Broken Butterfly: MMF Bisexual Romance (Mundane Magic Book 1)

by Maxene Novak

  “I’d be honored to help out. The school system in America… Let’s just say, you’ll need the help.” Max tore a piece of his croissant off and popped it into his mouth, chewing with satisfaction.

  “So…” a woman named Tammy said suddenly, “How about this weather?”

  After brunch, Max said goodbye to most of the women who’d attended. He’d made sure to ignore Claudette and give Shelby a hug. She thanked him and hurried back to her SUV to get going. Once everyone else had left, Louisa pulled him aside.

  “So, that thing you were asking about?”

  “Yeah, what did Claudette mean by that? She said something about the Nobles having a pretty boy living with them.” Max ignored the nervousness in his stomach. He hoped it was some kind of rumor about them that had no actual truth to it. He liked the Nobles, but if they had a history of, say, murdering their live-in nannies, he wasn’t going to stick around to find out the validity.

  “It’s nothing horrible,” Louisa started, “but they’ve kind of got a reputation around here. Most of the time it’s just gossip, but there have been a few people who’ve actually admitted to sleeping with them.”

  “Like an affair?” A cheating scandal wasn’t what Max had signed up for.

  “No, not cheating. They’re more like… swingers. Some people have said they mostly sleep with other couples, but others say it’s flings with people around town, maybe even tourists they’ll never see again.” Louisa looked at Max with amusement, his shock humoring her.

  “That’s… I don’t even know what to say. You think they hired me for that reason?” In a way, it was almost disappointing to think this. He’d worked so hard to build up his resume, and if he’d only gotten this job because of his looks, he’d be crushed.

  Louisa shook her head, “Not at all. They really do need someone to take care of Izzy. I’ve seen how much of a hassle it is for Drew in the morning, it’s no surprise they got someone to help out. And like I said, these are mostly just rumors. You know how these bitches are, they love that Real Housewives kind of drama.”

  “Clearly,” Max smiled. “I don’t think Claudette’s that big a fan of me.”

  “I don’t think you’re that big a fan of her, either.”

  “Guilty,” he grinned.

  “Listen, all I’ll say is that the girls and I have a lot more fun when Claudette’s sick or she can’t make brunch. They do like you, just know that. I should get going though. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  He nodded and slipped his keys from his pocket. “Definitely. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Max returned to his car and climbed inside, looking at Louisa through his rearview mirror. She got into her car and pulled out of the parking lot. In a moment, she was gone.

  Despite the little spat with Claudette, brunch hadn’t been so unbearable. He might actually come to like getting to know those women a little bit better.

  A few nights later, Max helped Izzy get ready for bed and closed the door just barely. In the time he’d been with the family, she’d kindly informed him that if the door was closed too far, the Booga Monster was going to get her. After that, he promised to always leave it open just a little bit.

  Max headed into the kitchen and found Gabby and Drew preparing bowls of ice cream. She pecked her husband on the cheek and the topped her sundae off with a maraschino cherry. When she spotted Max, she gave him a little wave.

  “Hey there, Max. How was your day?”

  He shrugged with one shoulder and took a seat on the stool at the bar. “It was alright. The Nannies are killing my wallet with all of these brunches they go on. I feel weird being the only one not eating.”

  “The Nannies?” Drew asked, cocking up his eyebrow.

  “I nicknamed all the caretakers. They’re like this big posse that hangs out together whenever their kids are in school. It’s like high school all over again,” he laughed. Drew looked as if he could visualize the women more clearly.

  “I remember those ladies. They were always a hassle when I took Izzy to school. I’m glad you’ve managed to make friends with them, though. You guys have something to talk to, someone to commiserate with, that sort of thing. By the way, come make a bowl!” Drew gestured for Max to come closer. He stood up from the barstool and headed over to the other two.

