WRONG NUMBER

13. I'll be there

Linden and Ivy walk out of the kitchen and up the stairs. At any rate, it wasn't a very pleasant walk for Linden because his house had been poorly furnished and drank in compared to the Ivy's luxury apartment.

As they walked upstairs, Linden thought how glad he was as he cleaned his room for Christmas. If you would look into his room on another day it would be mess of books, photo, pens and of course piles of clothes on the floor and it would be really embarrassing if Ivy walk in his room and there is books everywhere.

And as they walked in his room, suddenly Ivy stepped on something and slipped on the book that was lying on the floor. She found herself tumbling until she hit the floor. "Oops!" Linden scrambled up; his face was nearly purple with embarrassment up till Ivy burst out laughing.

Smiling, Ivy looked around the room, "I like your room," she finally said, "it's very... cozy," Linden couldn't tell if she lying or she actually liked it but the cozy part was true.

"My flat is so big and so cold and so lonely without family, sometimes I don't even go home at night and I just watch TV until I fall asleep at Rossi flat," Ivy chuckled, but there was emptiness behind her expression.

"Uh! It is any day better than sharing your room with a dog," he said jokingly, trying to lighten her mood.

"Really?" Ivy asked in surprise, turning around to face him.

"Really, if he is not sleeping under the dining table, then for sure he is taking this couch," Linden said, pointing to the piece of furniture. Firstly Ivy laughed a little and then they both laughed together.

"Now will you show me your photographs?" Ivy suddenly stopped laughing and asked Linden.

"Yes, but promise you won't laugh at it,"

"I promise—but I wouldn't laugh anyway." Linden sighed at her words and tried not to smile. He obviously liked her sassiness and her challenges and the outrageous things she said and made him laugh.

"I think you are always high," he commented as he was walking toward his standing closet. "Anyway here," he said awkwardly the minute he walked back and set the leather photo album on her lap.

"Just... Just see it. And please don't be nasty about it or anything. Just see it." Ivy's expression immediately turned serious, that was stunning, a youthful face touched with alarm, as she nodded. She settled herself on Linden's bed and slowly opened the file. She patted the space beside her, for Linden to sit and smiled winningly. "Sit with me?" Ivy asked, sweet and clear.

Linden settled close to Ivy so they sat down next to each other, he suddenly felt nervous as hell and started playing with his fingers, eyes cast downward, as Ivy went through one photo after another. He counted it exactly took nineteen minutes for Ivy to finished seeing the photos.

And when she finally did, she set the album carefully aside, folded up her legs and twisted her body to Linden. Something... there something was unrecognizable in her eye. Linden swallowed; he watched those frost blue eyes searched for her thoughts. He was so nervous and might be a little embarrassed. He just wanted Ivy to be impressed by him.

"I heard David Maialetti is good at his work," she finally muttered and made him more confused and nervous that before. Ivy demurely smiled at him as she placed her hand into his, now their hands were hooked together. Linden swallowed a gulp in Nervousness. "Um but—and I say this with all the respect of a 21-year old boy—" The corner of Ivy's lips twitched with that Linden's stomach twitched. "Man move on, here comes your competitor."

Initially Linden couldn't get to grips with what Ivy was saying but when he understood it was the last thing Linden had ever expected, his comparison with one of the best city-life photographer and so he burst out laughing. The tight, quivering bundle of nerves that encased him loosened. He wondered if Ivy was truthful was she just exaggerated the praise but when Ivy told him, he almost believed her. In fact in that moment, he felt like, maybe, he might be good.

"Ivy, shut up!" Linden just couldn't help himself, but to giggle flushed with pleasure and pride. "You're just being nice."

"No honestly, Linden." She smiled and winked, and then her face became stern and serious. There were traces of adoration near her lips and around the corners of her eyes and so it was enough for Linden. Even if Ivy hadn't said another word, it would have been enough for him.

"I guess, you see things differently you're just, like..." she smiled, shaking her head. "I want to see all of your photography. I want to see what you're seeing up there, they are wonderful" Ivy's finger tapped at Linden's leather album, tapped every time with the each words. "I might say I am in love with your eyes"

Linden realized it was the sappy moment the two were having now and they going to be treasure it for forever. It was happy moment because she was so supportive and so it was ridiculous. But sad because it was exactly what Linden needed to hear for long time but no one said him like that.

Smiling, they study each other for a long moment, looking into one another's eyes. Soon they were blinded by a ting of desire that soften their heart but rose up the heartbeat. His face came closer and closer still, her breath stopping, his breath a faint breeze on her lips that had parted.

And at the same moment Linden's mother decided called out for them from the kitchen "dinner is ready guys," he chuckled at that and He bent down to lightly kiss her cheek. Hot fire flamed in her heart. Then pulled away and whispered, "Dinner is up, let us go down,"

Ivy blushed so much that couldn't speak a word so she just nodded, her cheeks and neck blotched red in a way that Linden found impossibly cute.

He was falling for her, and he was falling hard but didn't want to land of cold hard floor.