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."
