Natalie took Tom's arm and led him through to the hall. People turned their heads and all eyes were on them as they walked down the aisle and stood at the front, waiting anxiously for Lydia to make an appearance. The woman officiating the ceremony took Tom to one side and ran through the order of things, while Natalie spoke to Tom's family in the front row. She smiled at Lydia's parents as well, although she didn't know them that well as they were from a different state. Lydia and Tom had met at college and she had stuck around, forging her own life away from her hometown. Natalie admired that about her for she had always lived in the same place, even though she had been tempted to leave many times.
The wait seemed to be interminable for Tom at least, and Natalie did her best to be there for him. She noticed a few glares from Tom's brother, and avoided him because she knew that he was envious of her being best man. She reached into her small purse and felt around for the rings, entertaining a moment of panic when her hands grasped only air, then feeling the wave of relief as she clutched the two metal bands that had been entrusted to her.
“You can do this,” she told Tom as they took their places at the top of the aisle and waited for Lydia to arrive momentarily.
When the music began playing the whole room turned to see Lydia enter the room, looking resplendent. Her face was a picture of beauty and she looked just like a princess. But while everyone was stuck on her, Natalie's gaze shifted to look at Tom, and her heart was warmed when she looked at the expression on his face. It was such a pure look of love, completely unbridled and abandoned, and Natalie only hoped that one day she would look upon someone with that same countenance. He glowed with the heat of love and if anyone had had any doubt as to the bond that existed between them then it would have been dispelled by witnessing the way he looked at her. Indeed, the way she looked at him was similar, and although the two of them had summoned all their friends and family to share in that special day, they were melting away and the only thing that mattered was the two of them.
Slowly but surely the bride approached the top of the aisle and clutched Tom's hand.
“You look beautiful,” he said. Her father stepped to one side, and Natalie smiled at them both as they took their places and the ceremony began. While they started to exchange their vows Natalie cast her eyes over Lydia's bridesmaids, and her attention was caught by one of them who instantly captured Natalie. She was short, with a heart-shaped face. Her long blonde hair flowed around her cheeks and down her slender body, which burst into an hourglass figure, something that Natalie had always appreciated. Natalie herself was a big, beautiful woman and had never wanted to go out with anyone who was too skinny, but these curves were perfect, and they were perfectly accentuated by this girl's dress, which clung to her in an alluring manner. Her lips were slightly pouted and her eyes were dark and mysterious. Natalie knew not who this woman was but she was determined to find out before the night was through.
“The rings?” Tom turned and nudged Natalie. Everyone looked at her and she felt crimson flush through her face. The bridesmaid's eyes locked with hers and Natalie felt a stabbing spear of lust.
Rummaging around in her purse, she pulled out the rings and smiled sheepishly, and then tried to concentrate on the rest of the ceremony as Lydia and Tom made the vows that would bond their hearts to each other for eternity. But Natalie found herself drifting back to the bridesmaid, and when the newlyweds shared their first kiss as a married couple, Natalie and the bridesmaid were the only two people in the hall not looking at them.
Everyone erupted in applause as the wedded couple walked down the aisle and Natalie followed in tow, happy for her friend, but also intrigued by this new person that had entered her life.
Chapter 3
Unfortunately for Natalie there wasn't much of an opportunity for her to talk to this bridesmaid, or ask Tom who she was. They were summoned for photographs and Tom was understandably besotted by his new bride and wanted to spend all his time with her. The two of them were lovely together and Natalie was glad to have been able to be a part of their special day, but the happiness in her heart was slowly being pushed away by anguish as she searched the scene for any sign of her mysterious bridesmaid.
