Authors: Shelia M. Goss
Delilah
SHELIA M. GOSS
I thank God for showing me grace and mercy every day of my life. The best gift my parents, Lloyd (1947-1996) and Exie Goss, gave me was teaching me and my brothers, Lloyd F. (Jerry) and John, about Christ. For that I'll always be grateful.
I want to dedicate this book to Jasmine Hogan, my twelve-year-old cousin who has shown an unwavering faith at a young age, and my grandmother N.E. Hogan, who at eighty-eight is still on the battlefield.
Of course, my unofficial street team, Hattie Hogan Jones and Nicolette Hogan, get a special shout out, along with three cousins who buy all of my books: Demetrius Hogan, Mary Jean Foster and Dorothy Hodges. I want to thank my local book club, Cedar Hill Divine Women of Faith, for agreeing to choose
Delilah
as their first book of the month for 2011 (smile).
Although this is my tenth book, this is my first work of Christian fiction. Thank you, Joylynn Jossel, for making this book possible. I also want to thank my agent, Maxine Thompson, as well as Carl Weber and everyone else at Urban Christian.
I also want to thank the following for their prayers and encouragement: Kemmerly Beckham, Carla J. Curtis, Kandie Delley, Peggy Eldridge-Love, Linda Dominique Grosvenor, Deborah Hartman-Fox, Sheila L. Jackson, Shelia E. Lipsey, Michelle McGriff, Angelia Menchan, and Anthony Rivers.
I've had a great support system behind me on this literary journey, and I would like to thank the following people: Mrs. Til (Jokae's Book Store in Dallas); Abiola Abrams; Vincent Alexandria; Gwyneth Bolton; Tina Brooks McKinney; Jennifer Coissiere; Yasmin Coleman (APOOO Book Club); Ella Curry (EDC Creations); Essentially Women; Eleuthera Book Club; Brenda Evans; Sharon “Shaye” Gray; Bettye Griffin; Cynthia Harrison (one of my test readers); LaShaunda Hoffman (
Shades of Romance
magazine); Yolanda Johnson-Bryant; Live, Love, Laugh and Books; Lutishia Lovely; Rhonda McKnight; Darlene Mitchell (another one of my test readers); Michelle Monkou; Celeste O'Norfleet; Debra Owsley (Simply Said Accessories); Onika Pascal; Tee C. Royal (RAWS.I.S.T.A.Z.); and the list goes on and on.
Thanks, Cedric Ceballos, my favorite former NBA player, for being a man of your word.
If your name wasn't mentioned, it's not that I forgot about you; I just ran out of room. Thank you ____________ (fill in your name). I appreciate you all.
Shelia M. Goss
“Dee, either you do what I asked you to do or else I'll let your church family know all about your prostitution days,” William Trusts said, from the other end of the phone.
Delilah opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out at first. She was caught off guard by this revelation. She assumed her past was like a bad dream, long forgotten. “How did youâ¦How did you know about that?” she stuttered.
“Why do you think I chose you to handle this important task? Money seems to rule your world, baby. Now do me a favor; hurry up and get what I want. Your life just might depend on it.”
The phone remained up to Delilah's ear until the automated recording came on. “If you'd like to make a call, please hang up or call your operator.” William Trusts had hung up on her.
Delilah refused to go back to the life she led before she got her latest job as a project coordinator at Trusts Enterprise. She would do whatever she had to do to remain on top, and if that included deceiving people who had come to trust herâthen so be it. She had done it once. She could do it again. Only thing was, she wasn't Dee anymore. She had chosen to go by her birth name, Delilah S. Baker, when she started attending Peaceful Rest Missionary Baptist Church a few months ago.
She turned and stared at the man who had finally succumbed to her advances after numerous one-on-one counseling sessions. He was the man she hoped to marry one day, the man the members of Peaceful Rest Missionary Baptist Church called Reverend Samson Judges. His snoring was a welcomed sound after their night of passionate lovemaking.
Delilah couldn't believe her luck. She had seen him on television and when William Trusts, her boss, asked her to find out as much as she could about Samson, she knew it was a sign for her to attend his church. She had fallen in love with the local television evangelist as soon as she saw him walk across the stage live on TV.
