Knight in Shining Armour

I've never particularly liked weddings, so how the hell I allowed myself to be bullied into playing a part in this one is totally beyond me. The things we do for best friends huh? I stand fidgeting in my tux and adjusting my dickie bow, forcing a smile onto my lips as people file into the church.

I point blank refused to be a bridesmaid -- I haven't worn any type of dress or skirt for over 15 years and I'm not about to start now, so I've been given the usher duties of pointing guests in the right direction for seating, hand over an order or service, smile and repeat. I'll be glad when the service is over and I can chill out and have a drink!

I realise someone is standing in front of me, so I plaster the smile back onto my face and look up into a face that mirrors my own; it's so obvious that she doesn't want to be here either.

"Bride or groom?"

She pauses for long enough that I begin to wonder if she's even been invited. I may not be enjoying my best friend's nuptials but I certainly don't want it ruined for them by an uninvited gate crasher. My fears are calmed however when she mutters, "I'm Julia's cousin but could I just sit over there at the back out of the way?" She points at a group of 3 chairs right at the back of the church, about as far away from the action as possible.

I hand her the order of service and tell her that yes, she can sit at the back, despite me having pigeon holed one of those seats for myself so I can make a speedy exit once the service is over. I notice that not only does she almost run to the seats but she chooses one that's hidden behind a pillar where she can't be seen but every time she hears new people enter the church she sneaks a look to see who's come in.

Her behaviour fascinates me and I can't help wondering if she's recently split up with a boyfriend who is also invited to the wedding; or maybe there's a family feud she doesn't want to get embroiled in? Whatever the reason she looks deeply unhappy and I actually come to slightly admire the fact that she's putting herself through that misery for the sake of attending her cousin's wedding. If I was that unhappy I would probably have stayed away and feigned illness instead.

As the last of the guests file in I notice her head poke out from behind the pillar just as a late middle aged couple enter the church. She ducks back into safety quickly but I can't help noticing the look on her face in that brief moment; it seems to be a mix of fear and intense pain and I can't help but worry a little bit for her as I hand the newcomers the leaflet and guide them to the bride's side of the church. Julia's extended family is large and spread out across the country, so there have been many loud and joyous greetings as people arrive, accompanied by lots of familial hugs and kisses; these two however find empty seats at the end of an aisle and sit down without so much as a glance at the other guests.

I look over at the pillar and see that the mystery girl is now staring at the back of their heads and her expression has changed again. She looks less scared but definitely pained and as I watch I'm sure I catch a tear slowly trickle down her cheek. I decide that I have to try to do something to help this poor forlorn creature but at that moment one of the other ushers comes running into the church to announce that the bride has arrived. David the groom jumped to his feet and the traditional organ refrain started up just as Julia and her dad entered the church. Flashing Julia a genuine beaming

smile I tell her she looks amazing, and then duck out of the way to the back of the church where I take one of the two remaining seats, slightly behind the mystery woman.

The service is actually quite nice and the vicar is pleasantly witty throughout her duties, so I almost don't realise the ceremony is finishing and that I need to rush off to perform my next function. I jump up out of my seat and am about to make a swift exit when she also stands and I almost crash into her. I end up following her out of the dim church and into the bright sunlight where I almost run into her again, as she stops dead and bends double, taking huge breaths as if the atmosphere in the church has been starving her of oxygen.

"Hey, are you ok?"

A few more gulps of air and she stood up, a faint apologetic smile on her face.

"Yes, thanks. Sorry I got in your way but I'm trying to avoid some people and wanted to get out before them. I think I might give the reception a miss or I'm going to have a full blown panic attack!"

"No don't do that. I'm driving to the hotel now ahead of the rest to get the welcome drinks organised while they have pictures taken, then my duties are done for a while. Frankly you look like you could do with a drink, so why not come with me -- the others won't turn up for ages yet."

She looked me up and down for a long moment, seemingly considering my suggestion, before nodding resolutely and agreeing that yes indeed, a drink would be welcome.

We were already sitting in my Jeep before either of us spoke again when she turned to me, stuck her hand out and introduced herself. "Sarah Williams, Julia's cousin." I took her hand in mine and noticed that although she seemed timid her handshake was firm and strong. "Andi Stevens, Julia's best friend since college."

We drove the short distance in near silence, until I pulled into the hotel car park where I headed round the back of the building and pressed the button for the garage door, pulling inside and hitting the button to close the door after us.

I notice a huge sigh escape from Sarah and raise an eyebrow in her direction causing her to chuckle.

"Weird as this may sound, I may be locked in a garage with a total stranger but I feel safer than I have done since I arrived at the church!"

"I don't want to intrude but do you want to talk about it? I think I know who you're avoiding due to your reaction when they arrived - are they your parents?"

"Yes they are but no, I don't want to talk about it right now, I'd much rather get a drink down my neck to calm my nerves."

So without delay we exited the car and I led Sarah in through the crowded kitchen and into the bar area, where I unlocked the door into the back stock room and asked her what she'd like.

"Is it too early for a brandy?" she asked with a shy smile

"It's never too early for a brandy, especially if it's medicinal!" I poured us two large bowls and waved Sarah to a stool while I perched on a crate of beer. As I chinked my glass against hers I smiled at her and said "Cheers, let's hope this day gets better for you from here."

