Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
AUSTIN
A few days later, I took the day off from work to tackle an important baking mission.
With hands on my hips and a brand-new apron, I stared at the chaos in my kitchen, which had been spotless until today.
I hardly used it because ordering in was easier for a single guy like me.
But now flour, sugar, yeast, measuring cups, a mixer, a whisk, a rolling pin, and tin molds were scattered all over the marble counter.
What the hell was I doing? I didn’t cook or bake, but I’d do anything to win Ava’s heart. I wanted her to know that I loved her without a doubt.
I followed the recipes from No Name that Bianca gave me. With help from some online baking videos, things progressed slowly but surely. After preparing several loaves of bread, pastry buns, and muffins, I was exhausted.
I took a bathroom break and gasped when I saw myself in the mirror.
Flour covered my hair in uneven sections, like a bad hair dye.
Batter and butter smeared on my face, and a glob of egg custard clung to the side of my nose and chin.
Shit. My apron looked worse. After cleaning my face, I got out the brand-new baking sheets.
The floured hair had to wait until I showered.
Two hours later, I stared at the magnificent miracles on my marble counter: a loaf of bread in the shape of a cat, a loaf that sort of looked like a bunny, another loaf that could pass for a bear, a dozen blueberry muffins, animal-shaped buns, apple tarts, and a heart-shaped pumpkin bread.
Satisfied, I took out a pack of small notecards and wrote phrases for Ava.
When the baked goods had cooled, I placed them on a large decorative tray along with the notecards. I smiled as I placed the last card between two cat-shaped buns filled with egg custard. It read, “You knead me, and I knead you.”
I took an egg-custard bun and bit into it and spat it out. “Gross!”
I’d probably mixed up the sugar and salt or misread the directions. Hey, I was a newbie who did all this by myself without burning the house down. That deserved recognition in my opinion.
Sighing, I made a new notecard that read, “DO NOT EAT. For Display Only!” and placed it in the center of the tray so everyone could see it.