The Deal Maker (Book I)

Chapter One - Joanna Garth

                                                                            Chapter One

                                                                           Joanna Garth

                                                                                 2008

                                               

My breath came out in white cloudy huffs as I trudged through the snow in my cracked boots and holey wool socks. It was freaking cold out, to the point of my hand shaking as I reached for the doorknob. Too bad I never got my car to work; otherwise I wouldn’t have had to walk two miles, at night, through the snow. It never bothered me to walk alone in the dark; it was the bitter cold that caused me to curse under my breath the whole walk. I even got snow inside my boots where it melted and made my socks heavy with freezing water.

The moment I stepped into the florescent lit building I was greeting by the glorious warmth which consumed me. I let out a pleasant sigh and unwrapped my arms from my around my body, enjoying the way the heat blew on me from the wall vent. This was what made the walk worth it. Reluctantly, I walked away from the warmth and made my way down the brightly lit hall and through the squeaky door I’ve walked through about a hundred times. It was like walking home.

“Joanna! You’ve made it,” David boomed, his hazel eyes filled with excitement as I walked stiffly into the room.

I gave an awkward smile before going to the coffee maker. Unfortunately, I had to wait in a small line as others swarmed around the hot beverage machine with desperation in their eyes. Some were desperate for the warmth while others were desperate for the distraction. I was growing impatient, as always, as a woman finished off the coffee and left the empty pot by the sink.

“Bitch,” I muttered under my breath and snatched up the pot before filling it full of water.

“We’re about ready to start…” David’s voice was hesitant, and I realized that everyone was staring at me.

Awkward. “Oh, I was just making another pot for everyone. Go ahead and start if you want,” I told them, though I sounded a bit snarky.

David smiled. He rarely got mad at me. “Go ahead, we’ll wait.”

I felt eyes on my back as I poured myself a steaming cup and added the usual bit of milk and two packs of sugar. After taking a few sips, I took my seat next to David and waited for him to begin.

“How is everyone this week? Who would like to start?” he asked as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.

No one spoke, as usual. No one really wants to speak in an AA/NA meeting. Who would want to bring up their addictive past? Who would want to speak about their hard times on the street? I focused solely on my hot coffee—which actually wasn’t settling well on my empty stomach.

“My sister said I could spend Christmas with her family,” a tiny voice squeaked.

Everyone, including me, looked up in surprise. Marie, a short and slightly heavy girl about my age, had spoken for possibly the first time since entering our little group. She had come here just a few months back after spending a year with a screwed up boyfriend—David once told this to us when Marie first joined—and hasn’t said much since.

“That’s fantastic, Marie. Are you happy about it?” David was using almost a teacher-like tone as he addressed her directly.

She smiled, her full lips fresh with gloss. “I’m extremely happy. She said if I was at least three months clean, I could stay with her family over the holidays. I’ve kept my promise.”