Double Wedding
Keywords: Double, Wedding,
1 2 3 4 5 6 Next
I was about to marry my childhood sweetheart Paula Rother. I loved her and she loved me but it hadn't been straightforward. After school she went to Manchester University while I went to work at a local accountants as a lowly paid junior clerk. She said we where inseparable but during the two years she was away she met Graham. I was heart broken and knew I was beaten. He was incredibly bright, handsome, popular and with wealthy parents. Apparently everything he did was successful and predictably he left university with a 2.1 in law and a certain future. I on the other hand was unskilled, of slight build, quite and shy, an orphan with an unsure future. The only marked difference being that Graham was an arrogant ruthless bastard whilst I was not. Despite his charm and obvious assets it hurt me to think of Paula with him.
After University they came back to our hometown and lived together with her parents with the intention of marrying. Her mother was made up. Now her beautiful daughter had met a man worthy of her affections. I always knew she viewed me as unsuitable. Six months home and they had both secured good jobs in the city at the same prestigious law firm and announced they where to wed. They organised a lavish engagement party and he bought her a beautiful sparkling diamond ring. I was incredibly jealous yet I had a suspicion that Paula was not happy. On the surface they seemed an idyllic couple, loving and caring but underneath I could see cracks forming with the relationship. I knew her well and sensed all was not right.
I took my chance and homed in. She saw me secretly and told me about her mothers ambitious wedding plans, how she hated the idea of a church wedding and that her mother intended to see her wed in her old wedding dress but I didn't care as when we where together it was as if we had never split. She complained about Graham a lot. He apparently (surprise) was rude, arrogant, selfish, scruffy and impolite. None of which I was and she missed it yet I couldn't seem to persuade her to change her mind.
I was still thrilled and then one night when Graham stayed in London on business she slept with me at my tiny flat. It was like old times and she was intensely happy. On the spur of the moment I bent down on one knee and using an old coke can ring pull as a ring, proposed. I laid my heart on the line, confessed my true feelings and told her of my fears with her and Graham. She was stunned into silence and remained speechless for what seemed like minutes. Eventually she spoke and what she said sent shivers down my spine.
'Yes,' she said.
I couldn't believe her at first but she confessed to having doubts with Graham and how I was her first love. She told me of the pressure her mother put her under and she felt railroaded into the relationship.
This was a fabulous development but not everyone was pleased. When Paula broke the news to her mother she was furious. I was back on the scene and she was incredibly disappointed that I'd, so called, ruined her daughters' life. She tried to dissuade me as expected and put Paula off. She called me effeminate, a hopeless man, a born loser unable to father children but I didn't care, Paula was going to be mine. Graham, as you can imagine was equally pissed off I even thought he might hit me but after a few weeks of hurling abuse and a threatening letter he moved out from Paula's and seemed to disappear off the scene or so I thought.
It was a simple matter of simply changing his name to mine on the invites. Paula's Mother was still furious of course. And now I had the problem of the service and the dress. Paula's mum wanted her princess to have a fairytale wedding with all the trimmings but as I knew, Paula didn't. She wasn't the type, she was a tomboy and rarely wore a skirt let alone a dress and she just didn't appreciate the pomp and ceremony of a church wedding. The mere thought of wearing her mothers beautiful wedding dress filled her with horror. Myself, I couldn't see the fuss and one day I walked into her room and saw her mother's famed dress hanging on a tailor's mannequin. To my surprise I took a deep breath, my legs weak and I felt giddy. It was breathtaking but try as I might I couldn't imagine Paula wearing it.
Alone I studied it closer. The dress was snow white and the ornate bodice had little pearls or beads and sequins sewn all over it. It had shoestring straps but looked as if it could be worn off the shoulder and had zips at the back. It was amazing and must have cost a small fortune. In the corner of her room hung a hopped underskirt, train and an underskirt consisting of at least seven layers of tulle. I imagined how they would really puff the dress right out for a true fairytale Cinderella style gown and I chuckled, it was so unlike Paula. I fingered the pretty dress fondly but knew with some disappointment that it would be unlikely to be worn again. It really wasn't Paula's style. I'd never seen her in anything particularly feminine. I day dreamed for a moment and was rudely awoken by the bedroom door flying open.
Her mother still angry with me walked in and scowled, Paula was by her side equally cross.
