“How about that Korean barbecue restaurant we went to last time? It’s an authentic restaurant run by a Korean family. It’s the best and most delicious place in the entire city,” Gerda suggested, clapping her hands excitedly.
“Well, the food in that restaurant is indeed delicious.But it’s also a little expensive. With so many of us going there, I’m afraid we will empty Quinn’s wallet.”
Now that Natalie didn’t have any financial pressure, she thought for a moment and readily agreed, “It’s okay.I don’t often invite you to dinner, after all:Gerda, give me the phone number of the restaurant.I’ll reserve a table.”
Natalie had not only received a promotion but a salary hike as well.She could occasionally squander without burning a hole in her pocket.
After making a reservation in the restaurant, Natalie sent a message to Sebastian, informing him about the dinner party.Not long after she sent the message, her phone rang.It was indeed a call from Sebastian.
“Who are you going with? A man or a woman?”
“Well, I’m going with my colleagues — mostly girls.One guy is joining us, but he already has a girlfriend,”Natalie explained in a low voice.
“Why are you whispering? Are you afraid others might hear us?” Sebastian complained.
“What’s wrong? Are you hiding me and our relationship from others? Are you ashamed of me?” Natalie frowned.
She couldn’t understand what he meant.
“I’m used to keeping my voice down when I’m in the office. It’s a little inconvenient to chat loudly with so many people around.” Natalie looked around.
She was in the company’s bathroom now.
After all, it was a common area where people enter and exit all the time.
Sebastian hummed but didn’t say anything more.He was idly knocking on the table with a pen, having no intention of hanging up.
“All right.I”ll hang up then.”
Natalie was anxious to return to work.
Just as she was about to hang up, Sebastian spoke, “I miss you. What do I do?”
His voice was thick with emotion.
Natalie’s breath caught in her throat; her face turned red.She didn’t know what to say.
“Why are you stuttering?” Sebastian giggled.
“All right.I’m hanging up.! won’t disturb your work.” Natalie stared at the black screen in confusion.
Sebastian had disappeared alter flirting with her.
What was that supposed to mean? It was late in the evening when she got off work.It was almost dark outside.
Natalie and her colleagues planned to take a taxi.
As soon as she finished packing her bag, her gaze fell on a hand with a royal blue gift box.
“Congratulations on your promotion! I just bought it from downstairs. Don’t refuse it.It’s not expensive.”
Natalie looked up and saw Christopher.He put the box on the desk and looked at her, almost as if he was prepared to hear her refusal.
Natalie pursed her lips and reluctantly took the gift box.
“Thank you, Chris.By the way, we’re going to have a barbecue.Why don’t you join us? Don’t refuse, or I won’t accept this gift.” Natalie followed suit.
Now that Christopher had given her a gift, she decided to treat him to dinner in return.
“Well, since you insist, I can’t really refuse.Let’s go.”
A small smile emerged on Christopher’s handsome face.
They had a good time at dinner.
The atmosphere was warm and lively.
Gerda ordered a crate of beer and drank most of it.
“Quinn, come on! I already finished drinking twelve bottles.Look at you. You haven’t even emptied one bottle. That’s unfair!” Gerda’s face turned red from all the alcohol she consumed.She urged Natalie to drink more.
“Okay, I’ll help you empty these bottles.” Natalie was happy.
Being around friends seemed to encourage her.
She opened two bottles of beer, picked one up, and downed the entire contents in one gulp.She completely forgot about her low tolerance of alcohol.
“Awesome! It seems like Gerda has met her opponent tonight.Quinn, defeat her! No one can compete with her when it comes to drinking. You should avenge us!”
Everyone whistled excitedly.
Natalie giggled as she finished three bottles of beer and let out a loud burp.
“Yeah! I’m going to defeat her!”
Looking at her flushed face, Christopher sensed something was wrong.He patted her back and whispered in her ear, “I think that’s enough. You seem a little drunk already.”
Natalie shook off Christopher’s arm and straightened up.She could not walk steadily.
“Nonsense!” she slurred, shaking her head.
“You are drunk! I’m not! I must defeat Gerda today! No one can compete with me!” She was insanely drunk tonight.
The party lasted until the early hours of dawn.
Gerda and Natalie got piss drunk, while the others who hadn’t joined in the drinking competition continued to eat and drink.
Once they realized that Natalie had completely wasted, they finally decided to call it call it a night.
The coworkers had worked together to lift the two girls from their seats and carried them outside.
“Hey, what should we do with these two? They’re drunk as a skunk.”
Christopher glanced at the still unconscious Natalie and cleared his throat.
“I’ll send Quinn home.”
“Oh yeah, you and Natalie went to the same university, right?”
One of their colleagues asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Christopher just smiled.
“Yes, we were schoolmates.”
He was not particularly good-looking, but he always looked neat, and had a calm and gentle demeanor that made people feel safe around him.
it didn’t hurt that he was tall and had broad shoulders, too.
Gerda opened her eyes then, and grinned.
“I heard that you two are close.Didn’t you stand up for her when Ike deliberately targeted her?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be drunk?‘ Everyone had turned to Gerda in surprise, and couldn’t help but admire her seemingly indestructible tolerance to alcohol.
“I was just pretending.Quinn is too stubborn for her own goad.She knows she can’t handle her drink, but she still insisted. If I hadn’t acted like I was drunk, she would have kept at it until she had to be rushed to the ICU.”