“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.