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

by Maxene Novak

  This wasn’t going to be easy. He hadn’t gone over these recipes before, and the only thing he would have to rely on was his previous experience in the kitchen. He’d seen his mother make these desserts before, but seeing and doing were two very different things. On the plus side, he had Gabby, a seasoned cook, and Vanessa, a professional baker, in his corner. He doubted he’d suffer too badly with those two by his side.

  Max closed out of all of his computer windows and shut the laptop. He was afraid of what the coming days would entail, but he wasn’t going to let that fear get the best of him. He was going to take it one day at a time and push through, striving to get the most out of all eleven days. It was cheesy and stunk of cheap self-help videos his mother watched, but he knew that he could do it.

  He hopped into the shower and washed up, mentally going through some of the recipes he’d already memorized. He went as far as to pantomime mixing and pouring the cake batter, laughing at himself when he realized how ridiculous it must have looked. He couldn’t help it, though. He loved a challenge.

  When teachers told him that he couldn’t finish projects the night before, he took that as a direct challenge to his abilities. He’d stay up all night working on these projects, and though his eyes dropped and he looked miserable the following morning, he always turned in a project worthy of high grades.

  This was no different. Max climbed into bed and flicked off his lamp, settling into the mattress more comfortable. Last night he’d gone to bed with concern about whether he’d be able to stay in America. He worried himself sick with the thought of never seeing Gabby, Drew, Izzy, or Louisa again. Tonight was much different. He wasn’t worried about any of that. The people he cared about had convinced him that this would be okay. This time, he fell asleep confident that he wasn’t going anywhere.

  Seventeen

  After dropping Izzy off at school, Max and Louisa headed over to her sister Vanessa’s bakery. Max parked the car and looked up at the adorably decorated building. It was pastel-themed with squiggly letters and a soothing interior. As they entered the building, Max ran his hand over one of the plush, fuzzy chairs. He followed Louisa up to the counter and laughed as she tapped on the bell repeatedly.

  “Louisa, I’m gonna kick your ass,” Vanessa said as she appeared from the back of the kitchen. She looked exactly like Louisa, just a bit older. They had the same thick brown hair and perfectly done-up eyebrows, and their makeup was similar as well. Vanessa glared at Louisa then turned to Max. “Hi, I’m Vanessa.”

  “I’m Max,” he said, shaking her hand. “I just wanted to really quickly thank you for letting us use this place for the sale. I don’t know if we could do this without you.”

  She waved it off. “It’s the least I could do. I heard what you did to Hector and I couldn’t turn down Louisa’s request. Though now that I look at you, I’m not sure how you took down Hector like that.” She tapped her chin and gave him a careful once-over. Max laughed and shrugged.

  “Anger’s a pretty powerful emotion.” A week had passed since he’d been in the fight and his fingers were finally feeling better. He still had the stitches in, but they were healing up nicely. On top of that, his black eye was almost unnoticeable now. For all intents and purposes, he was back to his old, lanky self.

  “It really is,” Vanessa agreed. “Listen, I’m gonna keep the shop closed up today so you guys can use it for whatever you need. Just make sure you guys don’t make a complete mess of it, tomorrow I’ll have to make up for being closed.”

  “Not to worry,” Max assured her. “We’re going to keep it as nice as it looks right now, I promise.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” Louisa said. Vanessa shot her another playful glare before saying goodbye and handing over the keys to the place. Max placed them on the counter where he wouldn’t lose them and headed into the back to look at all the equipment they had. In a way, it was beautiful. He could already see him and Louisa moving around the kitchen like seasoned vets, popping cakes in and out of the oven and icing them once they cooled completely.

  “Is Drew coming by?” Louisa asked him. She took the homemade recipe book – folder was more accurate of a description – and begin flipping to her favorite recipe. The cake pops done up to look like roses were the best looking thing in the book.

  “Drew’s coming by, but he won’t be here for a minute. He’s getting a few more groceries and getting in contact with the Nannies.”

