That noon, Max dragged Carolio their new bakery, the one Alex had secured for them.

  Caroliepped inside and froze. The space erfect... polished ters, a spacious kit, and even a cozy little er for ers to sit and enjoy their cupcakes. Natural light poured in from the rge windows, illuminating the dream they hought they'd actually reach.

  Caroliuro Max, still in shock. "Okay, I have to ask again—are you absolutely sure you didn't promise Alex anything weird? Because this is too mubsp;No one does things like this without a reason."

  Max rolled her eyes, already expeg the question. She hopped onto one of the empty ters and kicked her feet bad forth. "I literally asked him the same thing when he showed me this pce after dinner," she admitted.

  Caroline crossed her arms. "And?"

  "And he said it's just an iment. That he believes in me." Max paused, then smirked. "I even told him I'd bee his personal cum dumpster if that's what it took, but the dude straight-up deed. you believe that?"

  Caroline's mouth fell open. She bli Max as if she had just spoken in an alien nguage. "Wait. Hold on. Back up. You're tellihat someoher thaually believes in you?"

  Max wiggled her eyebrows. "I knht? Either he's got a secret cupcake fetish, or I'm actually good at this."

  Caroline shook her head, trying to process. "I... I just don't get it. He's rich. Super rich. And hot. And somehow, he's throwing a quarter of a million dolrs at you for cupcakes with no weird expectations? Haaa... He said the same to me on our first business meeting. An iment, nothing else... Huh?"

  "Guess he's just that into my… melons," Max waggled her eyebrows, making Caroline groan.

  "I swear to God, if you mess this up…" Caroliarted, but Max waved a dismissive hand. 'He definitely fell for her.'

  "Rex, Blohis is actually happening. We're in business."

  Caroline looked around again, finally letting the reality settle in. They had a bakery. A real one.

  Max swung her legs as she sat on the ter, looking around their soon-to-be bakery. "Alright, now that we're officially business bitches, we need a name," she announced.

  Caroline pulled out a small notebook, already prepared. "I actually made a list of potential—"

  "Slutty Muffins."

  Caroline's face twisted in horror. "What?"

  Max grinned. "Or how about 'Better Than Sex Cupcakes'? Oh, or 'Moist & Naughty'."

  "No!" Caroline snapped, flipping through her notebook aggressively. "We are not naming our bakery something that will get us banned from Yelp."

  "Fine," Max sighed dramatically. "What's your b-ass suggestion?"

  Caroline held up her notebook proudly. "Max's Homemade Cupcakes."

  Max made a face like she had just been offered a pte of soggy lettuce. "Ugh. No."

  "What do you mean no? It makes sense! You're the baker. You're the reason we even have a business."

  Max hopped off the ter and shook her head. "Nah. If it weren't for you, I'd still be slinging diner coffee for tips that barely cover my bus fare. Yed my ass through this whole thing. You took care of the pnning, the savings, all the business stuff. Hell, you probably stopped me from itting tax fraud at least twice."

  Caroline blinked. "So… what are you saying?"

  "I'm saying it's our bakery. We both get our names on it."

  Caroline's lips parted slightly, surprised. "You... you really mean that?"

  Max shrugged. "Duh."

  Caroline smiled, geouched. "Okay, then. How about… Max & Caroline's Cupcake Empire?"

  Max gasped. "I love it." Then she frowned. "Wait. No. That sounds like we're running a dictatorship where we execute people who don't like frosting."

  Caroline groaned. "You're impossible."

  Max tapped her . "What about… 'High Society Cupcakes'? You know, since we're cssy now."

  Caroline gave her a look. "You just suggested 'Slutty Muffins' ten seds ago."

  Max grinned. "Hey, I tain multitudes."

  Caroline rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Fine. Let's keep brainst. But no hat will get us sued, arrested, or on some kind of watchlist."

  "No promises."

  And with that, they got to work on naming the bakery that was going to ge their lives.

  Max and Caroli on the ter, legs swinging as they tossed names bad forth.

  "Cupcakes & Chaos?" Max suggested.

  Caroline wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like a bad punk band."

  "Sweet & Sassy?"

  Caroline sighed. "We are not a Bath & Body Works fragrance."

  Max tapped her , thinking. "Okay, what about… 'Two Broke Bakers'?"

  Caroline raised an eyebrow. "You do realize we're trying to not be broke anymore, right?"

