All of Me

Can't Believe

A/N: Double update (including previous chapter) today!
+++
Naomi Monroe

Maybe extending my time in California by only a week wasn't enough because I'm already dreading the day Sebastien and I have to say goodbye. But, I do miss my family and friends and while spending time with Sebastien has made the distance a bit easier to handle, it's still been difficult.

However, tonight I'll be distracted from my homesickness because all I can feel is nerves. I'm going to be meeting Sebastien's best friend Derrick and his wife Tasha. They've invited us over for dinner and I have no idea what this'll be like. On one hand, I want to assume that they'll be cool people and easy to get along with, especially considering that they are close friends of Sebastien's, but that's also what makes me nervous. If they don't like me, then Sebastien and I probably wouldn't work out. He obviously trusts them enough to know about the two of us without saying anything, so I imagine he'd trust their opinion of me.

There's also the ongoing fact that I am dating this man and part of me is still in disbelief and I chide myself for it sometimes. It is incredibly annoying how I've been conditioned to believe that I don't deserve to be happy simply for the way that I look.

"You look beautiful, darling." Right on time, Sebastien enters the room as my thoughts start to devolve. I see him in the mirror as he approaches me from behind with his characteristically warm smile. I'm not sure if I should be cringing or flattered that we're matching - he wears a black button up and jeans while I wear a black blouse and jeans.

Sebastien comes up and wraps his arms around me from behind, placing his head on my shoulder and admiring me in the mirror. "You're nervous, aren't you?"

I nod with a gulp.

"Don't be. Derrick and Tasha are great people - I'd never introduce you to anyone that I think could cause you discomfort. Plus, Tasha's passtime is making wine and she has some semi-sweet reds. Those are your favorite, aren't they?"

"They are!" I chime and turn my head to kiss his cheek. I'm not even sure when I mentioned a favorite type of wine, so I imagine it was in passing. I can't believe how attentive this man is.

Just when I pull away from the kiss on his cheek, Sebastien turns to take my lips and brings up one of his hands to hold the back of my head. We seem to get lost in the way our mouths have grown so accustomed to each other and move in sync. It's not until I feel his hands begin to wander that I remember we have somewhere to be and break the kiss.

"We have to go soon, don't we?"

Sebastien lets out a deep sigh before pecking my shoulder and letting me go. "You're right... But don't drink too much. We'll finish this when we return."

###

We arrive at Tasha and Derrick's house for dinner and the mixture of knots and butterflies in my stomach have only gotten worse. I hold on tight to Sebastien as we approach the door of their home and before ringing the bell, he rubs my arm in a comforting motion and whispers words of assurance, "You'll see when you meet them that there's no need to be nervous. They are good people and I'm sure they'll love you."

I simply nod, unable to get any words out.

It's not long after Sebastien rings the bell that a tall brown skin man and a woman of a similar shade answer the door. Derrick wears glasses and has long, freshly twisted locs that are pulled back in a low ponytail while his wife has her hair out in all its natural glory. Her curl pattern is a bit tighter than mine - maybe 4A or 4B. Her hair has a healthy shine to it and I make a mental note to ask her about her routine once I muster up the courage to do so.