She seemed to drift in and out of the place as though she were some kind of spirit, only there to tantalize Natalie with a dark temptation. It was as though this woman had been pulled from Natalie's innermost fantasies, and having come so close to perfection Natalie was afraid of the sadness that would come should her hopes prove to be in vain. After all, there was nothing she knew about this person and for all Natalie knew she may not have even shared the same interest in woman, but Natalie didn't want to give up until she knew for sure. It was so rare for her to find someone that she was drawn to so intensely, and she was just glad when she heard the bridesmaid speak, because then she was certain that the bridesmaid existed and wasn't an invention of her own mind.
While Tom and Lydia were off having photographs taken of just the two of them, Natalie tried to make her way to the bridesmaid, who was surrounded by the other bridesmaids. But her attempts were always dashed by other people who came up to Natalie and congratulated her on what a good job she was doing, and how brave it was of her to take on the mantle of being Tom's best woman. Natalie thanked each of them in turn but she quickly began to get irked by it and not just because they were preventing her from talking to the bridesmaid, but also because they acted like her being a best woman was some kind of revolutionary thing when in reality it was quite simple: she was Tom's best friend and she was who he had chosen to stand by him at her wedding. All her life she had been treated differently because of her sexuality, and it annoyed her that it seeped into her best friend's wedding day.
But she didn't want to irritate anyone or cause any drama, so she smiled and nodded and put up with all their comments as she continued her quest to slalom through the crown and reach the bridesmaid. But just as she was about to approach her, which was no mean feat in and of itself, she was called away again for yet more pictures, this time a big group one. After that everyone filtered back inside for the meal, and once again Natalie was kept apart from the bridesmaid. However, she did get to sit by Tom and enjoy the meal, which was succulent. It was difficult to talk properly though as they were on a long table that looked out to all the guests, and people kept coming up to them to congratulate Tom and Lydia.
“Aren't you tired of that yet?” Natalie asked lightheartedly.
“Give it another hour and I will be. I'm just trying not to think about my speech,” he said.
“Yeah, I hear that,” Natalie said, and then pulled out the sheets of paper that had been sitting in her purse. She'd spent a long time agonizing over what to say, and had pored through various websites that offered tips on how to write an amazing wedding speech, but none of them had really helped her, and she just hoped that she did her friend justice.
During the delicious meal, Natalie continued to gaze at the bridesmaid. She laughed and joked at her table, and it seemed like she did everything with a natural grace that Natalie found completely intoxicating. She almost hated herself for developing such an intense attraction without even having spoken to her because she knew that no good could come of it, and she had to ask how a girl like that could ever be single, and couldn't come up with an answer. But before too long it was time for the speeches. First of all the father of the bride rose and gave a very emotional speech. His voice cracked and he had to wipe away tears, but Lydia was there to squeeze his hand for comfort. He did however let slip a very important morsel of information that made Natalie's ears prick up; he made reference to his daughters, and Natalie found out that person she had fallen for was Lydia's younger sister, and her name was Lisa.
It was soon time for Natalie to stand up and say her own speech, and the nerves swam through her body quickly. She had never been one for public speaking and it was the one duty that she had been most nervous about when Tom had asked her to take up the role of best woman, and now th
at she was standing up in front of everyone she felt her throat grow tight. She took a sip of water and cleared her throat, and looked down at the words she had typed out, although they all seemed to be meaningless and trite. One face though seemed more vivid than the rest, and that was that of Lisa's. Natalie wanted to impress her and so she found the strength and courage to go on.
“I spent a long time agonizing over what I wanted to say in this speech and the truth is that there's so much I could say. I've known Tom for all my life. For those of you who don't know our mothers were in beds next to each other and we were born about half an hour apart, so we've really been inseparable since birth. Tom, I know you better than anyone else in the world and I've been with you through so much stuff that it would take too long to list it all here, but I wanted to say thank you for including me in your special day and that you are the luckiest man in the world because Lydia you are looking amazing, and it makes me so happy to see the two of you together like this.
