Delilah (15 page)

“Just my luck.” Delilah turned her back toward the oncoming car as she pumped gas into her car.

“Oh, you can't answer a brother's calls now?” Luther yelled out his car window.

“We have nothing to discuss,” Delilah said, wishing the gas would flow into her car faster.

“You wrong for leaving me with the bill.”

Delilah laughed as she continued to pump her gas. “Man, you need to get over yourself and move on.”

“My sister tried to warn me about you, but I wouldn't listen.”

Delilah placed the pump back on the lever and retrieved her receipt. She walked closer to Luther's car and said, “Don't get mad because the player got played. Find yourself another victim because I'm not the one.”

“You better be glad you look good or else I would have to regulate.”

“I have two best friends, Smith and Wesson, and they won't let anyone bother me.”

“Ooh, you're a bad woman.”

“No, I'm a player squasher, and I suggest you remember that before you step to me again.” Delilah twisted as she walked away and got in her car.

Delilah heard Luther call her everything but a child of God. She didn't care. She peeped Luther's game the moment she met him. He was a user, and she wasn't the one. He could find another victim because she was not going to be played with.

“Fooling around with him is about to make me late,” Delilah said as she rushed to make her Thursday session with Samson.

Elaine wasn't at her desk when Delilah entered the office, so she walked right in. The back of Samson's chair was facing the window. “Sorry, I'm late. I got caught up in traffic on West Seventieth Street,” Delilah said as she placed her keys on top of the desk.

The chair swiveled around. “Samson had another appointment, so he asked me to step in his place.” Michael stared at her.

The smile on Delilah's face changed to a frown. She had not planned on talking to the associate minister. “I don't think I should be talking to you about my problems.”

He tapped his pen on the desk. “You can just reschedule then because I'm all you've got.” Michael flashed his pearly white teeth.

One thing about Peaceful Rest, the ministers were above-average-looking men. Michael, however, was not Delilah's type. He was too smug in her opinion. She didn't appreciate the judgmental tone he seemed to use whenever they held a conversation. It would be a cold day in hell before she revealed anything of her past to the likes of him.

“Tell Samson, I mean Pastor Judges, I'll call him to reschedule,” Delilah said.

“Whatever suits you,” Michael said. He dismissed her without saying a word. He looked down at a book and never looked back up.

Delilah left the room disappointed she wouldn't be seeing Samson. She had been looking forward to their visit all day. She didn't realize she'd left her keys on Samson's desk until she got outside.

She rushed back inside. Delilah heard voices when she got near Samson's office. She stopped outside the door.

“Thanks for covering for me, man,” she heard Samson say.

Michael responded, “She didn't seem too thrilled, but at least for now you don't have to worry about her.”

Delilah was pissed. Samson had deliberately avoided her. He could have called to cancel, and she would have saved her time and energy. She took steps toward the office until she heard Julia's name.

“Only a woman could put a smile like that on your face,” Michael said.

“Yes, Julia, man. I didn't know it could be that good being married.”

“That's good to hear. I was worried about you for a minute. You seemed so tense.”

“It's been an adjustment, but believe me, Julia and I are adjusting just fine.”

“That's good to hear. We don't want y'all to be a statistic. We're relationship-builders, not destroyers.”

Samson agreed. “I like that. You should talk about that at our next conference.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. Let me get to my wife before she has a fit. Her car's not working, and if I'm late picking her up from work, I'll have to hear it all night.”

“Well, you better go. We can't have that.”

Delilah slipped out of the room and into one of the other offices. She peered around the corner and caught the sight of Michael's back as he walked down the hallway. She ran back to Samson's office. Elaine was still nowhere around. She walked in his office and slammed the door.

“Samson, we have a problem,” Delilah said.

Samson stuttered, “I thought you were gone.”

Delilah walked to where he sat. “I bet you did.”

“What are you doing?”

Delilah sat on his desk and hiked her skirt up. “I don't like what I heard. So you and Ms. Prim and Proper are finally adjusting, huh?”

Samson pushed her leg out of the way. “What goes on between me and my wife is our business?”

“Aren't you curious about how I know you two are having problems in the bedroom?”

“Delilah, I'm warning you.”

She leaned down. “Because, Samson, I saw the bottle of Viagra. You're only thirty and never—and I repeat, never—had a problem getting it up for me.” Delilah leaned back and laughed. “So did you sleep with her to try to forget about me?”

“She's my wife, and I will not have you disrespect her anymore.”

“You weren't concerned about your wife when you were lying in my bed.”

Delilah's body shook from anger.

“What we did should have never happened. It was a mistake.”

Delilah picked up the first thing she could and threw it at him. Samson ducked. “I can't believe you. You took advantage of my weakness, and now you're saying it's a mistake.”

“Delilah, calm down.”

