I Love Dialogue! Drenched - Excerpt 3

Overall, it's sort of a confusing conversation for Elizabeth. She hasn't ever met a man like Dylan before and he puzzles her. Despite that, she finds herself interested. When he calls to reschedule their appointment for the following day, she isn't quite sure what to expect.

“Why'd you leave, if you don't mind me asking.”

“Never date a cowboy.”

“I don't plan to. But why?”

“I never met one who could spell or adhere to monogamy.”

“Oooh, gotcha. So, you're single?” He sounded way too happy to hear that.

“I don't date my bosses, Mr. Marshall,” she replied in a bone chilling tone.

“No worries. We just sometimes keep some odd hours. I don't want a husband or boyfriend thinking I'm getting a lap dance from my secretary after hours.”

“Tops and Bottoms is close, you can always go there.”

“Exactly! That's what makes this location ideal.”

She sincerely hoped he was kidding, and strongly suspected he was.

“You're actually more qualified for my job than I am. I'm not that close to my masters. I've got the in-house experience. I've been doing this sort of work for seven years now. How fast do you type?”

“I can do a hundred words a minute. I know Word. . . .”

He made an impatient noise. “Do you have an above average IQ?”

“I graduated with a 3.9,” she reminded him.

“Can you put up with a man who's slightly ADD and hops from subject to subject like a squirrel on crack?”

“I'm not sure I'd describe it that way, but if you're describing yourself, I'm keeping up with you.”

“Can you multi-task?”

“Depends on the tasks. I can't type and stand on my head, but I can jog on a treadmill and read.”

“Can you eat and talk at the same time?”

“Not with food in my mouth. I mean, I am physically capable of doing that, but ew. Why? Is that part of the job description?”

“No. I'm inviting you to dinner. It's early yet, I'm hungry and a girl's gotta eat.”

“Mr. Marshall, I. . . .”

“Have no plausible excuse,” he concluded. “And please call me Dylan. You can meet me somewhere, if you like.”

“I don't know where anything is around here. And I'm a little nervous going out in this weather. I'm not used to it.”

“Okay, tell you what. I'll come pick you up and I'll risk the shitty weather. Will you join me then? Please? I'd really like to get to know you.”

Elizabeth sighed. “All right. I don't usually go out with men I don't know, Mister... Dylan.”

“I don't usually ask out complete strangers, Elizabeth. But I hate eating alone. I have no food whatsoever at my place.”

“How soon will you be here?”

“Twenty minutes okay?”

“Yes. That's fine. Don't expect perfection. It's dark and I can't see to put on makeup.”

“I don't care. We won't do fancy. Do you eat meat?” He paused. Elizabeth thought she heard him curse softly. “I mean like steak,” he added sheepishly.

Elizabeth burst out laughing. “I wish I could see your face! I bet it was priceless. Yes. I like steak. And I occasionally eat meat.”

Dylan groaned softly.

“I mean like chicken and pork, duh!”

“I'll see you in twenty minutes. I'll be the guy who's got his foot in his mouth.”

“Neat trick. Isn't it hard to drive like that?”

“Amusing. Yeah. . . .”

“Bye, Dylan. See you soon!”

“Bye.” He hung up.

© 2015 Dellani Oakes

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I Love Dialogue - Drenched Excerpt 2

Elizabeth Slaton is new in town, having recently moved from Colorado. She's been looking for a job and finally had a line on one with an elder care facility. She spoke to the director earlier in the day, setting up an appointment for the following morning. He calls her out of the blue and the conversation isn't exactly what she expected. He promises  her directions to the facility.

“Where are you located? I can give you great directions and can almost guarantee you won't get lost.”

“Almost? That sounds dubious, Mr. Marshall.”

“Well, I can't factor in your ability to follow directions, so I can't say they are definitively, one hundred percent fool proof.”

“Gotcha. I'm over on the beach. I can get mainland without difficulty.”

“Okay, north or south end?”

“South. On Twenty-seventh.”

“Sweet. Okay. Once you cross the causeway, turn north on US-1.”

“Hang on, let me get a pen.” She scrambled around finding paper and a pen. “Okay, north on US-1.”

“Have you been to the city limits up north?”

“No.”

“It's not quite five miles. You'll want to be in the left lane. Pass the airport, pass Tops and Bottoms.”

“What?”

“Tops and Bottoms. It's a strip club. You can't miss it.”

“I had no idea New Smyrna was so cosmopolitan.”

He chuckled. It was a very warm sound and made Elizabeth feel comfortable.

