True To You (Taking Chances #2) (4 page)

Ben chuckled. “Yeah, they can be a handful. Thank God I was only blessed with one. I can only imagine how much more fun you must have with two.”

“If by fun you mean drama, then yes, I have more than enough.” She paused to look around the room. Many posters covered the back wall, some of which touted how useful math was in the real world, while others were meant to be funny. Ben had put a lot of effort into making the classroom visually appealing. “I like the quotes you put up, especially that one.” She pointed to one that read, “That awkward moment when you finish a math problem and your answer isn’t even one of the choices”.

“Yeah, the kids get a kick out of them. I think it’s important to make learning as enjoyable as possible. Math tends to have a bad reputation for being boring or too hard. But laughter makes any kind of suffering a little more bearable, at least I think it does.”

“That’s a great attitude to have. And very inspirational. I may quote you on that sometime.” Melanie looked up at Ben with admiration. “You’re pretty fun for a numbers guy.” She blushed as soon as the words left her mouth. “I meant that as a compliment. It’s just that most people I’ve met who are smart aren’t that down to earth.”

Ben shook his head. “No offense taken. I don’t mind being called fun. For us nerds, that’s almost as good as being called tall, dark and handsome,” he remarked with a playful wink. “Speaking of which, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you look beautiful tonight.”

Melanie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, thank you. You look nice, too. Very… teacher-like.”
Teacher-like?
Why couldn’t she think of the right words when she needed them? She cleared her throat and tried to change the topic. “Do you like teaching? You must like teenagers a lot to want to work with them all day. I imagine it takes an incredible amount of patience.”

He lowered his voice as if to share a secret. “Maybe I’m a sucker for punishment.” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he laughed. “But honestly, I do like kids, and it makes me happy to see their faces light up when they finally get something. I figure if I have to work, I might as well find a job where I can have a direct impact on people. The other option I considered was medicine. Unfortunately, needles and I don’t get along.”

Melanie’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me, you’re a fainter?”

“I don’t know what it is. I have no trouble jumping out of a plane or going a hundred miles an hour down a race track, but sharp objects make me uneasy.”

“It’s not that uncommon. About twenty percent of the population share your fear.”

“Hm. What you’re saying is that there are…,” he paused to glance around the room, “two point five other people here just like me? That makes me feel a little better. I sure would like to donate blood though someday. It’s number ten on my bucket list.”

Melanie’s ears perked up. “What blood type are you?”

“O negative.”

“You’re a universal donor. The vamp-I mean, phlebotomists at the lab would love to get their hands on you. There’s a shortage of blood right now.”

Ben’s eyes widened in alarm. “Were you about to say vampire?”

“Uh, yes, that’s a nickname we use around the hospital for the lab guys. They’re cool people, not like vampires at all, except when they wear fangs and capes on Halloween. They’re also trained to help people with trypanophobia.”

“That’s good to know,” Ben replied with a grin. “I’m going to take a wild guess here. You’re trying to recruit my blood because you’re a doctor.”

She laughed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Well, you also use big words that I’ve never heard of.”

“I don’t always use big words, but yes, I am. I’m in my second year of residency.”

“Nice. What’s your specialty?”

“Pediatrics.”

“We have something in common. You like working with kids, too.”

“Yes, they are a blessing.”

“Mr. Peters?” An older Asian woman standing with her husband and teenage son interrupted them.

Ben acknowledged the couple with a nod. “I’ll be right with you.” He turned to Melanie with a bright smile. “Would you excuse me. Feel free to have a seat while you wait for your sisters.”

“Sure, thanks.” She sat down on a blue plastic chair in the corner of the room. From there she watched Ben as he met with parents and exchanged high fives with his students. If there was such a thing as a good bedside manner for teachers, he had it. The way he tilted his head and smiled when he listened reflected his interest and patience with everyone. No wonder her sister liked him so much.

Melanie sat for a while, her eyes darting to the classroom door from time to time. Where did Sam and Billie go? What was taking them so long? Opening her purse, she took out her phone to call her sisters. When she turned it on, she noticed two alarming text messages on the screen. The first one from Melvin made her jaw drop:
Melanie, I’m not ready to call off our engagement. Please reconsider.

