first_in_time | Weddings are such dull affairs.

They had spent most of the day in bed talking, reading to one another from the newspaper, kissing, cuddling. When they eventually emerged from the sheets for a late breakfast, they realised that it was very nearly time to begin getting ready for Rhonda's wedding that afternoon.

Barbara stood in the bathroom sometime after their breakfast, applying makeup. She glanced at Ian's reflection next to her, only just having managed to squeeze himself into the tiny bathroom.

"What is it?" she asked, half smiling at the look on his face.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

splendid_roman

"I can't imagine why Rhonda invited us," he said, putting toothpaste on his toothbrush. "We were never that close at Coal Hill and it's been ages since we've seen her."

From:

first_in_time

"Perhaps we're merely making up numbers, either way I think it will be a lovely evening. It's so nice to see that she's finally found someone, and from what she has been saying, he seems like a lovely fellow." Barbara dabbed some colour on to her cheeks.

From:

splendid_roman

"I suppose so." It can't have been easy for her to have found someone when she had a young child.

Ian was quiet while he cleaned his teeth and then had to move around Barbara to rinse his mouth out at the sink. "I'm glad she's settling down at last."

From:

first_in_time

She paused in lining her eyes while Ian moved around her. It would have been painful to be bumped and, as a result, poke herself in the eye with the pencil.

"It is," Barbara smiled, "and getting married means no more cheek pinching for you!" Although, just to be a little annoying, Barbara did reach down and gently pinch Ian's rump. "From Rhonda, at least."

From:

splendid_roman

"Thank goodness for small mercies." He grinned and returned the favour. "How much more do you need to cover your face with?"

From:

first_in_time

"Only a little. Maybe people will think I'm someone different and more interesting if I use enough," she replied in good humour and went back to it.

From:

splendid_roman

"You are someone interesting." He kissed her cheek. "If only they knew how much," he added in a whisper.

From:

first_in_time

She finished her eyeliner and quickly turned to capture Ian's lips. "I'm perfectly happy with only you knowing just how interesting I am."

From:

splendid_roman

"I am too." He smiled. "I'll leave you to finish in peace." He brushed her arm as he left the bathroom.

From:

first_in_time

Once Barbara's makeup was finished, her dress on and her hair perfect, she went to find Ian.

"Are you ready?" she asked once she found him.

From:

splendid_roman

"Nearly." He finished off polishing his shoes and considered himself ready to go until he discovered he'd got some on his hands and had to go and wash it off.

"I am now," he said when he returned, having not notice his tie was slightly askew. "You look lovely. Perfect for a wedding."

From:

first_in_time

"Thank you," Barbara replied and reached for his tie, which was initially a means to get him closer so that she might kiss him again but afterwards she fixed the way his tie sat. "You look rather dashing yourself. I'll have to keep my eye on you."

From:

splendid_roman

"I'll do my best not to be seduced by any pretty bridesmaids." He grinned and kissed her again before stepping away to pick up his keys and hold the front door open for her.

"I suppose there'll be other people from Coal Hill there." If Rhonda had invited them she was likely to have invited other former (or current) members of staff.

From:

first_in_time

"Quite probably," she said a she stepped through the door and waited for him on the other side, "can't say thatim overly thrilled about it. I men, they're nice and all but I do believe that we're going to get an ear's full of 'I told you so'."

From:

splendid_roman

He sighed. "I'm not looking forward to that." He took her hand as they made their way out to the car. "They didn't tell us so really, not when we were nothing more than friends at the time."

From:

first_in_time

"Perhaps not but they thought we were a good match nonetheless. I am glad about how right they were," she added and squeezed his hand. "I know it sounds dreadfully cliche but I like to think that marrying you was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Moving into a larger house will be the second."

From:

splendid_roman

"You're right, it is clichéd." He grinned at her as he unlocked the car. "I am looking forward to moving, though. A one bedroom flat is very small with two people living in it."

From:

first_in_time

"Let's find a house first." Barbara stepped into the car once it was unlocked and settled herself then watched Ian step in through the other door. Her hand quickly fell to his thigh.

From:

splendid_roman

"There's no great rush. We can wait for the right house." He briefly touched her hand before putting the car in gear and driving off. "And the longer it takes the more we'll have saved and the nicer house we'll be able to buy."

From:

first_in_time

"I'm not overly worried. We'll find somewhere eventually. We have only been married for six months." Barbara smiled over at him and pressed a kiss to her hand which she put against Ian's cheek as he drove.

"What I'm really looking forward to is showing off my husband," she said after a moment. "Even if some people there will already know you, I've not had a chance to do as much yet."

From:

splendid_roman

He glanced over to smile at her. "I am looking forward to introducing you as my wife to people we don't know." Even after six months that still hadn't quite worn off.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara couldn't help but smile. She was so in love with Ian that even being introduced as his wife made her heart flutter, but she kept that to herself and instead watched the road as they drove along it. She felt pretty, had an amazing husband and was on her way to a wedding.

So when they arrived, she was in high spirits. Barbara stepped out of the car and reached out to wrap an arm around Ian's waist. She smiled at the people who walked past them in the car park oft he chapel.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian put an arm across Barbara's shoulders, but dropped it when they entered the chapel and Brenda waved at them. They didn't have much choice but to sit behind her - at least there wasn't any space left on her pew.

"Fancy seeing you here," Brenda said, grinning. Her husband, Phil, was chatting with someone else and didn't seem to have noticed Ian and Barbara's arrival. "And married too," she added, grabbing Barbara's left hand to look at her rings. "When did that happen?"

Much as Ian wanted to come up with a lie, nothing was going to sound believable. They were just going to have to deal with the 'I told you so's that the truth would bring. "Six months ago." He sat with his hands in his lap for now, not wanting to give Brenda any more ammunition.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara let Brenda look all she wanted. It was Brenda who twisted awkwardly inher seat.

"Six months already!" Brenda gasped a little too enthusiastically, "I hardly remember six months into our marriage. Tell me how wedded bliss has been treating you, Mrs. Chesterton."

"It has been lovely,". Barbara said and grinned despite herself.

"So everyone was right about the two of you?" Brenda asked teasingly and poked the somewhat disinterested Ian.

From:

splendid_roman

"I wouldn't say that." Ian frowned at the poke. "We were just friends when we were teaching at Coal Hill."

Brenda snorted. "Didn't look much like it to me."

Phil finally broke off his conversation and turned round to see who his wife was talking to. He smiled when he saw Barbara.

"They looked like they were going to get married when we met them at the theatre, didn't they, Phil?" Brenda elbowed his husband, who woke up a bit, but said, "Did they?"