Wise Folly

WISE FOLLY

By

RITA CLAY

Copyright 2012 by Rita B Clay

All Rights Reserved

Cover Artwork by DigitalDonna.com

Kindle
Edition - License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  The ebook may not be re-sold or given away.

Dedication

To My Cousin, Ruthann, For Reading, Reading, and Reading.  And to Parris Afton Bonds and Mary Tate Engels for our friendship since before RWA was ever conceived.  Bless you all!

CHAPTER ONE

Dianna’s eyes widened as she glanced around the executive reception area of Wescomp, Inc. The changes since she had been here last were dramatic. The interior was now decorated in a contemporary style featuring soft colors, fluorescent lighting, and an abundance of live plants. The carpeting was a deep forest green, the walls a paler shade of the same color. Bright modern paintings reflected off the glass partitions and brought all the tones together in
rich
classic harmony.
The total look was relaxed but efficient
.
She took the elevator up to the designated floor and stepped into a long hall ending at a desk.

A young
woman
sat at the
marble
receptionist’s desk filing her nails with wholehearted dedication. Preoccupied with her task, she hadn’t noticed Dianna’s entrance. The telephone intercom buzzed loudly and the girl jumped, then jumped again when she noticed the tall, well-dressed woman standing in front of her. Dianna’s tips twitched in a smile, the girl’s almost comical nervousness helping dispel some of her own.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Hold on a minute, won’t you?’ she asked,
her
composure
leaving
as she fidgeted with the buttons of the intercom. Dianna watched the girl’s confusion for a moment before
reaching
over and flipp
ing
one of the switches to the “on” position, earning a grateful smile.

The young girl's expression was sheepish
.
“I guess you can tell this isn’t my regular job.
I’m usually in the typing pool, but Mr. Bradshaw’s secretary was sick today and they pulled me in to help.” She picked up the receiver. “Yes, Mr. Bradshaw?” she asked sweetly in a sing-song voice while making a face into the phone
before looking at Dianna
. “Mrs. Hammond?” Dianna nodded in confirmation. “Yes, sir, she’s here.
I
was just about to ring you.”  There was a moment's hesitation. “Yes, sir.”

She cradled the receiver gently. “Boy, is he in a foul mood! Watch out, Mrs. Hammond—even on his nice days his attitude is nothing to brag about.” The young girl swished her long hair over her shoulders and glanced appraisingly at the other woman’s cream-colored suit and black silk blouse. Her dark hair was in a soft
flowing style that framed her face and touched her shoulders
. 
Her eyes showed her admiration. "I was going to say good luck, but I think you'll handle
Mr. Bradshaw
just fine
.
"

Dianna smiled her thanks and walked into the office, a much larger room than the reception area. Mr. Bradshaw sat behind a rather well-worn desk, bifocals perched on a
hawk like
nose, his eyes peering over both. “Mrs. Hammond? Have a seat, please.” He indicated a chair
in front of his desk
, his voice high but raspy. His hand patted the few remaining hairs on his balding head as he gave her a puzzled smile. She took a seat, sitting in the dark leather chair
across from him
.

“Please excuse me for being surprised, Mrs. Hammond. The people in Personnel recommended you highly, but I had the impression you would be older
,
” he said.

“Surely
age doesn't
have much to do with qualifications, Mr. Bradshaw?” she
said
, smiling
.

His brows rose.
“Of course not
!”

Dianna gave a small laugh as she opened her briefcase and pulled out her resume, handing it to him. “
A
s you can see, I’m twenty-
seven
years old and have
over
seven years’ experience in the computer
programming
field.”

He quickly
re-
scanned her credentials, placing one neatly typed page behind the other until he finished all
three
pages. The dull sounds of traffic far below mingled with the soft ticking of
the
wall clock behind his desk as she watched the expression
s
flitting across his face. Apparently he was impressed with what he read, for a small satisfied smile tugged at his craggy features.

“Excellent!” he said as he set the resume down on his desk and sat back in his leather chair. “Congratulations, Mrs. Hammond. I want to welcome you to Wescomp as our new head of Programming
.
”

The job was hers, and the salary Mr. Bradshaw mentioned was better than she had anticipated! In two weeks’ time she would offic
ially start working at Wescomp
,
The choice had been made and now the matter was out of her hands. She was no longer tense or upset
.
And the best part was the hospitalization would kick in within the month.

As the interview closed Dianna gave a small sigh, leaning forward in her chair to reach for the necessary forms that she would have to fill out and return.

Mr. Bradshaw glanced down at the resume, a surprised look flitting across his face. “I must have missed this the first time, Mrs. Hammond
.
You're
a widow and you have a child of six?”