The second one from Sam caused her to jump to her feet:
Sorry, Ga Je. Tummy trouble. Went home. You’ll need to find a ride.

Melanie dashed out of the room, her heels clicking across the linoleum floor. When she reached the courtyard, she speed-dialed her sister’s number. “Sam! Are you okay? What happened? I told you not to eat instant noodles again for dinner. That stuff is packed with sodium, preservatives, saturated fat and MSG. Eating it more than twice a week puts you at a higher risk for metabolic syndrome.”

“
Ga Je
, it’s me,” Billie interrupted with an air of annoyance. “Sam’s driving. Here, I’ve got you on speakerphone now.”

Sam’s voice echoed in the background. “I’m fine. I just didn’t want to be stuck at school in case I got the runs.”

“You could have come get me before you took off. How am I supposed to get home now?” She sat down on the edge of a wooden planter and slipped off her heels. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips as she wiggled her red toes. “I can’t believe you guys just left me here.”

“I told you we should have gone back,” Billie mumbled. “You and your crazy ide-ow! Why’d you hit me?”

Melanie’s brows furrowed. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Sam interrupted, “everything’s fine. Hey, why don’t you see if Mr. Peters can give you a ride home? He seems like a great guy. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“Mr. Peters? Are you serious? I hardly know him. I can’t ask him to do that.” She put her shoes back on and stood up, grimacing as the stiff vinyl encased her toes. What she wouldn’t give for a pair of sneakers right now. Anything but these three inch torture devices masquerading as shoes. “It’s less than two miles, I’ll just walk. You owe me one, Sam. A big one. Be prepared to give me a foot massage when I get home. And I hope you enjoy watching your TV show while I’m limping on the streets of San Jose with bloody feet. I know that’s why you left in such a hurry.” Although she hated guilt trips, she had to admit she enjoyed the pleasure of handing them out once in a while.

“
Ga Je
! That is so not why we’re going home!” Sam’s voice rose an octave in protest. “I’ll probably be sitting on the porcelain throne all night. Anyway, don’t be so stubborn. Just ask Mr. Peters for a ride.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll figure something out. See you later.” Melanie hung up and returned the phone to her purse. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ben looking at her from inside the classroom. He excused himself from the conversation he was having and walked toward her.

“Hey, are you okay?” Ben rested one hand on Melanie’s shoulder. He was relieved to see she hadn’t left the campus yet, but her quick exit had alarmed him.”You rushed out so fast.”

“No, I, uh, I’m fine.” The heat from Ben’s palm against her bare skin sent tingles through her body, making her feel like a teenager again. More specifically, a teenager who was having trouble completing her sentences. “It’s not me, uh, Sam… she’s sick… that was her on the phone. She and Billie had to go home.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it’s nothing serious?”

“No, she’ll be fine.” She breathed an inward sigh of relief when Ben removed his hand from her shoulder and placed it in his pocket. Being close to him gave her a whole new perspective on the term “under the influence”. Shaking her head quickly, she tried to wake herself up from the woozy state his touch had induced. “Nothing some Pepto Bismol won’t fix.”

“Ah, it must be handy to have a doctor in the family. Free medical advice whenever you need it.”

“Free and often unsolicited medical advice, which also means it’s unappreciated, too.”

“Well, I will gladly take your unsolicited help anytime, anywhere, especially in a supermarket.” Ben’s lips turned up in a sly smile.

Melanie wrinkled her nose in embarrassment. “I did walk up to you last week and start a conversation, didn’t I? I’m not normally that bold.”

“Then I guess I beat the odds that day. I regret not buying a lottery ticket before I checked out,” he joked. What he had really regretted was not getting her phone number, but God had redeemed the situation for him. Now he needed to do his part. He rubbed the back of his neck as he considered his next words. “You know what, I’m going to take a chance and hope the odds are in my favor again. Would you like to go out with me sometime?”

“You mean on a date?”

“Yes, I do mean a date.” The smile lighting up his face grew bigger as he considered going for broke. Why not? Life had taught him to seize the day because you never knew what tomorrow would bring. “Say, how about now? I assume you just lost your ride home. I could take you. And if you’re not in a hurry, we could grab a bite to eat first.”

