LOVING THE DEVIL [02]

Chapter 36. [part 01]

CHAPTER 36: green? at a baby shower?

[the first of the baby shower because heck, this is a long event]

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"You look so beautiful," I spoke as I finished braiding Sofia's hair. She sat in front of the mirror, cradling her bump under the baby blue material of her dress, "do you want me to leave you to finish getting ready? I need to help Zane with refreshments."

"Oh, you go ahead. I'll be fine," she told me as I watched her stand up with quite the struggle and head over to her bed where her necklace sat waiting for her to wear. Quickly, I thanked her and made my way downstairs to the kitchen where trays upon trays of refreshments remained.

Zane was in the garden greeting guests who came round the back. Most of them were my aunts who I tried to avoid at all costs for my sake otherwise I would go mad. My father and aunt Jennifer were also there but on the other side of the garden and under the shade.

"Miss, should I start handing out drinks?" Nellie asked me, pouring a bottle of bubbly into some glasses on a tray, "I presume the guests would be rather thirsty on a day like today—it might just be the hottest day of the year yet."

"Ugh, I know, this heat is going to make serving desserts a struggle, but anyway—yes, please, hand out the drinks to the guests—oh, Elaine, do you mind also helping with the ice in the storage room?" I asked politely as I carefully counted each of the trays containing food. One was full of sandwiches, cut into triangles whilst another was full of small square pastries containing strawberry jam inside.

There were two trays containing small bowls of fruit salad as well as two other trays containing long pieces of garlic bread upon them. Towards the middle of the marble island, there was an assortment of drinks from lemonade to martini. A few bottles of juice and fizzy drinks also joined the cluster for the children. Saying Zane went to a lot of trouble is an understatement, to say the least. He wanted to make it a memorable day for everyone, but especially for his wife so he wanted to make it perfect with no setbacks and complications.

How many people were coming? That was a question I didn't know the answer to. I was probably one of many people invited to come here and a lot of people who were probably invited were business associates.

The presents were gathering on the table by the porch now, a lot of them wrapped in a range of shades of blue and pink with the tags of who they were from. I saw the occasional bow and swirly ribbon on some of the presents, but I think nothing could beat my present to them. It sat there square in the middle, a bigger box than the others containing a range of baby things I think Sofia would find adorable for her child. Okay, I may have got carried away considering it was only meant to be a small present for the little one.

"Are all the guests here?" I heard someone ask from the wooden double doors that led into the the entry hall. Sofia stood there, checking over the people outside as I shrugged, "Zane didn't want to invite most of his family, but I insisted because they would be after him if he didn't. So would the paps and I doubt that's what he needs right now."