A Cyber Affair by Lonz Cook
The Online Search for Mr. Right
What Tiffany doesn’t know about online dating, she learns by living the thrills of navigating profiles and meeting men on the internet. She learns the secret of avoiding the “Catfish” and finds the one who keeps her head in the clouds, until they physically meet.
Tiffany Wilkes, “SanFran Pearl,” spends hours on dating websites. She’s tired of guys who can’t charm the lid off of a garbage can and sick of God awful blind dates, and mindless encounters. Meeting men at work is a competition and a risk of breaking a dating policy that results in termination.
SanFran Pearl searches for a local suitor interested in a meaningful relationship. Her humorous approach wins a positive response but the connection wanes to disappointment.
When SanFran Pearl receives an interesting email from “Lost Sailor,” Manny Perez - a Navy retiree near Miami, her spirit of chance shoots to the stars. Instead of her typical approach, she’s googling for a background check that’s best suited for the FBI.
Is Lost Sailor a catfish or the catch of the century?
Excerpt: A Cyber Affair
Chapter 1
OMG! What the hell am I doing? Tiffany frowned as she sat amongst the 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 her laptop backpack, pulling her carry-on, and got in line. She held her ticket while she moved 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 as she walked 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, finally won 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 though the gangway had become 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 could 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, the door to the airplane now directly in front of her. She entered the aircraft with her carry-on in tow.
“Hi, welcome aboard,” the flight attendant greeted her.
“Hi.” Tiffany smiled and turned right to walk through the economy class section. She looked at the seating chart and glanced at her ticket. "Seat 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, grabbed her backpack, and slid through the tight aisle. As soon as she cleared the first seat, 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 backpack under the seat in front of her, grabbed her seatbelt, and buckled up for the flight. She watched passengers boarding and averted her gaze to look out of the window. Anxiously, she glanced at her watch while butterflies fluttered through her stomach. The idea of having a last chance to escape the unknown tampered with 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, Tiffany realized that it was too late to run.
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 and cute, with unique features: curly black hair, a straight nose, and oval brown eyes. She hadn't received much male attention in high school, but when she did date, her parents selected young men from among 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 control.
Tiffany tried her hand at dating in college. She moved into the campus dorm and there found new freedom to date and explore as she pleased. What she didn’t know about dating men became a substantial lesson in reality during that first semester. Some men take advantage of naive girls. She accepted every offer to go on a date from any man who asked. Tiffany was sensual with some and enjoyed the physical desires of 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. Her roommate also started checking out her dates, showing up on occasion to see if Tiffany was following her advice.
( Continued... )
© 2016 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Lonz Cook. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.
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