“Wow, you don’t waste any time, do you?”

“If you can believe it, I’m not normally this bold either. It seems we bring out the best in each other. Don’t be surprised if I decide to make a stop at the blood bank on the way home.”

Their voices joined in laughter, surprising Melanie with how well they harmonized. Seeing Ben again had already made her day; now to have him ask her out was more than she could have hoped for. Nothing about this evening seemed real, particularly the attraction she felt for this man who was so different from her ideals.

Or, more specifically, her parents’ ideals.

“So, what do you say?” Ben asked.

“I appreciate your offer, but I don’t want to trouble you,” she replied in a firm tone. His dimples, however, seemed to be magically wearing down on her resolve. “You’re in the middle of work-”

Ben shook his head. “It’s no trouble at all, I mean it.” Holding up his right hand, he took a few steps back toward the classroom. “Just give me twenty, twenty-five minutes to wrap things up.”

“Okay, but take your time. I don’t mind waiting.”

“I’ll be back.” He flashed a thumbs-up her way before he turned and walked through the door.

Melanie returned to her seat on the planter and waited. The anticipation running through her body was more than she had experienced in a long time. Here she was about to go on her first date in years, with an American boy, no less. Although the butterflies in her stomach wished to take flight, her rational side kept them in check.
It’s only a meal. Let’s not make it a big deal.

One by one, she watched the group of parents and students leave the classroom until only Ben remained. He gathered his belongings into a black messenger bag, turned off the classroom lights and locked the door. As he walked over, she spotted something cradled under his arm that captured her attention: a silver helmet.

Apparently, Ben was taking her home on a motorcycle, and there was no keeping her distance from him now.

FOUR

“Ever been on one of these before?” Ben patted the seat of an electric blue motorcycle sitting in the school parking lot.

“Yes, but it was so long ago, I don’t even remember it. My parents said they took me around on one when we lived in Hong Kong.” Melanie paused and pointed to the top of her knees where the hem of her dress fell. “I don’t think I’m dressed for a bike ride though.”

“It’ll be a bit windy, but we’ll be on and off the bike before you know it.”

“Well, the on and off part might be a problem, too.” The last thing she wanted was a citation for indecent exposure.

“It’s dark, and I’ll be a gentleman and keep my eyes focused straight ahead of me. You can trust me.”

Melanie nodded. She hardly knew the man, yet something in her gut told her she could believe him. Plus, this was a lot more appealing than walking home. “Okay, let’s do it.”

“You’re going to enjoy this. I guarantee it.”

“You’re making some big promises. I hope you can keep them.” She raised her eyebrows in amusement.

“I’m all about looking for the positives in a situation. Like that question people ask: Is a glass half-full or half-empty? I’m the half-full kind of person. “

Melanie narrowed her eyes. “But you do realize the term “full” is an absolute state, which means it’s-”

“Incapable of being halved or modified in any way,” Ben finished with a groan. Was that a smile he saw threatening to emerge from her lips? “You’re proud of yourself right now, aren’t you?”

“Just stating the facts,” she quipped as she squeezed her lips together to hide her delight.

“That you are. I’m going to have to stay on my toes around you.” His gaze softened as he looked at her. In that moment, his glass was more than full; like his heart, it was overflowing. He couldn’t recall the last time he had such an instant connection with someone. If this was any sign of their potential together, he couldn’t wait to get their evening started. Reaching over to the trunk of the motorcycle, he opened it and took out a pink full face helmet. “Here, you can use my sister’s helmet. It looks to be about your size.”

“Thanks.” She took the helmet and let it rest in her hands, the weight of it reminding her of a small melon. “It’s pretty light. Will it do its job?”

“It’s made of fiberglass and reinforced with carbon fiber. These helmets are the safest ones on the market, I guaran-”

“You guarantee it,” she interjected with a grin. Lifting the helmet up to her head, she blew a few strands of black hair off her forehead and proceeded to put it on. With a muffled voice, she asked, “How’s it look? Does it fit okay?”