I remember the night that you met Lydia and you were so frantic I had to calm you down, and that you just had to be yourself and if she was the right one for you then it would all work out for the best. But the only time I've seen you more nervous than you were on your first date is just before the ceremony today, but I know that it's the good kind of nerves, and since you've been with Lydia you've only changed for the better, becoming a braver, more confident man, and but you've also retained your compassion, your heart, and your humanity, all qualities that I am sure drew Lydia to you.
I think all of us strive to find something more than companionship in our lives, and although this puts an end to the nights where we'd stay up watching re-runs of Friends and complain about the state of our love lives, I know that you and Lydia are only going to go from strength to strength as you go through life together. Lydia, I've only known you since the two of you started going out but I can tell that you have made each other better people, and I look forward to seeing you embark upon the journey of your marriage and your life. Love is a wonderful thing, and you make it look wonderful to all of us,” she said, and then raised her glass in a toast to the happy couple. Everyone in the room raised their glasses as well, and as she took a sip of champagne Natalie's eyes lingered on Lisa's, and the corners of the bridesmaid's mouth curled up into a smile.
Then it was Tom's turn to speak. He paid tribute to his beautiful bride and then turned to Natalie.
“Thank you to my best friend for being my best woman because I couldn't have done this without you. You've helped me out so much through life and I'm just glad that you've been there to keep me grounded and level-headed when I needed it. I owe you a great deal, so I just wanted to say a big thank you, even though I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for everything.”
Natalie got up and hugged Tom again. There were tears in her eyes which she tried to blink away, but failed.
“I promised myself I wouldn't cry,” she said, but it was no use and they came flooding out. After she hugged Tom she hugged Lydia as well, and was glad to feel a kinship with the bride because for a long time she had been afraid that Lydia didn't like her. Tom continued his speech and had everyone laughing and applauding by the end, and as she listened Natalie hoped that one day she could have something similar, because deep down she wanted to get married as well, and be the one that everyone looked at.
Chapter 4
After the speeches there was a moment of calm when everyone relaxed and took stock of the day. The children were glad of the opportunity to rush around after they had been forced to sit still through the speeches, and the rest of the guests enjoyed the ability to stretch out and let their food go down. There had already been much alcohol consumed and many of the guests were feeling the worse for wear.
“So how's it feel now that you're married?” Natalie asked.
“I don't think it's really settled in yet, I think when we're in bed together tonight alone that's when it'll hit us. Right now everything is still a blur and I haven't really had a chance to process what's been going on,” Lydia replied, hoisting her big dress up in her arms as she walked. Upon seeing this her bridesmaids became her handmaidens and helped her walk down the hall, where she left for a slight break.
“So, you're married now,” Natalie said, turning to Tom.
“Yeah, feels weird. Good, but weird.”
“Thanks for what you said by the way, it means a lot to me.”
“Same to you. Who'd have thought that we'd end up here.”
“I know, I still think my parents are a little upset that we didn't end up together. They thought we were going to be sweethearts.”
“It would have been a nice story I guess, but I think we know each other too well to be a couple.”
“Well, that and you have a dick.”
“Yeah, that too. Anyway, now that I'm married we have to find you a girl otherwise you're not going to have anyone to hang out with.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well now that I'm married most of my spare time is going to be spent with Lydia. It's not going to be the same as it once was Nat, I'm going to have to check with her every time I want to go out to make sure that we don't have any other plans, and I'm not going to be able to come round to binge watch shows like we used to,” he said it in a half-joking tone but Natalie knew that there was some serious behind it, and the truth struck her that although she was happy for her friend she was also losing him to his marriage, and he was right, things wouldn't be the same.
“It'll be fine. I was getting annoyed at spending time with you anyway, finally got myself rid of you,” she quipped back, giving him a dig on the arm, but there was a moment of silence that followed her words, and they both knew that things were changing.
“So, anyway, is there anyone that's taken your fancy?” Tom asked, trying to move the conversation along so they didn't have to dwell on the ominous future that awaited them.