  “I’m gonna head back to our room. I’ll see you when you come up,” Gabby said. She and Drew shared a kiss and she was off to her bedroom. Max watched her go before he scooped out a bit of the vanilla ice cream and placed it in his bowl. He drizzled over a little bit of the chocolate syrup and took a seat across the table from Drew.

  “So, how was your day?” Max asked, scooping up a bit of ice cream.

  “My day wasn’t half bad. I have a shit ton of papers to get through that I’m procrastinating on. Maybe I’ll find the inspiration to do some of them tonight.”

  “What kind of papers are they?”

  “I assigned my students 1984 for this month and then they had to write a paper comparing and contrasting that society and our own. I’m expecting lots of references to social media and constantly filming everything.”

  Max smiled wide. “I love that book! I read it for fun a few summers ago and it’s still one of my favorites. I think after I finished, I went through reading a bunch of scholarly articles and stuff about it, seeing how other people felt about the ending.” He cleaned his spoon and met Drew’s surprised gaze.

  “You read it for fun, and you willingly went looking for scholarly articles to follow up with? Can you please enroll in my class and get these other kids in line?” Drew chuckled. Max joined in and shrugged.

  “It’s no big deal, my dad taught English in high school. He used to assign me books to read while I was staying with my mom, and then when I’d come back that next year, we’d have long discussions about thematic elements and stuff.” Max said the last sentence with a sigh of nostalgia. He would’ve given anything to have his father assign him just one more book.

  “You’ve got a little…” Drew reached forward and wiped Max’s chin, cleaning off the drip of chocolate. Max watched with baited breath, his mind going directly into cliché territory. He hoped – prayed even – that Drew wouldn’t lick his finger clean. For a moment, it looked as if he would, but he thankfully wiped his thumb off on a napkin.

  “Thanks,” Max blushed, dipping his head just a bit. “Uh – if you want, I can probably help you with grading? I know you’re swamped, and I’ve read so much about that book that I’m basically a professional critic myself.” Max shrugged, hoping he didn’t seem like he was bragging too much.

  Drew drummed his fingers on the table for a minute before saying, “You know, I’m gonna keep that in mind. I could always use a pair of helping hands around here. Anyways, I should get to bed. I’ll see you in the morning? You get to sleep in for the first time since you’ve been here,” he winked.

  “I can’t wait,” Max laughed. He watched Drew wash out his dirty bowl and then step into the laundry room. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into the hamper, quickly following that with his pants. Max tried not to stare at the front of Drew’s colorful boxer briefs.

  Drew headed upstairs to his room, Max’s eyes on his backside as he left. When the man was gone, Max let out a sigh of relief. He needed to get it together. He wasn’t here to ogle his bosses and stare at them in their underwear. He quickly finished up his bowl of ice cream and headed off to bed. He wasn’t exactly tired, however.

  He played around on his phone for a while, but the mental image of Drew continued to rear its ugly head back into his mind. He finally closed out of his game, reached into his boxers, and went searching for something else on his phone. This was exactly what he needed to get rid of all these thoughts.

  Four

  Max’s first weekend at the Noble house had been much more fun than he’d imagined. With time off from the office, Gabby and Max got to know each other a little bit better. Despite looking intense and slightly intimidating, Gabby was hilarious a
nd sweet. He spent most of Saturday morning playing hide and seek with the girls, and on Sunday they went out for a picnic at the park. The more he was around Gabby, the more he could see Izzy’s personality reflecting her mother’s. They both had smart mouths and a quick wit. Max was actually quite impressed with the sarcasm the four year old possessed.

  When Monday rolled around, Max got her up and ready to go, then took her off to school. He started back for his car when Louisa caught up with him. Though out of breath, she managed to ask him,

  “Hey you. Wanna go for a run with me? I mean, more of a run than I just did?” She laughed at herself and bent over to catch her breath.

  “You know, I wouldn’t hate that, actually. I didn’t realize I’d be eating such hearty meals at the Nobles’ house,” he said. “Somehow there’s always a home-cooked meal being prepared, and I’ve been completely slacking with working out. When did you want to go running?”

