Chapter 34 Deny, Deny!

• When 2:00 PM rolled around, Natalie watched with envy as her colleagues scrambled to the rooftop. She would have loved nothing more than to follow the herd and numb herself with music and free booze. But rushing off to the Inner Circle before it started would screw her over even more. The backlog of reports and proposals that had crept up overnight was one of the many reasons she never played hooky from work.
• "Come on, Nat, we're missing out on all the fun. There won't be anything left to drink at the rate you're going!" Emily crossed her long legs and pouted in her seat.
• "What happened to you never drinking again?" Natalie asked, arching an eyebrow, reminding her of the promise she made Friday night when she'd puked her guts out on the side of the road.