WRONG NUMBER

11. No Matter

Glancing at the clock she realized that if she didn't hurry, she'd be late and she was just rummaging through her closet, picking the perfect outfit to wear for her visit with Linden's family.

Just an hour left before Linden was supposed to pick her up, Ivy had nearly every piece of clothing she owned spread out on her bed. She tried a handful of things on. None of them made her happy. Some made her look fat, others slutty, and others like a school girl, others like she was heading to a funeral, so all her outfits screamed, flawed! One thing was for sure, Ivy needed a new wardrobe. She flopped down on her bed, right on top of the pile of clothes, closed her eyes and, with a big sigh, wondered what in the hell she was doing with having nothing to wear. It just had to be like that, one the day when she was about to go for a date with the boy who been so sweet, patient and literally saved her last night. Maybe if she didn't think it as a date rather a dinner with a new friend and his family that would make it easier to find something to wear. She certainly never had this problem when she was going to dinner with her friends and family. Yes, think of this day as a family dinner. Sure.

At that very moment, the front doorbell rang! "Coming, coming," she shouted irritably, "just a minute,"

When Ivy unlocked the doorknob and swung open its doors. She blinked a few times, looking confused as she found Linden standing there with his stunning chocolate brown eyes and of course he wore black, horn-rimmed glasses with small frames, glasses but why, he looked so damn cute in them she thought. Later she noticed he also had a cookie box in his hand.

"Why are you fifteen minutes early?" She tried to think of a polite way to pose the question but it rather came out very boorish. But how better you expect her to react when she wasted almost two and half hours to find out and good outfit for Linden to see her in and what she was wearing, a pajama shorts and a tank top that barely covered her midriff with messed up hair.

"You are not ready?" he asked her with a smile but it rather a statement more than a question. He was smiling that also meant he was not angry with her bad behavior.

"I brought you some cookies," Linden said as he held out the container of oatmeal and chocolate cookies to Ivy. He smiled as he held his hand out again, this time letting her grab them.

"Well thanks for the cookies and please come in," Ivy invited Linden inside.

"I am really sorry for being rude to you. I am sorry," she said in a soft, confessing voice as both of them walked into her living room and she put the box on the table beside her.

"But I didn't mind. Before that I got a very lovely stare form you," to hear him laugh, she blushed.

"Then how about if you help me pick out something to wear. You since I am going to your house," Linden looked at her and caught her licking her lips and focused his gaze on her lips. So full and ripe the desire to kiss her rushed through him like a fresh water river.

"No matter you wore anything and you would look pretty in it," Linden said without taking his gaze from her face.

Ivy frowned at him and took his hand and led him to her room. He stood in shock seeing the pile of clothes lying at the foot of the bed. "Oh god! What you did?" Linden gushed

Linden decided that he needed to help this silly girl, so he began to pick the articles of clothing and folding them, which are discarded.

"Oh yes this one is nice, Ivy really nice, wear this," he held up Striped Maxi Dress. One that Ivy rejected as very pale looking long ago.

"Really, Why this?" Now that Linden chose it for her, it started to look pretty good. She bought during last year's winter sale shopping but her ex-boyfriend, didn't like the dress much saying the dress makes her undesirable, so she hung it and let it sit there like forever. It was actually a good dress if you look at it, it was pink and ivory color maxi dress featuring an allover striped pattern, wrap-front with self-tie straps, a surplice V-neckline, and long sleeves with self-tie straps.

"It is pretty simple but graceful," for some reason, she listen to a man for the dress of the day and when to the bathroom to put it on.

When she came out pairing the dress with a delicate ivory color, heeled evening sandals and left her hair flowing down her back and she was looking so pretty that Linden's mouth hung open and he just looked.

"How I am looking?" she asked, swirling her dress around her legs. His mouth started to say something, but he was too engrossed looking at her to say something.

"Let's go, then," she said, grabbing a small handbag from the cupboard.

Linden got up and followed her outside. Neither of them said anything until they reached his car. "Not a new one, but may be a nice old one," He chuckled, at that point he felt low about himself, more of a poor rather than a working class boy, because he knew from personal experience and looking at the things Ivy owned that she had some expensive taste.

He opened the car door for her; she nodded her thanks and slid into the passenger seat. He came around and sat in the driver's seat. "The car seems very comfortable," Ivy said, smiling and buckling my seat belt. No wonder Ivy was a very good person, Linden thought. She had a way with people. She could have made anyone feel comfortable. Linden seemed to feel little more relaxed, but still a bit overwhelmed. Linden returned back her smile as he started the engine, and left the parking lot

"Alright Ivy?" Linden wondered. He was more than halfway to his house when caught sight of the brunet's face and thought that she looked completely engrossed in her own story and she somehow looked very scared and uncertain.

"I was just wondering is it really fine that I am joining you today? Should I have brought a gift or something for your family? I'm not much of a cook, but I suppose I could cut some vegetable or mix some ingredients.... Does anyone have any allergies? Oh shit how and how many people are—"

"Ivy?"

"Linden," Ivy blinked through her confusion, before shaking her head to dismiss her rapid-fire question round. "Sorry, ever since you invited me I've just been thinking of all these questions, and I didn't want to forget any."Linden's nose scrunched up a little and he had to turn his head away to try and control his laughter.

"Well, I said hundreds of time that they would love you; my mother was one of those types of women who make tons of Christmas dinner such that we eat Christmas dinner for days,"

Ivy opened her mouth to speak again, but Linden was quick to intercept her next question, "we are six members including me at home," she kept quiet and tried her best not to show fear for rest of the driving

"We reached," he said cheerily as he turned into the empty lot near a small two-story house with wide balconies on the upper floor and a spacious porch in front and parked his car.

Linden pushed the main gate open and walked up the path to the house. The house was lit up with string Christmas lights hanging from the roof and fairy lights wrapped around the palm trees. The entry walkway had an arched gate in the front, with decorative lanterns hanging on either side of it.

Linden was about to press the doorbell, but she interrupted him and asked him, "Linden, what is your surname?" She was biting her lip and looking away but the look in her face was million dollar thing.

He laughed out loud as he pressed the doorbell, before anybody could have opened the door, he leaned to Ivy's ear and whispered, "I am linden Cowden." The name made her skin go gooseflesh or voice was that so deep and rumble, she could understand.

"Ready?" He asked, as it was obvious that Ivy had been a bit nervous about the invitation throughout the driving, and Linden wanted to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.

"Ready," Ivy confirmed with a nod, mouth upturned in a way that seemed only slightly forced. "Let's do this."