True To You (Taking Chances #2) by Liwen Ho Read Free Book Online

chromosomes. But I made sure that when we came to America, both their names were spelled in a way that was more feminine.”
    “Wow, I had heard about gender inequality in Asian countries, but giving a girl a boy’s name sounds a bit… extreme. How did you manage to get a girl’s name?”
    “Fortunately, by the time we immigrated I was old enough to choose my own. So I named myself after a character from one of my favorite movies, Gone with the Wind .”
    “Scarlett O’Hara’s sister-in-law.”
    One side of Melanie’s mouth lifted in amusement. “That’s right. How did you know?”
    “My mom loved that movie. She thought Melanie Hamilton was a classy woman, someone who was smart and sensible and giving.”
    “She was brave, too. I admired how she volunteered as a nurse and didn’t let the horrible things she saw prevent her from helping people. Watching her character confirmed to me that I should study medicine.”
    “That’s funny because watching that movie with its war scenes confirmed to me that I should stay as far away as possible from the medical field,” he confided with a chuckle. “I admire people like you who have stomachs of steel.”
    “You don’t like blood either?” she marveled.
    “Guilty as charged.” He held up his palms in chagrin. “But that’s the extent of my phobias. I’m not as wimpy as I sound, honestly.”
    “I believe you,” she assured him with a grin. “Any guy who is brave enough to buy feminine products is definitely not a wimp.”
    “You’ve got a good point there, though I don’t know if I’d go around advertising that fact.”
    “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”
    Their eyes locked for a few seconds before they noticed the smell of grease wafting between them. They looked up and realized their server was watching them with an amused grin. The older woman set their plates of burgers and onion rings on the table and walked away.
    “The food’s here,” Melanie noted with a sheepish smile.
    “Let’s toast before we dig in,” Ben announced as he raised his glass of water. “To chance meetings and second chances.”
    Melanie returned his smile and gave a quick prayer of thanks to God for arranging everything so perfectly. She raised her glass of water and clinked it with his. “Amen to that. Cheers.”
    They both started in on their food, allowing a comfortable silence to settle over them.
    “How’s the burger?” Ben asked as he popped an onion ring into his mouth.
    “It’s perfect. Just how I wanted it, slightly pink in the middle. How about yours?”
    “Good. But I think it would taste even better with a soda,” he said as flagged down their server. “One Coke, please.” Turning to Melanie, he asked, “Would you like one?”
    “No, I’m good, thanks.”
    “Are you sure? It’ll help wash down the grease,” he replied with a chuckle.
    “I’m fine with water,” she insisted to the server before she walked away.
    “Is it a health thing? Do doctors not drink soda?”
    “No, believe me we do, especially when we get tired of drinking coffee. It’s just that I’m used to drinking water when I eat out. I’ve got it ingrained in my head how overpriced soda is, even with free refills. A customer pays $1.99 for a glass, but it only costs the restaurant $0.16 to buy it. That’s a markup of more than-”
    “One thousand… 1250 percent,” Ben added with thoughtful nod.
    “Wow, you’re a human calculator.”
    “It was an educated guess.” He turned to thank the server who placed a glass of caramel colored liquid before him, which he gulped down with gusto. “That hit the spot. It may be overpriced, but I think it’s worth every penny.”
    “That’s why restaurants are happy to have customers like you. You keep them in business,” she remarked as she picked up an onion ring and stuck it in her mouth.
    “Is that right?”
    “According to my parents, yes. They would know because they own one.”
    “They do? Where