Wise Folly Read Free Page A

front of June’s door at exactly five o’clock that evening. A ta l l slim young man dressed in a black tuxedo walked up the pavement and knocked.
    Dianna's simple black sheath was perfect for the occasion. It was a sleeveless vee-neck with simple lines that hugged her slim curves when she stood still, tastefully outlining the stunning figure she seemed so unaware of.
    Introductions were short and sweet and after he’d seated her in the luxurious car and then dipped into the driver’s seat . As he began to slowly drive away from the suburban community, he turned to her with a smile.
    “By the way, I work at Wescomp too, as part of the sales team .” As they sped down the freeway Jason engaged her in conversation, choosing undemanding subjects that quickly put her at ease.
    “When Mr. Bradshaw asked me to escort you I thought Oh boy, the old guy doesn’t even give her credit for being able to find her own escort !” he exclaimed ruefully , not even realizing how close he was coming to the truth. But his youth and lack of sophistication was refreshing. He only spoke what was on his mind . “But he explained how you weren’t really beginning work for another week and it would be awkward for you to walk into a room full of strange people and be a conversational wizard. I guess I was chosen because I talk so much and most people in the company know me from one job or another . I think I've worked in most company departments. ”
    “Well, I can’t complain,” Dianna laughed, “You’ve certainly kept me entertained so far.”
    He grinned sheepishly. “A less polite way of putting it would be to say I've completely monopolized the conversation . ”
    They laughed again , both far more at ease now that the initial meeting was completed. H e continued to talk until they pulled into Wescomp’s underground parking lot and Dianna stepped from the car . The bright lights and warm colors that dressed the poles helped relieve the tedious stretch of gray- colored concrete. Stationed at various intervals about the well-lit garage were several uniformed security guards.
    “What a good idea,” Dianna murmured, nodding her head toward the nearest of the uniformed men.
    Jason took her elbow and began g uided her toward the elevators. “It was put into practice years ago. There are too many young women working at Wescomp to take a chance on their safety. It’s rumored that a girl was raped down here once and they’ve had security guards ever since.”
    The blood slowly drained from her face and her legs trembled with an uncontrollable weakness. A deadly quiet surrounded them except for the sound of the elevator making its way toward the basement Fine dots of perspiration beaded her upper lip and forehead as her eyes darted around the concrete walls. She had never been in the garage since that night .... she had tried so hard to forget ...
    A Cadillac. Charles had picked her up and driven to the dinner club in a royal blue Cadillac with seats so soft they enveloped her in a silky , spongy cocoon. It was a perfect start to what promised to be a perfect evening. Because she had thought they were meeting Noah there.
    She'd met Charles e arl ier that day when she had applied for a position at Noah's insistence. As a younger brother, he was fun , personable and very jealous of his older, CEO executive brother. Noah was the man in charge, and his very stance and attitude showed it. He wore a permanently etched frown and caramel-colored hair. And when Charles had called and said he was assigned to take her to meet Noah for dinner, she had smiled and agreed. She had begun to fall in love with Noah, and her heartbeat raced at just the name passing her lips. To think he'd send his brother to pick her up made her feel even more special than Noah had already accomplished. And Charles' easy banter and joking had put her at ease almost immediately. But there was no doubt all her attention had been on seeing Noah again.
    It turned out that