It was four days before Christmas when Veronica's company held their holiday party, something they were all looking forward to, especially Veronica. Mr. Thomas, the owner of the accounting facility lived close to the casino and made arrangements to host the party there, though a few select people were allowed to also use a portion of his expansive home, located just a block from the company on the same side of the street as the casino property. Those attending the party at the casino had access to food and some drinks, but they were on their own when it came to gambling and Veronica wanted to go.
Then her husband, Mark, called to say he had to work late again and she blew up, telling him he had been working late every night this week and she was tired of it. She wanted to party, she deserved it, and she was going whether he showed or not. Luckily for Mark, he was able to finish early and struggled through heavy snow to reach the party and join his wife. He decided to surprise her, but when arrived at her work, he noticed the parking lot was full, so he pulled into one of the last spots on the side road, not next to Veronica's SUV which is where he usually parked.
He didn't know if Veronica was now at the casino, or was still at work and decided to call her, but it went to voice mail. Well, he thought, I'm here, so I'll check her work first. The older security guard told him that Veronica and the others had left almost an hour earlier and Mark knew she was probably at the casino now, where the main party was happening. He again called her and this time she picked up on the third ring. Her slurred speech meant she had been drinking, a lot, and he started to tell her how the traffic was so bad that it was going to be difficult to get to the casino, but before he could explain that he was just across the street, she said that maybe he should not go to the party and should instead go home. He was about to tell her where was when she said she was still at work with several other people and they wouldn't be going to the casino for at least an hour. Mark turned and looked at her empty office, wondering what was happening. His wife was out right lying to him and he wondered if she was just angry at him, or if there were other reasons she lied.
Deciding to find out what she was up to, he told her he would still go to the casino, but with the deteriorating conditions, he probably wouldn't get there for at least two hours, so she could finish up with her work and he would meet her in one of the gaming rooms. His concerns were intensified when he heard Veronica sigh. She told him fine and that she would probably be hanging out with her work mates, then she hung up without saying goodbye. He needed to get there fast.
He didn't know what room she might be in, but hurried out of her building and to the casino as quickly as he could. The casino was huge, hosting a half dozen small gaming rooms, so he knew he had to be careful when he entered one, not wanting to be spotted. The first one was a bust, but just as he was about to enter the second, he spotted her talking to four men at a table near the bar. This was unusual for her as she was shy, but then figured they were probably her co-workers, but why did she tell him she was still working, unless they moved the meeting here. Still things didn't add up to him. She had said they would be at her work for an hour, and then he kept seeing her look at her watch, like she was anxious about the time. That's when it hit him, she was checking to see how much time she had before he showed up. By his calculations, he wasn't supposed to be here for another 90 minutes or so.
Mark moved to other side of the bar and ordered a coke, but when he walked back around to check on her, the table was empty. Quickly he began looking around, worried she might be heading his way, but then he saw her, laughing and talking to the men around her as they moved toward the end of the casino. He had been there a few times and remembered that there were two gaming roomss in that area? Yes, two, so he quickly moved among the people there, using them as cover in case she looked back. She didn't, but Mark noticed ominously that one of the guys, Paul, who was with her kept looking over his shoulder. Paul was a nasty little ass, and he would recognize Mark if he saw him, so Mark made a detour of sorts, cutting around several machines and then moving as quickly as he could toward the end.
He reasoned that if Veronica saw him, he could say he had only been kidding and had just arrived. He reached a good spot but after a few minutes, he noticed that they didn't walk past him. He had lost them, and started to search for them, becoming a bit frantic when he didn't see the group anywhere, then he saw them on the first floor, they had taken the stairs. Only they had now been joined by another man, Thomas, the owner of the company. He watched them for a bit as they all stood there talking, and had no idea of what was happening. He thought perhaps that they had met the owner and were now preparing to head back to the business, especially when he saw all of them, except Mr. Thomas, put their jackets back on.
In a flash, Mark had donned his jacket and he moved down the steps quickly, reaching the main floor and spotting them as they stepped outside. Taking another exit, Mark almost bumped into the group as they had turned and were walking by. Quickly he walked out into the snow toward the parking lot, but as he spied the office across the way, he realized that they weren't heading that way, they were going in a slightly different direction. Then it hit him, they were heading to the home of Mr. Thomas which was located on the opposite side of the street. That was when Mark remembered what Veronica had said once, that sometimes the parties were at Mr. Thomas' house, and that looked like the case now.