My Perfect Lady

The Hunter estate was truly bewitching, especially during the night. Not to mention, the sky was full of stars. As the cold wind brushed through her skin, she felt strangely warm. A strange feeling of homecoming enwrapped her whole body, and she almost sagged in relief.

Jimmy loved her expression right then.

He too, felt peace as he watched the girl. He had the sudden urge to embrace her, but he kept his emotions in tight check. Maybe it was the music, or the night. Or maybe, it was just her. He didn"t know.

He didn"t care.

He wondered why he felt the way he did, only for her? What was so different about her? He had met tonnes of women in his life, and yet, none had gorged from him such an intense reaction. The way he stiffened every time she was close…

Was it really just physical?

He looked at her smile, and close her eyes every now and then. There was a lot of freedom on that face, and he was satisfied to have been the source to have brought forth such unique happiness.

He really couldn"t understand. Why, whenever he watched her from the side silently, did a bizarre emotion gnaw at his chest? That same sense of déjà vu, as if he had met her somewhere before... As if she was someone important, something he had forgotten… something, that had happened a long, long time ago…?

Or was it simply just infatuation?

Really, he would like to know. Because these feelings were strange. Jim had never felt them before. And they complicated a lot of things for him. His own crotch, for example. It had never behaved in such an unsightly manner! Things were always under his perfect control, even when he was dating the two women that he had previously gone out with. And yet, just one look at this scrawny, untidy little thing, and he was hard.

Why?

He seriously considered a psychiatrist, but there was the bigger question that ate him up then. Why was it even happening?

Considering he did like her, the "why" still remained. She wasn"t extraordinarily intelligent, she should be nothing special. Heck, she cleaned toilets for a living!

Before her, there were times Jim himself had been doubtful of his s.e.xual orientation. Why, for he had thought, "Hartley is handsome" more times than he had seen a woman and rewarded her with the same praise. Now though, he was sure.

He was capable of being attracted to women.

Well, at least his father would be happy.

The woman… Miya, was strange in her own peculiar way, though. He still couldn"t wrap his head around the Hayabusa thing. It was kind of cute, alright, but it was also downright weird. Yes, the bike was one of the best. But really, did she have to be so intense about it? Or… could there have been a reason?

She was mostly so loud, Jim never really thought of it. She had earlier tried to tell him of her fear of planes too. He had dismissed her, of course, but now that he thought about it, there could be a valid reason.

It was almost as if the question had imprinted itself all over his face.

Miya looked at him through the mirror.

"You know," she said softly, feeling calm enough to share, "When I was a kid, I grew up with nothing."

Jim swallowed as he looked back at her. He knew that.

She then suddenly stopped the bike.

When she motioned Jim to get off, he obliged, feeling as if she wanted to drive on her own. She took him by surprise though, when she got off herself too, and just leaned against the tank of it.

"I would lie under the stars every day, and talk to the moon."

She handed over the keys back.

Jim stood before her, hearing every word, alertly. They were near an orchard now, surrounded by trees on the outside as well. He leaned against one that was rooted majestically behind him.

Miya continued.

"The moon always fascinated me. It was like watching magic unfold. It was round somedays. Somedays it was just a thin line. And it had dark spots too. I thought you could really reach the moon. All you needed was the fastest vehicle out there. And, tada! In 1999, came the Hayabusa. I"ve been in love with it ever since."

Jimmy listened to every word, but at the end of it all, he didn"t know how to react.

Miya smiled.

"Of course, I found out soon enough that you couldn"t fly to the moon with even a Hayabusa, but the love had already found its roots. And it never went. And it has always been such a distant dream. I never thought I"d be able to even see one for real in this lifetime."

Miya hesitated when she was about to speak further. Jimmy noticed the tussle of emotions in her eyes, and then said silently, "That"s not all, right? Why else do you love the bike?"

The young master"s words immediately put her at ease.

"It had always been a dream… to have two Hayabusas. And with "Show Me the Meaning" in the background. We planned to race across the most dangerous streets of the country, and really try to reach for the moon. Be fast enough to fly."

Jim frowned.

"We?"

It was as if Miya was lost into another world now. She looked at her hands, still leaning against the bike, as she continued, "Me and… Kasu. But today… It happened today. I couldn"t race it, it was so surreal. But I felt it in my body. What it would be like, to fly. To be free. Just for once… because of you."

And without warning, she looked up at him sharply. Her eyes flickered with a deep emotion, one that even she couldn"t understand. She stared at the man before her for a long time. Finally, she took two wavering steps and reached close to Jimmy.

He was beautiful, alright.

She grabbed at his shirt from where it hugged his belly b.u.t.ton, and forced herself on tip toes. Jimmy didn"t react, couldn"t even breathe as he pressed himself further into the tree"s trunk. Miya stabled herself by grabbing his arm with her free hand. And then she whispered, "Thank you," close to his ear.

With a slight turn of her head, she landed a soft kiss on his left cheek.

Jimmy stopped breathing.

The f***.

Miya got down on her feet and let him go. Jim was still frozen, but then something dark flashed across his mind. A strange sense of premonition haunted him, as suddenly, her words just minutes before repeated in his brain.

"Me and Kasu." She had said "Kasu".

And her eyes had had a strange look when she took the name.

Just before she could turn around, Jim forced himself to speak. His voice came out in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.

"Wh-Who"s Kasu?" he asked.

Miya turned back. She looked at him for a second, frowning slightly, as if sizing him up. Then, she sighed deeply. Her voice was small, and Jim almost didn"t hear the words when she said,

"Ben"s father."