A Cyber Affair Read online

  A Cyber Affair

  By

  Lonz Cook

  © Lonz Cook 2013

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any for, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopies, recorded or otherwise, without the permission of the publisher except in the case of

  brief quotations and embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Published by: Elevation Book Publishing

  Atlanta, Georgia 30308

  www.elevationbookpublishing.com

  Cook, Lonz, 1960-

  A Cyber Affair/by Lonz Cook

  p.cm.

  ISBN 979-1-943904-03-07(pbk)

  BISAC FIC02720

  BISAC FIC02730

  Contents

  Acknowledgement

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  A Note from the Author

  Acknowledgement

  In today’s society, people using electronic communications are much more likely to be in a relationship (72%) than those without (36%). Couples who met through friends dropped from nearly 40% in the mid-1980s to less than 30% in 2010. Today, over 40 million people are using dating sites, supporting a $1.9 billion dollar industry.

  Imagine basing your life around a network, decreasing physical contact with others, and performing a background investigation on the people you meet before seeing them for the first time. Is vetting possibilities replacing the adventure in dating?

  I was approached being told stories how people met. The discussions shared a common thread - we met online. This got me thinking, so I asked people a series of questions. “How did they decide to meet in person after meeting online? What was their worst and best experience? I heard the details of fun and crazy and found them worthy of sharing. After communicating with so many people, I compiled common behaviors and put them in a captivating story; hence, A Cyber Affair.

  Thanks to my supporters for sharing their personal experiences. I appreciate your input, guidance, and honest feedback for accuracy.

  To my family and friends, I pray this book doesn’t disappoint you and it meets your expectations.

  Happy Reading,

  Lonz

  Chapter 1

  OMG! What the hell am I doing? Tiffany frowned as she stood amongst passengers waiting for her flight to Las Vegas. She glanced around the terminal hopeful that someone would read her mind and give her some direction. The gate attendant announced her boarding section. Tiffany rose from her seat, edged through the crowd with a laptop backpack, pulling her carry-on and got in line. She held her ticket while moving closer to the gate agent. Why am I doing this? she thought while watching eager passengers in front of her hand over their tickets and walk through the door. She stepped to the gate, ticket in hand and stared. The agent reached for the boarding pass, slid it from her fingers and scanned it on his machine. “Is this your first flight?” asked the agent.

  “No, it isn’t. I’m a little nervous about this trip.”

  “Don’t worry; no one cares what you do in Vegas,” he smiled and returned her ticket.

  “I hope he cares,” Tiffany mumbled while walking through the door. Suddenly the gangway darkened, black as a moonless night. Her hand became moist. The carry-on didn’t seem to cooperate. It was as if something was trying to deter her from boarding the flight. Tiffany yanked her carry-on winning its cooperation and walked down the center of the tunnel. The passenger in front of her disappeared into its darkness and conversations behind her went silent. She saw a dim light appear as if the gangway is now a path of torture. Suddenly a bright light near the cabin door led her, as if directing her feet, one after the other, deeper into the passageway. She pulled the carry-on and took each step carefully. Her heart pumped like a car engine on a race track. Tiffany walked slower as if her hesitation would delay the plane’s take off. With each step she heard warning bells.

  “Miss, are you okay?” A fellow passenger’s voice broke her trance.

  “Ah, I think so,” Tiffany kept her eyes forward. She saw the fully lit tunnel for the first time and the door to the airplane in front of her. She entered the aircraft with her carry-on in tow.

  “Hi, welcome aboard,” the flight attendant greeted.

  “Hi,” Tiffany smiled and turned right to walk through economy class. She looked at the seating chart and glanced at her ticket. ‘21C’ she read and walked towards the rear of the plane. Tiffany glanced at the row numbers, 8, 9, 10, moving further back, 19, 20, “Excuse me,” she said to her seating companion.

  “Sure, no problem,” he rose from the seat and moved aside. Tiffany lifted her carry-on, grabbing her backpack, and slid through the tight aisle. As soon as she cleared the first chair, the guy moved right in behind her. “I’m sorry,” Tiffany looked behind her while dropping her backpack on the floor.

  “No problem I was expecting you,” he smiled.

  Tiffany pushed her back pack under the seat in front of her, sat down, grabbed her seat belt and buckled in for the flight. She watched passengers board and turned her head for a look out of the window. Periodically she glanced at her watch while butterflies fluttered through her stomach. The last chance to escape the unknown tampered her mind. She watched other passengers’ board and thought I can get off the plane right after that guy sits down. The gentleman sat but before she could move, the flight’s lead attendant announced, “Prepare the cabin for takeoff. Cross check and all call.” Passengers were instructed to secure electronics and buckle down for the flight. When the cabin door slammed shut, she realized it was too late.