“Yes. My husband died
just after my daughter was born
,” she
l
ied calmly. It was a story she had repeated so often she almost felt it was the truth.

“I see. And you married
someone with your same last name
?’ he asked, looking at her with hard piercing eyes magnified by his bifocals.

F
or just a fleeting second Dianna sat immobilized, her head spinning for an answer. Her few friends hadn’t known her before Tabby, so she had never run into the problem before.
She had the same name she'd had all her life, before and after her so-called marriage.
Grasping at the straw he had thrown, she smiled “Oh ... yes.
But there are several dozen in the phone book. I just happened to marry one.
”

He seemed to ponder this awhile before accepting it with a nod. Then he reached back into the bottom drawer and pulled out more forms. “You’ll want your daughter on the medical insurance also—am I correct?”

She nodded
, smiling widely
.
“Yes. That was one of m
any
reasons for reapplying to Wescomp. I want
my daughter,
Tab
itha,
to have the best, should she ever need it”
They spoke a little more on  credentials and classes and then
Dianna stood and accepted the added forms with a feeling of relief before holding out her hand
. 
“Thank you for your time.”

He shook hands, and then, just as she reached the door, he called “
Oh,
Mrs. Hammond
?
A week from tomorrow there will be a cocktail party in honor of the installation of our new computer
system and programs. We've finally put them in place
. All our major stockholders and the department heads are to attend
.
Though you won’t start work until a week after the party,
we
need you to be
joining
us.
It will give you a chance to meet some of the people you’ll be working with.” He gave a smile as if anticipating her reluctance even before she had a chance to react “All part of the job, you know.”

She hesitated “May I pass on it?”

He shook his head.
“
I'm
sorry, but it’s imperative you attend
.
"

Diana nodded
reluctantly
. "Ve
ry well, and thank you again,”
she
said
simply
.

Closing the door behind her, she
leaned against its frame for just a moment
.
Funny how composed she had been, when she’d thought she would be nervous. Just seven years ago her feelings had been very different when a position at Wescomp was offered her. Then she had been excited and hopeful. Just out of college and eager to embark on a business career, she had thought the job at Wescomp a dream come true. She had never guessed how quickly that dream would become a
living
nightmare.

Her heels echoed
clicks
as she made her way toward the
elevator. Her
mind was preoccupied with one small detail.
She’d been in Mr. Bradshaw’s office for
half
an hour and
only
toward
the very end, had she noticed
that the light on his intercom panel had been
lit..
.
She told herself it was the computer department head. She wasn't worthy of having any other higher up care whether she was hired or not. After all, it was now a huge company.

There was a feeling of relief in having the position with Wescomp. Leaving
a much smaller company
job she had held for the past
three years
had been a major step
. B
ut now it was done. And
everything looked so much better
because of
this job
, Tabby would have the advantages she deserved:
better money meant better
clothing, medical care,
house repairs
and
, because she wouldn't be working the hours she had been, this job would give
a few more hours a week to spend with
her
.

Tabby. She was the one source of
pride and pleasure
in
Diana's
life, and whenever Dianna thought of her
daughter
,
she felt a sense of accomplishment
.
Tabby
was all a
bright
six-year-old girl should be. Small for her age, she was a beautiful miniature of her mother, with the exception of her warm gray eyes and caramel-colored hair. Tabby was impish and loving, an indefinable blend of sober adult and mischievous child
.
And now, both she and Tabby had
almost
two wonderful weeks in which to relax before getting into the routine of work once more.

Surprisingly, t
he late June days in Dallas were warm and balmy, and Dianna and Tabby made the most of them by taking small side trips through the countryside. They went to Livingston and visited the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation deep in the heart of the tall pine country. Another time they drove down to the
Sea World in San Antonio
, spending
the day in its shade as they
watched the whales and seals do tricks with young men and women. On the way home,
Tabby, slept better than she had in weeks, waking with rested eyes, flushed cheeks, and more energy than she’d displayed in a long time.

They enjoyed it, but all the time there was a niggling worry in the back of Dianna’s mind. The cocktail party for Wescomp
loomed
closer with every passing day, and she was dreading it all out of proportion.
Was it really
necessary for a computer programmer to have the expertise of a socialite, she
asked herself
in calmer moments. Just because she had
n't
dated since Tabby was bo
rn,
she certainly wasn’t such a country bumpkin that she couldn’t converse intelligently with other people! After a
ll
, what was she expecting to happen? No one knew of her past and she shouldn’t let it hinder her future. If she was tense, it was her own fault
.
She was making something out of nothing, she
repeatedly
told herself.

Then she would ha
lt
in mid
-
thought
:
Coming face to face with Noah Weston was
not
not
hing
!