“Two blocks past, turn left. We're on the left, but parking is on the right. Got that?”

“Yes, I think so. We'll see how well if I'm on time tomorrow.”

“Take down my number in case you get lost.” He gave her his cell number. “Where you from, Miss Slaton?”

“Denver, most recently. Ever been there?”

“I spent the night at the airport once. We got snowed in on Halloween. Kind of a shock for a Southern boy like me to see snow in October. You went to college, I assume. Was that in Denver, too?”

“That's why I initially went there. I went to University of Denver. I graduated with my bachelor's with 3.9 and started my master's.”

“What field?”

“Business management.” She laughed a little, puzzled by the conversation. “I thought we were doing this tomorrow.”

“Why wait? I still have to see you in person, but get the boring stuff out of the way before you get here. How many hours before you have your masters?”

“Six.”

“Why'd you leave, if you don't mind me asking.”

“Never date a cowboy.”

© 2015 Dellani Oakes

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Build Your Faith Through Praying the Rosary

The following article is (more or less) a transcript of a show I did in 2014, Say the Rosary with Dellani. 

In these difficult times, having faith can see us through. It isn't always easy to get to church or find someone to pray with you. Praying alone can also be hard. It's not easy to focus on our wants and needs into words.

As a Catholic, I find comfort in saying my rosary. Do I say it daily? No, but I am trying to. It's easy to get busy and forget. I did the broadcast to share it with others who aren't familiar with it the rosary, as well as those who, like me, forget to say it on their own.

Even non-Catholics can say the rosary. You don't have to own the beads to say the prayers. This post is designed to teach you the prayers and how to say the rosary. Just follow along until you find out how easy it is.

I am not an expert. I am not a member of any religious order. I, like you, am looking to build my faith. I am doing so through teaching and sharing the rosary with you.

There are three main prayers we use during the rosary: The Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. There are a few others, but we will begin with these. All the prayers can be found at Catholic Online  (We will not use all the prayers)

Let's begin with the Our Father.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

On Earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil.

Amen

Now, we'll move on to the Hail Mary. This prayer is most repeated during the rosary.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen

The third most used prayer is the Glory Be. During this prayer, we make the sign of the cross using your right hand.

Glory be to the Father – touch your forehead

To the Son – touch your waist

And to the Holy – touch your left shoulder

Spirit – touch your right shoulder

Then continue the prayer – as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen.

We have all these prayers, now what do we do with them? If you have a rosary, lay it in front of you or hold it in your lap. At the bottom you see a crucifix. This is where we begin by saying the Apostle's Creed.

THE APOSTLE'S CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Above the crucifix is a single bead. This is where we say our first Our Father.

Next, we say three Hail Mary's.

Here, we pause to say our intentions for the rosary. I often ask for health and protection of all my friends and family. I also pray for those souls in purgatory and those who have no one else to pray for them. Intentions for your rosary will vary as your needs change.

As we begin our rosary, there are meditations called Mysteries. Each of these is focused around the life of Mary and Jesus. There are four sets of Mysteries, each day of the week we prayer a specific one. I will lead more advanced rosary sessions with each of these four sets of Mysteries.

On the next single bead, state the first Mystery and say a Glory Be and another Our Father.

Now we begin our first decade of the rosary (10 beads) On each of the 10 beads, you will say a Hail Mary.

At the end of the decade, cross yourself and say Glory Be. At this point, there are two additional prayers that can be said. If you don't want to say The Fatima Prayer and the Conyers Prayer, you can leave them out.

FATIMA PRAYER (OPTIONAL)

O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Conyers Prayer (Optional)

God, our Father, please send us holy priests, all for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, all for the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, in union with Saint Joseph. Amen

State the second Mystery and begin with the Hail Mary's.

At the end of this decade, repeat the Glory Be, Fatima and Conyers Prayers.

Continue this pattern with the third, fourth and fifth Mysteries. Once you have completed the final Hail Mary, end with a Glory Be and Our Father as well as the Fatima and Conyers Prayers.

End with the Hail Holy Queen

HAIL HOLY QUEEN

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Leader: Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,

All: That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

Your rosary is complete. This basic structure is for all the sets of Mysteries. The only changes will be the mysteries themselves.

I will be doing other sessions saying a full rosary with you, focusing on the mysteries for each day. Even without knowing the specific Mysteries, you can pray your rosary.

Until next time, this is Dellani Oakes. Goodbye and have a blessed tomorrow.

