This Strange Addiction by Julie Steimle (e book free reading .txt) 📕

Chapter One

Hurricane Hannibal had torn up from Florida all the way to New York, flooding the coastlines, but also heaving up much of the plastic from the ocean gyres as if the sea were saying, ‘Have this back, I don’t want it’. And though Audry Bruchenhaus thought it amusingly ironic, she also knew that if real activists did not join the clean-up, the plastic might just end up in the ocean again. So she gathered up with a group in the Green Club at NYU where she was finishing off her PhD in wildlife preservation, and they teamed up with an ‘environmentally friendly’ corporation to haul away the garbage for recycling. It would be nearly a week long event, but incredibly important.

Her boyfriend, Hogan Orwell, whom she had met on her Africa trip, had championed her cause and made sure they got all the right equipment, verifying that all the plastic would be taken to a facility that, according to him, were making great headway in converting all those petroleum products back into usable energy. It was a win-win, he said.

Hogan was perfect. Audry and he had hit it off right away back in Africa. He was a chemist studying water quality, trying to help increase health by figuring out a way to keep contaminants out of the water table, but also looking for simple cheap ways for tribes to clean the water. It was all about preventing chemical dumping and better recycling methods. Water, he said, was critical to life. But the best part about him? He respected boundaries, and he wanted a family one day. They had already talked about kids and marriage, but he had not yet proposed. Audry was waiting for it.

 Everybody was waiting for it, actually. The entire Green Club had been shooting them furtive looks all month, smirking and all that even while they worked side by side on the misty beach, untangling plastic bags from damp sea weed and tossing the plastic into a heap. There was a great turnout. The best part was that the cleanup had spread among the community and not just NYU students had showed up. There were business owners and policemen. It was beautiful.

Up above the beach, a groups of dump trucks pulled to a stop in the parking lot, rattling emptily to the curb.

“Ah!” Hogan lifted his crisp blue eyes to them, grinning his wide Dennis Quaid-smile. He raised the hood to his rain jacket to see as the mist in the air dropped heavily around them. “They’re here! We can start loading.”

Audry looked up to see who had come, whom Hogan had arranged the hauling with. Her blue-green eyes took in the insignia on the side of the large vehicles. Then her eyes widened more, recognizing the logo to Deacon Enterprises.

Of course. An ‘environmentally friendly’ business. At least as much as she knew anyway, though Audry was always suspicious of any big corporation. No one got that rich without some dirty dealing. She was sure of it. But what really took her breath away was the recognizable figure climbing out of a keen car alongside the trucks—Howard Richard Deacon III himself. His rusty brown hair and bold stature was unmistakable. ‘Rick’ Deacon was in a dark overcoat, not a fancy one either but one that looked like it was meant to get dirty. And walking alongside him was a tall black man in a rain jacket, whom she assumed was his bodyguard though she did not recognize him. This man was lankier than buff, though, and his clothes underneath the jacket were sweats, as if he too intended to help out on the beach. The presumed bodyguard was talking to Rick, and though Rick was listening, he looked a little annoyed.

“Whadda-ya-know. He came,” Hogan murmured, gazing toward Rick also.

Audry blushed. She didn’t know why, but she did. It had been a while since she had last seen Rick—before her Africa trip. But she had heard a lot about him in the news this past year. According to various news sources, he and some friends had survived a wolf attack in Germany. In fact, one of his friends had been killed. It was rumored Rick had barely survived himself. But here he was, walking with only a slight limp, out in public. And he had been such an advocate of wolves too. Audry was afraid now that he had changed his mind. He might even hate her for the wolf tee-shirt she was currently wearing.

“I heard you knew him,” Hogan said, turning to her.

Audry nodded. “More like a passing acquaintance. My friend Jessica Mason—uh, Cartwright just got married to his best friend. He went to high school with Jessica. But we have hardly had more than a few words at a time.”

“No kidding.” Hogan grinned. He then nudged her. “How about you introduce me.”

A rush of nerves ran through her. For some reason, Audry was not ready to do that. Rick wasn’t just a passing acquaintance. He was someone she had butted heads with in the past here and there over different issues. She had also secretly crushed on him… not entirely, as she really hated that he was wealthy kid, spoiled since birth. But he was admittedly handsome. However, knowing she had to get it over with, Audry agreed. “Ok. But let’s wait until he gets down here. He went through a rough patch this summer, and I don’t think he wants to be crowded.”

Indeed, there were people staring as he came down in (thank heaven) work boots into the sand. He had on work gloves and had grabbed a rake from another truck with tools. He also had brought workmen.

“Do you think they had volunteered or are they being paid?” their friend Neil Garret said, gesturing up the hill towards them. Neil, along with Farrah Brookes and William Johnson, had been collecting plastic bottle caps off the beach, complaining the entire time about them especially as such caps did not recycle and they were being eaten by sea birds.

“Paid,” Audry smirked, heaving up more plastic bag from the wet sand. “I’m sure.”