  “What are they for?” she asked.

  “Well, I figured we’d let them be the judges of what were the best tasting. They could pick their favorites and we’d make the most of those items. They seem like they know what sells well considering all the bake sales and fundraisers they’ve all done,” he explained. Louisa nodded.

  “Thinking ahead. I like it.”

  She spread out the ingredients for the cake and begin preparing the cake itself. While she cracked eggs and whipped in butter and vanilla extract, Max measured out the flour and other dry ingredients. He finished before her and decided to take this time to put on some music. He turned on his pop playlist and connected it to the Bluetooth speakers. Soon the kitchen was filled with the sound of the two of them trying to hit the high notes of a Mariah Carey song and failing miserably.

  Drew arrived half an hour later with a bag full of other ingredients. Max had asked for a few regular boxes of cake for the cheaper cake pops. His mother’s homemade ones were the stars, but he didn’t think everyone would want to pay two and half dollars for one. The store-bought mixes would be a lot cheaper and easier to make.

  “Hey,” Drew said, leaning in to peck Max on the cheek. Louisa waggled her brow at Max, and he swatted her with the towel.

  “Glad you could make it,” Max said, turning back to Drew.

  “I am, too. You know me, my schedule is unbelievably busy these days.” He cracked a smile at his own joke and looked around at all of the ingredients. A tray of sugar cookies and the base of the rose cake pops cooled off by the fridge, and Max and Louisa now worked on the brownies.

  Drew scratched the back of his head. “Are you guys going to make all the food today? I don’t think Gabby has a place booked yet. Seems kind of early to start cooking.”

  “Oh no,” Max said, “Think of this like a test run. We’re getting the ladies over to taste and pick their favorites.”

  “Smart,” Drew said.

  Louisa added, “That’s what I said!”

  “You know where he gets it from, right?” Drew rubbed his hand up Max’s back tenderly. Max fought off the urge to melt under his touch.

  “Nope,” Louisa said.

  “His mother’s a professional pastry chef. This kind of stuff runs in his blood.” Drew looked proud to tell Louisa about Renee’s profession. Max found his pride adorable.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Louisa exclaimed, slapping Max’s shoulder. He laughed and dodged another swat.

  “I’m sorry! It slipped my mind! But yes, this is what my mom does for a living. I grew up seeing her sell this kind of stuff and I guess I just picked some of that knowledge up.”

  Drew snorted. “Some of that knowledge. I bet if you wanted to, you could run your own bakery too.”

  “Enough about me,” Max chuckled. “Drew, I need you to get started on the marshmallow cereal treats. The recipe is right here. It’s pretty simple, but if you need some help, let me know, okay?”

  Drew looked over the sheet, taking it all in. The recipe had been laminated. Max didn’t want to accidentally spill milk or something on it while he cooked. Drew appreciated the plastic encasing because there was no doubt in his mind that he’d make a mess of it otherwise. “I’ll get right on this,” he said.

  Max watched him head over to his own metal table and begin cooking as well. He looked quite lost, but the fact that he was trying to help out was all that mattered to Max. And the way the full-body apron looked strangling Drew’s muscles…

  “Excuse me,” Louisa said, nudging him. “Less staring, more
cooking.” Max blushed and went back to preparing the first batch of cake balls. He stirred in the icing inside the cake chunks, mashing it all up until it had the consistency of wet sand. He carried that bowl to the freezer and set another timer on his phone to ring after ten minutes.

  “These look so beautiful,” Louisa sighed, looking at the picture on the recipe page.

  “I don’t know where she came up with the idea, but I love the way they look. Normally I’d find some way to wrap the sticks with something green so they looked like real flowers, but right now it’s just about taste and not so much about presentation. We’ll save that for the sale,” he said.

  Louisa looked down at the picture once more before she put it aside. “What’s next?”

