Chapter 39: Dinner Party

"So… why are you giving me this? My birthday isn't until next month." Alex lifted the large gift bag in her hands with a perplexed expression.

"It's not your birthday gift. It's my way of saying thank you for all your help with school." Mathew smiled as the two sat in his room.

Off to the side, Luke and Manny were sitting in front of Mathew's computer, testing an early version of a game he had been developing in his spare time. Luke sat in front of the PC while Manny had Mathew's laptop on his lap.

With his father's enthusiastic support, Mathew quickly improved his programming skills, enabling him to code and create an initial build of a well-known game from his past life.

[Programming: 64]

There were still several bugs to address and features to implement, but he was confident that he could release it to the public in two to three months. If it became even half as popular as its original counterpart, Mathew would have a nice source of side income.

"What?! I'm not the imposter! Purple is!"

Ignoring Luke's angry ravings as he made his case for his innocence against the game's AI players, Alex opened her gift with a happy smile. Only to gasp at what was inside.

In her hands was a stunningly crafted leather messenger bag, its rich, deep brown hue gleaming subtly in the light. The top flap was adorned with her full name, "Alexandria Anastasia Dunphy," elegantly engraved in a refined script that added a personal touch to the bag's sophisticated design. Every stitch spoke to the craftsmanship that went into creating it, ensuring durability while exuding charm.

This bag was designed with Alex in mind, featuring an array of pockets and slots tailored perfectly for stowing away her school supplies and textbooks, making organization both effortless and stylish. The soft leather felt supple under her fingers, promising to become more beautiful with each passing day.

"Oh my god, Matt. It's beautiful," Alex carefully brushed her engraved name with her hand. "I don't know what to say."

"Then don't. You don't have to say anything."

She nodded and placed her new bag down. Crawling across the bed, she enveloped Mathew in a hug, which he returned.

"Are you guys going to make out? If you are, can you do that somewhere else? I'm about to kick red off the ship." Luke turned to them with a disgusted frown, prompting Alex to blush and jump off Mathew. Manny sighed at Luke's brash nature and continued playing.

"Luke! Shut up! We-we weren't going to make out!" Alex stuttered and hugged her new favorite bag tightly.

Luke rolled his eyes and turned back to the game just in time to see Manny's character be thrown into space. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Before Alex could berate her brother, Mathew stood up and turned to his wall clock. It was a quarter to three. "Okay. It's about time I get started on tonight's dinner prep. It won't be long before everyone gets here." He said while grabbing a white chef's jacket from inside his closet.

Two weeks ago, Mathew decided to host a large dinner party at his home to showcase his newly acquired cooking skills. After getting approval from his parents, he invited the Dunphy family, including Mitchell, Cameron, Lily, Jay, Gloria, Manny, and their newest addition, baby Joe, to enjoy a grand three-course meal prepared by him.

Normally, preparing so much food for several people by oneself would have been a high challenge for any novice cook. Luckily for Mathew, he had acquired the cooking abilities of one of the world's most renowned chefs.

"Are you sure you don't need any help? I mean, I'm no cook, but cooking for 14 people by yourself seems… a bit impossible." Alex said as she followed after Mathew as he made his way downstairs.

"Oh ye of little faith." Mathew chuckled as he looked over at his newest event task.

[Event: New Cook In Town]

[Task: Create an impressive three-course meal that will leave all of your guests impressed.]

[Reward: (x1) Mystery Box]

[Failure: Your guests will have a 50/50 chance of food poisoning.]

Let's see what I can truly do when I put my mind to it. Mathew grinned as he rolled his wrists.

••o••o••o••

Within his family kitchen, Mathew moved with incredible speed and professional precision. His quick and unhesitant movements left all those who were watching him cook in silent awe.

As he neared the completion of tonight's first course, everyone moved to the backyard, where Mathew, Luke, Manny, and Alex had earlier set up a long table illuminated by candles, plates, and silverware.

Mathew started with the first course: Pan Seared Scallops and Heirloom Tomato Salad.

As the skillet heated, Mathew drizzled in olive oil, watching it shimmer before gently placing the scallops in the pan. The satisfying sizzle filled the kitchen as he let them cook undisturbed, forming a golden crust. Meanwhile, he chopped vibrant heirloom tomatoes, tossing them with fresh basil, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Once the scallops were perfectly cooked, he plated them atop the colorful tomato salad, creating a dish that was as beautiful as it was flavorful.

"Service," Mathew called out over his shoulder as Luke and Manny, dressed in server outfits, grabbed the plates of food and placed them in front of all of today's hungry guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for your first course, the chef has prepared beautifully seared scallops with a Heirloom Tomato salad for you. Bon appatite." Manny said as he moved to set the plates down.

Claire blinked at Luke's professional domineer; seeing her son so well-mannered while handling the plates of food left her perplexed. On the other hand, Phil was grinning from ear to ear at seeing his son working carefully.

"Way to go, Buddy!" Phil smiled as he held a hand out for a high five.

"Dad! I'm on the clock. Later." Luke said briskly while placing a plate down in front of Cameron, who stared at the first of three courses with hungry attention.