The group with Rick came down the hill. And Audry recognized more of them. That Italian police detective, Matthew Calamori, was with them, also dressed for dirty work. And she thought she recognized one of Rick’s fancier assistants. He was not dressed for cleanup, but was in nice shoes and was holding out things for Rick to sign, almost berating him for not being wherever the assistant felt was a dignified place for a future CEO. Their conversation carried to their ears the closer the group came toward them.

“…business. Other people can handle this sort of thing. Now your father—”

“Wants me to get outside and breathe the fresh air,” Rick cut his assistant off with a terse look. “Carl, look. I have to have a life. I’m done convalescing. And I’ve got two reliable friends with me who can easily act as bodyguards. I will be fine.”

“That is not my argument,” his assistant bit back. “You have stacks of work you need to sign and read.”

“Hopefully not in that order,” Rick muttered.

Audry stifled a chuckle, watching. At least he was sensible.

“Your priorities—” his assistant protested.

“My priorities are in the right place, Carl. We just had a disaster, and I can help.” Rick continued down to the sand.

“You don’t have to physically be here for it,” Carl snapped back.

“And why not?” Rick retorted defensively. “I am no better than any of the people here. I’ve got arms and legs. And extra hands are always useful.” He then turned to not have to look at Carl’s disgusted expression—but instead his eyes rested on Audry. He stiffened, almost stopped, as if scared.

Audry waved, feeling uncomfortable. Hogan grinned.

Matthew Calamori smiled and went down further. “Well… Of course you would be here! How are you doing Audry?”

He approached as if to hug her, but thought the better of it when he saw how close she was standing to Hogan. And also how Hogan took her hand. Audry noticed he almost peeked back to Rick.

“I am doing well,” Audry said, trying not to be awkward. Rick seemed to avert his eyes, unable to say even ‘hi’. And to be honest, she kind of felt the same way. She tried to hide her wolf tee-shirt, tugging her rain jacket over it.

Matthew came down closer, looking to Hogan again before grinning more at Audry with a fondness. “How was your Africa trip?”

Hogan lifted his eyebrows, wondering now who Matthew was.

Grinning wider, Audry felt sheepish as she said, “Brilliant. I got to study animal preservation methods there that, honestly, have inspired me. I hope to be able apply it to my study in the US over our native wildlife.”

She cautiously snuck a peek at Rick to see what effect that would have on him, as she was now sure he no longer wanted to preserve wolves at all. He had walked to Matthew’s side, stopping there.

Matthew slapped a hand on Rick’s shoulder, bringing him into the conversation with a laugh. “Rick will appreciate that. He might even hire you to do some research on some of his animal reserves. He’s still quite dedicated to wolf preservation.”

A shiver ran down Audry’s skin. That was not the first time she had the feeling Matthew could read her thoughts. But she looked to Rick who was wincing in pain, yet nodding.

Rick then pointedly looked to Hogan, nodding. “Uh, can you introduce us to your friend?”

Hogan smiled at him appreciatively.

“I’m sorry!” Blushing Audry looked to them both. “Rick, Matthew, uh, this is my boyfriend, Hogan Orwell.”

Both Hogan and Rick reached out their hands and shook.

“Nice to meet you,” Hogan said.

“Pleasure,” Rick replied, his eyes taking Hogan in intently.

Matthew’s smile fell at little, though. He was looking to Rick, kind of sad. Sad for him, really. And Audry knew why. It made her blush, as she knew Matthew had once suggested that she date Rick. But clearly now, Matthew could see that his friend had no chance now that Hogan was in the picture. It had been wishful thinking anyway. Her and Rick Deacon. It was crazy. They were like oil and water. At least, that was what she told herself. She was a vegan and he loved meat.

Then Rick said, gesturing to the tall silent black man at his right, “This is my friend Robert Lafon. Um, he is going to be representing me when I can’t be here to make sure company protocol is being followed with the waste removal.”

“Company protocol?” Neil asked, stepping up as his eyes took in some of the workers from Deacon Enterprises with suspicion.

Meeting Neil’s eyes with his usual haunting wolf-gray stare, Rick nodded. “Yes. They are being paid to collect all plastic and trash from this cleanup, and I don’t want them drinking or smoking on the job, tossing cigarette butts and making things worse.”

Hogan smirked, glancing at Neil who quickly felt abashed. Neil nodded, realizing Rick Deacon really was well-meaning in his efforts.

“I’m an employer, not a dictator. And they know it. But they do need to keep to contract,” Rick said. He then sighed, marching down to the shore to actually help in the cleanup.

His assistant, Carl, glared after him, not going further. “So you are insisting on this venture, sir?”

Rick merely waved, not looking back. “Put all the papers on my desk.”

Rolling his eyes, Carl turned to leave. He marched grudgingly up to the vehicles again.

Matthew chuckled, going toward the shoreline, winking at Audry as he passed, with Robert following right after. Matthew nodded to Hogan.

Everyone went right back to work.

The cleanup of that part of the shoreline took most of the day. Trucks came and went, and Audry noticed Rick occasionally conversing with the leaders of each cleanup group, discussing how he can best