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
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
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