Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) by Ali Parker Read Free Book Online Page B

damned. The car stopped and Kari sat up, stretching and leaning up between the seats where her two friends were arguing over something.
    "I seriously think it would be best to have all the walls the same color. I don't think the house would look right to have ten different colors as you walk through it. It will look like a Mickey Mouse Playhouse," Sicily growled, reaching up to adjust the hot air vent toward herself.
    "I like Mickey Mouse," Kari added in, reaching up to turn the radio volume down so she could participate in whatever was going on in the front seat.
    "See? Mickey Mouse is boss. I'm not having the walls all look the same, Sicily. And knowing you, it would be some plain cream-colored cleanly looking shit." Lisa shook her head, her eyes moving in the rearview mirror to give Kari a look of appreciation for the backing.
    "Plain!" Sicily yelled. "You think I'm plain?"
    Lisa laughed and Kari sat back, rolling her eyes. Sicily was anything but plain and the girl knew it. She was extravagant and exotic looking, her cooking skills were off the charts, and her creativity was unmatched.
    "I'm not even answering that. We're not having one color palate throughout the whole house." Lisa held up her hand to stop everyone from interrupting, "... but we're not having ten either. We'll all go room by room and just hang out in there with some color palates from Home Depot or something."
    "Okay, I'm good with that, I guess." Sicily sat up and pointed to something out the front window. "It's our lucky night. Parking spot right up front."
    "You know, we could just get Kari to pick the colors. She's our resident artist." Lisa moved the car gracefully into the spot and they all got out, huddling against the cold near the front of the car.
    "I haven't expressed myself artistically in years, guys. Not sure I even see in color anymore." Kari shrugged, the weight of her situation more than she wanted to discuss.
    "You're a brilliant photographer. You have loads of talent." Sicily looped her arm into Kari’s and Lisa's and moved them toward the pub, a rail-thin girl opening the door from the inside.
    Her smile was big and her hair was dark purple. "Hey, guys! Welcome to Addey's! Hurry up and get in out of the cold."
    The girls hustled their way into the small restaurant, the smell of greasy food filling the air. Kari breathed in deep and untangled herself from her friends, reaching up to smooth her hair. She looked around to see that most of the tables were full, the place a local hangout for years.
    "Three of you tonight?" the girl asked and reached for some menus and silverware.
    "Yep, unless you have three hot guys with large wallets waiting on us." Lisa tilted her head and smiled, the girl laughing as Kari smirked. Leave it to Lisa to be inappropriate as usual.
    "I wish, though I'd not only be checking them for large wallets." The girl winked and moved in front of them. "This way, ladies."
    Sicily's cheeks flushed as she looked to Kari, Lisa walking ahead of them. "Did she really just say that?"
    Kari laughed and wrapped an arm around her friend. "She sure did. She and Lisa should hang out sometime."
    "I'm right here, shit," Lisa muttered, looking over her shoulder with a wicked gleam in her eye.
    They chuckled and slipped into the booth, Kari picking up the menu though she knew without a doubt that it was a double bacon cheeseburger sort of night.
    "Anyone want to split a salad with me?" Sicily asked, picking up her menu and studying it.
    Kari laughed and Lisa snorted. "Hell no..."
    Kari tried with tact to pick up where Lisa began. "She means that no, we'd like to gorge ourselves, seeing that it will be a while until we're here again."
    "No, I didn't. I meant, 'hell no'." Lisa laughed as Sicily reached across the table to slap at her. Kari moved over as to not get hit.
    A handsome Asian boy walked up to the table, his eyes on Kari as he spoke. "Hi, ladies. How are we tonight?"
    Lisa reached up and tugged on his thin black tie. "We're