"Wow. Matt has really knocked it out of the park with this one. I mean, he's been on fire ever since he began cooking every night, but this, this is amazing," Jefferson turned to his wife as he placed another piece of scallop into his mouth.

Sasha nodded but offered no reply. She was too focused on eating her salad.

"Mitchell. This is sublime!" Cameron said as he took a bite of the perfectly seared scallops. Seeing his partner's face twist in pleasure, Mitchell took a tentative bite as well and immediately melted. On his side, Lily enjoyed a more child-friendly meal comprised of freshly made chicken nuggets and hand-cut fries with a side of broccoli.

"Incredible! Perfectly cooked!" Jay grinned as he quickly ate his scallops.

"Ay, si! Delicioso!" Gloria nodded as she chewed on her own food.

Alex and Haley had delighted smiles as they enjoyed their scallops and salads.

As his guests ate, Mathew proceeded to the second course: The Beef Wellington.

He seasoned and seared a tender beef fillet, then prepared a mushroom duxelles by sautéing finely chopped mushrooms with shallots and thyme. After cooling, he spread Dijon mustard on the beef and wrapped it in the mushroom mix and prosciutto, encasing it all in flaky puff pastry and brushing it with egg wash. As it baked, the house filled with an irresistible aroma.

While the main course was baked, Mathew focused on dessert: sticky toffee pudding.

He chopped soft dates and simmered them in boiling water for sweetness. Mixing butter, sugar, and eggs, he folded in flour and the date mixture to create a rich batter. As it baked, he made a toffee sauce with cream, dark brown sugar, and butter, letting it bubble to a heavenly consistency.

A soft timer rang on the kitchen counter, letting Mathew know his Wellingtons were ready. Moving fast, he began plating the food.

"Service!" Mathew called out to his servers, who quickly moved to serve the food after they'd collected everyone's empty plates from the first course.

This is oddly satisfying. Mathew thought with a grin.

With his dessert busy baking, he walked over to the sliding back door to watch as his guests dug into the food with gusto. Seeing them all enjoying his food filled his chest with pride.

It wasn't long before everyone completed their food and moved on to dessert. Completing tonight's three-course meal.

"Good work, you two," Mathew said as he placed all three courses on the now clear kitchen island in front of Luke and Manny to eat. "I'll handle clean up."

"It's okay. we can help." Manny objected, but his hungry stomach growled as he looked at the food in front of him. Beside him, Luke was devouring his food like a starving animal.

"It's okay. You two were a great help. Just relax and eat."

Manny nodded and dug in. He released a moan as he savored all of the food's complex flavors. He made a mental note to ask Mathew if he could teach him the culinary arts so he could further improve his own skills.

Walking out into the backyard, Mathew blinked as everyone began clapping.

"That was one of the best dinners I've ever had!" Phil grinned as he gave Mathew a thumbs up. Claire smiled and nodded.

"It was pretty incredible." She said.

"Amazing work, Matt. That Toffee pudding? Amazing!" Cameron cheered as his spotless plate of desert shone through. "I must have the recipe!"

"The scallops were absolutely scrumptious!" Mitchell said.

"You have a gift, kid. If boxing doesn't work out for some reason, I can see you becoming a world-class chef." Jay complimented with a satisfied nod. Gloria nodded beside him as she fed Joe from a bottle.

"Si, Matt. The meal was incredible!"

"I was a little nervous about you cooking for so many people. But I was happy to have been proven wrong. Well done, Matt. Impressive work." Jefferson said with a proud smile.

"My favorite was the Wellington. I always wanted to try it ever since I saw it on TV. It has to be put on our weekly dinner rotation." Sasha chuckled and took a drink of her wine.

"The pudding is my favorite! It was so good~ Hey! You could totally go on that cooking show, Super, uh, Master Cook, or something like that! You would totally win!" Haley had a broad smile as she imagined Mathew on TV.

"Yeah, yeah! the pudding was my favorite!" Lily happily said as she used her finger to clean her plate.

"Thank you, Matt. Everything was incredible." Alex smiled as she leaned back in her chair. She was incredibly satisfied with one of the best meals she had ever had.

Mathew couldn't stop the embarrassed blush from rising on his face as everyone's compliments washed over him. He tried his best to accept all their gratitude as he began picking up everyone's dishes.

Once dinner was finally concluded and the table was cleared of plates and remnants of tonight's delicious meal, the warmth of the evening enveloped everyone. Laughter and conversation flowed freely as they gathered in the living room, drinks in hand, sharing stories and relishing each other's company.

Mathew, the only one who hadn't eaten yet, chewed on a sandwich he had made while listening to Haley discuss some of the latest fashion trends. Beside him, Alex examined her new bag with interest, already planning what to put in each compartment. Meanwhile, Manny, Luke, and Lily were playing games on his spare console on the television in the living room.

[Congratulations! You have completed the Event!]

[You have earned (x1) Mystery Box!]

Despite his pretty impressive stamina, Mathew felt wary after cooking for so many people. Even so, he smiled, seeing he had completed tonight's event.

He was excited to see what new skill he would receive later tonight.

What he wasn't excited about was the inevitable headache he would also receive.