Free Dinner With a Bad Boy by Kathy Lyons

win? Are we still going to play in the tournament? Is everyone mad because I didn't show?"
    "Calm down, Mandy." That came from Mitch, his expression softening as he smiled at the girl. Unfortunately he didn't get any farther before Ma Ma stepped in again.
    "No, no! Your homework. Violin. Piano. Those come first. No sports!"
    "But—" her granddaughter cried.
    "And you, waiter-coach, leave now!"
    "Ma Ma," Su Ling began, trying to soothe her agitated mother.
    "And you"—Ma Ma pointed a long, dark red fingernail at Su Ling—"you have a guest. How can you be so rude?" She made shooing noises at Mandy before becoming all smiles for the tall, awkward-looking Chinese man still sitting on the sofa. "Please excuse the chaos. My granddaughter, so impulsive."
    "That's not fair!" screamed Mandy. "Ma Ma said I could play! Mr. Kurtz, don't kick me off the team. Not until—"
    "Mandy!" That came from Su Ling, startling herself and everyone. Who knew she had the lungs to silence everyone? "Go do your homework," she snapped. "And Ma Ma—"
    "Yes," interrupted Ma Ma. "You have much homework. Everything behind!"
    "But—" the girl whined.
    "If you'd done your work in the first place," cut in Mitch, his voice the most level of all of them, "you wouldn't be having this problem, would you? You've let everything go since your Mom left, haven't you?"
    Mandy couldn't argue that one, so with a petulant frown she turned and stomped away. Then Su Ling turned toward the soon-to-be doctor, but once again she was forestalled as the man stood, his hand extended. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I let my mother talk me into these things."
    "Because we're cursed by them as babies, conditioned to follow their every psychotic whim," she quipped, earning a handsome smile from the gentleman but an angry gasp from Ma Ma. Then, before Su Ling could take back her hasty words, her mother nodded, angry tears shimmering in the older woman's eyes.
    "Yes, yes. You should go," she said as Mr. Tseng moved toward the door. "My daughter is not worthy of you. Go. Find a good girl. One who honors her mother. Who knows the sacrifice..."
    Ma Ma continued while her doctor dragon left, but Su Ling had already focused elsewhere. She turned to Mitch, seeing him wobble slightly with illness despite the flush that still heated his expression. "Why don't you sit down," she coaxed, "before you pass out."
    Ma Ma roughly pushed between the two of them. "No, no! He cannot stay." Then she turned to Su Ling, true distress in her eyes. "What has he done to you? This busboy has sold you drugs. You are on drugs!"
    "No, Ma Ma—"
    But her mother wasn't listening. She had turned around to poke her sharp nail into Mitch's chest. "I could get you fired. I will tell the school board. Getting my daughter hooked on drugs."
    "Ma Ma!" Su Ling exclaimed, but Mitch had already grabbed hold of her mother's thin hand, firmly setting it away from him.
    "I am not involved in any type of drugs, Mrs. Chen—"
    "You lie!" she screamed, pushing him away, turning desperate eyes back to Su Ling. "This is what happens with drugs. Your niece... failing! Your job... gone! Your mother... a curse! Look at him, Su Ling! Look! This is the life you are buying with your drugs. Tattoos. Motorcycles."
    "Don't be ridiculous—" Su Ling began.
    "Amanda!" Ma Ma screeched. "Pack your things! You will stay with me."
    From down the hall Mandy poked her head out, confusion and defiance already forming in her expression.
    "Stop it," Su Ling snapped, her temper getting the better of her. "Mandy is perfectly safe."
    Her mother shook her head. "You brought him here. To your home." Then suddenly, the color drained out of her mother's face. "You are sleeping with him. You will get AIDS! Amanda, quickly! We must go!"
    "Mrs. Chen, please," interrupted Mitch, his voice low and soothing. "I don't have AIDS."
    Su Ling closed her eyes at Mitch's gaffe. He couldn't know it, but Ma Ma hadn't truly thought they were sleeping together or that Su