Wind of Change

Wind of Change

I stood before the open door and smoothed down my white wedding dress for the umpteenth time. My stomach was full of butterflies fluttering their wings like crazy. I knew that over seventy guests were seated in the next room waiting for the registrar to announce my arrival and the thought of all their faces turned to me just served to make my palms even more sweaty than they already were.
'Would you please all rise for the bride,' said the registrar at the head of the aisle in the room before me.
Brushing a strand of dark brown hair from my face, I tried to relax. I turned to smile nervously at my dad and he returned the gesture, giving my arm a gentle squeeze as we prepared to take the first step into the expectant atmosphere of the ceremony.
The bridesmaids behind us were a little fidgety. Ed's four, young nieces were dressed in lilac and held lily bouquets as they got ready to follow me in with my older sister, Beccy, the Maid of Honour.
I took a deep breath as the gentle piano concerto started playing on the tape recorder in the room. 'Here we go,' I whispered to my dad, gaze concentrated on the doorway and what I could see of the room beyond.
We stepped forward in unison and I could feel the weakness in my knees. Clearing the doorway, I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. I'd truly become the blushing bride.
We reached the beginning of the aisle and I set eyes on Ed, who was standing at the far end of the room in his dark suit and white, mandarin collared shirt. He looked as sexy as hell.
'Okay?' he mouthed silently.
I nodded and smiled. My legs became weaker and I had to lean on my father for extra support as every pair of eyes followed our progress towards the front of the sunlit room, golden beams flooding in through the large windows opposite us.
I looked into Ed's grey-blue eyes as I drew closer and recalled the time when we'd first met. I'd been at a pub with my best friend, Mel, both of us dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts. Ed was playing pool with a friend while we sat at a nearby table giggling like little girls. I was watching him and thought he looked quite cute, enjoying it when he bent over to take a shot, drinking in the view of his sexy bum.
We'd both just been to freshen up and as we were about to go back to the public bar I'd farted, the sound echoing round the ladies toilet. Maybe it was to do with the alcohol in our veins, but Mel and I had found it hilarious and couldn't stop giggling.
Ed's paranoia grew as he self-consciously ran his fingers through his dark brown hair, worrying that a tuft was sticking up. He couldn't concentrate on his shots, the laughter putting him and his friend, Stu, off their game. He subtly checked that his flies weren't undone and that he hadn't spilt drink down his pale blue polo-neck, all of which only served to heighten the hilarity of the situation.
After a couple of minutes, Ed wandered over to us with a nervous grin on his face. 'Hiya,' he greeted. 'I was just wondering why you're laughing at me.'
I looked up into his eyes and couldn't stop myself bursting into more fits of laughter, Mel desperately trying to control herself beside me and nearly choking on a mouthful of cider.
Taking a few deep breaths, I eventually managed to regain some composure. 'We weren't laughing at you,' I replied with a large grin.
Ed raised his right eyebrow dubiously. 'What were you laughing at then?'
Me and Mel looked at each other, both of us blushing slightly. 'It was nothing really,' I answered with clear embarrassment, the reply only serving to increase Ed's curiosity.
'Something must have set you off,' he said as Stu walked over to stand beside him.
'I¦' My gaze turned to the floor. 'I farted in the toilet,' I revealed in a hushed voice.
Ed chuckled. 'Is that really what all the laughing was about?' He glanced at Mel, who nodded, her frizzy, brown hair bobbing slightly.
'Thank god for that. I thought it was something to do with me.'
'We know,' I replied, 'and that only made us laugh even harder.'
Ed shook his head and smiled at me. 'My paranoia went through the roof.'
'Can I get you a drink to make up for it?' I asked.
'Don't worry, I'll get the next round in,' he said as he reached into the back pocket of his blue jeans and pulled out a tenner. 'What would you like?'
And that was that. Ed and Stu ended up sitting with us and we chatted for the rest of the evening. Swapping phone numbers after the landlord called time, Ed and I arranged to meet up again in a couple of days. That was four and a half years ago and now I'm walking down the aisle in front of all our friends and family. In a few minutes we'll be married.
Mel and Stu are both here and they're the only people who know how we met. It was unusual to say the least, as well as a little embarrassing, which is why I haven't told anyone else until now. I guess you could say it wasn't fate that brought us together, it was a fart.