The Wedding 53

The Wedding...What could go wrong?

A short story.

Editor: Hannah, assisted me by checking spelling and grammar mistakes and providing storyline assistance. All other errors are mine.

Disclaimer: All characters involved in sexual situations are 18 or older. Copyright and a work of fiction.

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It was a long six-hour trip to attend the wedding of Alice and Ted in Alice's hometown. Bob was to be Ted's best man, and Carol, his wife, the matron of honor. Both eagerly looked forward to the celebration. The couple piled into the car, with Carol taking the wheel for the first two hours of freeway driving before switching with Bob for narrower minor-highway for the remaining four.

"I hope this road gets wider soon," Carol remarked, frowning as Bob navigated through narrow country lanes. "I'm not a big fan of these narrow roads at high speed."

Bob chuckled, "Don't worry, Carol. I grew up driving on these country roads. You'll get used to it!"

As they passed a truck, Carol couldn't help but voice her concerns, "Bob, slow down! You're going too fast!"

Bob reassured her, "Relax, Carol, I've got it under control."

They engaged in lively banter and laughter throughout the journey, reminiscing about their time at University. Carol and Alice met during their second year in a business management and accountancy course. Alice had been healing from a broken heart, and while she didn't share many details, Bob and Carol were there to support her unconditionally.

Carol chimed in, "Remember how we took Alice under our wing? Those were some memorable times!"

Bob nodded, "Absolutely! And look where it led her - to Ted."

As to Bob and Carol's love story, they had met in their second year and instantly clicked, staying together ever since. Six months after graduation, they tied the knot and were about to witness another union.

Carol replied, "I think Alice was jealous of our happiness at our wedding. Most of our close fellow students who attended were at the time engaged to be married also. So when out of the blue, Ted asked Alice to marry him she said, 'yes'. I'm not sure if it's going to be a marriage made in heaven?"

The sun began to set as they approached the outskirts of Alice's hometown. Looking forward to Alice and Ted's wedding celebration. Little did they know this joyous occasion would be etched in their memories forever?

Bob and Carol arrived at the hotel just before five in the afternoon, booked in, and retired to their room. The first thing they both did was check their wedding outfits, making sure they were hanging nicely in the wardrobe. Ted and Alice had organized their arrival meticulously. "I can't believe the big day is almost here," Carol exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm just glad everything seems to be falling into place," Bob replied with a smile.

"I've made cups of coffee for us, I was thirsty after the long trip and had frayed nerves, and your high speed driving didn't help." Carol said as she handed Bob a steaming cup.

With little time to spare before the five pm wedding rehearsal at the church, we quickly freshened up with a shower. I was hoping for a quickie, but Carol said playfully, "No, I don't want to be leaking all night." Making Bob chuckle.

"Okay, come on, Carol, we should hurry. We don't want to be late for the rehearsal," Bob urged.

The rehearsal at the church went smoothly, and we were out with fifteen minutes to spare before dinner. At our cars, Ted handed Bob the wedding rings in a felt-covered case. Bob quickly checked to ensure everything was in order. Alice chimed in with a teasing smile, "You won't lose them, will you?" giving Ted a dark look!

***

Alice told Carol as they walked to the restaurant front door. She had only met Ted's parents twice before and was not enamored with them. Saying, "After all, I'm not marrying his parents, am I?" Carol didn't reply.

During dinner, Carol and Bob had the chance to meet both sets of parents. Bob was particularly impressed with Alice's father, Bill, a six-foot-three Sergeant Major, now retired, who ran a successful homegrown security service. Alice's mother, Jenny, a few inches shorter than Bill, held a prominent position in a local charity organization.

On the other hand, Ted's father, Herbert, was a short, rounded-belly, balding man who didn't leave the best impression on Bob. Herbert frequently interrupted conversations, showing an over-inflated opinion of himself. He held the position of a middle-level hospital administrator in their hometown. Making a bigger deal out of it more than was necessary, in Bob's opinion.

Alice, too, noticed Herbert's autocratic way and his dominance over his wife, Betty. Who appeared timid and carried a bit more weight for her size. Herbert continually ordered her around, and she quickly obliged without any appreciation from him. This observation only strengthened Alice's resolve not to be a docile wife - she was proud of her achievements and didn't intend to be overshadowed by her husband. Alice had a degree, Ted had only managed to obtain a diploma.

Later that evening, while sitting across the table, Bill told Bob the intriguing story of how his security business began. It all started with a chance meeting when he was asked by a friend, the CEO of a local department store, to act as a personal bodyguard for a month or two due to threats from an ex-employee. The success of that venture led to a very prosperous five-year business. Nowadays, Bill has taken on a management role. The firm employed younger ex-military personnel who provided personal security services for politicians and even a visiting Church Bishop.