“I see why some women snap now—because of men like you.”

“What's going on here?” Elaine asked with one hand still on the doorknob.

“Ask him,” Delilah said, as she whisked out the door.

Elaine shut the door behind Delilah and stood in front of Samson's desk with both arms folded. “I've sat back and watched that woman prance in and out of this office.”

Samson held his hand up in protest. “Don't.”

“Don't what, Pastor? Have you forgotten you're not only a pastor but a married man? Delilah's up to no good, and you're too blind to see it.”

“You mind your business and let me take care of mine.” Samson hit his fist on his desk.

“Julia will be hearing about this.”

Samson needed to do some damage control. Elaine had gotten beside herself. He stood up. “What goes on in our office is confidential, and if I hear about you telling my wife anything about Delilah or any other person—male or female—who needs counseling, you can hand in your resignation because you will be let go.”

Elaine gasped. “I can't believe you're threatening to fire me.”

Samson sat back down. “Look, I know you don't like Delilah, but that's something you'll have to ask the Lord to help you with. She can rub folks the wrong way, and as you heard she was rubbing me the wrong way.”

“Samson—and yes I called you by your first name because you're not acting like a man of God right now. Delilah is going to be the death of you if you don't watch it.”

“I got everything under control.”

“It doesn't look like it to me.”

“Elaine, we've known each other a long time. I love having you work for me, but I mean it—if I ever hear about anything that goes on in this office from Julia or anyone else, you can look for a new job.”

“You're the boss.” Elaine saluted him.

“It's not even like that. Every time you mention Delilah to Julia, I have to listen to her whine. My house is a happy home right now, and I don't need anyone from the outside trying to ruin it.”

“Then I suggest you keep Delilah out of your personal space.”

Samson couldn't win when it came to Elaine. “When—or if—she decides to reschedule her appointment, you will be cordial to her. Understood?” Samson couldn't let on that he and Delilah had something more personal going on.

“Whatever you say. I'm out for the day.”

Samson hated to be harsh with Elaine, but he had to ensure she kept her mouth shut. He wasn't sure how much she'd overheard. He could not risk her calling Julia about his and Delilah's verbal altercation. Things at home were finally looking up, and he'd meant what he'd said—he would not let anyone destroy it.

Now that Elaine was out of his office, Samson had another problem to deal with—Delilah. She flew out of there before they could iron out their differences. Samson thought of a quote by the poet and playwright William Congreve: “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned. Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.”

He turned off his computer and grabbed his briefcase. The phone rang as he exited the door. He debated whether to answer it or let it go. He opted to answer. He needed to redeem himself. It could be someone in need. Julia's voice rang from the other end of the phone. “Where are you?” she asked.

“I'm on my way home now,” he snapped. He didn't mean to snap, but it came out that way before he could catch himself.

His call with Julia ended, and he left his office. On the way home, he stopped at an area grocery store and purchased a floral bouquet. Julia was in the den watching television when he got home. “Hi, sweetheart. Sorry about what happened earlier.” Samson handed her the bouquet of flowers.

“These are beautiful.” She greeted him with a kiss. “Thank you.”

“I was thinking, why don't you put the food up you cooked today and we go out tonight for dinner instead?”

Julia held on to the flowers. “Works for me. Let me put everything away, and I'll go change.”

“You look just fine to me.”

Julia moved the hair from out of her face with her free hand. “Please, I've had this on all day.”

An hour later, Julia and Samson were seated at the Olive Garden eating salad and pasta. “This has always been one of my favorite places for Italian food,” Julia said. Samson had to strain to hear her because a group of women sitting at a nearby table were talking loud. “I like your lasagna better,” Samson responded.

“Oh, you really are trying to butter me up, aren't you?”

The voices of the group of women sitting next to them got louder. “Our first lady has no idea that her husband has been laying hands on me, and, girl, his hands are big too,” Samson heard the woman say.

All the women at the table laughed out loud. Samson sipped on his drink and hoped Julia wasn't paying them any attention. Another one of the women said, “You know you're wrong.”

“He's the one married—not me,” the cheating woman said.

“Aren't you afraid of what will happen to you if his wife finds out?”

Another person said, “She needs to be more concerned about how God is going to deal with her.”

The cheating woman said: “Me and God have an understanding. I stay out of His way, and He stays out of mine.”

“You're going to burn in hell,” another woman at the table said.

“And you'll be right there with me, Ms. Sleeping With the Chairman of the Deacon Board.”

Samson had heard enough. He had no idea what church the women went to, but to hear them go on and on about their adventures made him very uncomfortable.

“Good thing we don't have to worry about that at our church,” Julia said, making it clear she had heard them as well.

Samson played it off. “Yes, our men might be a lot of things, but they are doing their best to honor their marital vows.”

“Let's hope.”

