Love In The Garden And Spiked Drinks

"Julie, have you met Luke's fiancee?" Bailey, one of Luke's aunts called out to Julie who was passing by them without noticing them. She turned around and saw Luke, Freya, Bailey and Sally, another of his aunts standing there conversing amongst themselves.

Julie let out a fake smile when her eyes landed on Luke, "Luke, I didn't know you've arrived. How are you?"

"I'm good." He said tightly realizing how she was ignoring Freya. Bailey and Sally didn't look surprised at her reaction because almost everyone knew she wanted Lucy to marry Luke. Freya continued to smile, not minding how Julie was acting because in the end, she was the one marrying Luke.

"Let me call Lucy to come and meet you." Julie said, but Luke protested, "There's no need for that."

"I'll be right back." Julie stated and walked away to another table.

"We have to greet Nana, if you'll excuse us." Luke told his aunties and took Freya's hand pulling her to another side of the room.

"Are you using Nana as an excuse to get away from meeting Lucy?" Freya inquired with a chuckle.

"Yes, and we also need to greet her before she finds us herself." He said smiling as they reached Nana's table where other aunties and uncles were sitting at the table.

"Nana, how are you?"

"Oh Luke, I'll get better when I start seeing you more." Nana said to Luke then turned her attention to Freya when she heard her say, "How are you doing, Nana?"

"I'm fine, child. Congrats! I heard that you are now engaged to my grandson, so these are your aunties and uncles now." Nana gestured to the three uncles with their wives and their child and two aunties.

Freya exchanged greetings with them and they all welcomed her with open arms. Nana seemed to have also accepted her since she noticed how Luke loved her.

"Happy engagement-" One of the uncles started when they heard, "Luke!"

They all turned around to see Lucy rushing towards them with a drink in hand and Julie. Luke cringed, not wanting to deal with her while Freya watched her carefully. "I am so glad you're here, I thought that you may not make it because you haven't been answering my calls, and I guessed it's because you're so busy with work."

Lucy said excitedly while Julie started conversing with one of the aunties.

"Yeah, have you heard about my engagement?" He said pointedly as he intertwined his fingers with Freya.

Lucy glanced at their intertwined hands and grimaced while trying to smile, it was obvious that she was annoyed. Everyone including all the aunties, uncles and Nana watched their interaction with amusement wanting to see Lucy's reaction to Luke's engagement.

"Yes, so how is work at the office? When do you need a new secretary? You know I gave you my CV because I'm available for work." Lucy changed the subject, not wanting to acknowledge their engagement and kept talking in a snobby tone.

"I don't need one right now. Freya, do you want to go get a drink?" Luke turned his attention to Freya, and she nodded, "Yeah, I need one."

Lucy's face turned into a scowl, looking angry at how he dismissed her and turned to Freya. As they made a move to pass her to get the drinks, she pretended to trip and threw the contents of her cup in Freya's direction, but Freya saw her and quickly stepped aside and the drink splashed on Julie who Freya just passed.

"Oh, no." Lucy whispered looking even more angry as Julie gasped, and Freya tried to hide a smile knowing that Lucy meant to splash her, but instead splashed her mother. Luke watched the scene first and then tugged on Freya's hand for them to go. The people at the table except Nana who looked on disapprovingly, looked like they wanted to laugh.

"You should watch yourself while walking, Lucy." She heard Julie saying in a barely contained angry voice, "And you ruined my dress!"

Freya reached the drinks table with Luke before he turned to her, "I'm sorry about Lucy and her mom, they keep acting like I have to be with her."

"It's alright, Luke. I understand, I only hope that they would accept that you're engaged now." He smiled then gestured to the table, "Which drink do you want?"

She looked at all the punch bowls in different colors and bottled drinks on one side on the table with glass cups and was about to choose when Lucy thrusted a drink in front of her face. "Here, I got it for you."

Freya looked at her with both eyebrows raised, not believing her for a minute. She took the drink nonethless while Luke looked surprised at the whole interaction. "Thanks, Lucy."

