Lipstick & Zombies (Deadly Divas Book 1) by Faith McKay Read Free Book Online Page A

appalled.
    "Didn't they bring your bag up for you? Didn't you pack some?" Gerri asked.
    "Yes," Dee answered, annoyed. "But like, that can't be all I have. I need new clothes. We need credit cards. They'll give us those, right? Like for expenses? I thought I'd be greeted by, like, a stylist, who would be on top of this kind of thing. I don't know about you guys but I'm getting real fed up with the half-ass treatment around here, you know?"
    "It's been an hour," Carrie said. Honestly, she was overwhelmed with the little that had happened; she was relieved more wasn't going on. She knew it was coming.
    "That's what I'm saying," Dee said, getting more fired up. "Time is money. Shouldn't suits know that? And what are you doing?"
    Gerri slammed the last kitchen cupboard shut and flipped her short hair out of her face. It was a floppy mess, but Carrie thought it was intentional. She had this laid back, I-spent-four-hours-in-front-of-the-mirror-so-that-I-could-look-like-I-don't-care-about-anything, kind of thing going for her. It was a look. Carrie was sure people loved her for it. Gerri puffed out her cheeks before letting out a big breath and said, "Empty!"
    "Empty?"
    "No booze."
    Dee stomped her foot. "This is what I'm saying!"
    "Oh, calm down," Gerri said and hopped over the counter and the back of the sofa to slam down into the corner of the sectional. "So what's with you?"
    "Me?" Dee asked. Carrie hoped she meant her, but steeled herself, just in case. She'd already acted like a weakling enough in front of these girls.
    "No, you ," Gerri asked, pointing to the survivalist. The girl had taken station by the door, and acted more like a bodyguard than a part of the group. She didn't respond to Gerri's question, so she looked to Sadie and asked, "Does anyone know her name?"
    Sadie shrugged, and Gerri looked to Carrie. "No," Carrie answered. "She hasn't spoken."
    "Band full of quiet girls," Gerri said. "Don't know how that's going to work."
    "Jo," the survivalist said, and took a step closer to the group. Gerri and Dee were settled on the sofa, Sadie in a chair to the side, and with Jo stepping in, Carrie was the furthest from the group. She took a deep breath, and casually moved herself into a chair across from the sofa.
    "Jo," Dee repeated. "Nice to meet you."
    Jo gave a slight incline of her head, barely what you could call a nod.
    "So, Jo," Gerri said. "What made you decide to join this fine group of ours?"
    Jo uncrossed her arms, only to cross them behind her back, and uncross them again. She took a seat on an empty side table, despite the empty chairs, and sat with her legs wide out to the sides. Carrie smiled. It was so completely the opposite of anything Carrie would ever do.
    "Same as you, I suppose," Jo said.
    "Well, I joined to have some fun," Gerri said. "Are you looking to have some fun, Jo?"
    Jo slightly raised her right shoulder, like a twitch. A small giggle slipped from Carrie's lips, and four pairs of eyes turned her way. Sadie's glare pierced Carrie's side. She didn't even need to turn to see it; it cut so deep.
    "And what's with you two?" Gerri asked.
    "What do you mean?" Dee asked.
    "These two," Gerri asked, directing her pointer finger at Sadie and her middle finger at Carrie. "They hate each other."
    "Do you all know each other?" Dee asked. "Because that's not fair. I was told we were just meeting today. Did you see each other at tryouts? Because they had all the girls from my school sectioned off alone."
    "No, no," Gerri said. "Auditions were separated by school. These two know each other somehow, though."
    "We don't know each other," Carrie said.
    "Not exactly true," Sadie said, and rolled her eyes away from Carrie toward Gerri. "I sing on Tuesdays and Thursdays at XY."
    "Damn," Gerri said. "That place is hot."
    It really was, both literally—so many bright lights and sweaty bodies—and figuratively. It was one of the few places that consistently had live music, a full crowd, and decent food. They were