Natalie tilted her head from side to side, and Tom knew her well enough to know that it meant she did. He sidled up to her and pressed her body into hers, trying to coax the truth out of her.
“Come on then, spill,” he said.
“It's um, it's no-one really, I don't even think she's single, let alone a lesbian so it's probably not even worth thinking about.”
“Natalie.”
“I shouldn't even have thought about it. Anyway, you can't be playing wingman on today this is your wedding. It's your day. I don't want you to try and sort out my single life when you should be looking forward to spending time with your wife.”
“Natalie, why are you being so weird about this? Just tell me. And you know I owe you for all the help you gave me when I started dating Lydia. I would have screwed it up if it wasn't for you, so I'm at your disposal now. You tell me who it is and I'll hook you up. I am the groom, I do have some sway with this crowd.”
Natalie looked at him uneasily and licked her lips.
“Okay, but don't be mad at me?”
“Why, who is it?” he said, suddenly suspicious.
“It's nothing bad, I just saw her and she was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and I've been trying to talk to her but the moment hasn't presented itself. I just...I don't know, she seems almost unreal, like I can't believe I'm actually in the same room with someone that beautiful.”
“Natalie, who is it?” he said in a demanding tone.
“It's one of the bridesmaids, Lydia's sister Lisa,” she said, and twisted her face up. Tom pursed his lips.
“You had to fall for one of Lydia's sisters? You don't make it easy do you,” he said, blowing out a sharp breath.
“I know! And I know she's probably straight so that's why I don't expect you to do anything. Just don't worry, it's just a nice thing to fantasize about and I'll be satisfied with it being only that,” she said in a resigned tone. Tom looked at her for a long while and sighed.
“You know, I never get why you're so defeatist when it comes to romance. You're such an amazing gir
l that anyone would be lucky to have you and you shouldn't be so down on yourself all the time. I don't know much about her anyway so for all I know she could be gay. I've only met Lydia's family a handful of times, and today is the first time I've seen Lisa. She spent a lot of time in Europe, where she went to school, I think she studied history or philosophy or something along those lines...anyway come on,” he said, standing up and holding out his hand. Natalie looked up at him, blinking.
“What?”
“I said I was going to be your wingman and your wingman I shall be. So get up and I'll go and introduce you to her.”
“But won't Lydia be upset?”
“Why would she be upset? You're my friend, Lisa's her sister, what could be better? Can you imagine how fun double dating would be! Come on,” he said and grabbed Natalie, dragging her across the room, even though she was telling him to stop. Despite her usually being quite a confident person, and very comfortable with herself, she had never been that good when it came to matters of the heart. It was difficult in situations like this to go up to someone and strike up a conversation when she didn't know their orientation, especially not when they were as beautiful as Lisa. More than that she was Lydia's sister, and Natalie couldn't help but feel that Lydia would not look too kindly on that.
But she found herself being dragged across the floor and knew that she had no choice in the matter. Lydia and her entourage had returned from the short break and were being swamped by people. Tom battled through them all, and his and Lydia's face lit up when they saw each other. They gave each other a kiss.
“I just wanted to bring Nat over and introduce her to your bridesmaids since they haven't really had a chance to meet before,” he said. Natalie blushed a little as Lydia introduced them all. They all said how good a speech she gave, except Lisa, who only gave her a coy glance and squeezed her hand more tightly than the others. As they looked at each other, Lisa's eyes dropped down to quickly glance at the rest of Natalie's body, and Natalie felt like she had been dosed with poison, because she knew that she was not going to be content until she had tasted the flesh that waited for her under the dress. Tom quickly ushered Lydia off, winking at Natalie as he did so, and the best woman found herself standing with the most beautiful bridesmaid.
PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Shapeshifter Romance: The Vampire's Stolen Bride (BBW Fantasy Alpha Male Romance Books) (New Adult Vampire Fun Mature Young Adult Billionaire Steamy Love and Romance Novella) Page 61