Hazards on the Hardwood (Hazards and Hijinks) Read Free Page A

it.
    Later on, as he had suspected, the rumors were proven to be false, the source being none other than Caroline herself. She had an intense hatred for Sasha and that had fueled the rumors; her goal was to get back at Sasha for winning that competition.
    With the phone calls finished and her brief answer received, Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had a partner; now he had to send in the entry fee and get his tuxedo cleaned and pressed. He would get to that soon. He then went to his office to prepare his sermon for next Sunday’s service.
     
    * * * *
     
    Caroline put her phone back in her handbag and turned on her television to finish watching her favorite show before heading out for her hair appointment. Her thoughts turned to what gown she would wear to the competition. Maybe she could call Henri and see if he could whip up something devastatingly gorgeous; something with feathers, yes, definitely feathers or sequins. She thought the style and color; a long, flowing chiffon possibly, the color of turquoise or aqua that would appear as if she was floating through the air, she loved the dramatic effect. Her blonde hair always looked better when she wore turquoise. She took a moment and gazed at the full-length mirror to the right of her television. Thinking that she needed to hire a makeup artist to consult on her look for the competition; she would call the salon and see who was available. So many things to do!
    After a cup of her favorite coffee, two short television shows later, she buzzed her chauffer and off she went to “Hair Today” Salon. Stepping out of the limo, she made her way into the salon. Rene was there and he was smiling excitedly at her!
    “Mon Ami,” he said in a thick French accent. “Welcome darling! It eez so good to see you. What can I do for you today? He oozed with charm and enthusiasm; after all, Caroline was one of his best paying clients and he was always looking for a pleasing comment from her as well as a huge tip.
    “Oh Rene, I would love for you to do just a trim this morning and a touchup would be wonderful, darling.” And with that, Rene was prepared to work wonders with Caroline’s hair. She had a look of sheer satisfaction on her face. The competition would be a success this year. She’d see to that…
     
     

 
     
    3
     
    Raul Griffith eagerly opened the email attachment with great anticipation. He had been looking forward to this e-vite all year. As he sat at the computer, the bowl of Cheetos and hot sauce, he had been eating, spilled out on the desk and would have poured out onto the keyboard but his lightning fast fingers caught it before the damage was done. “Well, that’s just great, red and orange all over my white T-shirt! Kind of looks like it’s tie-dyed!” He went back to reading about the dance competition. Thinking about his partner, Sasha O’Neill, he snickered quietly. “I sure hope Ms. Sasha can get a grip on her reality show addiction and maybe we have another chance at winning a competition. It was almost impossible last year because of her crazy antics. But we did get our victory!”
    Others that knew Sasha, knew she got a bum deal last year because of the hateful rumors started by one Ms. Caroline Smathers. She had done her best to sabotage Sasha for some unknown reason. People that knew Sasha, realized it was all a huge fabrication and that Caroline just suffered from a large case of “Sasha envy.” Caroline had everything but the trophy. She was bent on winning it at all cost, this was obvious to Raul, Sasha and even to Nicholas, Caroline’s partner.
    As Raul finished reading the email about the competition, he thought it was time for some serious searching online for “the future Mrs. Griffith.”
    He typed in the address for his favorite website, “gotamatch.com,” he loved these online dating sites and was signed up as a member on three or four now. He entered his user name, “hot sauce 39” and his password. As the page