Samson didn't know if that was a personal jab at him or if his guilt made him feel as if it were. Either way, he was glad when the bill came so they could leave the gossiping women by themselves.

Seething, Delilah slammed the phone down for the umpteenth time. “That cow won't put my calls through.”

She had been trying to reach Samson all day, but Elaine kept saying he wasn't available. Samson wouldn't answer his cell phone either. Agitated, Delilah logged on to her computer to play a game of Bejeweled to help relax her mind.

Her instant message alerted her that Samson was online. “Got you now.”

She typed in a few lines and sent the message. There was no response. The computer beeped and the words “offline” appeared near Samson's login name.

He was playing games with her—the ignore game. That was one game she didn't like to play. She got ignored when she tried to tell someone about the predators in her foster homes. She got ignored when she had to showcase her body on the stage for perverts. Men only saw her physical beauty; none were interested in knowing the woman within. No, being ignored was no fun, and she wasn't going to play it with Samson.

Satan seemed to know when to hit a person at her weakest moment. Delilah picked up her phone to call Samson again, but William was calling her at the same time. Instead of hearing Samson's voice, she heard William's on the other end of the phone. “You got something for me yet, darling.”

“Maybe.” Delilah gritted her teeth.

“It's either yes or no.”

Delilah would give Samson one more chance. Samson loved his church and dear wife too much to allow their affair to be made public. If he didn't react the way she felt he should, then she would have no recourse but to give William what he wanted—the ammunition to use against Samson. “He's coming around,” Delilah responded.

“Buy more low-cut blouses, tighter dresses. Do whatever you have to do. I want that property.”

Delilah dropped the phone. She swore the phone grew hot as she listened to William go on and on about the land he wanted. She was glad when he finally decided to end the call.

“Samson must have forgotten about the video,” Delilah said as she typed a long e-mail to Samson reminding him.

The computer sounded. “You've got mail.”

Delilah laughed. “I knew that would get your attention.” Samson's login name showed in the “sender” section of her e-mail.

She read his words out loud. “I thought you destroyed it.”

She opened up her instant message browser and typed, “My computer made a backup.”

The computer beeped to alert Delilah of an incoming instant message. Samson responded, “Delete it.”

“Why?”

“Because it's the right thing to do.”

“Samson, Samson, Samson,” she said out loud and then typed. “Why have you been avoiding me?” Delilah hit the send button in the instant message box.

“I've been busy.”

“Too busy to talk to the woman responsible for putting fire back into your marriage?”

“Don't say that.”

“Don't deny it. I bet you think of me when you're making love to her.”

“Are you going to destroy the video or what?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?” He put several question marks at the end of his statement.

Delilah had Samson agonizing. He had no idea what she was going to do next, and that's exactly how she wanted it to be. “I need to see you this weekend,” she said, as she typed those exact words.

“I will see you at church.”

“That's not what I want and you know it.”

“Fifteen minutes. I can stop by for fifteen minutes and then I have to get home to my wife.”

“I'll be waiting.” Delilah put a smiley face at the end of her sentence.

Regardless of Samson's motives for going over, Delilah had no intentions of giving him the only copy she had of their liaison. If he thought he could sweet talk her into handing over that piece of evidence, he would be making a wasted trip.

Delilah wrapped her pink satin robe around her and waited for Samson to stop by. While waiting, she placed a DVD in a case and set it on the table.

The doorbell rang alerting her to Samson's arrival. She rushed to the door. “Come in,” she said as she moved to the side so he could enter.

“Where's the disk?”

“I know your mama taught you better manners than that. At least give a sister a hug.”

Delilah moved in for a hug. Samson inched back. “We better keep our distance.”

“I know I'm hard to resist.” She tightened the belt of her robe and walked into the living room. She knew Samson wasn't far behind her.

“Delilah, I don't have time to play these games with you.”

Just the mention of the word game set off a bell in her head. She stopped and turned around. “Oh, I know you're not talking about me playing games. I've been trying to reach you all day. Ain't nobody that doggone busy.”

“You're not the only member I have.”

“But still you could have called me back.” Delilah picked up the disk from the table and waved it in the air. “If I wouldn't have mentioned this video, I would still be waiting to hear from you.”

Samson reached for the disk. Delilah placed it behind her back. “Not so fast. What happens after I give you the video?”

“Nothing.”

“Then give me one good reason why I should give it to you.”

Delilah sensed his frustration with her but wouldn't give up her antics. “I need the reassurance that no one else will see it. Julia wouldn't understand.”

She placed the video beneath her robe near her chest. “If you want it, come get it.”

“I'm not touching you.”

“I guess you don't want it then.”

“This is blackmail, and it's not right.”

Delilah laughed. “You have options. Are you going to come and get it?”

Samson paused to walk away, but on second thought, turned around. “This is the last time.”