Mysteries of the Rosary:

Each day of the week has a different sequence of mysteries, taken from the life of Jesus:

These are the Joyful – said on Monday and Saturday

1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Nativity
4. The Presentation
5. Finding Jesus Teaching in the Temple

The Sorrowful – said on Tuesday and Friday

1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowing with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion

The Glorious – said on Wednesday and Sunday

1. The Resurrection of Our Lord
2. The Ascension of Jesus
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption of Mary
5. Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth

The Luminous – said on Thursday.

1. The Baptism in the Jordan
2. The Wedding at Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Eucharist

For these prayers and many others, as well as information on Saints, Holy Days and events in the Catholic Church, please go to Catholic Online

I Love Dialogue - Drenched

Elizabeth Slaton is new in town, having recently moved from Colorado. She's been looking for a job and finally had a line on one with an elder care facility. She spoke to the director earlier in the day, setting up an appointment for the following morning. He calls her out of the blue and the conversation isn't exactly what she expected.

Her cellphone rang, startling her. It wasn't a number she recognized, but since it was local, she answered anyway. “Hello?”

“Elizabeth Slaton?”

“Yes. Who's this?”

“Dylan Marshall. We spoke earlier about the job.”

“Of course.” Her heart fluttered. Had he found someone else? Was he calling to cancel their appointment? She hoped not. She needed the job and he was the only one who had called her back.

“Could you possibly come in earlier than one? I got handed a job I don't really want and can't say no to. I have to be at a Yacht Club cruise and schmooze luncheon. I don't know when I'll get back.”

“Certainly. Until I have a job, my time is entirely open.”

“Great! I look forward to it. Hey, did you get home okay?”

“Yes, but my power is out. I'm sitting here in the dark and it's a little creepy.”

“Seriously? I love sitting in the dark. It relaxes me. Of course, Darla thinks I'm completely crazy. My dog, Darla. She's a fawn Doberman.”

“Your dog thinks you're crazy?” she giggled.

“Yeah, well, since I think that, I probably am, right? I don't know, she has a very disapproving look on her face when I do it.”

“Maybe she's just trying to see.”

“Dogs have good night vision—don't they?”

“Mine didn't. Stone stupid and blind as sticks.”

“You don't mean blind as bats?”

“No. Bats see just fine. But have you ever seen a stick that had good vision? I ask you.”

He paused. “I have not. Okay, I'll give ya that.”

“What time tomorrow?”

“Nine thirty or ten. Which works better.”

“Let's make it ten. I'm not sure enough of your location. I don't own a GPS. I never needed one until I moved here.”

“Where are you located? I can give you great directions and can almost guarantee you won't get lost.”

“Almost? That sounds dubious, Mr. Marshall.”

“Well, I can't factor in your ability to follow directions, so I can't say they are definitively, one hundred percent fool proof.”

© 2015 Dellani Oakes

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I Love Dialogue - Ring Up the Curtain

Shaine finds herself desperately attracted to Colt, but she's in a relationship with Brent. They have always kept things loose, each thinking that's what the other wanted. Now, Shaine isn't so sure. The entire cast and crew are out for a party, enjoying a casual dinner at Uncle Jay's Pub. Shaine finds herself talking to Colt, Brent and his cousin, Romy.

"When's your next rugby match?" she asked, by way of changing the subject.

Romy laughed, tipping his chair. "No matches for awhile. Practice is Saturday at ten like always. Want to come watch?"

"It depends on if I've got something more important to do. You know, laundry, washing the car. . . ."

Romy grabbed his chest like she'd shot him. "Oh, you wound me, love! Bunch of handsome blokes dashing about the field pummeling one another? What's not to love?"

"Take your shirts off, I'll come."

"We'd be out of league uniform."

"Then I'll pass. Violence on the field doesn't do it for me. Violence and shirtless men on the field—does."

"What's your feeling about hockey?" Colt asked her.

"Too much clothing. At least the rugby guys wear shorts."

"Brent, dude, you are one lucky man." Colt grinned at him. "You've got a woman who doesn't mind telling you what turns her on."

"Naked men," Brent chuckled.

"Nearly naked, thanks. I like a little left to the imagination. I mean, when you've seen one dick, you've seen them all."

Three men groaned loudly.

"That hurts," Brent said. "We like to think we're all unique."

"Baby, that's like asking me which skateboard I want to ride, the long or the short one. They all have wheels, they all have sandpaper on top and they get me where I want to go. The decoration is different, the wheels faster or slower, but they're all skateboards."

"You're comparing a man's package to a skateboard?" Colt looked confused and somewhat disheartened. "That ain't even right."