  “Right now would kind of be preferable. This is usually the time that I go running since all the kids are at school.”

  “You mind if we stop by the store really quick? I didn’t actually pack any athletic clothes and I don’t think it’d be all the comfortable running around town in jeans and a sweatshirt,” Max laughed. He could just imagine all the chafing that would take place. That was a no-go.

  “Totally, you can swing by the store, change at home, and then meet me at the part,” Louisa said. She gave him her phone number and some instructions on how to get to the park. He’d already been with Gabby and Izzy, but he didn’t want to cut Louisa off. It was sweet that she was helping him.

  Max headed to the store and picked up the first pair of basketball shorts he could find. He grabbed a package of t-shirts as well, and checked out up front. It didn’t really matter what he looked like in the clothing since he was just wearing them to go exercise. Once he’d changed, he headed over to the park. He found Louisa talking to someone on the phone. He started to call her when he noticed that she didn’t seem all that happy with the person on the other end of the line.

  She spoke in a higher pitch than normal, and she sounded as if she was scolding someone. Eventually she noticed him standing a few yards away and ended the call with the other person. Max smiled like he hadn’t seen anything and walked over to her.

  “Sorry, didn’t want to interrupt your call.”

  “No biggie, just boy drama. Ready get into shape?” She realized what she’d said and quickly corrected herself. “Er – ready to get back in the swing of things?”

  Max waved it off. He wasn’t offended by her accidental insinuation that he was out of shape. “Let’s get to it!” he said.

  Together, the two of them began making their way around the track a few times. Max thought about striking up a conversation, but the silence seemed nice at the moment. It gave him time to explore his own thoughts without feeling like he was completely isolating himself. With another person beside him, he was also encouraged not to stop running. If he fell behind, he knew Louisa would probably slow down too, and that was the last thing he wanted.

  They made their last run around the track before the stopped at the playground and caught their breath. Max wasn’t that out of shape, but it had been a long while since he’d run so much in one day. He took a seat on the swing set and hunched over, sucking in air.

  “Jesus, I think that was the hardest I’ve ever actually run,” Louisa said once her breathing returned to normal. Max looked up at her and swiped his hair from his forehead.

  “I can probably say the same. Cardio isn’t my strongest area,” he explained. “I’m starving, though. Wanna get something to eat? Something healthy, of course,” he added.

  “That sounds perfect, actually. First, showers,” she smiled.

  “Oh right. You wanna text me the address when you finish your shower? I can meet you there again.”

  Max waved goodbye to her as she climbed into her tiny sedan and headed home. He hadn’t known Louisa for very long but he already liked her. Not only did they share a dislike of Claudette, but she was the only one of the Nannies that was remotely close to him in age. They got each other’s jokes and took turns explaining them to the other women at brunch.

  Once he was done getting ready, Max headed over to the tiny restaurant a few miles away. It was a hole in the wall, but he wasn’t complaining. From his time in New York, he’d learned that those places were always better. The food was immensely better than chain restaurants. Sure, you might catch a disease from one of the cooks, but it was worth it.

  Max took his seat at the table and smiled at the waitress as she handed them their menus. He looked it over carefully, mentally calculating how much he could spend with the current allowance he’d been getting from the Nobles. As part of their arrangement, Drew and Gabby agreed to give him a weekly allowance for his work, and he’d nearly blown through all of his first week’s money. He needed to be careful for the next few days until he got paid again.

  “I’ll have the chicken salad, please,” he ordered once the waitress returned with their drinks. Louisa ordered a Cobb salad for herself. The waitress nodded and scribbled down their orders.

  “I’ll have those for you two as quickly as possible,” she said.

  “So, I wanna know a little bit more about you,” Louisa said when the waitress hurried off. She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. “I’m gonna ask you some rapid questions, and I want you to answer them as quickly as possible.”

  “I’m game,” he smirked.

  “Alright, first. How old are you?”

