HER – PERFECT DISTRACTION

Aya walked slowly into the bedroom and immediately spotted Tyson. He was sitting on the bed, back hunched forward, a full bottle – still unopened – in his hands as he fiddled with it. The room was dimly lit, casting sinister shadow across his face. He slowly looked up at her and smiled weakly as he sighed, putting the bottle down.

“If I had a camera with me,” Aya said as she walked toward him. “I would have a perfect shot for the beginning of a bad cop drama movie featuring alcoholic detective.”

“Ouch.” Tyson said. “Couldn’t you have at least made me less cliché?”

“… hmm, bad cop drama movie featuring alcoholic detective who also dabbles in heroin while also keeping up with the side business of being a perfect assassin. How’s that sound?” she finished as she sat next to him.

“I like it,” Tyson said. “And, in the end, I finally turn over a new leaf and do the right thing and get killed heroically.”

“Eh, who’s making himself cliché now, huh?”

“Touche.”

“With how many French words we’re throwing around, you’d think we knew how to speak it.” Tyson chuckled for a moment as he glanced sideways at her. “Those two left?”

“What do you think?”

“… you ever drank bourbon?” he asked.

“No.”

“They’re bad,” Tyson said, scoffing. “True alcoholic drink. The only reason you’d ever drink it is because you’ve done something terrible and you wanna feel really bad about it.”

“Eh, it wasn’t terrible,” Aya said, shrugging. “Family feud. Who didn’t have those?”

“Wanna try it?” he asked, lifting the bottle up.

“Nah, and neither do you,” she said as she took it away. “Let’s save it for when you inevitably screw up this relationship.”

“… oi, why am I the one screwing it up? I’m pretty serious here.”

“Eh, you have the air about you, you know?” Aya said.

“Nah, you’re not pinning that on me,” Tyson said. “You’ll most-likely seduce some rich prince and be whisked away on a private jet while singing hallelujah.”

“… why am I singing hallelujah?”

“I don’t know. Why do people sing hallelujah? Because they can.”

“Hallelujah.”

“Alright, you have terrible voice for it so you won’t be singing hallelujah,” Tyson said, chuckling. “But, you will be whisked away by a prince.”

“Eh, I’m not into nobility that much,” Aya said. “Now, if he was a movie star, hmm, I’d swallow him up in a second.”

“Is that so? Then I better keep you away from ten billion movie stars in the world.” Tyson said, smiling.

“Wow, quasi-referencing Shakespeare,” Aya said. “Didn’t see that one coming.”

“How the hell do you always get my references?” Tyson asked. “I never even have a chance to explain myself.”

“Fine, I’ll be… less knowledgeable about your bad references in the future as to allow you to boost your ego.”

“Nah, my ego is filled up enough for the time being.”

“Enough foreplay?” Aya asked as she grabbed his hand.

“Could have used a minute or two more.”

“Clock’s run out, sorry.” she said.

“My sister told you anything?” he asked.

“Nope.”

“Damn.”

“You really hate talking about yourself, don’t you? At least things you don’t perceive as charming.”

“… stop quoting my shrink.” Tyson said.

“You went to a shrink?”

“Nah, but that’s what the online questionnaire told me.”

“… should I even ask?” Aya said, arching her brow.

“Nope. But, you’re right,” he said, sighing. “I don’t really like talking about it.”

“But you will.”

“You’re very persuasive.”

“Nah. Just your imagination.”

“Ah, so we’re back to my vivid imagination, huh?” Tyson said.

“So, what happened?” she asked.

“Well, you’ve always whined how our relationship isn’t melodramatic enough, so get ready to get your fix of it.” Tyson said as he slowly got up and leaned against the cupboard across from the bed. “My mom and dad are - … were – rather conservative. Got married early, had my oldest brother before they were even twenty, dad was the bread-winner and mom was a housewife. I was their fourth kid, and they figured it was enough so dad decided to get, you know, snipped.”

“Third grade of high-school,” Tyson continued as he took a deep breath. “I came back from school early because I was feeling sick. The house was supposed to be empty as everyone had plans that day so I figured I’d have a whole place to myself for a while. So, I walked upstairs to my room and, well, I heard… sounds coming from mom’s and dad’s room.”

“Ouch.” Aya said.

“Yeah,” Tyson smiled for a moment. “I figured it was mom and dad, you know? Maybe they lied because they wanted some time alone. So, anyway, I went back downstairs and watched some TV. Half an hour later, I hear footsteps coming down so I turned around. I saw mom… and, well, not my dad. The guy was really familiar, but I was certain I never met him before.”

“… so, you told your dad?” Aya asked.

“Oh, no, not by a long shot,” Tyson said, smiling forcibly. “Anyway, mom begs me not to tell dad, and I figure what the hell, I never saw anything. But, the guy she was with bothered me. About a month later, that same guy and his wife move in in the house next door and my dad, as good a neighbor as he was, invites them over for dinner. Anyway, there we are were, eight of us, eating, chatting and, halfway through, I think everyone figured something was off.”

