Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
The next morning, Ivy received a knocking on their apartment door. She expected it to be Ben but was surprised to see Vicki there. When she opened the door, her friend practically bounced on her “Oh my God!! Ivy, you will not believe what happened today!!”
Ivy groaned as she dragged herself to the couch and lied down “Your Mr. Perfect saved a puppy’s life?”
“No, even better!!” Vicki rushed over to the couch as she sat down comfortably.
“A cow?” Ivy asked while she snorted with laughter.
Vicki frowned “You’re not being serious. No…I actually saw him…up close.”
“You mean he was 30 feet from you?” Ivy snickered.
“No, more like 3 feet. He is soooo handsome!!” she gushed like a teenager in lust.
Ivy rolled her eyes “Which means you didn’t get his name or his number because you were busy gawking at him right?”
“How do you know this stuff?” Vicki grumbled as she pouted.
“I don’t know the stuff…I just know you.” She laughed at her friend. Their time together was cut short when the doorbell rang. Ivy snapped her eyes wide open as she pointed to the door “If it’s a guy named Ben, tell him I fell over dead in my bed last night.”
“IVY!!!” Vicki cried in disbelief “Why would you jinx yourself like that…”
“SHHHH!!!” Ivy placed a hand over her friend’s lips “He can hear you…go…” she pointed to the door while rushing to the kitchen to hide.
Vicki shook her head as she got up and answered the door, she was faced to face with a handsome looking man “Hi…” she smiled friendly “Who are you looking for?”
“Oh…uh…is Ivy home? I don’t think I’ve ever met you before.” Ben smiled as he put out a hand.
“I’m Vicki, Ivy’s friend. She just left about five minutes ago.” She lied.
“Really? Then why are you still here?” He asked casually while walking into the apartment without being invited “Ivy!!” he called “I know you’re here.”
Vicki closed the door as she turned to the stranger “Hey, I’ll call the cops if you don’t leave!”
“Go ahead and call them. At least I live next door…You don’t belong in this house. They’ll probably arrest you for breaking and entering.” Ben said sneakily.
She dropped her jaw in shock “You wouldn’t…”
But she didn’t have to continue as he began dialing for the police “Hi, I’d like to report a burglary…”
“Wait!!” Ivy jumped out of the kitchen, startling the two. Ben quickly hung up while Vicki rushed over to her friend.
“You know him?” she asked her friend with a look of disapprovment.
“Unfortunately, yes.” Ivy said sadly.
Ben smiled “Is that an answer?”
“Yes.” Ivy said without much feeling. She turned to Vicki and suddenly reached out and hugged her while sobbing “I’m going to miss you so much!!” she pulled her away “Remember, I will always be the same Ivy in your heart.” She walked over to Ben and placed her arms outstretched “Take me away.”
He laughed at her dramatic scene “You’re good. You should be an actress, I can imagine you’d do wonders for the comedy division.”
“Whatever.” Ivy grumbled.
Vicki stepped up when the two were ready to leave “Wait…what’s going on? Where are you taking Ivy?” she pulled her friend to her side.
Ivy turned to Vicki with a saddened expression “I have to leave…to a far away land where no one will know me. But I’ll never forget you…” she touched her face “Please…don’t make this harder than it is.”
Ben clapped his hands impressed by her performance “That was great!”
“You are one strange little tall man.” Ivy looked at him confused, she turned to her friend who looked even more confused than she did “He’s an image consultant. My father asked him to help me with my image.”
“What’s wrong with your image?” Vicki asked.
Ivy looked ready to burst into tears as she reached out and hugged her friend sincerely “Thank you…” she covered her lips delicately with her hand “I guess you are the only person in the world that understands me.” She sighed “But I promised my father that I would do this.”
“I see…” Vicki nodded “Well, have fun! I’m off to find my Mr. Perfect.”
“Good luck!!” Ivy waved to her friend. Her smile faded as she turned to Ben “Please, be gentle…”
He began laughing with his head shaking “You’re so funny!” he crossed his arms and tilted her head “Why didn’t I see that before?”
“Maybe you were delirious from my feet odor?” she said casually but it only made him laugh harder. Ivy knitted her brows together as she turned her head slightly, her eyes still on him “You’re weird.”
Ben smiled with a nod “I know.” He nodded “Okay. We’ll start with outside appearance first. Come on.” He walked towards the stairs while Ivy lagged behind. His car was parked in the street as he pointed to it “A gentleman should always open the door for a lady.”
“Okay…let me find you a lady.” Ivy quipped as she reached for a girl that was walking by “Would you like to come with us?” the girl widened her eyes fearfully as she rushed away with Ivy laughing.
Ben crossed his arms sternly “Ivy…” he began.
