Chapter82Villa Dinner Party(Extra)
Matthew had just finished making the juice, pouring it into a large glass jar, when the doorbell rang.
"That must be them. I'll get the door."
Wiping his hands with a clean towel, he walked to the entrance.
Opening the door, he saw Willow and Patrick at the forefront – Patrick clutching a gigantic teddy bear, Willow carrying a Barbie doll. Behind them, each visitor held a present.
"Matthew, we're here! Where's Sister? Where are Quentin and Hannah?"
"In the dining room."
Matthew stepped aside to let everyone come inside. Ophelia, visiting for the first time, carried a big box of Legos as gifts for the two little ones.
Willow and Daniel greeted everyone as they joined the group.
Quentin and Hannah, having just finished breakfast, heard lively chatter at the door and hurried out of the dining room. They greeted Willow and Patrick warmly, recognizing them from a previous encounter, and reached out to shake their hands.
Matthew stood to the side, dutifully introducing them to everyone. The kids politely greeted each uncle and aunt in turn. After the greetings, they received a pile of gifts. Patrick volunteered to carry the gifts to their rooms, so he led the kids upstairs.
The men headed to Garden Lane while Willow, Daniel, and a few other girls ran off to the kitchen.
"Sis, do you need any help? It’s really kind of you to prepare all this food by yourself, "they offered.
Madison was busy with the barbecue sauces and oils, but when she saw the three vibrant young women enter, a sweet smile lifted her face. "It's no trouble at all. It's rare for you to come over."
In response to the sister’s playful threat of frequent future visits, Madison, who loved cooking, assured them they'd always be welcome, albeit not at the villa. Next time, they could go to the "New River Gardens" to eat, where they'd have to settle for hotpot instead of barbecue.
"Count me in next time!" exclaimed Ophelia, quick to join in as her schedule was relatively free these days.
Then, moving beside Madison, Ophelia said, "Sis, this stuff needs to be taken out, right? I'll take it." With that, she carried out the barbecue sauces and oils.
Madison had met her once at a bar and later learned from Willow that she was the girlfriend of their fourth brother. Despite only a couple of encounters, Madison took a real liking to her. The girl was sincere and innocent, a rarity in the star-studded circles she moved in.
Willow and Daniel joined them outside on Garden Lane. The men had haphazardly placed some meat and chicken wings on the grill. Seeing this, the girls took charge, unsure if the guys could cook anything properly. So, the three women ended up manning the grill.
While the men were sitting and chatting leisurely, Matthew realized Madison hadn't come outside and stood up to check on her inside the house.
Watching Matthew's retreating figure as he headed inside, a few folks whispered gossip among themselves.
Mitchell murmured, "Victor, doesn't Matthew seem to have a bit more pep in his step?"
Victor replied, "Wasn't Matthew always one of us?"
Mitchell chuckled, "That's not what I mean. It's just that now, there's a vibe of 'happy wife, happy life.'"
Liam added, "Exactly, when has Matthew ever bustled around like this? Serving drinks, setting the table—it's pretty clear he doesn't want his sister-in-law to overwork herself alone."
Madison, hearing footsteps and assuming it was Willow Nelson and the others, kept her back turned as she washed fruit. Without looking, she said, "Willow, can you take the juice out? And check if there are any cups outside. If not, there's more in the sterilizer."
After a little while without a response, she turned her head and was startled to see who it was.
Obediently holding a bottle of freshly squeezed juice, Matthew was about to open the sterilizer to fetch some glasses. "Willow and the others are busy grilling. I can take care of this."
Snapping back to reality, Madison stammered, "Oh, right...okay."
"Done here? Need help with anything else?" Matthew asked, noticing Madison was still busy. He wanted to suggest that if they wanted something, they could help themselves.
"It's all set. Just need to take the fruit out," she replied.
Madison had prepared the ingredients for the evening's meal, so she, indeed, had been busy all morning.
Carrying the fruit, she followed Matthew out to the garden. They arrived one after the other, setting juice and fruit on the table for everyone.
Watching the two approaches together, Mitchell commented, "Why do I feel a tinge of envy?"
Liam laughed, "Right? Doesn’t it all look so perfect? Just the other day, Matthew was asking me how to chase a girl. Did he really win her over that fast?"
Raising an eyebrow, Mitchell looked at Liam, "For real? Matthew's wising up. But why'd he ask you instead of me?"
Liam threw his hands up, "How should I know, bro? Go ask Matthew yourself!"
Victor remained silent, mentally noting that it seemed like Matthew had heeded his advice, ready to enter the fray fairly.
Everyone politely said, "Sister, don't fuss anymore. Come sit and have something to eat with us."
"Come on, Sis, try these chicken wings I made." Willow Nelson approached with a small bowl filled with freshly grilled delights and handed it to Madison.
Madison gratefully accepted the bowl and smiled, "Thanks, Willow."
The sizzling sound of the juicy meats on the grill and the mouthwatering aroma drew everyone closer.
Patrick, along with Quentin and Hannah, came down from upstairs, drawn by the scent. They'd been busy with their toys, but the tantalizing smell lured them away, eager to join the feast.
The barbecue sauce was a Madison original, making it uniquely different from anything store-bought.
That aroma hit the taste buds just right, and with freshly squeezed juices, everyone was giving thumbs up all around.
Madison was pleasantly surprised to see everyone enjoying her cooking so much, especially since almost all the food she prepared was gobbled up.
With a focus on the barbecue, the fruit was left largely untouched.
After everyone finished eating, Madison started clearing the table. Willow, Daniel, and Ophelia joined in to help, while Patrick took charge of entertaining the kids, leading them upstairs to play with the toys.
Matthew was in charge of snuffing out the charcoal in the grill.
The group was stuffed from lunch, but the conversation still flowed effortlessly among them.
To keep everyone entertained, Madison suggested playing some cards. The guys hit it off immediately and opted for a mahjong game, even having a new mahjong table delivered straight to the villa.
Besides Steven, who was looking after the kids, the four men made a perfect game.
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