeans ever.  The woman had tried to get me into a pair of ankle boots with a heel, but I drew the line there and kept my sneakers.

“Wow, Isabelle,” Grey said.  “You shop fast.”

I grinned at him.  The sales woman had commented on my ability to change quickly, as well.  I hadn’t wanted to mess around in the store too long.

“We’re all set.  She’s billing this to the card Winifred gave her.”

“Then we need to get moving,” Grey said, standing and looking serious.

Carlos stood and moved toward me.  As usual, I remained his focus.  He didn’t say anything, but I saw appreciation in his sweeping glance.  Not wanting to blush, I turned and made my way to the door.  Together, we left the shop and walked back to the car.

It seemed to take forever for Grey to turn out of the parking garage.

“Are we going to get anywhere in this traffic?”

“Not far, but it will cover our scent better.”

We chugged along in traffic until we got close to the building we needed.  Grey took the first parking spot he found.

“The station is a few blocks from here.”

We got out and started down the street.  Having a jacket made the walk enjoyable.  Grey pointed out the building when we got close enough to see it.  People continued to crowd the streets, and I found I needed to siphon and drain faster than I needed to breathe.

When Grey stopped walking just outside the building, I kept going.

“Isabelle, wait.”  He caught me by the arm and leaned in.  “Not inside.  We just need to read the people leaving the building.”

“There’s too much out there to read any one thing.  I need to go inside.”  Worry surrounded him.  “Watch and learn, Grey.  It’ll be fine.”

I tugged my arm free and kept walking.  Inside the building, I barely spared a glance to the grand lobby or reception desk.  Veering to the right, I headed toward a bank of elevators.  The three of us joined a group of five going up.

Once the door closed, I noticed a change in the other passengers’ behavior.  One of the women started breathing quickly, a man reached for his cell phone, another started to sweat.  Before it could progress, I inhaled lightly, then kept the emotions.  It seemed to stop their growing discomfort, but it didn’t remove it.

The panting woman looked at me.  “I think I’m having a panic attack.”

“It’s probably just the elevator.  Closed spaces get to everyone,” I said.

She nodded slowly and seemed to get a hold of herself as she reached around me and pressed the next floor.  When the elevator dinged, four of the five got off.

I turned to the remaining man.  “We’re supposed to meet with someone, but I’m not sure where to find her.  Can you help me?”

Though the initial emotions I’d released were missing, he still held a hint of panic.  I pulled that away from him and didn’t release it again.  He exhaled his relief and nodded.

“Sure.  Who are you looking for?”

I glanced at Grey.

“Penny Alton,” he said, adding the news station’s name.

“That would be the twelfth floor.  There’s a directory just outside the elevator.”

“Thanks.  I appreciate it.”

The man got out when the elevator stopped at his floor.  After the door closed, I pressed the button for twelve.  As soon as the doors opened, I stepped out confidently and started walking without glancing at the directory.

The man at the long desk glanced up at us and stood when we didn’t pause.  I stole his concern as soon as it started to surface, then his curiosity, and finally his indignation.  He idly sat back down, looking as if he’d forgotten what he’d been about.  I knew he still remembered us; he just didn’t care anymore.

As soon as I was far enough away, I pushed what I’d siphoned out again.  Two coworkers started arguing.

I walked down a hallway and used people’s emotions like a dog sniffing for food.  When I scented a flurry of secrecy and excitement, I headed for it.  A few times, it was a person working quietly at a desk.  I stifled a yawn and passed those by.  Whenever anyone grew curious about us, I took that emotion away, held onto it for a bit, and then pushed it out as I moved along.

For the most part, we blended with the people around us. At least, I did.  I doubted Grey blended.

I yawned again and wondered if I’d ever find Penny.  Maybe she wasn’t as excited about meeting Charlene as I’d been led to believe.

Finally, I located what I was looking for.  Massive excitement and righteousness behind a closed door.

I knocked and, without waiting for an answer, opened the door and poked my head in.  Grey’s anxiety coated me.

“Hey,” I said.  “Is Burke in here?”

The woman holding the ladder turned to look at me in annoyance.  “Who?”

“Burke Bently.  Never mind, I can see he’s not.”

I closed the door before either could respond, then turned and started walking down the hall.  The people in the room remained focused until I walked out of range.

Neither Grey nor Carlos said anything as we made our way back to the elevator banks.

“You can breathe now, Grey,” I said once we were on the street again.