True To You (Taking Chances #2) (8 page)

“Yes, I mean, no, I didn’t ask for him specifically, just that God would help you get out of the mess you’re in.” Sam took Melanie’s chin in her hand and turned her head towards the man in jeans and a bright yellow polo shirt. “What better solution is there than him?”

“I could think of a few,” Melanie said dryly. Solutions which didn’t involve upsetting her mother even more than she was already.

Based on experience, she figured it would take at least half a year for her family to move on from today’s drama. If she was lucky, the ice would thaw in three months as it did when Sam received rejection letters from Stanford and all the UC schools. Or in one month, as it did when Billie had flunked out of Chinese school in third grade. But the stakes were always higher when they involved her, especially since her sisters didn’t-or couldn’t-follow in her footsteps.

“There you go again,” Sam replied with an eye roll. “You’re so uptight and way too responsible for your own good. You need to take a chance once in a while, go for what you want.”

Shaking her head, she eyed her sister’s raven hair, the bottom two inches of which had been recently dyed white. She admired Sam’s boldness to be different, even if the contrasting colors reminded her of a skunk’s mane. “It’s not something I can change. This is who I am.”

“You weren’t always like this. You used to wear bright colors, not these drab penguin suits.” She reached over to undo the top button of her sister’s white blouse, which she had paired with black slacks.

Melanie pushed her hand away in protest. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Loosening you up a little.” Before Melanie could stop her, Sam pulled out the pair of chopsticks that had been holding her hair up in a tight bun. Her sister’s long hair cascaded down her shoulders like an evening waterfall. “Ah, that’s better.” Placing the index fingers and thumbs of both hands on Melanie’s cheeks, she gave them a quick pinch. “Add some color, and we’re back in business.”

Melanie groaned and stepped out of Sam’s reach. “Have you been watching reruns of
Ambush Makeover
again? I don’t need any making over. And anyway, changing my appearance doesn’t change who I am on the inside.”

“You’re right. But maybe it will inspire you to think differently. To go back to your old self, you know, the girl you were before what’s-his-name cheated on you.” Leaning in close, she whispered, “Yoo-hoo, earth to old
Ga Je
, I know you’re in there somewhere. It’s time to come out and play.”

Melanie looked down at her chest where Sam’s gold and black polka-dotted fingernail made contact with a pearl button. For someone who had no clue how to administer CPR, her sister had pinpointed the exact location of the sternum and was injecting life into her heart with each poke of her finger. A jolt of adrenaline rushed through her body as her thoughts returned to her previous evening with Ben.

She had to admit she liked who she was when they were together. He brought out desires in her that she thought she had long lost. A yearning to be hopeful and lighthearted, even brave. Brave enough to consider going after what her heart wanted.

And what her heart wanted was Ben.

Ding ding!
The ringing of the kitchen bell brought her back to the present. Melanie heard her father’s voice calling out a dish for table six. Lifting her chin up, she met her sister’s eyes and smiled. “I’ll get that.”

“Be my guest,” Sam replied with a raised eyebrow. She watched Melanie walk into the kitchen and return with a steaming dish of chicken chow mein. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Never better,” Melanie replied with a melodic lilt to her voice. “You’re right, Sam. It’s time I stopped feeling sorry for myself. I’m done being stuck in the past. I’m going to start living again.”

“Who in the world are you, and what have you done with my sister?” she demanded with her hands on her hips. Narrowing her eyes, she focused in on Melanie’s ear-to-ear smile. “Who cares! I like this new
Ga Je
.”

“I think I do, too. Now, I’m going to go deliver this to a certain math teacher.”

Ben noticed his sister’s face light up, and he turned around to see what had caught her attention. He beamed at the sight of Melanie coming towards them. After last night’s unexpected ending to their date, he had wondered when he might see her again. If it weren’t for his and Melvin’s friendship, he would have tried harder to pursue her. He had been willing to wait however long it might take, but he was thankful God was putting him out of his misery sooner rather than later.

Standing up, Ben reached out to take the large plate from her hands and set it on the table. “Hey Melanie, thank you. This smells amazing. You know what, you just made my day.”