  "Fine, Miss 'Let's Be Logical,' what's your brilliant idea?"

  Caroliook a deep breath, looking around at their soon-to-be bakery. "What about something simple? Something that actually represents us?"

  Max looked at her expetly.

  Caroliated for a sed, then smiled. "How about… Max & Caroline's Bake Shop?"

  Max tilted her head, rolling the name around in her mind. "Huh." She nodded slowly. "It's kinda… nice."

  Caroline's eyes lit up. "You like it?"

  "I don't hate it, which is basically my version of a love letter," Max smirked.

  Caroline huffed but grinned. "So it's settled?"

  Max looked around the bakery, her smirk softening into something menuine. "Yeah. It's settled."

  Caroliapped her pen against her notebook, satisfied with their decision. "Alright, Max & Caroline's Bake Shop it is," she said with a proud nod.

  Max stretched her arms above her head, then hopped off the ter. "Cool. Now, who's gonna break the o Han that we're ditg the diner?"

  Caroline winced. "ht. That."

  Max smirked. "I vote you. You're better at breaking bad news without making people cry. Barely, but still."

  Caroline huffed. "Oh, e on, Max. You've worked there longer! You have seniority!"

  "Exactly. That means I've suffered enough," Max shot back, crossing her arms.

  Caroline groaned. "Ugh. He's going to be heartbroken. You know how much he loves us."

  Max raised an eyebrow. "You mean how much he loves you. I'm pretty sure Han still thinks I'm part of some long-term scam to rob the pce."

  Caroline sighed dramatically. "Fine. We'll do it together."

  Max cpped her hands together. "Great! But let's tell him after our first payday, just in case this whole bakery thing crashes and burns, and we have to beg for our jobs back."

  Caroline rolled her eyes but couldn't help but ugh. "You're impossible."

  Max grinned. "A, you love me."

  Caroline shook her head with a small smile. "Unfortunately."

  With that, the two best friends stood in their soon-to-be bakery, knowing that their lives were about to ge forever.

  ...

  [Night] [Diner after the shift]

  The diner was finally empty, save for the lingering smell of burnt coffee and despair. Max and Caroliood behind the ter, stealing nervous g Han, who was meticulously stag sugar packets in a perfect pyramid at a booth.

  Max elbowed Caroline. "Go on. Tell him."

  "What about wait for payday?"

  "Fet that. Just tell him. You are very bad at keepis. So, better now than ter," Max whispered.

  Caroline shot her a look. "We agreed to do it together!"

  Max shrugged. "Yeah, but I lied. Have fun."

  Caroline groaned aantly cleared her throat. "Han? we talk?"

  Han looked up, his eyes lighting up instantly. "Of course! If this is about the new 'Employee of the Month' initiative, I was thinking of a minated pque with my fa it..."

  Max snorted. "Yeah, that'll really boost morale."

  Han frowned but shook it off. "What's up?"

  Caroliook a deep breath. "Okay, Han… we have some news. Big news."

  Han gasped. "You're pregnant!"

  Caroline recoiled. "What?! No! Why would that be your first guess?"

  Han nodded sagely. "I see. It's Max, then. I khis day would e." He turo Max with deep sympathy. "I would have given you a raise, but you now have a sugar daddy."

  Max blinked. "What the actual f...? No! There's no baby, Han! And Alex is not my sugar daddy."

  Han exhaled in relief. "Oh, thank God. This ey is no pce for a child."

  Caroline shook her head, pressing on. "Han, we—Max and I—are leaving the diner."

  Silence.

  Han didn't move. He didn't blink. He just stared at them, his hands still in midair as if buffering.

  Finally, he let out a soft, fused chuckle. "Haha. Good one! You got me!"

  Max sighed. "Han. We're serious."

  His smile wavered.

  "Serious? No… No, you 't leave. Where will you go? What will you do? Is it because of your cupcake business? Did Alex really ied? I thought he was only dating Max. What will I do now? I thought we had a thing..."

  Han's voice wobbled as he stared at them, his hands still h over his half-stacked sugar packet pyramid. "You… you 't leave. What will I do without you?"

  Max sighed, leaning against the ter. "Oh, I dunno, Han. Maybe hire a couple of minimum-wage workers who won't verbally abuse you every shift? You know, those college kids. It's easy to rope them in."

  Han clutched his chest dramatically. "Max, please. I don't think my heart hahis betrayal."

