Page 72 of Hounded

I meandered over to the food line, less interested in the shrimp cocktail and caviar than the wine assortment. Stemmed glasses were arranged from white to burgundy red but were only half full, so I combined two cups of what my nose informed me was a Merlot, then tipped the drink back for a series of greedy swallows.

My enhanced healing abilities made it impossible to get drunk, and I would have to work for it if I wanted enough of a buzz to soothe my frayed nerves. I was about to polish off my third glass when Sully reentered my field of view. Her commitment to the theme continued in details I hadn’t noticed before. Polished flatware had been attached to her dreadlocks, and her earrings were made of soda can tabs.

She passed by the end of the food table and picked upa glass of white wine, then swirled it as she approached. I thought to tell her she looked like a mermaid who got beached on a trash barge, but bit my tongue instead.

Squeezing in beside me, she leaned against the wall while spinning her drink.

“Where is he?” I asked. The “he” in question required no further description.

“Mingling,” she replied. “I’ve told you. He loves it here. He knows his people.”

I sipped my wine again. Music played, which would have been soothing if not for the occasional clang of what sounded like a mallet striking a metal trash can. Given the theme of the party, that may have been exactly what it was. I needed to get a look at this Joss Foster character and see if he embodied a homeless scavenger as much as his art channeled one.

But first, I had Sully to contend with.

I worked my jaw a moment before commenting, “You told me I had a choice.”

She nodded slowly. “I did say that.”

As I rounded on her, my features pinched in a scowl. “And then you took it away. You know how I feel about that, Sully. I don’t control a single thing in my life—”

“Before you crucify me, listen.” She faced me with her hands raised. “Indy called while I was setting up yesterday,” Sully explained. “He asked what I was doing, so I told him. I really thought you were gonna invite him.”

The statement made my skin prickle. “He called you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Sully turned her still-raised hands toward herself withan incredulous look. “I’m a likable person, Lore. People call me all the time.” In a lower voice, she added, “And, last I checked, his options for social contact are pretty limited.”

I didn’t know enough about the people in Indy’s phone directory to remove them selectively. Drug dealers and fellow addicts were slotted in amongst better influences, and I refused to take any chances.

“He could’ve calledme,” I muttered.

“Why didn’t he?”

It could have been because my time had been monopolized by a needy, greedy demoness. Or perhaps our clashes in the bathhouse and in his trailer had driven a wedge between us. Indy told me I ran cold, and I was not unaware of the chill.

The next song started, a pinging melody that had all the intonation of a toy xylophone. My hound grumbled, wanting me to cover my ears and muffle the racket.

My expression soured, and Sully asked, “What’s going on, hon? Indy was thrilled to see you just now and don’t pretend you weren’t checking him out, too. Little drool there.” She swiped a teasing finger over the dry corner of my mouth.

I flinched away from her, frowning.

“Go get him.” She motioned to the room spread out before us, then paused to give me a suspicious squint. “Unless you’ve decided that’s not what you want.”

“I haven’t decided anything.”

Sully nodded. “Well, don’t let me get in the way. I’ll be here, there, and everywhere. All night.” With a pat on my arm, she ventured into the fray.

I lingered, staring into the shallow pool of wine in my glass as though it held the answers I sought. I needed to find Joss and get the job done before I got tangled up in anything else.

Pushing away from the wall, I downed the last of my Merlot, then offloaded the glass onto a passing waiter’s tray. I paused to sweep my hair off my shoulders and push up the sleeves of my sweater before walking forward. My vision tunneled as I navigated the crowd, following my nose toward the source of Joss’s cursed stink.

But I didn’t find Joss. I found Indy, straight ahead through a gap in the horde, and the sight stopped me. He looked animated and alive. His eyes shone while he chatted enthusiastically with another patron. I studied his sweeping gestures and the way his face crinkled with every smile. He was uninhibited and happier than I had ever been because he was my joy. My comfort. My heart. And living without him was misery.

Sully said I had a choice, but I wasn’t so sure. Right now, staring across a crowded room, it was like Indy stood in spotlight. Inevitable. Undeniable.

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