"You cut me to the quick, love," Romy said. "We men are rather attached to our personal units, you understand. Are you saying size isn't a factor?"

They leaned toward her, curious. Shaine giggled, tossing her head.

"It matters some. Too big is almost as bad as too small. Each woman has her own idea of just right, kind of like Goldilocks."

"Well, the three bears here wanna know, what's just right?" Colt smirked.

"You really want to know?"

They were hanging on her every word. Nodding, they scooted closer as she leaned over the table.

"Ask Brent, cause it's in his pants." She smiled sweetly, excusing herself from the table.

© 2015 Dellani Oakes

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I Love Dialogue! - Beach Babe Excerpt 5

Fiona and Dechlan finally consummate their relationship, making one another very happy. A few days ago, Cole met a lovely woman named Tielle, the insurance adjuster who is dealing with the claim on his apartment. Now, they just need to find a woman for Hugo.

We made another pot while we contemplated what to do about dinner. His phone rang.

“It's Cole. Yes?” he answered, stroking my breast as he spoke to our friend. “Yeah, we were thinking about dinner. No, I don't think Fiona feels like cooking, why?” He listened for a moment, grinning. “Yeah, that sounds good. You're sure she's cool with this?”

I could hear a female voice and assumed it was Tielle. Dechlan grinned again, laughing.

“Okay. We'll meet you at seven. Thanks, Dude. Tell your lady friend we'd be delighted. What can we bring?” He nodded, listening. “Okay. Now, what can we really bring?” Chuckling, he hung up. “Dinner at Tielle's with Cole, Hugo and Indira—to welcome her to the fold.”

“What a lovely idea. I wish I'd thought of it.”

He took me in his arms, holding me close. “Babe, you invited her to put her possessions here. Just because you didn't think of a welcome party, it's okay. Besides, Tielle wants an excuse to entertain and impress us.”

“Why us?”

“We're Cole's family, of sorts. I think she feels a little strange being the non-actor.”

I hadn't thought of it that way. It was quite possible she did. “Then we need to take something really nice.”

“I agree. Cole said we didn't need to bring a thing, that Tielle had it all set.”

“But you know differently.”

“Obviously. What do you think? Wine? Dessert?”

“We don't know what's on the menu, nor do we know any food allergies. Therefore....” I thought for a moment before putting my empty mug in the sink. “Come.” I grabbed up my purse and sunglasses.

Dechlan caught me around the waist. “I did that already. Couple of times. Where are we going?”

“You'll see. Come with me.”

He nuzzled my throat, holding me close. “I will come with you anywhere, anytime, any place you like. As often as you like. I will also join you on your errand.”

Taking him by the hand, I led him to the elevator. We drove to a nearby department store. It was near closing, but I knew exactly what I wanted. Walking over to the dishes, I reached for a box. Dechlan lifted it for me, carrying it to the checkout.

“What is this?”

“You can read, can't you?”

A disgusted look and a sharp huff of breath were my only reply. The clerk rang up our purchase.

“Would you like it gift wrapped?” she asked.

“Not this near closing,” I replied. “But do you have a gift bag, maybe?”

“We don't have those, but we have these cloth shopping bags. Will that do?”

“Sure. How much?”

“You can get them for free by purchasing fifty dollars or more. It's close enough.” She winked, handing me the bag.

“Thank you. Dechlan, we'll come back sometime when it's not so near the end of the day.”

“Sounds good, Babe. Whatever you want.”

“A man who doesn't mind shopping for house wares?” The clerk laughed as she led us to the door to let us out. “Where did you find him?”

“Australia,” Dechlan said, laying the accent on thick. He kissed her hand, his aquamarine eyes meeting hers.

The young woman melted. Who wouldn't? He's had that effect on me since I met him. He's immortally gorgeous and can turn on the charm like a fire hose. I felt it, too, and he wasn't even directing it toward me.

“I'll have to go there sometime.”

Dechlan smiled, kissing her hand once more. “You do that.”

“Are all Australian men as gorgeous as you?”

“Nah, better. I'm dead average.” He smiled, blinking slowly as he lowered her hand.

“Oh, my God!” Letting go a shuddering breath, she unlocked the door, shutting and bolting it behind us.

We walked back to the car, Dechlan carrying our purchase casually. His swagger showed how proud he was of himself.

“You're positively evil, Dechlan Albright.”

“Me? How? I made that girl's day!”

“Because the man she goes home to isn't you. If she goes home to any man at all!”

“At this point, doesn't matter what the blighter looks like. He'll thank me.”

© 2015 Dellani Oakes

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