“Dad was the first one to flip out,” he continued. “And he immediately accused mom of cheating with that guy. They denied it, of course, but it was obvious. Then, as though someone told him, he looked at me and then at that guy and bam, he suddenly passed out. A heart-attack.”

“Holy shit.” Aya said as her eyes beamed with a sense of realization.

“Turns out, that guy was my actual father,” Tyson said as he laughed, shaking his head. “Dad barely survived, and he and mom immediately got divorced. He started drinking and things between us… uh, got a bit strained. One day, on my way back from school, he waited for me, drunk as an oak, and started yelling and what not. I got angry, punched him, he punched me back, and we both wound up in a hospital for a while. That’s about when I decided I’d move out and study in the city. We, uh, haven’t talked since but, about a year ago, he called me, wanting to meet up. I didn’t feel like going, and he continued pestering me since then to meet up. Which, well, led us to today.”

“…” Aya stared at him helplessly, unable to move from her seat, her thoughts jumbled up. “I know I said we lacked melodrama, but that… that’s just… sad.” she said. “What about, uh, the other guy?”

“Uh, he tried, for a while at least,” Tyson said, chuckling. “You know, buy me something here and there, took me out drinking once or twice, but… I don’t know, I just couldn’t, you know?”

“… yeah, I know.” Aya said. “Do Emma and Jared know?” she asked.

“No, no,” Tyson said, shaking his head. “None of that left our family. It’s a small town. That kind of a thing… no. Everyone thinks they got divorced because dad started drinking.”

“… wow.” Aya exclaimed softly, sighing. And to think I was planning on having sex with him tonight… “I… I don’t even know what to say…”

“… it’s fine,” Tyson chuckled as he sat back next to her. “It’s, uh, something I gotta figure out on my own.”

“… you didn’t sound particularly angry with your dad.” Aya said.

“I wasn’t… I’m not,” Tyson said, chuckling still. “He’s… he’s a good man, really. Before it all happened, he was a great dad. He was the first one to buy me a condom, actually, despite how uncomfortable he was about it. And, trust me, he was very, very uncomfortable.” he laughed for a moment, lowering his head. “Back then, I was a dumb teenager, you know? I didn’t bother trying to understand how he felt, so I just acted out. Against everyone, really, not just him. After a while, only Selena still talked to me, actually. When I told them I was leaving to study in city, they all looked… indifferent. So, I guess I just decided to act in kind.”

“Thank you,” Aya said as she suddenly hugged him gently and tenderly. “For telling me.”

“Well, you did a fine job of persuading me.” Tyson said, chuckling.

“If it helps,” she whispered as she leaned into his ear. “I was actually planning on having sex with you tonight before you told me all of this.”

“… how the hell does that help?!! I take everything back!” he exclaimed. “None of that actually happened, you were just dreaming, okay? Now, let’s get naked and sweaty!”

“So, what do you think?” Aya asked after the two laughed for a moment. “Will you go?”

“Go? I don’t know.” Tyson said, sighing. “I’ll… uh, think about it.”

“If you want, I can come with.”

“… I just got chills hearing that.” Tyson said, glancing at her as he arched his brow. “What are you planing?”

“… nothing, why would I be planing something?” Aya said as she looked away. “I just want to see the place you were up at, that’s all.”

“Riiight. And I own a BMW M1.”

“Wow, you do?! When will you take me out for a spin?!” Aya exclaimed.

“Wow, that acting wouldn’t even pass in a porn.”

“You don’t know that. You’ve never seen me naked.” Aya said.

“… that’s true. Nice tits and ass can be very distracting.” Tyson said in a lowered voice.

“… you want to be distracted?” she asked as the two stared intently at each other.

“That would be very… helpful.”

“If you promise me,” she said as she slowly reached for his shirt and started unbuttoning it. “That you’ll go and take me with.”

“You play the hard game, huh?”

“Well, I hear I can be very persuasive.” she said.

“I’ll think about it.” he said as he wrapped his hands around her neck, leaning in. “In the meantime, let’s see how good of a distraction you are.”

“Oh, I’m very, very good.” their lips slowly intertwined as their breaths grew rapid by every moment passed. “Some say the best.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting,” he said as his hands gently grazed down her back, unhooking her bra in the process. “But they are right. I’ve already forgotten everything except you.”

“Well, your blood did leave your brain,” Aya smiled as she bit his lip lightly, her eyes locked onto his as she took off his shirt. “That ought to do it, no?”

“…”

As the gentle light breezed past the curtains into the room, it cast a cascading shadow spread across the bedsheets under which the two lied wrapped in each other’s arms. Clothes remained strewn across the floor and the bed, and time passed tick by tick as the room was enveloped in strange, oddly calming atmosphere mixed in with lustful moans and cries which went on for some time. They were followed by tranquil silence as Aya rested her head on Tyson’s chest, her hand gently grazing across, while he battled to get her hair off his face without her noticing it. I should get a haircut… she thought as her lips curled up in a peaceful smile. She looked up and softly kissed him, feeling her heartbeat calming down at last.