Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System novel Chapter 65

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!