He had swagger like the rapper Jay-Z and good looks that mimicked Denzel Washington's, except Samson's skin was lighter. With his naturally wavy jet-black hair, fair skin, and thick mustache, Samson was an immediate turn on. Despite their situation, Delilah didn't want to think the man she watched weekly had any flaws. She had met too many men who disappointed her time after time. In her mind, Samson was perfect.
William, on the other hand, believed that every man had a skeleton in his closet. He offered Delilah financial security if she took on the task of finding out Samson's Achilles' heel. Once she agreed to do so, she started attending Samson's church and had quickly become part of several of the ministries, most notably the singles' group and Pastor's Aide committee. She originally joined Peaceful Rest for the wrong reasons, but through her interactions with other church members and learning more about God and Christ because of Samson's teachings, she renewed her relationship with God.
God was the last thing on her mind right now, however, as Samson stirred beside her. She felt his leg brush against her. “Good morning,” Delilah said.
Samson didn't respond right away. “I'm sorry about last night,” he said with remorse.
“Why are you apologizing? Nothing happened that we both didn't want to happen,” she assured him.
He sat up in bed, making sure the comforter covered his lower body. “I'm not a drinker, and I should have told you so when you insisted I drink the glass of wine.”
“Like I told you, it had little alcohol in it,” Delilah lied. She knew the sweet taste of the wine masked its potent effect. She would have to thank her friend, Keisha, for the bottle later.
He rubbed his temples. “I have a lot to repent for.”
“The Good Book says it's okay to drink in moderation,” Delilah said as she moved closer to him in the bed.
“The Lord frowns on fornication. And what we did last night, well, it just wasn't right.” Samson pushed her away.
Delilah felt embarrassed. She slipped her naked body under the comforter. Samson reached to the side of the bed for his clothes. “I think I better get going.”
“You can wash up in there.” Delilah pointed toward the master bathroom connected to her bedroom.
He barely said thanks before she saw him walk in the bathroom and close the door.
Delilah frowned because it seemed her plan had backfired. She hoped he could look past last night. They had become so close, and she didn't want to think about going back to a life without him. She grabbed her pink satin robe from a nearby chair and put it on before sitting back on the bed. A few minutes later, Samson walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and looking refreshed.
“In light of what happened, I think we should keep our distance,” Samson said.
“Butâ¦it was bound to happen. We have chemistry. We're meant to be together,” Delilah responded.
Samson hung his head before looking back up. “Delilah, you're a sweet woman, and any man would be blessed to have you in his life. But you must be forgettingâI'm already spoken for. I'm getting married in two weeks, and this shouldn't have happened.”
Just the thought of Samson's fiancée, Julia Rivers, put Delilah in a foul mood. “Whatever, Samson. I thought you were different. Now I see you're just like the rest of the men out there. You got what you wantânow just leave.” Delilah turned her back to him.
Samson walked up to where she sat. “Delilah, don't be like that. What we did was wrong. You know it, and I know it. Let's just end this as friends.” He reached out with both hands to hold her hand.
Delilah became livid and pushed his hands away. “I have enough friends.”
“I'm sorry. Let me know what I can do to make it better,” Samson said.
Delilah gave him the silent treatment and wouldn't look him in the face. Samson stood and waited, but a minute later he said, “Just tell me what I can do to make it up to you, and I will. I'm so sorry I let it get to this. Will you forgive me?”
Delilah looked him directly in the eyes. “Ask God to forgive you, but as for me, I need you to leave
now
!”
Samson didn't delay leaving after she raised her voice. It wasn't long before she heard the front door close. Delilah ran to the bedroom window and watched Samson get in the black SUV the church had leased for him two months prior.
“Samson, you're going to be mine one way or another. You having a fiancée don't mean nothing to me,” Delilah said out loud.
A smile swept across Delilah's face as she thought of how Julia would respond once she learned of Samson's indiscretion. Delilah removed the small camera she had hidden behind the clock. She hadn't planned on using the video; she planned on telling William the camera had malfunctioned. But now, Samson's actions left her with no choice.