'We have to arrange a fitting. My friend Joyce will help.' Mrs Rother cried her voice at fever pitch.
'I'm not wearing your stupid dress,' Paula says sharply. 'I've told you before.'
I wince, as Mrs Rother looks fit to explode so I try to help. 'It's lovely,' I say merrily. 'Paula you'll look very pretty.'
Paula glared at me angrily.
'If you love her bloody dress so much, you wear it,' Paula screamed.
That was it. Those few words set her mother thinking and in a desperate bid to stop the wedding she suggested to Paula that we swapped roles. Most normal brides would perish the fault but not Paula she loved the idea. I'm not sure if it was a way of irritating her mother but I couldn't believe my ears.
'You're kidding me,' I gasp. But she wasn't.
'Nonsense, it's a great idea. The dress will suit you so well. The bodice will accentuate your shapely figure and the delicate sleeves will make you look so young and slender,' Mrs Rother smirks and I shuffle awkwardly. 'I can see you now,' she continues mockingly, 'with your long glossy hair tied back, your face beautifully made-up, a colourful floral bouquet in your tiny manicured hands, with your idyllic bridesmaids holding your pretty train as you step majestically down the isle in heels.' She sighed and patted her dress lovingly. 'This dress brings so many happy memories back of my wonderful day with your father, Paula. I'm so glad you suggested it. I would have preferred you to be wearing it but alternatively I couldn't think of a better person. You'll make me so happy.' she smiles and screws her eyes like a witch.
'I can't wear your dress,' I cry, 'I'd be a laughing stock.'
'That's a shame then,' Mrs Rother says menacingly. 'I had my heart on my dress being worn again. If its not Paula it will have to be you, otherwise the weddings off. You won't get our blessing, Paula's father wouldn't give you away and you can pay for it yourself.'
Put that way I didn't have a great deal of choice. I wanted to marry Paula so much, but with no money to pay for the wedding myself and desperately wanting her mothers approval, I saw no other alternative. Paula was adamant she wasn't going to back down and the more she thought about me wearing the exquisite wedding dress (and how it upset her mother) the more excited she became.
'Deal,' I said reluctantly in the misguided belief that at the last minute they'd both change their minds.
'Excellent,' Mrs Rother grinned like a suitcase unzipping on three sides. 'I have to say, despite your obvious inadequateness, when the chips are down you always do the right thing. Hasn't done you much good, of course but I'm proud of you anyway. Now then strip and lead the way.'
'Not so fast,' I folded my arms in a manly gesture of steely resolution, but I had a nasty feeling that it just made me look as if I had an upset stomach.
'What guarantee have I got that you're serious and this isn't a twisted, bitter plot to ridicule me?'
Mrs Rother laughs mockingly. 'Absolutely nothing, my dear,' she grins again, 'You'll just have to trust me.'
Paula touches me gently on the arm and nuzzles her mouth on my neck. 'Don't worry, my darling,' she whispers, 'if this wins her over it will be a small price to pay.'
As the two of them sized me and the dress up I made some feeble excuse saying it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress and after howls of laughter Mrs Rother agreed. With some relief I then hoped that she would forget the notion.
I was very wrong and as preparations got under way they both got increasingly enthusiastic about me as the new bride. Invites where hastily changed again, guests informed, the vicar notified and I was literally frog-marched to the hire shop to return my grooms suit.
I had a forlorn hope that the vicar would come to my rescue and refuse but to my surprise he was in fact a she and of the young modern breed. She saw no problem in the role switch as long as we loved each other. In fact, according to the gleeful Mrs Rother the Vicar seemed positively delighted with the idea. 'More couples should try it,' she said, 'men in skirts - that would bring them down to size, reduce their over inflated egos and give the relationship some hope of survival.'
Needless to say I didn't share her enthusiasm.
The inevitable day came when her mother invited me begrudgingly to her house for a fitting. Paula was at work and I got the day off. It was surreal being stripped by her mother, my future mother-in-law and being dressed as her bride to be daughter.
'Come on don't just sit there. Move!'
My legs were wobbly and defective. It took me three goes to get out the sofa, and Mrs Rother and her friend Joyce were laughing at me.
'Please Mrs Rother,' I pleaded. 'I'll be a laughing stock' but my cries went unnoticed as without the support of Paula, Mrs Rother showed her true feelings and didn't hold back.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Next
Keywords: Double, Wedding,