True To You (Taking Chances #2) (6 page)

“I’ll keep that in mind should I ever run into one.” His hazel eyes lit up with humor. “So, I heard her say something about church. Do you attend one?”

“Yes, a Chinese church in Mountain View. My family has been going there ever since we came to the States.”

“When was that?”

“When I was a sophomore in high school.”

“That sounds like quite an adjustment, moving to a foreign country as a teenager.”

“Well, our family had waited several years for our visas to get approved, so we knew we would be coming. But things did happen quickly when the paperwork finally came through; we had about two weeks to pack up and move.”

“Wow. What was that like for you?”

The concern in Ben’s eyes caught Melanie off guard. His question was so genuine and tender that it seemed to unlock a part of her heart that had been closed for so long. Memories she had stored away came flooding her senses again. As she was accustomed to doing, she pushed those thoughts to the side and forced a smile on her face. “It was a challenge as expected. I left everything I was familiar with and got thrown into a new culture. But I worked hard to learn the language and customs, and did my best to fit in.”

“What was the hardest part about it?”

Shaking her head at his pointed question, she noted, “I’m starting to think your boldness has nothing to do with me. You like asking direct questions, don’t you?”

“I just don’t want to waste any time getting to know you. Life’s too short to dwell on small talk. I understand though if you’d rather not talk about it.”

“No, you’re right,” she answered with the experience of someone who saw the frailty of life every day at work. She appreciated the fact that Ben seemed to live so intentionally. “Those are some wise words. You know, I may have to start writing all your quotes down, they’re so meaningful.”

“Good to know. If I get tired one day of teaching math, I’ll think about becoming a philosopher.”

“Or maybe a therapist,” she joked. “You seem to know how to get people to empty their guts to you.” She paused. “Wait, did I say that right?”

“It’s spill your guts, but I’m happy to be on the receiving end, no matter how you want to do it.” Ben reached out and gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “You’re cute when you get flustered, you know that?”

Melanie doubted that was the case, but his comment made her cheeks warm. She attempted to turn his attention back to their earlier conversation. “To answer your previous question… I guess the hardest part about immigrating was leaving the people I cared about behind.”

Her tight-lipped smile made Ben believe there was more to her story. “Family? Friends?”

“Yes, friends. Some close ones.” She let out a deep breath, then squared her shoulders as if to add conviction to her next words. “But all the changes I went through helped me grow. There were so many things out of my control, but it was reassuring to know God was always there.”

“I understand what you’re saying.”

“Do you believe in anything?”

“You mean God? Yes, I do. My parents took me and my sister to church every week, but I didn’t take my faith seriously until I went to college.” His face grew serious. “It’s a good thing I did because I don’t know how else I would have gotten through the past couple of years.”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“My parents passed away in a car accident almost four years ago. I moved back home and have been taking care of my sister since then.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.” This explained why he was at the supermarket the day they met. His big brother role had turned into that of a parent. Melanie’s heart softened to know how much Ben had gone through. “That must have been so difficult for you, for both of you.”

“It’s been a journey. But Ash has had a much harder time than me. She was only fifteen when all this happened. I was already done with college and living on my own. I had just started a teaching job down in So Cal, but moved back here as soon as I could. It was pretty rough in the beginning learning how to walk a fine line between being a brother and a parent. I’ve had a crash course on hormones, that’s for sure. Somehow I lived to tell about it.” He grinned and wiped imaginary beads of sweat from his forehead.

Melanie couldn’t help but stare in awe at the man across from her. Ben was certainly nice to look at, but his story now made him even more attractive in her eyes. “You’re so positive despite everything you’ve been through. How do you stay so strong?”

“Lots of prayer… and soda,” he quipped as he raised his glass, “and reminding myself to be thankful for what I have. I had two wonderful parents who raised me well and introduced me to Jesus. A kid sister who loves me. Friends who have stood by me. I have a job I love.” He paused as a goofy grin lit up his face. “The chance to meet a new friend in the supermarket aisle. Life is good. I couldn’t ask for more.”

