Delilah sat in her car and contemplated whether to stay or leave the restaurant parking lot. She should have never agreed to meet Luther for lunch when he called earlier. He caught her at a vulnerable moment. She wasn’t getting the attention she desired from Samson, so she agreed to meet Luther to give her ego a much-needed boost.
Delilah glanced at the clock on the dashboard. If Luther was already inside the restaurant, he could wait a few more minutes; Delilah was in no rush. She called Keisha but got no answer, so she left a voice message. “Keisha, please call me back. I need your advice about something.”
She threw her cell phone in her purse and exited the car. Her long, curly hair bounced when she walked. She walked inside feeling confident. Men and women took notice as she strode past tables as if she owned the world.
“Glad you made it,” Luther said. He stood up and pulled out her chair.
A gentleman, Delilah noted. She didn’t expect that. “You’ve been blowing up my phone since the reception, so the least I could do was bless you with my presence.”
Luther laughed. “You’re more beautiful today than you were the day we met.”
“Compliments might get you somewhere,” Delilah said.
They chatted over lunch. “So what is a woman like you doing single?” Luther asked.
“I keep running into men like you.” Delilah took a sip of her drink.
“So my brother-in-law tells me you have the hots for your pastor.”
Delilah almost spit out her drink. “Calvin needs to mind his own business.”
“Well, do you? You wouldn’t be the first to be enticed with the man of God.”
“In case you forgot, my pastor is now a married man.”
“Maybe you need to remind yourself of that fact more than me.” Luther winked his eye and continued to eat.
Delilah enjoyed the meal, but Luther was a little too cocky for her. He thought he had her pegged, but he was wrong. Yes, she was attracted to Samson, but her feelings ran deeper than anything physical. Men like Luther wouldn’t understand.
He spent the rest of the lunch talking about himself, himself, and his favorite subject, himself. Delilah originally planned on spending more time with Luther, but after lunch, he could lose her number for all she cared.
“Look, lunch was good, but I have a few appointments this evening, so I’m out of here.” Delilah picked up her purse.
“What about your half of lunch?” Luther asked.
Delilah looked down at her plate that still had half of her meal on it. “I’m full. If you want it, you can have it.”
“No, baby. I’m talking about the bill. You ordered about fifteen dollars worth of stuff.”
“Uh, you got me confused with some of those other women. Delilah doesn’t pay for anything when she goes out with a man. So call one of your other chicks. Do whatever you have to do, but the meal is on you, boo.” Delilah pushed her chair away from the table and left.
“You can’t leave me with the bill,” Luther yelled.
“I just did,” Delilah said, as she walked away.
Luther could be heard shouting out obscenities. Delilah increased her pace as she walked to her car. She slid down into her seat as Luther walked past. Once he was out of clear view, she cut out of the parking lot.
Delilah was pulling out on Youree Drive when she received a phone call from Keisha. Delilah immediately recounted what occurred at lunch.
“Girl, you and these men,” Keisha said.
“It’s not like you have any better luck.”
“But we’re not talking about me right now. We’re talking about you.” Keisha laughed.
Delilah laughed as well. “It was funny. You should have seen the expression on his face. Pretty boy got stuck with the check.” Delilah’s phone beeped. She glanced at the screen. “Girl, that’s him now. He must be crazy if he thinks I’m taking his calls after the stunt he just pulled.”
“You need to answer it because I’m curious to know what he has to say for himself.”
“Hold on.” Delilah clicked over. “Hello.”
“You know you wrong,” Luther said.
“Baby boy, I don’t know what kind of women you’re used to dating, but I’m old school. When a man invites a woman out, he pays. End of story.”
“I had to use some of my rent money to pay for that meal. You owe me eighteen dollars and fifty-seven cents.”
“Did Calvin put you up to this? Tell him the joke stopped being funny a long time ago.”
“Calvin? What’s he got to do with this? I’m talking about you. You owe me some money.”
“Get it from your brother-in-law; he’s the big-shot lawyer. Now please forget my number and don’t call me no more.” Delilah clicked back over to her other line. “Girl, that fool got issues. What got me is he had it down to the penny.”
Delilah soon ended her call with Keisha. She thought about Samson. Her attempt to forget him and move on didn’t work. Luther was not the man to help her get over Samson. She walked into Trusts Enterprise.
“Look who graced us with her presence,” the main receptionist said.
“Hi, Ms. Piggee,” Delilah said with a smile on her face. She laughed inside because the receptionist lived up to her name literally. She was the company’s busybody, yet people always told her their business. A couple of times Delilah even found herself confessing some things of her own to the fifty-something-year-old woman.
“Mr. Trusts got you working a special assignment, I hear. So what have you been up to?”
Delilah looked at her watch. It was after two. “It’s coming along, but I’ve run into a few obstacles.”
“Well, he’s not here, if you came to see him. He’s out of the office meeting with some contractors about plans for the new shopping center.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I came to get something out of my desk,” Delilah lied. She really did want to see William. Her purse held a cashier’s check for all the money he had given her. After going home the night before and praying, she realized bringing Samson down would not benefit her any. He was too nice of a man and didn’t deserve it. Besides, Delilah wanted to make a last-ditch effort to get back in God’s good graces. William would have to get his property another way. She would not be a pawn in his game.
Delilah left Trusts Enterprise and made it to her four o’clock appointment with Samson just in the nick of time.
“What are you doing here?” Elaine asked Delilah.
Delilah looked at her watch. “I have an appointment with Pastor Judges.”
Elaine thumbed through her planner. “I don’t see it here.”
“Well, you need to check with him because I’m not going anywhere until I see the pastor.” Delilah sat down in the chair and crossed her legs.
“Look, your shenanigans might work with men, but they don’t have any effect on me.”
Delilah shifted in her seat. “Elaine, you don’t like me, and I don’t like you, and that’s fine because I’m not here to see you. So unless you’re telling me Samson’s ready to see me, I suggest you don’t say anything else to me.” Delilah emphasized the word “me” each time she said it.
Elaine stood up behind her desk. “Let me get the pastor so you can get out of my space.”
Delilah was tired of the catfighting between her and Elaine. “Yes, please do. You’re a secretary, so do your job.”
Elaine blurted out, “Lord Jesus, please stop me from saying something to this heathen in my office.”
Delilah was steaming inside. It took every ounce of patience for her not to get up and snatch the two-week-old weave out of Elaine’s head. She counted to ten inside of her hand and patted her shoe on the floor while twitching in her seat. She was on a mission to get back not only in God’s good graces, but in Samson’s as well. She would not get distracted by the likes of Elaine.