As the evening progressed, Carol and Bob felt a growing sense of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming wedding. Little did they know that the events unfolding during the dinner would only add to the uniqueness of the celebration?

The evening finished on a positive note, with all looking forward to the wedding ceremony the following day.

***

While dressing for bed, Carol told Bob about her chat with Ted's mother, Betty. Saying, "It took a lot of work to get her to talk about herself, her likes or dislikes, hard to ascertain her character. She appears to be a very private woman!"

"Did you get a chance to speak with Alice's mother?" Bob asked Carol.

"Yes, she seems like a lovely woman. We had interesting conversations on many different subjects," Carol replied. "However, Ted's father appeared to be a bit of a letch and kept staring at my breasts. He reminded me of a younger Ted."

"I noticed that, too," Bob said with a chuckle. "He couldn't take his eyes off you."

Carol rolled my eyes playfully. "Well, let's hope he doesn't cause any trouble during the wedding tomorrow."

The following day, the bridal party gathered for a mid-morning wedding brunch in the hotel's restaurant. Bob and Carol had returned to their room by noon. Carol was feeling a bit frisky and they had a good round of sex. Unfortunately, they both fell asleep and were now running late for the wedding.

To Bob's astonishment, the suit had the wrong-sized pants - they were much too large. Bob quickly rang Ted as he had organized the wedding suits locally.

"Hey, Ted, we've got a problem with the suit pants," Bob explained.

Ted, who was waiting outside the church for his best man, replied, "Oh no, what happened?"

"The pants are way too big. I can't wear them," Bob said, feeling frustrated.

Ted suggested, "Just wear any pants, for now, and get here before the bride does the wedding march. I'll figure something out."

Ted then retired to the church and took his place on the altar steps.

While waiting there, he noticed another guest sitting on the bride's side wearing the same coat as him. He could see the guest's coat and pants were a mismatch.

Curious, Ted wandered over to introduce himself to the guest.

"Hi, I'm Ted. I couldn't help but notice our outfits seem to be similar?"

Peter introduced himself, chuckling - he replied, "Yes, it's quite a funny situation. I ordered this rental suit online and had them delivered to the hotel. The pants I got were too small, so I left them in the hotel room."

"That's quite a mix-up indeed. I have an idea where your pants are. Let me call Bob and see if we can sort this out." Ted said.

Ted phoned Bob, explained the switch, and suggested he go to the reception counter. Peter then called the hotel's reception so they could get the pants from his room and give them to Bob, who would bring the larger pants for Peter to change into.

As all this was happening, Ted called Alice's father, explaining the unfolding events and asked if they could delay their arrival at the church.

Minutes later, Carol received a call from Alice, asking where we were. "We are just passing the bridal car, parked a block from the church now," Carol replied, realizing they were running late.

Bob rushed into the church and up to the altar. A man standing next to Ted reached out his hand for the larger pants and proceeded to the lavatory to change.

Then, the unexpected happened. Reverend John asked Bob, "Have you got the rings?"

Bob's face turned pale, and stammered, "I left them on the bedside drawer and forgot them in all the confusion."

"Not to worry," John responded, "I have spares in the vestry." He walked off to get them and returned, passing them to Bob. "These will do in a pinch."

Bob, still flustered, asked, "How did you come to have these rings?"

Reverend John began to share a rather amusing story. "A wedding five years ago erupted into a fight between the bride and groom's parents, resulting in the groom's father punching the bride's father. The two wives got involved as well - it was a shambles."

"In the end, the bride and groom rushed off and went straight to the airport, catching an early flight to the honeymoon location." John continued, "I heard later that they married on the island without any parents involved. So, they left the rings here and never returned to claim them. I've used them several times over the intervening years for emergencies like this."

By now, the bride and her father had arrived at the back of the church, and the organist proceeded to play the bridal march. The wedding was finally underway.

As both the bride and groom were wired with radio microphones, the congregation could hear all that was going on as the wedding service progressed.

Finally, the moment came when the Reverend announced, "If anyone can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Suddenly, a female voice called out from the back of the church, "I object."

The whole church turned to see a well-endowed blonde woman of twenty or more years dressed in tattered jeans and a t-shirt walking down the aisle, holding a ring aloft in her fingers.

"Shit," Ted muttered under his breath. However, his words were picked up by the public address system and heard by all.

"Two weekends ago," the blonde woman said, pointing at the groom, "he promised to marry me and gave me this ring to seal the vow."

The room fell silent, and Alice looked at Ted in tears. "You said the rings were stolen from the car?" she screamed.

By now, the whole church was involved in the ongoing drama, waiting for the next revelation.

Without answering his bride, Ted asked the blonde, "Ho...how...did you find me?"

"Simple," replied the blonde. "I looked at the newspaper wedding announcements until I saw your name."

Ted felt cornered, "I... I didn't know she would show up here."

By now, Alice had tears streaming down her cheeks and asked the blonde, "So do you want to marry him?"

