The cyber café where Mark tended to end up, evening after evening, served a mediocre Napa white and superb T1
internet access. Mark had a laptop and a dial-up connection in his apartment, but he preferred the faster online connection and the false sense of camaraderie at the café. In truth, no one ever spoke to anyone else there--even the barrista made the drinks in
church-like silence. Each patron sipped at his computer booth, lost in a cyberworld of their own creation.
There was a bright new banner, announcing an online dating service. “30 Days, Guaranteed or Your
Money Back!” it boasted. What the hell, thought Mark, who was an optimist despite some notable dating disasters in the past. There was that gal from Medway, the one with the three
cats and the
bad case of…Mark shuddered and tried to wipe that image out of his mind. What the hell, thought Mark, and signed on.
Night after night, he faced a woman across a table, and night after night the same thoughts were exchanged: He’s better than I thought. She’s worse than I imagined. I could manage him, if he’d get a better
job. Why can’t there be a woman who’s smart and doesn’t look and smell like exactly a pit bull, thought Mark. There has to be one. Somewhere.
Then he met Belkis. “I changed my
name from Magda, “ she confided. Magda, he thought, is a pretty exotic
name already. What about Magda needed changing? He didn’t ask.
Belkis was smart, all right, and
beautiful, in a dark and somewhat masculinely sinister way. Her figure was taut, her brows somewhat low, and her teeth looked white, but sharp. She wore red lipstick that left a mark on the espresso cups like a vampire bite.
Starting over wasn’t so
bad, Mark thought. He didn't like his old
job, his cramped apartment or that town anyway. Changing your identity could even be exciting, if you looked at it in the right light. He hadn’t heard from Belkis or her lawyers in over a month. Too
bad he forgot to
change his
cell phone number. Belkis was a patient woman.