  At noon, Max, Louisa, and Drew began cleaning up their mess. All of the food had been baked and now they waited for the Nannies to arrive so that they could begin the tasting process. Max scrubbed the bowls and spatulas in the sink. He glanced over at Drew as the man leaned over the table, wiping away any flour left over. Max couldn’t help but notice how nice his behind looked in his jeans. He smiled to himself and finished up with the dishes.

  Claudette called Louisa and told her that they were on their way ten minutes later. There’d been an accident involving spilled coffee, but that had been resolved and now they were on their way to the bakery.

  The three of them carried out the desserts and organized them on a platter so that the ladies could pick up each one with ease. Max set the tray down on the counter and leaned back, taking a breath. This may have been a test run, but he was already beat. He knew that when it was really time to start baking, they’d have their work cut out for them. They could do it, though. They’d done all of this without Gabby. With a fourth person in the kitchen, they’d be even better.

  Claudette and the girls came sauntering in moments later. Shelby waved at Max and Louisa once she’d taken her seat. She seemed especially bright today, and that made Max happier as well. He waited for the women to sit down before he addressed them.

  “Thank you guys so much for coming here. I know you all had plans for lunch today, but this bake sale is something I’ve really wanted to do, and having you support me means the world to me.”

  “Oh please, we get to have free food,” Megan giggled. “You could ask me to talk to my ex-husband for an hour, and if there was free food, I’d do it in a heartbeat.” The other women giggled at her joke.

  “What’s this bake sale for exactly?” Claudette asked, her head tilted in her usual suspicious manner. Max knew she’d be the one to ask all the questions, and he’d prepared some stock answers to satisfy her curiosity.

  “Well, I’ve gotten used to living here, and I feel like as a pseudo-member of the community, I should be helping out where I can. I want majority of this money to go towards the school. I want them to fund anti-bullying programs. I couldn’t stop thinking about when you asked if I’d be at the fundraiser all those weeks ago, and I told you that I wasn’t invited. Well, I’m inviting myself to the party. I’m taking it upon myself to help out,” he said.

  Claudette narrowed her eyes but said nothing. Max smiled at her, pleased to see that she had no further questions for the time being.

  “So,” he said, “Without further ado, please feel free to try one of everything in front of you.” The ladies didn’t need more permission than that. Joan reached forwards and snagged one of the rose cake pops from the foam piece they’d been stuck in. She took a careful bite, her eyes widening as she chewed. Max watched as she leaned over and whispered into her friend’s ear. The other woman grabbed one as well. They both wore smiles by the time they were done with the cake pops.

  Shelby was still quite the supporter of the brownies. She even did a little dance as she ate them. Max and Louisa laughed. While they took in everyone’s reactions, Drew took it upon himself to ask them questions about what they were eating. He wanted to know what they thought about each of the treats and how much they’d be willing to pay. Max hand intended to do the interviewing portion, but Drew seemed quite comfortable and he was too tired to fight for that position with the man.

  Drew thanked all the women for coming and turned around to face Max and Louisa. He handed Max the sheet of paper he’d been keeping tally marks on. To no one’s surprise, all of cake pops and the brownies were a favorite among everyone. They enjoyed the small slices of raspberry cake, and they were huge fans of the chocolate sea salt caramel cupcakes. As the women thanked Max for inviting them and giving them sweets, he mentally worked through all the things that he was going to sell.

  Not only did he have to take the Nannies’ opinions into consideration, but he also needed to manage his time properly. If they wanted an effective and efficient kitchen, they’d have to make sure that there were no hold ups. When one batch of baked goods came out of the oven, another had to go in. He closed the door behind Claudette and turned around to face the others.

  “That went well,” Louisa said, looking between the two of them to gauge their reactions.

  “I’d say so,” Drew agreed.

  “Thank you guys so much for helping me. I know I’ve said it a million times before, but I really do appreciate it. You guys are amazing.” He gave each of them a quick hug and returned to the kitchen to grab his jacket. They were done for the day. When he got home, he’d have to reorganize his ingredients list and create a legitimate menu, but for now he could rest easy.

