Chapter Ten
Primadonna

THE BENOIST FAMILY dinners were always held at the San Fernando Valley country club, along with Sam and her family. Alex and Caroline were well respected in the Valley for their contributions to the school and community. Sydney always looked forward to a night out at the country club but this time was different. Miguel was going to be meeting her parents. She felt sick all day and all night over it. She knew her mother would be okay. Caroline loved everybody. But her father, Alex had high expectations. She was his only daughter, so of course he did, but Sydney was worried about what he would say Miguel.

Sydney was nervously getting ready in her room, fidgeting with the accessories that would go with her black dress. She was shaking terribly with anxiety at the thought of her parents embarrassing her or Miguel thinking badly about her family. He wouldn't do that, she was sure of. Miguel was sweet. He had yet to judge her (at least not out loud) but it didn't stop her thoughts from running wild.

Not being able to handle it, Sydney rushed to her bedside table and grabbed her bottle of anxiety meds. "Calm the fuck down, Sydney. You're getting over worked for nothing." She said to herself as she took one.

There was a knock at her door. "Sydney, love, can I come in?" Asked her mother's sweet voice.

"Yeah, mum." Sydney answered and she looked at herself in the mirror, his breathing uneven.

Caroline came into the room and gasped. "You look so beautiful! I knew that dress would be perfect." She zipped over and felt the velvet fabric of the dress. When she noticed her daughter's panicked expression, Caroline frowned. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." Sydney dismissed. At her mother's knowing stare, she sighed. "I'm nervous."

"For what?"

"I've never liked someone this much, not even enough to have him meet my family." She explained and grabbed a pair of diamond earrings from her jewelry box. "I'm just scared it won't work out." She said vulnerably.

Caroline smiled sympathetically and rubbed her daughter's shoulders. "I've never seen you so shaky," she observed, "I kind of like this side of you."

Sydney put on the backs to the earrings. "I don't." She mumbled.

"Just think positive, Sydie. And don't worry about your dad. I'll keep him in line."

She managed a faint smile. "Thanks, mum. I really think you'll like him."

"Anyone my daughter likes is good in my book." Caroline declared. "Finished get dressed and meet us downstairs."

Sydney nodded. Her mom left her room and she looked at the mirror again. "It's fine. You're fine. Everything will be okay." She told herself and smiled. "I hope."

Miguel and Sydney sat awkwardly in the backseat of her father's vehicle. Alexander's eyes constantly appeared in the mirror, checking on them, and it made the fear Miguel was feeling the whole day increase each time. Sydney had assured him not to be nervous, advice she should have taken, but he'd never met a girl'd parents before. It was new territory for him.

He glanced her way, admiring how beautiful she looked in the deep colored dress and bright shining jewelry. He leaned towards her. "You look really pretty tonight." He whispered.

Sydney smiled. "Thank you." She whispered back. Glancing down, she grabbed his hand that was in a fight fist, and they both relaxed under each other's touch.

Caroline smiled happily at them when she looked in the mirror. She looked at her husband, his expression the opposite of hers.

When they arrived at the country club, Miguel quickly got out of the car and rushed to the other side to open Sydney's door. "M'lady?" He said properly and held out his hand.

"Merci." Sydney chuckled and he helped her out.

Caroline smiled again. "How polite are you?" She said rhetorically and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Miguel grinned her way. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the building. "Wow."

"Never been here before,  Michael?"  Sydney's dad questioned.

"Miguel, dad! Miguel. . ." Sydney corrected and gave him a small glare.

"Uh, no sir. I haven't. . ." Miguel replied with nerves.

"You'll love it sweetheart." Caroline assured him, her voice and smile comforting.

Her parents walked ahead of them, holding each other's hands. Sydney looped her arm through his.  "I'm sorry about him." She apologized with a wince.

"Don't be sorry," Miguel chuckled under his breath. "I understand. I'll admit, he's a little scary."

"He's only acting that way to scare you," she told him and rolled her eyes, "he has a good heart. He'll end up loving you, I promise."

He didn't reply, he just smiled.

Sydney couldn't help but laugh at Miguel's jaw-slacked expression as he eyed the huge restaurant with a perfect view of the golf course through the very large windows. "Get whatever you want, Miguel." Caroline encouraged him and held out a plate for him to take. "I'll be at the lobster." She told them and walked away with a pep in her step.

Miguel looked overwhelmed at the buffet table. His cheeks flushed red.

"Is everything okay?" Sydney asked him, already beginning to pile her plate.

"Yeah, yeah," he nodded quickly, "I just, uh, don't really know what half of this stuff he." Miguel admitted with a small laugh.

Now she felt bad. "I'll show you." She gently grabbed his arm and they walked to the next table. "There's lobster, crab cakes, oysters, truffles, my favorite. . .over here is veal, filet mignon, caviar —" at his fallen expression, Sydney stopped. "Am I overwhelming you?"

"No, no, it's not that. I've just never had this before." Miguel told her. "I've only seen caviar and truffles on those cooking shows that Yaya likes to watch."

Sydney giggled. "Well, we'll take it show. What do you want to try first?"

Miguel eyed the various extravagant foods in front of him. "Those crab cakes do look bomb." He pointed out making her laugh again.

"So Miguel, Sydie tells me you just moved her?" Alexander brought up once they got their food and sat down.

"Y-Yes sir, with my mom and grandmother." Miguel answered and mentally told himself to stop stuttering like a loser.

Caroline took the gentler route. "Where did you all move from?"

"Riverside, but they're originally from Ecuador."

Alex hummed, his facial expression still blank.

