XLIII
At last the day of Josephine and Charlotteās wedding came along. A day Charlotte had been dreading but looking forward to so much. At last she could put a seal on the love she felt towards her lover. At last she would be able to say to the world that Josephine was the one for her, and that it was her intention to stay with her until death did them part. She was equally worried about her pregnancy, now so obvious and such an added burden to her otherwise slim frame. But although biologically the unborn child couldnāt have been Josephineās, she felt that it was spiritually. The baby for which they had both worked so hard, and which was almost certainly conceived while Josephine was there in the mass of male and female flesh of their lovemaking.
Josephine was happy. She dearly loved Charlotte and could imagine no better lover and companion. But not everyone was as happy as Charlotte and Josephine. Charlotteās parents were horrified. They refused to even acknowledge their wedding invitation, something which brought Charlotte to tears of rage and disappointment. How could they care so little for their daughter and her happiness? They even refused to meet Josephine, and neither of the girls had the courage to visit them uninvited. Their refusal to go was for reasons which brought back to Charlotte bitter memories of their reaction when she announced to them, first that she was gay and second that she was a naturist. They believed that same sex marriages were nothing more than a mockery, that Charlotteās pregnancy revealed her to be merely a slut who really shouldnāt cast a shadow on their threshold, and that Josephine herself was almost certainly the cause of their darling daughterās depravity. The fact that it was to be a naturist wedding was scarcely likely to have added to their enthusiasm to witness her nuptials.
Josephineās parents, on the other hand, were much more understanding. Although they had no enthusiasm for their daughterās chosen career and failed to comprehend what it might be that their darling daughter saw in another woman, they took the effort to meet Charlotte whose nudity at first disturbed them, but to which they gradually got accustomed. It was just another life-style choice they reasoned, and not one that actually caused anyone any harm. They had great misgivings about going to a naturist wedding. They were not naturists, and indeed found the whole thing faintly ridiculous. They were pleased to see that nudity was optional and was certainly not expected of them. They were assured that great efforts would be made to ensure that textiles such as they were not going to feel excluded.
It was also reassuring that it wasnāt their daughter who was pregnant, and that, in respect to their own feelings, Josephine was not going to be naked herself. In fact, she went into the business of choosing a wedding dress with an enthusiasm which Charlotte, who was of course excluded from so doing, found quite curious. She and Susan visited countless shops which sold matrimonial wear before selecting a relatively modest, faintly golden wedding dress which they felt suited her. Charlotte restricted herself to just a veil and a garter. Any more than that and it just wouldnāt be right!
She was filled with trepidation as she waited in the church foyer for her fiancƩe to arrive. She felt horribly conscious of her prominent stomach. Just as much as she felt that marriage was the right thing when a baby was involved, so too did she feel that gravidity was not really the appropriate condition for such a solemn occasion. She stood with Emma who had the role of would give her away to Josephine and who was naturally not at all self-conscious about her nakedness.
Not that they were the only naked people there. The choir was similarly nude, as of course was the minister, who wore only the dog-collar which symbolised his office. Also many, but not most, of their guests were naked. There was Maisie excitedly chatting by Emmaās side, who was as comfortable as Emma in her nakedness. There was Susanās large-breasted lover, Rosemary, who was nervously sat next to Amna and her bizarrely tattooed friend. Rosemary was naked and very much aware of the attention her enormous breasts attracted, whether she crossed her arms over her breasts or under them. Amna and Fluff were also naked, although both of them had chosen to wear large hats which had the advantage in Fluffās case of obscuring her vulgar facial tattoo. Much as Charlotte enjoyed menās penises, and had enjoyed more than a few on her hen-night several nights ago, she felt that erect penises were not really appropriate in a church; even a naturist one. Next to the two girls were Salim and Fatima covered by their chadors. There was Enid, also naked, sitting by the clothed figures of Edward and Hyacinth. And several naked figures from work. And also the stunningly well-dressed, if slightly haughty figure of Tanya, a woman who Emma had insisted on inviting, and who Charlotte knew was playing a bigger role in her best friendās life. There was also Harriet whoād hurried back from an engagement in Ottawa to be there with her lover.
And then, finally, and sending Charlotteās heart into a frenzy of activity, arrived Josephine escorted by the naked figure of Susan. Although Josephineās dress felt slightly out of place in a naturist church, Charlotte had to admit that it did suit her very well. As always, Josephine displayed excellent restraint and taste in her choice. Susan handed Josephine over to Charlotte, who, as she took her loverās hand in hers, was aware of how much she was also nervous and sweating from the excitement and anticipation of this the day which would seal their love forever.
The two of them hadnāt made love together since their hen-night, which had been a full orgy to which theyād invited all their friends and a number of willing men (one of which was more than likely the real father of their child). Charlotte enjoyed all the fucking, though she doubted it was as much appreciated by her unborn child whose first kicks sheād felt during a particularly frenetic session with three, or was it four, lovers. And she kept her eyes on her dear Josephine who also enjoyed her own heterosexual coupling under Emmaās faintly disapproving eye. Since that day, as tradition demanded, sheād not seen Josephine and had only spoken to her, and then at length, over the phone. Charlotte invited Emma to stay in the flat which had once been Emmaās as well and came to enjoy several nights of passion with the woman who would always remain her best friend, even though one, she was now resigned to admitting, who could never displace Josephine in her affections. Her lover had been staying with Susan, and she was sure that the two of them had also enjoyed many hours of lovemaking together, almost certainly together with Susanās bizarrely proportioned girlfriend.