  Caroline, feeling guilty, reached out. "Han, it's not like we want to hurt you. This bakery is a huge opportunity for us. It's our dream."

  Han's lip trembled. "I thought I was your dream…"

  Max snorted. "Han, the only way you'd be in my dream is if I was having a nightmare where I got trapped in a Forever 21 with s."

  Han ignored her and turo Caroline, eyes pleading. "But… but I love you guys. Who else will make fun of my height with such precision? Who else will trick ers into overpriced pie?"

  At that moment, Oleg sauntered out of the kit, mung on a pickle. "What's all this otion? Max finally accepting she's in love with me?"

  Max made a gagging noise. "God, no."

  Caroline pressed her fio her temples. "Max and I are leaving the diner, Oleg."

  Oleg stopped mid-chew. He bli them. Then, in true Oleg fashioook a deep breath and wailed, "NOOOOOOOO! Who will insult my cooking noill pretend not to love my erotic pickup lines?"

  Max scoffed. "Literally everyone."

  Oleg frowned, looking genuinely hurt. "I will be lost without you. Like a banana without its peel."

  Han nodded solemnly. "Like a small man without his tiny, tiny shoes."

  Max sighed, rubbiemples. "You guys are ag like we're moving to another try. We're literally opening a bakery five blocks from here. You still e by."

  Oleg's eyes lit up. " I e by and sample your pastries?"

  Max narrowed her eyes. "Are you actually pnning on paying, or is this one of your 'free sample' scams?"

  Oleg pced a hand on his chest. "I would ake advantage of yenerosity."

  Max and Caroliared at him.

  "…Fine. I nning on taking advantage of yenerosity," he admitted.

  Han folded his arms, sulking. "I still don't approve. I will have to gh a grieving period."

  Caroline smiled softly. "We'll still be around, Han. And we'll visit."

  Han sighed. "Fine. But if this bakery thing fails, I expect you to e crawling back."

  Max grinned. "Oh, believe me, if it fails, I'm showing up here in a stolen trench coat, robbing the register, and bming it on Oleg."

  Oleg beamed. "You'd frame me? That is love."

  Caroline shook her head, ughie herself. "We'll train the new hires before we go."

  Han sniffled. "Fine. But they won't be as good as you."

  Max smirked. "Oh, they definitely won't be as hot as us."

  Han sighed dramatically. "It is a loss for all mankind."

  Max and Caroline shared a look, knowing that, despite the theatrics, Han and Oleg really would miss them. And, if they were being ho… they'd miss the dioo.

  Even if the coffee was terrible.

  ...

  As Max and Caroliepped out of the dihe night air felt unusually crisp. The weight of their decision lingered between them, despite their jokes. Leaving Han, Oleg, and the chaos of the Williamsburg Diner behind was a big deal. For years, that pce had been their home—or at least the closest thing to one.

  Max exhaled and stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. "You think Han's gonna survive without us?"

  Caroline gave her a sideways gnce. "Holy? No. He'll probably cry himself to sleep for a week, and then he'll hire some poor, unsuspeg girl who won't have the heart to be mean to him the way we do."

  Max smirked. "Yeah, she'll be calling him 'sir' and actually refilling ers' coffee like a real waitress."

  Caroline preteo shudder. "That... I 't even imagihat."

  They fell into a fortable silence as they walked toward the hospital. Despite their baheir real reason for heading there weighed heavily on them. Earl.

  Max's pace quied instinctively, and Caroliiced. "Hey," she said gently. "He's okay. Alex made sure he's getting the best care. You saw how fast he handled everything."

  Max nodded but kept her eyes forward. "Yeah, I know. It's just… it's Earl." Her voice was quieter than usual, and Caroline knew what that meant.

  ...

  [Hospital] [Earl's room]

  Caroline pushed open the door, and Max immediately put her hands on her hips. "Alright, old man, you scared the crap out of us. we go baaking fun of you now, or do we have to pretend to be emotionally fragile for a little longer?"

  Earl, resting fortably in his adjustable hospital bed, cracked a zy grin. "Ah, there she is—my sweet, Max."

  Caroline sighed and walked over to his bedside. "She means we're relieved you're okay, Earl. How are you feeling?"

  Earl waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm fine, sweetheart. Just got a few new pills, a strict diet, and a couple of nurses who keep tellio 'take it easy.' I tell ya, retirement homes better step up their game, 'cause this hospital's got five-star service."