  “Twenty-two.”

  “Where did you have your first kiss?”

  He thought back for a moment. “A treehouse in my friend’s backyard.”

  “What do you think the sexiest feature is for a partner?”

  “That one’s easy,” he chuckled, “I like women who are tall and have a nice smile. And I also like men who’re pretty fit and smarter than me. Those are the quickest ways to win my heart.” Louisa raised her eyebrow in surprise. Max was sure it was the fact that he’d also listed what he liked in men. This wasn’t something he told most people because of the stigma against bisexual men.

  If a woman was interested in women and men, it was deemed sexy and more exciting. Men interested in both sexes were pretending just so people wouldn’t judge them for gay. It was a pathetic double standard that benefitted no one, and he hated getting into that kind of argument with people. Louisa didn’t seem like the type of girl to get hung up on something like that. Proving his point, her eyebrow relaxed and she smiled.

  “I think that’s awesome that you know what you want in people. Sometimes I wonder what I see in my boyfriend…” She looked off behind Max, focusing on nothing in particular.

  “You’ve got a boyfriend?”

  “Yeah, but it’s… It’s complicated. No need to get too deep into it and ruin what we’ve got going on right now.”

  Max nodded and dropped the subject completely. Whatever it was that she and her boyfriend were going through, Louisa made it perfectly clear that it wasn’t a fun, upbeat topic of conversation, and he didn’t want to go all Dr. Phil on her to get to the root of the problem.

  “New topic,” he smiled. “Tell me all I need to know about the Nannies.”

  Max gained quite a bit of information from Louisa at lunch. She’d been looking after the Johnson kids for two years, and she’d been part of the Nannies ever since she started working. There were a few women in that group were cool with her, but a lot of them seemed annoyed by her upbeat personality. Claudette was one of them.

  After Louisa called out Claudette over talking about people behind their back, the woman had put her on her shit list. They were no longer friends, Claudette had decided, and ever since then, she’d been cold to Louisa. Max couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the idea of a woman in her forties – well past her time in high school – acting like she was the leader of a clique of mean girls. He felt bad for anyone who hired the woman to watc
h after their kids. She had the same mentality as a child.

  Louisa had also explained how she had a handful of siblings that she grew up raising. It was a natural progression from babysitting to becoming a nanny. Her older sister, the one with a bakery, had encouraged her to take the leap. Max couldn’t help but think of his mother and her constant encouragements.

  After lunch, Max returned to the Noble house and spent most of his night with Izzy. She had a little bit of homework – nothing too hard – and he wanted to help her get it done. He sat with her in the living room, crayon in his hand, scribbling over a picture of a dog with Izzy. She told him all about her busy day at school.

  “And – and then Tanner and I raced around the playground,” she explained, looking up at him for a reaction. Max widened his eyes.

  “Whoa, the whole playground?” he asked. She nodded eagerly.

  “The whole playground! I kicked his butt, too!”

  “Of course you did! You’re the fastest girl alive,” he smiled. Izzy giggled at that and went back to coloring outside of the lines. She grabbed the pink crayon and began coloring inside of the pooch’s eyes.

  Gabby and Drew returned to the living room and took up their seats on the couch. Max smiled up at them. Though she was only in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, he noted how nice Gabby looked tonight. If she wasn’t working for an ad agency, he would have confidently suggested she try out modelling.

  “Maxie, d’you want one?” Izzy asked. He looked back at her to see her offering a Blow Pop. He nodded and unwrapped the sucker, popping it into his mouth. The artificial cherry flavor hit him hard, and he smiled down at the girl.

  “Thank you for being sweet and sharing,” he said. She jumped up and gave him a quick hug.

  “I’m gonna get the markers,” Izzy said. Before he could respond, the girl was running off to her bedroom. Max chuckled and sat back, looking at the TV the others watched. It was some cop procedural show that he’d seen advertisements before in the past. Not necessarily his cup of tea, but he could deal with it.