“Oh, but you do want more, don’t you? That’s why you have a bucket list.”

Ben nodded his head in appreciation of Melanie’s no-nonsense attitude. It seemed like little got past her. “You’re right, I do. It’s something I made after my parents died. I realized how unpredictable life is and how there’s still so much I haven’t experienced. But the way my life is right now is all right with me. Getting to do the things on that list would only add to it.”

“So you’ve got donating blood as number ten. Trying authentic Chinese food as twenty-one. What else do you have on there?”

“Hug a koala, learn a new language, shake the hand of Stanford’s mascot…”

“You want to shake a tree’s hand?”

“What can I say, I’m a proud alumni. I tried my senior year to get onto the field to see the tree, but some students from Cal got to it first. It wasn’t a pretty sight when they were done with it.”

“I heard about that Big Game. My roommates tried to get me to go, but I think I was too busy studying.”

“You went to Stanford, too?”

“I went to Cal for undergrad and Stanford for med school. My friends still haven’t forgiven me for joining the enemy,” she said with an eye-roll. “But I liked the medical program they offer.”

“I have a friend who went there as well who recommends it. I wonder if you know him. His name’s Melvin, Melvin Lai?”

Melanie’s jaw dropped.
You must be joking.
“I do know Melvin. I met him in med school, and we’re in the same residency program now.”
And we’re technically engaged to each other, too, in some strange alternate reality.

“No kidding. He and I were roommates freshman year. We ended up in the same fellowship and even led a Bible study group together. He’s a great guy. Loyal to the end.”

“Sounds like you guys are close. I’m surprised he’s never mentioned you. But all I remember talking about before was our classwork; he was always focused on getting the highest scores. These days, it’s all about work.”

“That sounds like the Melvin I know and love. It took everything in me to drag him out to a party our senior year. Four years of college and he still hadn’t gone on a date or even tried to ask a girl out. He was so pale from staying indoors to study that I nicknamed him Snow White.”

“I can assure you he hasn’t changed much. My mom-our families know each other from church,” she explained, “says his face looks like silken tofu, soft and creamy.”

“Isn’t that a great imagery. I’ll have to remember that so I can make fun of him the next time I see him. Well, if he’s still so pale, then he must be going out at night. I got an email from him last week and was shocked to hear he’s getting married. Imagine that!”

The onion ring Melanie was in the middle of swallowing lodged itself in her throat. She took a large swig of water to wash it down.
Uh-oh.
If this conversation was a moving vehicle, it was on the verge of heading off a cliff. She had a sinking feeling it was too late to make a U-turn. “He did?”

“I didn’t even know he was dating, but I couldn’t be happier for the guy. I can’t wait to meet this girl. She must be something to have caught his attention. It sounds like he’s eager to marry her.”

Wasn’t that the truth? Eager was a mild choice of words though, driven was more like it. Melanie nodded, busily working on keeping her mouth too full to speak.

“Wait until I tell him
we
met. He’s going to get a kick out of that. Maybe we could do a double date sometime with him and his fiancée.”

Melanie placed her half eaten burger on the plate, her stomach suddenly weighed down by dread. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that Melvin would not be pleased to discover she and Ben knew each other. He would more than likely be squinting in confusion at the mere sight of them together. Kind of like the man who had just entered the restaurant and was approaching their table.

On second thought, make that
exactly
like that man.

“Ben? Melanie? What are you two doing here?” Melvin’s head jerked back and forth between his friends’ faces, one beaming from ear to ear, the other one wincing in discomfort.

Someone needed to do some explaining soon, and Melanie was sure not looking forward to how it would play out.

FIVE

“OMG!” Sam shrieked and plunked the stack of dishes in her hands down onto the circular table. The plates clanged loudly against each other, causing several heads to turn. “Then what happened?”

“Sam, watch out,” Melanie scolded under her breath as she offered an apologetic smile to their customers. “Ba still hasn’t recovered from the time you dropped that plate of sizzling beef and cracked a tile on the kitchen floor.”