  Max raised an eyebrow. "Five-star service? You're eatiin cups and sad, sodium-free soup."

  Earl smirked. "True, but I got a remote-trolled bed, my bed call, a of all..." He lifted a Styrofoam cup. "Unlimited ice chips. Livin' the dream."

  Max snorted. "Yeah, real dream sario. You almost died, but at least you got unlimited hospital slushies."

  Caroline swatted Max's arm before turning back to Earl. "So, what's the pn? How long are they keeping you here?"

  Earl sighed, setting his cup down. "Couple more days. They wanna monitor me, make sure my heart behaves. After that, they'll send me home with a new diet and a long list of things I'm apparently not allowed to eat anymore."

  Max gasped dramatically. "Nreasy diner food? No more deep-fried everything? No more questionable meat from Oleg?"

  Earl chuckled. "Nope. Just sads, grilled chi, and whatever else the doc thinks will keep me kig a little longer."

  Max folded her arms. "Pfft. Sounds like a prisoence."

  Caroline smiled. "It's a small price to pay for staying alive, Max."

  Earl nodded. "Exactly. Besides, I've had a good run. And if cutting out fried foods keeps me around long enough to see you two take over the world with that bakery of yours, then I guess I deal."

  Caroline beamed. "Speaking of the bakery, we sighe paperwork today. It's officially ours."

  Earl's face lit up. "That's what I like to hear!" He turo Max. "And how's our little cupcake queen handling all this success?"

  Max shrugged. "Oh, you know, just waiting for reality to sp me in the fad remihat happiness is a scam."

  Earl ughed. "Ah, there's that optimism I love so much."

  Caroline shook her head. "She's actually excited. She just doesn't know how to process emotions like a normal human."

  Max poi Carolihat's riing from you, Miss 'I Have a Panic Attack Over Slightly Smudged Paperwork.'"

  Earl grinned. "Ah, you two never ge."

  Max leaned ba her chair, twirling a loose thread on her hoodie. "You know, it's kinda weird. We've been w toward this bakery thing for so long, and now that it's actually happening… it doesn't feel real."

  Earl's voice softened. "That's 'cause dreams don't feel real until you're standing in the middle of 'em."

  Caroline squeezed his hand. "Well, if that's true, we must be dreaming, because we actually quit the dioday."

  Earl blinked. "For real?"

  Max nodded. "Yup. Officially unemployed. No more diner coffee. Nreasy uniforms. No more barely tolerating ers for tips that don't even cover rent."

  Earl exhaled, then smiled. "Damn. End of an era."

  Caroline sighed, suddenly seal. "Yeah, it is."

  Earl gave them a thoughtful look. "You sure you girls are ready for this?"

  Max and Caroline exged a gnce.

  Caroline was the first to answer. "Holy? No. But we're doing it anyway."

  Max nodded. "Yeah. If it crashes and burns, we'll just e crawling back to Han and pretend this never happened."

  Earl chuckled. "Something tells me you two aren't gonna crash and burn."

  Max smirked. "Pfft. You have way too much faith in us."

  Earl grinned. "That's 'cause I know you. You don't quit. Aher does Caroline. You'll make this work."

  Caroline's eyes shimmered slightly, but she bli away, nodding. "We'll do our best."

  Max exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, well… don't go dying on us before the grand opening, okay? We need you there."

  Earl winked. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

  Max stood up and stretched. "Alright, old ma some rest. We'll che on you again before they kick you out of here."

  Caroline leaned down and gave Earl another quick hug. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

  Earl squeezed her hand. "You girls do the same."

  As they left the hospital, stepping bato the cold night air, Max let out a long breath.

  Caroliucked her arms around herself. "You okay?"

  Max nodded slowly. "Yeah. Just thinking."

  Caroline smirked. "That's dangerous."

  Max rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

  They walked in silence for a moment before Caroline spoke again. "You know he's right, though."

  Max raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

  Caroline smiled. "We're gonna make this work."

  Max exhaled, shaking her head. "Ugh, don't get all cheesy on me, Blondie."

  Caroline nudged her pyfully. "Too te."

  Max groaned. "God, I regret quitting the diner already."

  Caroline ughed. "Too bad. You're stuck with me now."

  Max smirked. "Unfortunately."

  And with that, they headed home...

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  [8 advance chs] [All chs avaible for all tiers]

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