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

at?”
    “Downtown Mountain View on Castro Street. It’s a Cantonese cafe called Koo’s Kitchen. They were short-staffed tonight, that’s why they couldn’t make it to school.”
    “I’ll have to check it out. Did you know Chinese food is my favorite?”
    “Really? Even the authentic stuff? I bet you haven’t had chicken feet or jellyfish before.”
    A look of disbelief registered on Ben’s face and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. “Okay, you got me there. I have tried neither one of those. But I’m going to add it to my bucket list. Number twenty-one: Try authentic Chinese food.”
    “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
    “Let’s make it our next date then.”
    Melanie raised an eyebrow. “Feeling bold, are you?”
    “Are you talking about trying new food or asking you out again?”
    His laughter rang out, but it was cut short by a middle aged Chinese woman who walked up to their booth. She peered at them over her black rimmed glasses and asked, “Melanie-ah? Who is this?”
    “Auntie Wong!” Melanie managed to blurt out through a mouth full of food. She swallowed quickly and stood up to greet her mother’s curious friend. “This is, uh, Billie’s teacher, Mr. Peters. Ma and Ba are working tonight so I’m meeting with him.” Turning to Ben, she explained, “This is a friend of my mother’s, Mrs. Wong.”
    “Oh… you’re talking about school? Very good.” She turned to Ben with an enthusiastic smile. “Her sister is hard worker. Smart girl.”
    Ben stood up and reached out his hand to Mrs. Wong. “Nice to meet you. Yes, Billie is doing well in math.” He gestured to the booth. “Would you like to join us?”
    Mrs. Wong shook her head adamantly. “No, thank you, I’m here with family. They are over there.”
    Melanie waved to the customers sitting at the booth across the room. “Please say hello to Uncle Wong for me.”
    Narrowing her eyes, she looked Melanie up and down with critical eyes. “Don’t eat too much fried food or you’ll get pimples. Tell your mom I reserved the church. I’ll call her tomorrow to talk details.”
    “Oh, okay, thank you. I’ll let her know.” She sat down in relief when Auntie Wong left their table, grateful to have avoided further conversation. What was that saying again? Oh yes, I definitely avoided a bullet. Now was certainly not the time to tell Ben about her soon-to-be canceled wedding plans.
    Ben shook his head as he took a seat. “Seems like you’re not the only one who gives unsolicited advice. Is she a doctor, too?”
    “No, she’s just a well-intentioned Asian auntie. They’re known for speaking their minds. You learn to filter out most of the things they say and believe they mean well.”
    “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