“I didn’t know you liked fried noodles that much,” Melanie teased.

Ben laughed. “I was talking about seeing you here.”

“I know. I’m happy to see you, too.” Her cheeks flushed when the words left her mouth. She surprised herself with her sudden playfulness. Clearing her throat, she turned to the young woman staring at them in amusement. “Hi, I’m Melanie. You must be Ashlynn. You have the same dimples as your brother.”

“Yup, they’re from our mom. I only have one though so I’m not quite as symmetrical, as Ben likes to point out,” she replied with an eye roll.

“It’s okay, I think you’re much prettier than he is. He has more of a nerdy appeal, if you ask me.”

“That’s what I always say,” Ashlynn exclaimed. “I have a feeling we’re going to get along really well.”

“Hey, in case you guys forgot,” Ben retorted with a fake pout, “the guy you’re talking about, whose ego you just trampled on, is standing right here.”

“Oh, please. You know nerdy is code word for cute.”

“Is it now?” Ben shot Melanie a questioning glance. “Can you confirm that, Dr. Koo?”

“I’m going to need more time before I can make an official diagnosis.”

Ashlynn grinned as she looked from Ben to Melanie while they bantered, then she rose from her chair. “Excuse me, guys. I’m going to use the restroom. It’s so good to meet you, Melanie. Go ahead and eat, Ben.”

Food, however, was the last thing on Ben’s mind. Now that Melanie was here, he had more pressing matters at hand. He opened his mouth to speak, “I-”

“You-” The first word had barely left Melanie’s mouth when she realized Ben was trying to talk, too.

“Please, you first.”

“You sure?” At Ben’s urging, she continued. “I was going to say that you saved me a phone call by coming here tonight.”

“I knew there was a good explanation for why I had been craving Chinese food all day,” he joked. “Speaking of phone calls, I got one from a mutual friend of ours last night.”

“Are you talking about Melvin?”

“The one and only.”

“What did he say?”

“He told me that you guys talked after I left, and the wedding is officially off.”

“It is.”

“Also,” Ben added in a tentative voice, “that if he had to lose you to anyone, he was glad it was me.”

“I didn’t realize I was a prize to be won,” she remarked with a sly smile.

“You’re not. But I did assure him I would do my best to win you over. I hope you’ll give me the chance to do that. I would love to spend more time with you and get to know you better.”

Without realizing it, Melanie had taken a step forward and closed the gap between them. She peered up at Ben and spoke from her heart. “I would like that, too.”

“What do you know, the odds are in my favor again today.” Reaching over, he clasped her hands in both of his and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Melanie couldn’t help but smile as Ben’s irresistible dimples emerged alongside a confident grin. “Well, it seems you had some help with that.”

“What do you mean?”

Over Ben’s shoulder she glimpsed two beaming faces staring at them from outside the restroom door. “Take a look over there.”

He turned in time to see Sam raise her hands in a victory dance and Ashlynn clapping in glee. “Ah, I see what’s going on. We’ve had some conspirators working behind the scenes, haven’t we?”

“Ones who have a tendency to use the bathroom at just the right times-”

“So they can leave us alone. It sounds like a solid plan to me. We’ve got to hand it to them. They did good.”

“Yeah, well, I knew sisters were good for something,” she quipped. “I think I’m finally learning to appreciate them.”

For once in her life she wanted to thank Sam for challenging her. It had been too long since she felt this alive. Everything about the present seemed right, especially the way her fingers intertwined with Ben’s. Nothing could dampen her mood tonight.

Not even the silver streaked head she saw out of the corner of her eye disappearing through the kitchen door.

SIX

“These have been the best three months of my life, by far. You know why, don’t you?”

Melanie leaned against Ben as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I think I have a clue,” she murmured as she breathed in the fresh scent of his aftershave. Tilting her head up, she answered with a hint of humor. “You’ve been feeling a lot healthier since you started dating a doctor. I bet it’s all those apples I make you eat. They’re packed with fiber, vitamin C and polyphenols that act as antioxidants. What’s that saying? Oh yes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Wait, that’s not a good thing in our case…”

“Well, apples must have the opposite effect on me,” Ben replied with a chuckle, “because I definitely can’t stay away from you. Being with you makes me feel so alive. I wouldn’t be surprised if your kisses have some antioxidants in them, too.”