“Good thing I didn’t break my foot in the process! How was I supposed to know an iron plate would be so hot?”

“Maybe the cloud of smoke coming from it should have given you a hint.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Sam replied with a roll of her eyes. “Don’t change the topic. I can’t believe Melvin showed up when you were out with Ben! It’s like one of those soap opera cliffhangers: What will Mr. Peters say when he finds out his new love interest is engaged to his old roommate? Find out on the next episode of
A Tale of Two Friends.
”

“Hm, I wonder if Dickens would have been proud or offended by your choice of title.”

“Who?”

“Charles… oh, never mind.”

“So, spill it, what happened next?”

Melanie shrugged as she took a couple of plates and set them down on the white paper placemats. “Let’s just say I came home last night in Melvin’s car, not on Ben’s motorcycle.” Sighing, she paired each plate with a napkin and a set of plastic chopsticks. She recalled how Ben’s smile had faded as he began connecting the dots and realizing he was the third wheel. “As soon as Melvin said I was his fiancée, Ben gave him his seat and left.”

“What? That’s it? Didn’t you tell him you’re not going to marry Melvin?”

“I tried. I ran after him as he was leaving…” Her voice trailed off when their mother emerged from the kitchen with a dish of salt and pepper fish. She walked past them, giving them a look of disapproval at their lack of progress, along with a heady whiff of oil and spices.

Melanie grabbed the remaining plates and moved to set another table. Sam followed her, napkins and chopsticks in hand.

“Okay, good, so he knows you’re interested in him,” Sam declared with a grin. “Good thinking,
Ga Je
, seizing the moment like that.”

“I wasn’t trying to seize anything,” Melanie retorted with a frown. “I felt bad our dinner got interrupted. I just wanted to explain the situation to him.” She recalled their conversation in the restaurant lobby.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you. The engagement was arranged by our families, and I did agree to it at first, but I just called it off. I didn’t know how to bring it up without making things awkward.”

Ben nodded. “I understand. It’s not something you normally talk about on a first date,” he said with a wry smile. “I hope the two of you can clear things up. Melvin’s my friend, and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.” Taking a pen out of his shirt pocket, he reached for her hand. “I had a really good time though, Melanie. I hope we can go out again.”

“Okay, so, did he reschedule your date?”

Sam’s question brought Melanie back to the present. “No. He paid for our meal and gave me his number and told me to call him when things get resolved.” She held up her left palm which still bore a faint outline of black inked numbers.

“How cute! Kind of a high school move if you ask me,” Sam commented, “but he is a high school teacher, after all.”

She sighed. “Exactly. I just don’t see how it could work out. Ma and Ba would never accept Ben. Even if he changed careers and became a doctor or lawyer or engineer, he would always be a foreigner to them. It’s not something I should even be considering.”

Sam raised an eyebrow in exasperation. “Have you not learned anything from meeting Ben? He’s proof that true love is possible, and that’s anything but hopeless. That’s all that matters. He likes you, you like him, everything else is just minor details.”

“Minor details? We’re talking about major problems.”

“You worry too much.”

“You worry too little.”

“Your main problem is that you’re always so serious. You don’t need to worry about marrying the guy, just get to know him first. If you end up falling for him, then you can think about how to tell Ma and Ba.”

If only things were that simple. But Melanie knew from experience that once she fell for a guy, she fell hard. It was like being in the middle of a free fall dream and feeling your stomach drop; the sensation was scary, yet exhilarating at the same time. Which was how she was starting to feel about Ben… before Melvin showed up and exposed her dream for the nightmare it could be.

She didn’t need a degree in math to know the chances were slim to none that her parents would ever accept someone outside of their race. They had survived in a Chinese bubble for the past decade, speaking English only when absolutely necessary. For her father, this involved the handful of days when the health department conducted their biannual restaurant inspections. For her mother, this meant any time she got pulled over for speeding, which the whole family agreed were the least opportune moments for her to practice English.