From Cyberspace to the Real World
Kyla Sullivan is an ambitious, hardworking single mom who's trying to get over yet--another failed relationship by meeting new friends and taking time out for herself. She's introduced to Today's Singles, an internet site which lists all of the happenings for singles all over the U.S. Is it just fun and games? Or is she searching for love one more time?
Meet Charles Stone. The cold callous man whose number one motive for being a member of Today's Singles is to bed as many women as he can. Will his indifference to women change once he meets the new member Kyla?
Behind The Screen explores relationships in its many forms--from cyberspace to the real world. If you're wondering how internet dating works and what true relationships are all about, Kyla and Charles have a story to tell!
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One
Kyla
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. No, that can’t be right let me count again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! Yep seven left! Damn him! What’s this? VIP passes to the Spice Club! Oh, so now he’s watching naked women dance in cages huh? Before this I found filthy magazines!
That’s right, I’m counting my man’s condoms, and checking his drawers. I’m Kyla Sullivan and I’ve been snooping behind my boyfriend George for two months now since he cheated on me. He had the nerve to tell me she just came over with a bottle of chardonnay, asked him if he would like a drink—then one thing led to another. He claims that was it and she went home. Yeah whatever. He didn’t have to let her in, didn’t have to have no drink with her, and he damn sure didn’t have to sleep with her either.
He keeps telling me she was just a piece of ass, but I’m the one he wants to be with. George must think I’m a real fool. Well, I’m about to drop this sneaky, conniving, poor use of genetic material excuse for a man. I swear his mother should have been on the pill. He thinks just because he’s got money he can keep me. Humph! He ain’t banking tough enough as a stockbroker. George never could get my portfolio right. He may have gotten me back once, but that doesn’t mean he can keep me. Especially if he won’t treat me right. Here I was all day thanking God it’s Friday, thinking I’m gonna spend this hot, August summer night with my man, and I drive an hour all the way out here for this shit! I’m so mad I don’t know what to do. Got me cussing and going on, I’m losing my religion.
We both live in Atlanta. He lives in Southwest Atlanta (S.W.A.T.S.), which is predominately black, I mean African American—yeah that’s what Jesse got us saying now, African American. Anyway, some parts are beautiful. Now, I’ve heard a few celebrities live there among other affluent African Americans. I live in Powder Springs; a pretty diverse suburb of Atlanta. My neighbors are Italian, Spanish, Asian… you name it. And we all look out for each other.
Anyway, while I’m wasting my time here, I’ve got two kids at home I could be spending my time with. I had to make arrangements with my neighbor friend Linda to come over and spend the night with them. I try to take some time out for me once in awhile. And him because I thought he was worth it.
My Gynecologist told me this would happen again. He said, "If he did it once, he’ll do it again." You see, when the idiot told me he cheated on me and thought he might have something since he didn’t use a condom with her, I broke up with him, and went straight to the doctor to get myself checked out. Thank God I didn’t have anything. I don’t know what I was thinking by not making him use a condom with me that one time. I’m telling you though that is the last time anybody is going inside this kitty cat without a raincoat.
There’s too much going around these days, and you know they say there’s no cure for AIDS… yet. I’m thirty something years old and I’ve still got a lot of living to do. I would think a man as old as he is would know better by now, but I guess some men never learn. Or women for that matter.
My soon to be ex, in a matter of minutes, is eighteen years my senior. Hey I know, I know, what in the world would I want with a man just about old enough to be my daddy right? Well, I like older men, seem to relate to them better for some reason. Some people say it’s because I never had a father figure in my life. I don’t know about that and I never planned on dating anybody this old.
