Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Dinner Party 2
Rayne placed the Dutch oven on the table and opened the lid, revealing the perfectly cooked roast.

Everyone around the table leaned in, looking at it with awe.

“Wow, Rayne! You’re very talented at cooking if you can pull something like this off!” complimented Anna. She was feeling extra happy to have been invited for something so decadent.

“Aw! Thank you. Cooking is something I’ve always enjoyed, being a foodie,” laughed Rayne as she went over to sit by Julian.

Just as they were about to dig in…

“Oh, what a surprise! I was coming to greet our new member, sorry if I walked in on something,” announced Jess in a fake high-pitched voice.

She was dressed in a super tight black dress and heels, looking completely out of place from the rest of them, who were all dressed casually.

Anna turned her head to look at Jess, signaling with her eyes for her to stop before she started anything.

Jess saw Anna’s look but brushed it off. Why would I give up such an opportunity?

She walked over to Rayne. “Hi, I’m Jessica, call me Jess. I’m on Alpha Team and came over to welcome you. I’ve made this little dish for you; I hope you can accept it.”

Rayne stood up happily, pulling up another chair beside her. “Ah, thank you for the kind gesture, Jess. Please join us!”

Julian frowned but didn’t say anything, as Rayne had already invited her. He felt that Jess’s actions were as inappropriate as what she was wearing.

Jess, who was oblivious to everyone else’s slightly sour mood, happily sat down. She pushed aside all of Rayne’s dishes and placed the one she brought in the center of the table while sneaking peeks at Julian.

The dish Jess brought was a salad of some sort, but no one wanted to eat it because of the half-wilted lettuce and tomatoes. It looked like it had been sitting out for a few days before being brought over here.

Rayne frowned slightly, feeling that the salad was making her lose her appetite, but she didn’t want to be rude, so she did her best to ignore it.

“Thank you, everyone, for gathering tonight. Without you, I would most likely not have made it through the storm. Please accept this as a small token of appreciation,” announced Rayne, looking at everyone at the table with a grateful expression.

She sat back down and motioned for everyone to dig in. The room soon filled with the quiet clatter of silverware, everyone filling their plates with the appetizing food.

Jess looked around and noticed how everyone avoided her salad while making happy faces at Rayne’s dishes, making her feel sour.

She scooped up a generous amount of mashed potatoes and a very large piece of roast and began eating it with relish!

After finishing almost everything, she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to enjoy the food! Dropping her fork and knife, she put on a disappointed look on her face and turned to Rayne.

Jess had barely finished her meal when she dropped her fork and knife dramatically, looking at Rayne with a feigned, disappointed expression.

“Ah, the meat is so tough, my jaw hurts from chewing it. I would have kept it cooking longer,” she said, all while pretending to massage her cheek.

Rayne, who was quietly savoring the last bite of her meal, gave Jess a puzzled look. Her piece of roast had been so tender it practically melted in her mouth. Before she could respond, Anna, sitting across from Jess, raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help but interject with a smirk.

“Wow, Jess, I’m really impressed. I mean, not only did you snag the biggest piece of roast, but you ate it faster than anyone else! Must have been so tough that you had to gulp it down,” Anna teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I guess we’ll just have to feel sorry for your poor jaw!”

Jess’s face flushed as everyone else chuckled. Julian shot her a look of disdain while Rayne, who was trying to hold back a smile, felt a bit relieved by the sudden turn of events.

Julian then looked over at Noah, conveying his anger and disappointment with a single look.

Noah was used to this form of communication and understood immediately. He gave Julian a slight nod, indicating that he would have a serious talk with Jess afterward.

Julian then turned to face Rayne and smiled. “Rayne, this is one of the best pot roasts I’ve ever had. Thank you for preparing something so good.” He wasn’t just saying that; he truly felt that this pot roast was extremely delicious.

Even Ian, who rarely talked, chimed in, “This is better than the pub I used to always go to.”

Rayne smiled gratefully at their kind words, feeling a bit better. Meanwhile, Jess was fuming internally. She had tried to gain some attention from Julian, but thanks to Anna, it all backfired.

While Jess was busy racking her brains on how to drag Rayne down, the rest of the table shifted into a pleasant conversation. Noah was telling a few funny stories from his time at REN Corp, causing everyone to burst out in occasional laughter.

As the conversation drifted toward lighter topics, Jess saw her opening. She straightened up, adjusting her posture, and tried to appear casual. She looked directly at Julian, then glanced at the group, making sure everyone was listening.

“So, Julian,” she said with a sly smile, “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m actually quite the chef myself.”

Anna shook her head at Jess’s desperation. She had told her to give up so that she could avoid this exact situation. Clearly, she wasn’t even thinking clearly anymore, saying such cringe-worthy things.

Julian didn’t react right away, instead focused on finishing the food on his plate. His expression unreadable. “Mmm? Yeah, I can tell,” he said as his eyes flickered to the untouched salad she brought.

Jess didn’t pick up on the sarcasm in his voice and leaned forward, trying to sound as alluring as possible. “Yeah, I’d love to cook something for you sometime, Julian. You know, just for you… I think you’d really love it.”

Rayne leaned back, feeling amused by this indirect proclamation of love that Jess was making. She wasn’t sure what was happening since it was her first time meeting her, but she could see by Julian’s stiff expression that he wasn’t happy.

Julian looked up, giving Jess a cold glance without saying anything. He was doing his best to restrain his cold aura to prevent dampening the dinner.