Chaotic Apéritifs (Hidden Dishes #2)

=Pineapple Upside Down Cake=

Light spilled out of the glowing white and yellow portal, bisecting reality with a twist of magic. On one end, a modern kitchen and a chef; on the other, open fields filled with pineapple bushes. The smell of fresh manure and plants spilled into the industrial air of the kitchen, the whirl of quiet extractor fans running moment to moment.
Mo Meng took a box of pineapples from the farmer, carefully placing it on the counter beside him. On the other side of the portal, the sun had begun to rise, highlighting the plantation in soft glowing light, a contrast to the harsh fluorescents of the kitchen.
“Fully ripe, from my own trees. We waited till they were nearly ready to fall off before we pulled them,” the farmer said, the pair of tusks that jutted from his broad mouth, framed by skin the color of a ripe tomato, all signs of the ogre’s eastern origins.
Not that Hiro wasn't a native of Costa Rica these days, having been born there nearly a half-century ago, after his grandparents had immigrated from Japan. More opportunities for a good life in those distant lands, even for an oni. Especially if you knew a mage who could make a glamour enchantment.
“How's the charms holding up?” Mo Meng asked. “The higher ambient Mana levels should be putting a mild strain on them already, yes?”
Hiro nodded, touching his chest where the enchanted glamour lay beneath the light white t-shirt. “Good. My grandson's could do with a recharge, though.”
“Already?”
“He was chewing on it again.”
Mo Meng chuckled. “You should just let me enchant the farm. It's not good for him to have to learn how to handle the fluctuating magic all the time.”
“He'll be fine,” Hiro said. “I was, wasn't I?'
Mo Meng shook his head but rather than reply, picked up a pineapple and sniffed it. Sour and sweet with undertones of acid in the background. Fresh and perfect. He could feel the spiky leaves digging into his fingers, the firm flesh with just a slight give that indicated its ripeness.
Perfect.
“Bring the necklace tonight. I'll charge it.” Mo Meng said, glancing at the portal. Light flickered along the edges, a sign of the strain on the enchantments. “I'll bake an extra cake, too.”
“You know I'll never say no to that,” Hiro said, moving faster to pick up and return with two more boxes. Enough for the small batch that Mo Meng required for the restaurant. Even if it was thrice the amount it had been last year.
After all, the Nameless Restaurant was getting popular.
Much to its owner’s chagrin.

Release Date: April 1, 2024

Pages: 169

Genre: Cozy Fantasy

eBook ISBN: 9781778551710

Language: English

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