  Tiffany Miles was the only child of strict parents. She wasn’t part of a popular crowd in high school but she loved her circle of friends. Tiffany was average in size, cute with common features; pale skin, curly black hair, a straight nose, and oval brown eyes. She didn’t receive much male attention in high school but when she did date, her parents selected young men from amongst their church friends. She rarely disagreed with the guys her mom and dad selected for her. The few times she went against their guidance, all hell broke loose and her parents would tighten their controls.

  After Tiffany graduated from high school, she tried her hand at dating in college. She moved into the campus dorm and found new freedom to date and explore as she pleased. What she didn’t know about dating men was a massive lesson in reality during that first semester; some men take advantage of naive girls. She accepted every offer to date from any man who asked. Tiffany was sensual with some and enjoyed the physical desire from others. She didn’t know what not to do. Her roommate took notice and reeled her in, explaining the
differences between dating and being used. She also started checking out her dates, and showing up on occasion to see if Tiffany was following her advice.

  Tiffany failed her first semester of college. Her scores were so low that they barely registered in the grading system. Panic set in when reality hit, and she realized she’d have to return to her parents’ home since she didn’t have a place to go. So instead she did the next best thing to guarantee her continued freedom. She married Brad Wilkes, her first date on campus and the man who took her virginity. She believed he loved her and he was the man she had to have — the

  Guy — she felt made her dreams a reality. Brad’s touch was as soft as harp music. He had magical fingers that aroused her body in ways unknown to her.

  Brad claimed her heart doing everything he could to ensure she was happy about their relationship. He didn’t care about her past.

  They had given marriage a shot. Three years in and the only thing she gained was a husband. Brad didn’t deliver on his promise of a good life. Instead he’d become like a dependent child, and always making excuses for his failures. She realized he’d never mature past his college days. It didn’t matter what Tiffany did for the marriage; it failed miserably.

  ***

  Dating in the spring of 2012 meant she had to take a serious chance meeting Manny outside of Skype. She wanted a positive experience but fear had her feeling as if she was headed for disaster.

  Tiffany recalled horrific stories of women who had trekked this same journey. Stories of sex offenders, rapist and physical beatings bombarded her mind. Images of Manny raising his hands against her flashed in her imagination. She thought of him being a stalker. Tiffany contemplated why she was traveling to meet Manny. She paused before allowing her fear to attach her nervous system and reminded herself of the many hours of conversations they had shared. It’s no different than meeting a man in San Francisco.

  Though she had held video chats with Manny over the span of three months, Tiffany wasn’t certain if they would have a physical attraction. She realized looks could be deceiving; what’s seen on screen isn’t always what appears in person. She wanted the excitement, the candle light dinners, the slow dance amongst a disappearing crowd and feeling her heart race at his gentle touch on her lower back. Tiffany imagined every moment Manny described in their many conversations.

  It was a man’s voice of a passenger two seats over, the rolling tongue and spicy mellow tone of his soft delivery caressed her ears which reminded her of Manny. Her imagination ran the runway of sensuality and the fantasy about Latin lovers; their passion and focus raising a woman’s awareness to every affectionate touch, their rhythm in movements, their suave demeanor and their spew of a language matching the pace of their victim’s heart – a cadence of mystical influences – managed to sweep her into a frenzy. The thought of Manny made her soul quiver.

  She stared out of the window at the ground as the plane taxied to the runway. She leaned back for takeoff. Tiffany pondered her reasons for going and how she had arrived to this point of no return.

  She reached for her backpack and pulled her laptop before sitting back in her seat. Tiffany looked out of the window again before she opened the laptop, booted up, and scanned Manny’s very first email. He wrote ‘…I read your profile and find you interesting…’ Next she opened a recent email, ‘…I’m going to kiss you all over, from head to toe. We’ll share ourselves, like we talked about last night.’ Her heart fluttered. In many conversations they had exchanged flirtatious banters. ‘I can’t wait to share our first morning kiss.’ Tiffany clicked on Manny’s profile picture. She smiled as his appearance gave her a tingle, a twinge, and caused her heart to race. His picture, shirtless and sporting swim trunks, was that of a masculine man, built with abs of steel and a V span torso. His arms were defined, perfect for making a woman feel secure and comfortable whenever he held her. She released a sigh when she looked at his dark eyes, perfect mouth and caramel skin. She imagined feeling his chiseled cheek next to hers. Tiffany read one more email and Skype conversation before closing the laptop. She sat back and imagined the first kiss. Her body felt excitement while her mind settled on the decision to invest herself in the coming days.

  Tiffany reminisced about the night she received Manny’s first email. It was months earlier when the season was cold and wet, the typical winter of San Francisco. Tiffany looked at the flight attendants passing out goodies from their cart. She raised her hand to get their attention.