Miguel shifted on the chair. He felt Sydney grab his hand from under the table, a silent gesture that she was there for him. "So, Syd told me that you guys travel a lot." He changed the subject.

"We do!" Caroline beamed. "But we're so happy to be back home with Sydney." She smiled at her daughter. "I'm just waiting the day we get to take her with us."

"Wow, that's great that you're able to do that," Miguel said, finding it way easier to talk to her rather than her husband, "where's your favorite place you've been?"

"That would be Europe," Alex answered

"That would be Europe," Sydney's father answered, "Care and I spent a good three months traveling around the country. My family is from France so I get the privilege of flying out there every so often."

As he spoke, Miguel noticed how subtle his French accent was.

"It's where we met actually." Caroline added in with a loving smile.

His eyes went wide. "You met in France?"

"I was on a summer road trip with my friends before we started college. We all waked into this beautiful baker and I looked up and saw this tall, handsome, dark haired boy reach for the last box of macarons just as I was about to." Caroline explained the story, her dark eyes eyeing her husband adoringly.

"And when I saw her I just knew I wanted to share them with her," Alex added to the story, "so I sat outside with her and all of her friends, "and me, I didn't speak that much of English but thankfully one of her friends was able to translate for me."

"He found out how long I was staying and he showed me around everywhere. I think my friends were a little envious," Caroline giggled.

"By the time their trip came to an end, I just knew I couldn't let her go back home without telling her how so felt about her," said Alex and he caressed her hand with gentle strokes, "that she was the girl of my dreams."

Miguel was in awe. "So how did you make it work?" He questioned.

"Well, I went to be with her, of course."

His jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

Caroline laughed. "I thought he was crazy when he made the suggestion. We were so young." She looked at him again. "But a few years passed by, we got married in the beautiful Sydney, Australia, had a daughter of our own, and now we're the happiest we've ever been."

"Absolument." Alex said and they leaned in, sharing a quick kiss. Absolutely

Miguel looked at Sydney and grinned. "That's where you got your name from?" He guessed.

She hummed. "Yep. It was better than the alternative."

"What was that?"

"Alex wanted to get married in Annecy." Caroline answered.

"It's one of the most beautiful places in France!" Alex defended himself.

Miguel pulled a face. "Yeah, Sydney was the right move." He said and it made them laugh.

Well, except for her dad.

Sydney was thankful that the night finally ended and that her father's grilling was over. They drove Miguel back to Receda and she walked him to his door. "I'm so sorry about my father. I should've known he'd act that way." She apologized for the tenth time.

Miguel just laughed. "Stop apologizing. I get it. I spoke be the same way if I had a daughter."

"You're being too nice."

"And you're being too hard on yourself," he said back, both of them standing in front of his door. "He could grill me with questions about my shower routine and I would answer because it doesn't change the fact that I really like his daughter."

The softest smile appeared on her face. She looked at him through her eyelashes. They stood very close, so close that Sydney could hear his fast beating heart, so fast that it made her own heart pound. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about this moment, if this would be their first kiss. It would be perfect.

Miguel was feeling the exact same way. He'd seen it in all the movies. He would put his hands on her face and pull her in close, fireworks going off in both of their hearts, and it would be a perfect ending. "Syd?" He said quietly.

"Yes?" She matched is tone, her voice giving him shivers.

"I really want to kiss you."

"Then do it."

His eyes cut to just over her shoulder, her father's car still running. "Your parents are watching." He whispered.

"So what?" Sydney said, not caring at all.

It shocked him. Miguel eyed her father's car again, knowing he was watching. He hesitated on what to do next. But there she was in fring of him, looking so beautiful and eager for him to make a move.

Fuck it. Miguel cupped the back of her neck and brought her forward, pressing his lips to hers in a swift motion. Then quickly, he stopped and pulled away to look into her eyes, silencing asking if she was okay. Without saying anything, Sydney grabbed his face and pulled him back in. A swift gradation of intensity made her cling onto him as he was the only solid thing keeping her steady in the dizzy swaying world.  The nerves were gone and all she felt was a swimming giddiness spinning her around and around. 

She felt his braces as they kissed but the warmth of hushed hands on her waist made her forget. She was really doing this. Sydney thought she was dreaming until his soft touch brought her back to reality, until the feeling of butterflies in her stomach caused her to realize that it was all real and that what she was feeling was real.

When they separated, Sydney inhaled deep breaths and stared into his eyes, lost for words. "That was your first kiss?" She asked, her voice shaking.

Miguel nodded, also breathless, and his hands remained on her waist. "Yeah."

"How was it?"

"Like I want to kind of do it again."

It made her laugh. Sydney then remembered that her parents were currently waiting for to come back to the car and it was the only thing that separated her from him. "I better go before he honks the horn."

Miguel chuckled. "That's, uh, probably a good idea." He nodded.

Sydney nodded once. She backed away from him, smoothed out her dress, and turned away to walk off. Her legs were shaking as well as her hands and as she inched toward the vehicle, she paused. Sydney turned back around and saw Miguel still standing there. She ran up to him and kissed him again, very quickly.

Miguel was so in shock that he could barely process it but she pulled away and smiled at him, her smile lines apparent and he felt his stomach twist again. She didn't say anything else and she ran back to the car, getting in that time.

Feeling dizzy, Miguel watched with a gaping mouth as the car disappeared from the apartments. He reached his hand back, fiddling with the door knob until it twisted, and he practically fell into his house. Thankfully his mom and grandmother were already asleep and Miguel leaned his back against the door, not able to contain the smile that grew on his face.