The blonde woman scoffed, "HELL NO, I don't want to marry him. He cheated on you the whole weekend; why would I want him?"

Alice's anger erupted physically, and started hitting Ted with her fists, crying out, "You...Asshole, you...cheating bastard."

Her father quickly pulled her into a hug to calm her down. "Alice, don't let this ruin your life," he said reassuringly, giving Ted a dirty look.

Alice looked at her loving father's face and said, "Daddy, get rid of this piece of shit."

With a quick glance at the groom's parents, the bride's father grabbed the groom by the coat collar and pants belt and frog-marched him out of the church's side door, giving him a swift kick in the ass for good measure. The groom's parents meekly followed him out, too ashamed to remain any longer. Fortunately or unfortunately depending how you looked at it, they had put no money toward the wedding or reception.

The bride turned to her parents, saying, "What am I going to do now?"

Amid the chaos, a timid voice from the back of the church said, "I say...Alice!"

All heads turned to see a man sitting in the shadows. The bride put her hand to her brow and squinted to see better. "Is that you, Doug?"

In the silence, a pin could be heard to drop.

Standing up, he replied, "Yes, Alice."

The tension in the room was palpable as everyone awaited Alice's response.

"Why are you here? I thought you were still in the Army, overseas?" Alice asked, her voice trembling.

"I took a thirty-day furlough to attend your wedding to wish you well for your future marriage," Doug replied.

Stunned, Alice thought, 'How like Doug to do such a thing, no thoughts of himself, only others.'

"How did you know about my wedding?" Alice asked curiously.

"I found your Facebook page six months ago," Doug explained.

"So why didn't you contact me sooner?" Alice questioned, feeling a mix of emotions.

"I just returned to the country a week ago," Doug replied.

"So, you know everything!" Alice exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed.

"I do, Alice," Doug said sincerely.

In a loud voice, Alice cried out, "I still love you, Doug. I've always loved you."

"I know, Alice and I still love you, too," Doug responded.

In the silence that followed, all waited for Alice's next words. She looked at the attending crowd and spoke, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Douglas, known as Doug. In the famous words of that game show TV personality, 'DOUG, COME ON DOWN'."

The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers, happy for the unexpected turn of events.

As Doug made his way along the pew and started down the aisle, Alice ran a commentary of their history. "Doug and my family lived next door to each other. We used to bathe together when we were three and four. We pledged to marry each other when we were ten. Then, as we started high school, Doug's father, a policeman, had to take up a new position for advancement, so they moved far away. We wrote to each other regularly, but the letters finally dried up after nine months, and we lost contact."

Taking a breath, Alice continued, "Then, low and behold, we met again at University, and the old feelings returned, reigniting the flame of romance. Twelve months later, Doug got called up for national service. We promised to meet in three years. I would graduate, and we would finally get married. Nine months later, I got a final letter from Doug. He explained that his squad was to be transferred to a combat zone, and he didn't expect to survive. He suggested I forget him and date other men, in the event he didn't make it back. That was the last letter I got, even though I wrote three more in response. So, you see, I met Ted, and what a right turd he turned out to be."

By now, Doug was at her side, taking his hand. Alice dropped to one knee and said, "Will you marry me, Douglas?"

The assembly held its breath, waiting for his reply.

"YES, of course, I will marry you, Alice. We pledged to do this some fifteen years ago," Doug said with a warm smile.

The congregation erupted into unanimous applause. Doug faced Alice's father and they shook hands. Then he turned to Bob and asked, "Bob, are you happy to be my best man?"

Bob grinned, replying, "Carol and I were more friends with Alice than Ted." He held out his hand to Doug, and they shook on it.

Holding hands, Alice and Doug anxiously turned to Reverend John and asked, "Can we do this?"

"Sure, we will scribble out Ted and substitute Douglas," John said with a chuckle.

Reverend John addressed the congregation, saying, "Third time's a charm," in an Irish accent.

The service resumed, and this time, it proceeded without any further drama.

***

Upon returning from their honeymoon, Alice shared with her father that Doug had studied and received a degree in Information Technology, specializing in Communications and Networking security during his time in the Army. He had only three months left before retiring from the military. Bill was impressed and quickly hired Doug to work in his homegrown security business.

With their combined savings and income, Alice and Doug quickly put a down payment on a home, and six months later, Alice announced that she was pregnant.

Two years later, Bob and Carol, now parents of twins, moved into the same city as Alice and Doug, buying a house just two doors away.

Like Alice, Carol became a stay-at-home mother, while Bob started an independent land surveying business.

Alice and Doug were happily married for the rest of their lives. Their union bore three children and many grandchildren, and they cherished every moment together until death did them part.

And so, the tale of Alice and Doug's wedding day became legendary in the family, retold with laughter and joy in gatherings for generations to come.

THE END

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