“Yes father?” she asked while he abruptly dropped his arms “Sure, now you don’t have a sense of humor.” She climbed into the car as he closed it after her. Ivy began playing around with the mirrors and lights. Ben got inside the car and looked at her strangely “I didn’t get to see it in the light the first time.” She explained her nosiness.
He cleared his throat “Lesson number one. A lady does not play with mirrors and lights inside a gentleman’s car. You leave your hands over your lap and sit very still.”
Ivy turned off the light and closed the vanity mirror as she placed her hands on her laps gently “Can I breathe?”
“Yes.” Ben said while he started the car.
“Okay, just checking.” Ivy nodded. It only took about 30 seconds and she was already playing with the glove compartment. Ben cleared his throat loudly as she looked up at him “You should see a doctor for the loogie in your throat.”
He smiled “What’s a loogie?”
“A cuter word for snot.” Ivy nodded while his smile faded, she laughed loudly “You asked, I didn’t.
Ben glanced over at her “Lesson number two, a lady only giggles not cackle like a rooster in a farm.”
Ivy sighed, “How many lessons are there?”
“Hmm…about one hundred.” He said casually.
“WHAT??!!!” she cried and he turned to her sternly as she put up her hands in defense “Let me guess, lesson number three…a lady never yells.”
Ben grinned happily “You’re learning.”
“You’re psychotic.” She mumbled under her breath.
“What?” he asked, unsure of what she said.
“I said you’re psychic.” She added quickly and then turned to her window while hiding her smiles.
“I can see your reflection from the glass.” He advised. She snapped her head over to him making him laugh.
************
Ben pulled his car up to the beauty salon as he parked the car. Ivy stared at the place blankly “What is this place?” she asked. To her it was too foreign for her to comprehend.
“It’s called a nail and hair salon.” He replied.
“I didn’t know we had westernized bars here!!” she blurted out.
Ben shook his head with his brows knitted together “No, no…not Saloon…Salon.” He corrected.
“Oh…” Ivy shrugged “What’s the difference?” he pointed to the door as he opened it for her to enter. The minute she stepped inside a combined smell of nail polish, ammonia and lotion entered her nose. She looked ready to hurl as she charged for the exit. But she was stopped by Ben’s arms “Must…breath….” She pointed to the door “Dying…”
He rolled his eyes “Don’t be dramatic. It’s not that bad.”
Ivy covered her nose and mouth “Roo, rellin yee…”
“What?” he asked “Take your hand off your face.” He yanked her hand away.
“I said…You’re telling me! Is your nose numb from those ridiculous mix of odors?” Ivy asked as she glanced around the place. It was a large room with about six spa chairs and six hair cutting seats. There was also another row of nail tables. Ivy frowned “What kind of girl goes to—”
“Ivy!!!” Tara cried when she saw her walking in with a man.
Ivy glanced at Ben “I spoke too soon.” She smiled as Tara limped her way over to her “Oh my God, what did they do to your feet??” she pointed to the sponge toe-separator.
“Oh, it’s just a toe holder so the nail polish can dry without my toes scraping against each other.” Tara explained. She nodded at Ben “What are you two doing here?”
Ivy shrugged carelessly “I thought this would be a good way to die a long and agonizing death.”
Ben smiled at her sense of humor “Just getting a pedicure and manicure.” He answered.
“Yeah…that too.” Ivy said with her eyes rolling upwards. She turned to Tara “I didn’t know you were that girly.”
Ben nodded to the receptionist as he excused himself from the girls “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time!!” Ivy waved. She pulled Tara to the side “Quick, run before he sees us.”
Tara laughed as she yanked Ivy back “It’s not that bad. It actually feels really good when they massage you.”
“They what??” Ivy looked around in disgust “What kind of place is this??”
“Give it a chance. I think every girl should be pampered once in a while.” She advised wisely.
Ivy raised her brows “Really? I don’t think Tyler feels that way.”
Instantly Tara’s face fell “Really?”
“Yeah…” Ivy shook her head “Tyler likes the tomboyish girls…think about it. He’s so girly as it is…why would he want another girl like himself?”
She smiled “So you mean he’s not gay?”
Ivy’s face fell “Don’t use that word about Tyler again…EVER.” She emphasized. Tara’s eyes bulged out and Ivy quickly smiled “Trust me…I know my brother. If you want to get him…you have to be tough, independent and opinionated. He doesn’t like girls that care too much about their looks.” She pointed to Tara’s denim skirt and brown top.
“I see…” Tara quickly took off the sponges on her feet as she rushed to get her shoes “Thanks for the tip, Ivy.” She practically sprinted for the door.
Ivy crossed her arms with a sly smile “Shit…I didn’t know it was that easy.”
“Ivy!” Ben called as he waved her over.
“Coming, father!!” she teased as she skipped her way over to the ready spa seat.