She didn't drink it and just held onto it while Lucy stared at her like she was waiting for something, "Aren't you going to drink it?"

Lucy finally asked when she realized Freya won't be drinking it anytime soon. Freya glanced at her, "I will, why are you so eager to see me drink it?"

"I'm not eager to see you drink it. Oh, there's mom." Lucy changed the subject the second time that night and she grabbed her mom's arm, talking to her in a low voice. Freya used that opportunity to exchange her drink with another drink in the same cup on the table, and Luke nodded as he watched her.

"You're right in not taking the drink, we don't know what she put inside after 'accidentally' spilling her drink in your direction." Luke said letting on that he also knew that Lucy wanted to spill her drink on Freya.

"Yeah." She agreed as she sipped the drink.

He took her hand without the drink. "Baby, come, let me show you somewhere."

He led her to the back of the mansion through a back door. They entered a beautiful garden with some shrubs cut into animal shapes and bright flowers everywhere. "Wow! This is breathtaking."

"Yeah, do you like it?"

He took them to a bench that was beside some beautiful flowers; roses, lilies, peonies and more. She took a sip of her drink again then placed it on the ground beside her.

"I love it." She said grinning, and he took in her smile looking mesmerised. He let out his own smile, "I used to come here before I moved out, I would come here to do some home work when I was in high school and college while enjoying the flowers' fresh scents."

"It must have been nice."

"It was, but now, It's amazing with you here." He raised his hand and brushed away some of her hair from her face. He placed his hand on her cheek and caressed it as he stared into her eyes and she stared right back into his brown eyes.

He leaned closer and she felt her herself leaning closer too like she was being pulled to him. His gaze fell to her lips and her eyes locked on his lips too as they leaned closer and closer to each other.

"There you are!" Iris exclaimed as she aproached them, and they jumped apart, Freya's face heating up with a blush. Iris noticed the tension and Freya's flustered face.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?"

"We were going to come in soon, why were you looking for us?" Luke spoke in a deep husky voice due to the previous situation.

"Your father is about to give his birthday toast."

He nodded and stood up with Freya doing the same. "Alright, let's go back in."

They walked back inside to see Jack standing at his table in the middle of the room which was also Luke and Freya's table. He had a drink in his hand as he began his speech, thanking everyone for coming.

The three of them all sat at the table close to each other and Jack, and Freya noticed the four people from earlier sitting with them.

"I would also like to wish my son, Luke and his Fiancee, a happy engagement, we will be waiting to hear the wedding date." Jack said at the end of his speech and sat down as people clapped.

The waiters came in then and started placing plates of food in front of everyone. As they ate, they conversed with Jack seeming interested in the type of cases she gets at their firm. Some minutes after eating, Lucy and Julie approached them, Lucy looking angry and Julie looking drunk while Lucy dragged her on.

"Freya! Why did you give you my mom your drink?"

"I didn't, why would you think I did?" That seemed to make Lucy's scowl deepen.

"I gave you that drink, but you're not drunk and she is!" Lucy didn't seem to realize what she said until it was too late and her eyes widened.

"Lucy, you spiked Freya's drink?" Luke asked with a clenched jaw and Freya placed a hand on his arm. He turned to her and she shook her head, she knew that when he said who knew what she put in the drink, he probably meant her spitting in it or putting hot sauce in, but they both never thought that she would go as far as spiking her drink.

"Lucy! How can you spike Freya's drink? That's unacceptable." Jack said also looking angry about what she did to Freya and about her making a scene in front of his guests.

"I-I." Lucy started, not knowing what to say as Julie laughed drunkily, "You look funn-y."

She pointed at Jack tilting her head, she laughed again with tears in her eyes. "Go and find a seat to sit down with your mother, Lucy." Jack gritted out and Lucy looked scared for a moment realizing that he was very angry at her.

She glared at Freya and started to turn away when Nana walked up to the table, "Jack, someone stole my necklace."