  “Yes, can I help you?” the attendant queried.

  “Ah, can I get some wine? Red or white, it doesn’t matter.”

  “May I see your ID card?”

  “Sure,” Tiffany smiled, getting her card from her purse in the backpack. She shared it with the attendant who scanned it and returned the card in one fluid motion. Tiffany bent forward to her backpack to put her debit card away. He better be the man I think he is. She looked out of the plane’s window realizing this trip could be a bombed fantasy or a nightmare in the making. Skepticism kept her grounded. Images invaded her mind and her body responded. She yearned for a man’s touch, a chance to satisfy the physical stimulation she remembered. Tiffany smiled hoping Manny was a man with good intention and they would experience the passion he promised. She knows her desire to explore everything about him, is a convincing factor −going is the right thing to do. After all, the reason she was going to Las Vegas was, believing Manny was her destiny.

  She gazed out of the airplane’s window and projected her story against the clouds. She saw her own image sitting on the couch in her living room. It had been earlier in the year when she sat on the couch wearing her winter pajamas while sipping a cup of orange cinnamon tea. She was surfing dating websites on her laptop; focused but wary as she clicked on yet another profile. It had become her habit, her hobby and her goal; finding the man of her dreams. She wanted him, the perfect fit, the man with unique charm and charisma. She believed her ideal mate was out there in cyberspace; pixels of perfection. Tiffany didn’t want a swimsuit model nor did she desire a metrosexual type that others admired. She wanted a man with a suave soul and a certain level of sophistication. She wanted magic; the magic most women craved.

  Tiffany had enough online dating experience to write a handbook. Webpage after webpage, she saw cute pictures, read appealing write-ups and enjoyed a variety of music the men placed on their pages. Feeling adventurous, she skimmed more profiles than usual in hopes of finding someone who would spark her interest. Should I click ‘like’? she pondered. Tiffany threw caution to the wind, clicked ‘Like’ and moved on to the next. None of the next few profile pictures excited her nor did any of their personal outlooks grab her attention. She stopped surfing long enough to read a few emails she had received. One would be suitor wrote:

  Oh baby, you are fine as wine and I want to explore your body. Write me back and let’s get things rolling.

  She deleted the email. What a jerk! She clicked on to the next.

  Hi, saw your picture and decided to read your profile. I’m impressed. You are a sight to behold and I’d like to see if you have time for a chat. I hope to hear from you.

  How sweet! she thought, An email without stupidity or sexually charged comments, she clicked on his name for a fast peek. When his picture appeared on the screen, her finger tapped the mouse, closing his page as she cringed. Tiffany didn’t like to think of herself as shallow, but she didn’t find him attractive. She opened another email which contained a simple message:

  Hi, I’d love to get to know you.

  Again she read the profile from top to bottom, viewed pictures and searched for keywords in his description. She clicked the ‘Next’ arrow and a handsome man appeared on the screen. Oh my goodness he’s handsome! ran through her mind. His golden hair shouted remnants at wheat field before harvest. His bulging pectoral muscles showed through his tight, gapped, collared shirt, revealing a hairless chest. His smile was warm like the sun; bright enough to warm a
ny woman’s heart. Wait a minute, he looks familiar. She clicked to a web magazine article she had read earlier that evening. It is the same guy. What a shame! He can’t put his own picture on the profile. Some guys will do anything to get your attention.

  Tiffany read multiple profiles with pictures she found appealing. She ignored the newly arrived emails she knew were from men on those dating websites she visited. Instead, she spent hours on newly published profiles on multiple websites well into the evening. There were some guys she liked and other she didn’t. When her apartment door opened breaking her focus, Tiffany watched Valerie enter the living room after opening the door with her key. It was at that moment she remembered they had made plans to go out.

  “Hey girl,” greeted Valerie as she walked into the apartment. “Why aren’t you ready?”

  “I was web surfing and got carried away,” Tiffany said.

  “Dating sites again? That’s why I came to get you, Tiff. You won’t find a suitable man in cyberspace.”

  “You never know Valerie. Plus, it’s fun. There’s a lot of men out there.”

  “Maybe, but you have to find one that’s available right now. You need to get out of this house to make it happen. Come on – move it.”

  “I’m moving I’m moving. Where are we going so I know how to dress?”

  “It’s a good place. Dress like you’re going to impress a man.” Valerie grinned and followed Tiffany.

  Tiffany walked to the bedroom, paused at the mirror and looked at herself in from different angles. She smiled approvingly knowing she could grab a man’s interest. She felt she was still a pretty woman. She appreciated her body that featured full curves, dark hair, green eyes, and a nose as straight as they come. She smiled thinking how much she looked like her mother. Tiffany walked into her closet and chose clothes that highlighted her figure. “So where exactly are we going?” she shouted as she was stepping into her dress.