“Actually, there’s scientific proof that kissing produces feel-good hormones like oxytocin-”

Before she could finish, Ben lowered his head and pressed his mouth against hers. He tasted a hint of peppermint on her lips and felt as giddy as a kid in a candy store. Warmth spread through his body as he pulled Melanie closer and deepened the kiss. He was certain nothing could be sweeter than being with this woman. Which was why he couldn’t wait to take their relationship to the next level.

A heavily accented voice coming over the outdoor speaker caused them to break contact. “Number thirty-four, your table is ready. Number thirty-four.”

“Is that us?” Melanie’s cheeks were flushed from a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment. She hadn’t expected Ben to kiss her outside the city’s most popular Chinese restaurant.

Ben took out a small slip of paper from his pocket. “Almost. We’re thirty-five.” Placing a hand on her back, he pulled her flush against his body. “Sorry, I cut you off earlier when you were talking. I couldn’t help myself. You’re so cute when you speak in medical terms. It makes me want to make happy hormones with you all day long,” he said as he leaned in for another kiss.

“Uh, let’s continue that later,” she pleaded as she took a step back, “in private.” The raised eyebrows of several people looking their way brought her back to reality. And reality was that they were breaking protocol with their public display of affection. Speaking in a hushed tone so as not to attract further attention, she informed Ben, “In my culture, people don’t kiss in public. We don’t kiss in private either. We’re not affectionate people, especially the older generation.”

“You’re telling me your parents don’t kiss?”

Shaking her head adamantly, she declared, “Never. I’ve never seen it happen. I can’t even picture them being so close. My sisters and I joke that maybe we were adopted because there is no way our parents would have, you know…”

“Made love?”

“Uh, yes, that.” Melanie squirmed at the thought. “Anyway, let’s save the kissing for later, okay?”

“As I recall, you had no problem kissing me at the mall the other day. Or when we were eating lunch at the burger place the other week.”

“That was different.”

“Because those weren’t Chinese-owned establishments?”

“Trust me, it’s just not appropriate here. I should have given you some warning since we’ve never been to a Chinese restaurant together.”

“Okay, consider me warned. I, Benjamin Peters, will not kiss you, Melanie Koo, anytime there are Chinese people around.”

Her request did sound silly when put in those terms, but she nodded her appreciation anyway. “Thank you.”

Ben’s expression suddenly turned serious. “Just remember, you don’t need to live your life always trying to please other people. I’m not only talking about kissing. This applies to anything you do. You owe it to yourself, Mel, to live without fear.”

“It’s not that simple, Ben,” she countered with a sigh.

“But it is.” Smiling wryly, he gave her nose a gentle tap. “You only need to be true to God and to yourself. Life is too short to do otherwise.”

Before Melanie could object, a voice over the speaker interrupted their conversation. “Number thirty-five, your table is ready.”

“Come on, that’s us.” Ben grabbed her hand as they walked into the restaurant.

A server led them through the crowded room to their table. They took their coats off and sat down.

Ben rubbed his hands together and took in his surroundings. “Everything smells so good. We order from the carts as they come by, right? I can’t wait to get started.”

Though Melanie saw Ben’s lips move from across the table, his words fell on deaf ears. Well, not so much deaf by medical standards because she had definitely heard his earlier comments. In fact, his words were still running through her mind.
Live without fear. Be true to God and to yourself.
She couldn’t agree with him more. That’s exactly what she had decided to do when she put a stop to her mother’s matchmaking and opened her heart up to Ben. And ever since he had come into her life, things had been perfect.

That is, until today.

The expectant expression on Ben’s face forced her to refocus her attention. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Ben frowned as he reached for her hand. “Are you feeling okay, Mel? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine, maybe just a bit cold,” she replied with a shrug that caused her sweater’s wide collar to slip off one shoulder. Blushing, she tugged the wool top back in place to cover her exposed skin. “I shouldn’t have let Sam talk me into buying this. I don’t think it qualifies as winter clothing, even for California weather.”