  Max and Drew dropped off Louisa at her place after spending a few hours hanging out together. Before she left, Max tossed her the keys to the bakery so that she could return them to Vanessa. They said goodbye and pulled away from the curb, headed home.

  Gabby and Izzy were in the living room when the two returned. Izzy hopped up and ran to Drew, throwing her arms around him. “Guess what we’re cooking for dinner, Daddy!”

  “What’s that?”

  “Pizza! Wanna come make your own?” she offered. Drew couldn’t say no to the offer. He and Max had already spent the day cooking, one last meal wouldn’t hurt them. Izzy facilitated the pizza-making and they followed her instructions, humoring her as she bossed them around the kitchen. Gabby watched from the doorway, a smile on her face. She blinked, suddenly remembering that she’d needed to talk to Max.

  “Hey, I wanted to tell you when you got home. I got in contact with my designer, and she sent me over this!” She unfolded a pink flier and handed it over. Max looked at the swirling designs and absorbed every aspect of the French-themed flier. “What do you think?”

  “I think this is amazing!”

  “I’m glad! I’m gonna print out a few hundred and hand them out over the weekend. I set the location at the park and the date for the ninth if that’s okay with you? That way you have two days left to make up a little more money if this doesn’t pan out.”

  “A backup plan,” Max smiled, “I love it. Thank you again.” She smiled and waved for Izzy to follow her. Max and Drew needed to work on their food in peace.

  Drew sniffed uncomfortably before he said, “Max, I’m glad you’re here with us. I don’t think I’ve told you that enough, but I mean it. I’m glad that you’re here and that you want to be with our family. You’ve become more important than I ever thought you would.”

  It was surprisingly touching, and Max couldn’t stop his heart from skipping a beat. He never would have expected Drew to speak so sincerely, and the only thing he could do was nod his head. There were no words to express how nice it felt to hear that from someone. This feeling also came with a price.

  Max could feel it. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew it was just on the horizon. He’d experienced it with other people, and was well equipped to identify the emotion. The more he stared at Gabby and Drew, the more it grew. He wanted more than sex. He wanted more than lustful romps in bed.

  He knew it was his turn to sit them down and talk.

  Eighteen

  Max and Izzy sat in the kitchen, newspapers spread out all across the
dining room table as they painted signs. Izzy had begged and pleaded for Max to include her in something, and he figured this would be the best plan. She painted her own smaller signs to hang up, and Max focused on the biggest one. It stretched from one end of the table to the other, and he’d need to evenly space out dots of pink paint around the letters. It was going to be tedious and tiresome, but he knew it would look fantastic by the end.

  “Look it,” Izzy said, turning around her paper and showing off her newest sign. Max had painted on the sale information so that she didn’t have to. Instead, she could focus on drawing and decorating the signs. She’d chosen to draw squiggles and shapes on this one.

  “Wow! That looks awesome! When we get done with the bake sale, you wanna put this on the fridge?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Perfect,” he smiled.

  They went back to painting and talking about what happened at school that day. Izzy’s friend Emily had been mean to her all day, and when Izzy asked her why, she said it was because Izzy hadn’t sat with her during snack time. She’d hung out with her other friend Shana instead. Max couldn’t believe that he was getting so invested in pre-school drama, but he was captivated. Not only did Shana have better markers than anyone in class, but she and Emily had a falling out a few weeks ago when Shana didn’t get an invite to Emily’s birthday. Now they were sworn enemies and nothing could repair the damage that had been done.

  Max chuckled and Izzy gave him a look. “It’s not funny! I don’t like when Emily’s mad at me.”

  “You should talk to her and tell her that you can have two best friends at once.”

  “You can?” Izzy looked like she’d been told that Santa Claus was coming.

  “You can! I have lots of bests friends, and none of them get jealous of the other person because we all know that at the end of the day, we’re friends and we care about each other,” Max explained.