Big Bad Wolf Tells All

Chapter One Tanzy waited in line, wondering for the umpteenth time how Sue had talked them into this. "A good cause," she muttered beneath her breath, thinking again that she could just as easily have written a check. And saved herself the embarrassment. "What size?" the gentleman behind the counter asked her when it was finally her turn. "Six-and-a-half, heel or sandal. Seven, flat or sneaker." The guy merely looked at her. Apparently having a sense of humor was optional when being considered for a job at the Bay Area Bowl-O-Rama. "Seven, please." The man grabbed a pair of what had to be the most hideous shoes she'd ever seen and slid them across the counter. And she was going to pay him for the privilege of wearing those? She sent a silent apology to her feet. "I don't suppose you have something in a Jimmy Choo?" Again with the blank stare. "Never mind." She gingerly picked up the two-tone baby puke green and yellow leather lace-ups and scanned the lane monitors for her name. Charity event or no charity, Sue was going to owe them all big time for this little outing, she thought as she settled in their team's alcove. She watched as other people began filling up the lanes and waited for the rest of the gang to show up. Dreading it almost as much as she dreaded the thought of bowling for dollars. She glanced at her watch. She still had time to run for it. Then Rina swept in. Rina never did anything as pedestrian as walk, or even stroll. She swept. Tanzy stood and waved to her, then promptly tripped over the mile-long shoelaces. Needless to say, Tanzy wasn't a born sweeper. Rina stepped down into their little seating area and pulled her into the one-armed almost-hug that didn't muss hair or makeup. "I'm back," she announced with her typical elan. "The world can resume rotating on its axis now." Tanzy breathed a dramatic sigh of relief. "Thank God, the wobble was getting to me." But she was glad Rina was home from her honeymoon. Of their group, Rina was her closest friend and confidant. Not to mention constant fodder for her biweekly column. Fortunately for Tanzy, and her readers, Rina found her occasional starring role amusing and flattering. "What in the hell are those?" Rina was pointing to the baby puke leather rafts on Tanzy's feet. "Schizophrenic shoes only a manic-depressive could love?" Rina wrinkled her nose. "I'm getting depressed just looking at them." "So, I assume the islands were fabulous," Tanzy asked, almost desperate to change the subject. It was bad enough she had to wear the shoes. She drew the line at talking about them. "Your tan is perfect." As were Rina's sleek dark hair, designer clothes, lean model's body, blah blah blah. Of course, Rina carried it off in a "Doesn't everyone look this fabulous?" kind of way that made her hard to hate. Despite her own unmanageable brown curls, the occasional freckle, and eyebrows that were a bitch to keep plucked right, Tanzy managed not to be jealous most of the time. Generally that was when she wasn't wearing baby puke shoes. "It was utter paradise, Tanz," Rina responded, flashing a sly smile. "We even managed to leave the yacht to see some of them." Rina's third husband was Garrison West, aka Old Money. Fifteen years her senior, he barely looked it. And thanks to a team of plastic surgeons and personal trainers he probably never would. Rina was convinced the third time wasKauffman, Donna is the author of 'Big Bad Wolf Tells All' with ISBN 9780553382228 and ISBN 0553382225.