Isabelle felt that there would be no amount of water that could cool the fire which now had engulfed her cheeks as well as her whole face. To say that the color of flesh actually now matched her hair wouldn't be an understatement. It wasn't known what had come over her, making thoughts come out in a less than stellar word salad. Izzie stood there for a few moments not knowing what could be done, to leave and save herself further embarrassment or to stay and allow for another blunder to happen. But it seemed that her time was over for the moment, for Sebastian then began speaking.<em> "Right. This was not what I expected at all. Holy shit! Isabelle, please believe me, you never gave me the impression of being easy, and that thought never crossed my mind. Neither did I see you as some fling, idle or otherwise. I met someone who I thought was worthy of getting to know better."</em><br/><br/><em>"Hang on a moment...Did you say you developed a crush on me?!?"</em>At those words Isabelle sat back down in her chair, ready to crawl into the deepest and darkest hole that could be found. By that point she wasn't even looking at the man, finding herself unable to do such a single thing, Izzie didn't need the memories of his facial expressions. Beyond humiliated she felt suddenly, wishing that the lunch would finally just end. Hands were felt taking her own, forcing her to look up at Sebastian's face.<em>"Isabelle, I am flattered that you think so highly of me. But, gosh, I don't know where to go from here. I mean, you're pretty, you're a wonderful person. Anyone would be grateful for having a friend like you, even a girlfriend like you. Age doesn't really mean that much to me, but it does to other people."</em><br/><br/>Blue eyes stared at the man's face for a few moments, trying to figure out the words that had just been spoken. It seemed that Sebastian said in so many words that some type of relationship beyond a typical friendship could be possible. Ahead of himself the man seemed to be jumping, speaking about age and how other people mattered. In that moment Izzie knew that she was in, no matter what might happen, what could happen. For far too long she had been living within this shell, refusing to do things for herself, this could be the beginning of everything and the proof that anything could be possible.<br/><br/><em>"What I have been trying to say is..."</em><br/><br/>What happened next caught Isabelle completely by surprise, yet then again it was rather easy to surprise her these days. Sebastian leaned quickly, his lips pressing right against her own. There was no time to question it, no time to over think anything. Izzie simply allowed for eyelids to flutter close, enjoying the moment for what it truly was; the beginning. For very long the feeling wouldn't last, just enough to give the taste of what there was to come, to long and pine just enough so this would never be taken for granted.<em>"I'm... uh... I'm happy to see how things go. If you're OK with that."</em>, was spoken after lips had pulled away, leaving Isabelle feeling void and wanting more.<br/><br/>Time wasn't taken to try and gather herself, this was the time, the moment to finally put it all out there, speak the mind, her personal point of view.<em>Age is nothing but a number, it doesn't tell of shared interests, shared moments, it doesn't tell of what two might have together. It's not about them.. it's about the two people who are involved...That's it...We don't have to tell but we shouldn't have to hide it either...that's not fair.. to hide what might turn out to be the very best parts of ourselves...Do you understand...they don't matter...You do..what this could be..."</em><br/><br/>A hand pulled away from his own, placing itself upon his cheek and actually smiling a bit.<em>"I'm in...I'm all in Sebastian...All in.."</em>, she whispered before pressing her lips against his own, as if sealing a promise.<em>"Is this what it feels like when a person is actually free, totally and completely...?"</em>, Isabelle thought to herself.