just one of those days

 Sadie wouldn't go. They could take her kicking and screaming. No way was she going out for a company dinner. Was she the only one who noticed there was a virus going on? But people were heading out. The boss was paying.

"And there will be lots of drink, Sadie. And even singing," her coworker smirked as if he couldn't wait for her to get sloshed and take the microphone.

Sadie winced. How could she get out of this? She guessed the bloating thing wouldn't work anymore since everyone was giving her a bottle of apple cider vinegar these days to take care of the problem.

"Come on," Berry kept smiling and grabbed her by the arm. Too bad she wasn't a ninja of some kind, she could have knocked him out by now. Instead, she was on her heels and swept into the elevator to go to the parking garage.

Honestly, were people just stupid, she thought. Oh yeah, give them a numbers drop and how a vaccine was practically here. Somebody said the problem was over. Sadie didn't think so. She gave a pout and followed orders. She hugged herself hard. If she got fired for not drinking. So be it. She'd rather be at home with her orange tabby Hilda. Life was so much better alone.

She winced hard wishing she got HBO for free again or was it Starz. She didn't make enough at her lousy job, but it was a job. WITH A LOT OF STUPID PEOPLE, she wanted to scream, but she didn't want to go mental on them. Even if she thought she should.

Soon they were at the all-night buffet and drinks on the way. Naturally, there were speeches made about how the foreign company had saved their butt once again. How Biden would surely be conventional and to say goodbye to all the wrongs to the world if Trump ever let Biden be president. But it was still caught up in a trial somewhere. No one wanted to mention anything political. After all, they were all together working on the same floor again. Just farther apart.

At the moment, they were all so close. Sadie could hardly withstand the B.O. It certainly couldn't have been the pork ribs. After a drink or two of luscious dark wine with a toast included, Sadie could hardly get up, but she definitely needed to go to the bathroom. 

So she excused herself and slightly wobbled toward the restroom. Before she could get there she walked straight into a  moving wall, that so happened to be a man with a beefy chest. Possibly her drunken imagination, but he looked as if he might be with the secret service in his dark suit and dark shades. 

"Are you all right?" His voice was deep and she hugged him inside his suit jacket as if she might fall if she didn't. She looked up at him like a doe ready for the slaughter.

She cleared her throat, hoping to say she was sorry, but she thought she felt something fall into her mouth. It was small like a pill, maybe a bead. She winced, but hurried on to the bathroom. 

Of course, as soon as she got in the stall she laughed like a little school girl. She hugged a stranger. She set on the toilet to relieve herself imagining what he might look like, but she didn't think she'd see him ever again because she was at a company party and he looked like a man on a mission.

Finally, Sadie took a good look at herself in the bathroom mirror. Seriously, she looked thirty-two in a very bad way. She winced, touching her face as if maybe some face yoga would do the trick. Suddenly she felt herself choking for air. Her throat felt as if it cut in two and was literally on fire. 

Sadie fell to the floor in her cheap Army boots. Her thrifted tank dress barely covered her bare thighs while her thin black leather jacket fanned open leaving her ever so vulnerable.