I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.
https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon
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Chapter 28: The Cheesecake Factory Incident
Phil stretched as he settled into the booth at The Cheesecake Factory, sighing in satisfaction. "Boys, you earned this."
Across from him, Jon, Luke, and Manny dug into their menus, each already plotting their meal choices.
"I still think we should've gotten a cut of the commission," Jon said, smirking.
Phil waved a hand. "You got paid in wisdom, experience, and—" he gestured to the restaurant, "—whatever you want from the menu."
Luke grinned. "Then I'm getting the most expensive thing here."
Manny adjusted his napkin. "I'll be judging this meal based on its presentation and depth of flavor."
Jon glanced at him. "Manny, it's The Cheesecake Factory, not a five-star restaurant."
Manny sniffed. "Good food is good food, regardless of location."
Phil chuckled. "Alright, Gordon Ramsay. Just don't make the waiter cry."
They placed their orders, and before long, their table was filled with plates of burgers, pasta, and other delicious dishes.
"Man, we really pulled it off, huh?" Luke said, taking a massive bite of his burger. "I mean, sure, Dad almost got eaten by a bush, but we still got everything done."
Phil scoffed. "That bush came out of nowhere."
Jon smirked. "Pretty sure it was always there, Phil."
Manny sipped his water. "The real question is, how did anyone take Phil seriously after watching him wrestle with landscaping?"
Phil held up a finger. "Ah! That's where charm and confidence come in. I played it off like it was all part of the plan."
Jon grinned. "So you meant to fall into the bush?"
Phil shrugged. "I meant to make an impression. Mission accomplished."
They all laughed, enjoying the meal and trading jokes about the chaos of the open house. But then, in an instant, everything changed.
Jon's head snapped up. His entire posture shifted—his relaxed, easy-going demeanor vanished as he suddenly moved.
Phil barely had time to register what was happening before Jon was out of his seat and rushing toward the table behind him.
Phil turned, his mind trying to catch up. Behind him, a couple sat at a table. They looked to be in their late fifties, more than a decade older than Phil. But that wasn't what caught his attention.
It was the man—his face was red, his hands clawing at his throat, his eyes wide with panic.
He was choking.
And before Phil could even process it, Jon was already there.
Jon positioned himself behind the man in one smooth motion, wrapping his arms around him and performing the Heimlich maneuver with practiced ease.
One quick thrust. Then another. And then—
A piece of food flew from the man's mouth, landing harmlessly on the table.
Silence.
Then, a collective gasp from the surrounding diners.
The man hunched forward, coughing, his wife frantically patting his back. He took in deep, desperate breaths, his color slowly returning.
Then, the restaurant erupted in applause.
Phil could hardly believe what he had just seen.
Jon had reacted faster than anyone in the room.
He had saved a man's life.
The man turned, still breathing heavily, and looked up at Jon with wide, grateful eyes. "Thank you… oh my God, thank you."
Jon just smiled, his usual easygoing nature returning as if nothing had happened. "No problem."
His wife, still shaken, gripped Jon's hands. "Young man, you are an angel. I—I don't even know what to say."
Jon nodded. "Just glad you're okay."
And then, just as casually as he had left, Jon walked back to their table and sat down like nothing had happened.
Phil blinked. Luke and Manny stared at Jon like he had just revealed he had superpowers.
"Dude," Luke finally said, "are you secretly Spider-Man?"
Jon snorted. "If I was, you think I'd still be taking the bus?"
Manny shook his head. "No, but seriously… that was incredible."
Phil leaned forward, his voice full of admiration. "Jon, where the heck did you learn to do that?"
Jon took a sip of his drink. "The dojo I trained at when I was younger also offered a bunch of first aid and emergency response courses. Whenever I got bored, I signed up for them."
Phil raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so… you just casually learned lifesaving techniques for fun?"
Jon shrugged. "Yeah."
Phil stared at him for a second, trying not to look as impressed as he actually was.
Luke, however, did not hide his awe.
"You're, like… the coolest person I know," Luke said, still looking at Jon like he might start flying at any second.
Manny nodded. "I'm actually a little annoyed. You're good at everything. It's unfair."
Jon laughed. "I promise I'm not good at everything."
Phil, despite himself, found it really hard to believe that.
After finishing their dinner (which now felt a lot more eventful than expected), Phil drove Jon and Manny back to the Pritchett house with Luke in sitting in the passenger seat.
As they pulled into the driveway, Phil glanced at Jon through the rearview mirror.
"You know," Phil said, "I've been in some wild situations before. But I gotta say, watching a high schooler being calm and collected in an emergency? That's new."
Jon smirked. "Glad I could keep things interesting."
Phil chuckled, shaking his head. "You, kid, are something else."
Jon just grinned as he stepped out of the car.
Phil watched as Jon and Manny headed toward the house, shaking his head in amusement.
Jon was cool.
Like, way too cool.
But Phil would never admit it out loud.
He had his dad pride to protect, after all.