Birthday Challenge (Weekend Getaways) Read Online Free PDF

started
drinking!”
    “See,
Maria and Julie have already started drinking without
you, Dani . You know what happens when that starts. So
hurry up,” Deidre said just before the dial tone buzzed.
    Dani continued working another
fifteen minutes, answered her last question and logged off her computer. She
stood for a good stretch, then bounded toward the
stairs eager to start her birthday weekend. Rushing out the front door, she
made a beeline down the street to meet her friends.
    “Sorry
I’m late, but I’m here.”
    “Happy
birthday!” her friends yelled in unison.
    “Thanks,
guys. Now that everybody knows it’s my birthday and I’m sufficiently
embarrassed, let me order a drink so I can begin to forget you just did that.”
    The
waitress waiting in the wings came over. “Happy birthday, Dani . I’ve been keeping them hydrated and warm on this
cold night while they waited for you,” she said, giggling.
    “Yes,
I see that. Bring me whatever Julie is drinking, she looks really happy and the appetizer sample platter
too, please. Thanks.”
    “Okay,
I’ll be back with some more bread too.”
    “So
where do we pick up on the book tonight?”
    Deidre
shook her head as she sipped her drink. “Not tonight, my friend. Tonight we are
ditching our usual Friday night book club theme so you can enjoy your birthday
present.”
    “I
thought we were going to hang out tonight and celebrate my birthday tomorrow. I
have the weekend off.”
    “Nope,
you’re going to be enjoying your birthday gift without us this year.”
    Deidre
nudged Maria. “Shush girl, not yet,” she said with a laugh. “Let’s eat first.”
    “That’s right, she’s got a nice ride in front of her. She
should eat,” Julie added.
    Deidre
reached over slapping her arm playfully to quiet her laughs. “Dang, drunk folk
can’t hold nothing.”
    Dani leaned back and wrapped her arms
around her chest. “Okay, guys, spit it out, what’s going on?”
    “Fine,
fine, now that your drunk friends all but spilled the beans,” Deidre paused to roll her eyes at
Julie and Maria. “I guess I have to tell you.”
    Dani chuckled. “Oh, now they’re just my
friends.”
    “Of
course, they’re always your friends when they’re cutting up,” Deidre explained
with a laugh. “Anyway, this year since you’re the first one to take the plunge
into the thirties we’ve decided to get you something you wouldn’t get for
yourself.”
    Julie
dug into her purse. She passed an envelope to Deidre who slid it over to Dani .
    “Happy
birthday, Dani .”
    “Again,”
Julie added with a giggle.
    “Thanks,
guys.” Dani removed the contents with a frown after
she discovered the envelope wasn’t some elaborate card. “It’s a confirmation for
a weekend at Powder Power Mountain.”
    “Good
food, fresh snow to ski on and some of the hottest instructors in the world,”
Julie said excitedly.
    “The world ?” Dani asked with a raised brow.
    “Well,
Utah, at the least.”
    “Powder
Power! Come
on guys. You know I don’t—”
      “Well, it’s about time you did . Come on Dani .
You’re going to be thirty tomorrow. It’s time to put your big girl panties on
and do some stuff,” Deidre told her.
    “At
first we planned for all of us to go so we could have a girlfriend weekend, but
then we got to thinking we can do that anytime. You, however, hardly ever leave
the damn house anymore since you got the option to work from home,” Maria
explained. “You are too young to do the hermit thing.”
    “Wow,
I don’t know what to say, guys.”
    “Say
thanks and let’s eat because the last shuttle to the resort leaves at eight o’clock,”
Deidre said accepting the food the waitress passed around.
    After
dinner, Dani got into Deidre’s car under the
impression they would drop her down the street, but they passed by her house.
    “Guys,
we can’t go to the station yet. I don’t have any clothes packed or anything.”
    Deidre
raised her hand. “Have no fear,