My heart sank as I quickly sent her a reply. I had been so busy with the house and all that I felt bad for not reaching out to her sooner. I went into the bedroom and grabbed my phone to check for texts. When I pressed the lower button, the screen didn't light up. For a minute I thought the battery was dead because I hadn't used it in a while. After toying with the buttons, I soon realized it had been turned off, but I didn’t remember turning it off.
David had a local cell phone and since I was always with him when we were out, I didn’t need to keep mine on me at all times. He had promised to buy me a second phone with a local number so I wouldn’t rack up hundreds of dollars in phone bills, but he never got around to it.
Sliding the phone into my pocket, I went back to the kitchen for a bottle of water. Within minutes it was ringing.
“Hello?”
“Damn, Val. Where the hell have you been?” Cindy shrilled.
“I take it you got my email.”
“Yes, finally, I’ve been waiting forever to hear from you.”
“I said I was sorry. You have no idea what it's been like the past few weeks. Things aren't as easy down here; it’s a lot harder to get things done. It took weeks to get internet service.”
“And phone service, too, huh?”
“No, for some reason, my phone was shut off. I hadn't been checking it because I—”
“I was worried sick about you.”
“I know. I already said I was sorry.”
“Well, I'm glad you're alive. Listen, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What? What is it? Is everything okay there?”
“Yeah, everything's fine. Nicole has been getting on my nerves and work has been crazy, but I'm dealing with it.”
“So, what's going on?”
“It's about David.”
“What about him?”
“Do you know he has a dating profile?”
“What dating profile?”
“So you don’t.”
“No, but how do you know?”
“Because he came up on my reverse match.”
“Reverse match? What are you talking about?”
“My profile alerts me when people search for someone like me.”
“Someone like you? Why would he be searching for someone like you?”
A moment of silence hung between us. Cindy let out a long, huffed breath.
“I guess his search preferences matched mine. Gosh, Val, I don't know all the details.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean that. My words came out wrong. I just don’t understand. I’m confused.”
“That's why I'm calling you. I wanted you to be aware of it.”
“I don't know what to think right now.”
“Well, on the bright side, I don’t think he has logged in lately. So maybe he posted it before he met you.”
“Can you send me a link? I need to see it for myself.”
“Look, Val, I don’t want to upset you. Maybe you should ask David about it.”
“What the heck? How do I casually bring up a dating profile? He’ll think I've been snooping.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll send it. But don't tell him I told you. I don't want to be in the middle of this.”
“I won’t.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“And keep your damn phone on in case I need to reach you.”
“I will. Talk to you soon.”
I ended the call, my hands trembling as I slid the phone back into my pocket. My heart raced and my stomach churned at the thought of David’s dating profile.
I reached for the water bottle, took a quick sip, and walked over to the glass doors. Sliding one open, I stepped out onto the deck. I stood there for a while, inhaling the fresh air and trying to calm my nerves.
Despite the sounds of the birds chirping and the wind rustling through the trees, I couldn't relax. Visions of Kayla crept through my mind, followed by the two young women at the harbor restaurant in LA. They all shared something in common. They were tall, skinny blondes—just like Cindy.
My thoughts then drifted to David’s ex-wives as I began wondering what they looked like. I knew it shouldn't matter, but I couldn't help feeling a bit unnerved and somewhat betrayed.
My phone chimed. Pulling it out, I held it by my side, hesitant to look at the message. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see it because once I saw it; I wouldn't be able to unsee it.
Taking a deep breath, I tapped on the screen. Cindy’s email appeared, and I opened the link. There he was, the man of my dreams, on a dating site.
I stared at the photo and then at his profile name, ‘Now You Behave.’ How fitting, I thought. His tagline read, ‘Fit, fun, gentleman seeks adventurous woman to travel the world.’
Stuffing the phone back in my pocket, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry but knew I didn't have the time or energy to deal with it. At that moment, the sound of a rumbling engine grew near.
I gazed out through the trees and saw a blue pickup truck making its way down the main road toward the house. David had taken the bus earlier to run a few errands in town, so I figured it was someone giving him a ride back.
It was the first time he had left me alone at the house and I was uneasy. No matter how many times I told him how frightened I felt, he ignored me. Oblivious to my feelings, he had a hard time understanding my point of view. Not only was he much more familiar with the area but he also had no problem adapting as he thrived on new experiences.
My senses went into overdrive. It had taken me a while to adjust to the house and my new surroundings. Every sound was new and each snapping of a branch had me thinking someone was outside casing the place. Most of the men carried machetes and my mind often wandered to the worst-case scenario.
There was an ongoing saying about Americans living there. It went something like this: ‘It’s not if your house will get broken into; it’s a matter of when.’
Day and