Sarah took a long gulp before fishing around in her handbag and waving a twenty pound note at me. "Please let me pay for these, I don't want you getting into trouble with your boss."

I looked at her quizzically before I caught on. "These are on me and don't worry, there's no trouble to be had. This is my place and much as my bar manager likes to think he's the boss, I'm the one who pays his wages."

As if on cue I heard the door handle rattle and stood up to open it so that those stood outside could file in. I looked over at Sarah and asked her to give me a minute before turning back to the four other people now crammed into the small stock room, singling out my bar manager first.

"Gary - the glasses for welcome champagne are all laid out on the table at the back of the bar, you've got about 20 minutes before we need the fizz out of the chiller and we need to get the orange juice into jugs for drivers, non-drinkers and those who prefer bucks fizz.

Janet and Elise, I know you two will be fine to handle the bar on your own until the real party starts tonight and the extra staff turn up at seven but I want you to pay special attention to keeping the bar clean and making sure empty glasses are cleared and washed quickly.

Josh, I want you at the front door with trays of drinks so that you can direct people to the cloak room etc when they come in. When everyone has arrived leave the champagne with Gary and help the girls behind the bar or collecting glasses.

The caterers need as much space in the kitchen as possible so please stay out of their way but be there to assist them if needed.

I don't need to tell you that Julia is my best friend so today has to be perfect -- make sure there are no fuck ups and there's a bonus for everyone, now get the bar shutters open and let's get this show on the road! Oh and Josh -- for god's sake tuck your shirt in!"

My team leapt into action and in a couple of seconds I was alone again with Sarah who was sat smiling at me.

"Wow, you seemed laid back and chilled earlier but you're quite impressive when you go into Boss mode!"

"They're a good crew, so they don't need much managing to be honest. So has the brandy helped calm your nerves? You know everyone is going to start turning up soon and the bar and dining room aren't so big that you're going to be able to avoid them all night."

"I'm guessing they'll leave directly after the meal and Julia has promised me that I'm seated as far away from them as possible with an easy exit route if needed.

"Give me their names and I'll go and check for you"

Sarah scribbled the names Carol and Peter Williams down on a beer mat and I scurried into the dining room to check the seating. Heading back into the store room I noticed Sarah touching up her make up in a small compact -- she'd obviously been crying and her eyes were red.

"You'll be safe enough. You're sat at the same table as me up by the top table; your folks are sat by the door at the other end of the room. There's a door next to our table that leads though into reception, so you have an easy escape route if you need it. Do you actually anticipate them causing trouble?" This last question was as much for my own benefit as hers, I wanted to know in advance if there was going to be any bother in my hotel, especially if it was going to ruin Julia's and David's wedding.

"To be honest I expect them to completely ignore me the way they have for the last eighteen months." And the tears started to flow again, so I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a big hug whilst telling her that everything would be ok, despite knowing that probably wouldn't be the case.

I was very curious to know the details of their falling out but didn't want to upset her further, so I refilled her glass and told her to follow me, leading her out into the bar area and into a corner where I waved her to a bar stool.

"You can see everyone coming in from here and if you want to get out in a hurry, just walk out of that door sign-posted toilets; the door just past the ladies loos leads out into the garden and if you walk round to the right you'll end up back at reception. Just grab any member of staff and tell them you need me urgently and they'll come find me."

Sarah wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek, thanking me for looking out for her. At that moment there was a flurry of activity as people started filing in through the doors having arrived from the church so I left her for a moment to make sure the champagne was flowing and everyone was ready.

The next hour was a blur as the happy couple arrived and everyone clamoured to congratulate them. The table set aside for presents was groaning under the weight and right on time the master of ceremonies (otherwise known as my brother Jake, who worked at the hotel part time) announced that people needed to take their seats for the wedding breakfast. I hadn't clapped eyes on Sarah's parents despite looking for them, so I swiftly grabbed her hand to show her to her seat.

We were halfway between the bar and the dining room when they walked in the door. Both stopped dead as they saw us and if possible their facial expressions grew even more sour than they were before, so I pulled Sarah into the dining room and got her seated.

"Happy pair aren't they?"

"Oh yeah, they're a bundle of light and joy!" she quipped back "You holding my hand would have just made them even worse -- they disowned me for being gay, so they probably think you're my girlfriend and will now hate you just as much as they hate me."

"Hey well what do you know? We have two things in common -- we're both gay and we're both hated by your parents!" I was glad to see the smile creep across her face and she actually seemed

like she was starting to relax and for some reason I didn't understand at the time, this made me extremely happy. Somehow looking after this woman just felt right and I hadn't failed to notice that when she relaxed a bit she was attractive, so finding out she was gay pleased me no end. I still wasn't sure why I felt so protective toward her though. To be honest I'd never really been one for long term relationships and all the heavy emotional shit that went with them, being much more into casual relationships or friends with benefits.

The meal passed with little drama and while dessert was being served I nipped out to the bar to make sure the champagne was ready for the toasts accompanying the speeches. After making sure all was in order I nipped into the ladies restroom and on exiting the stall I found the bride standing by the sinks waiting for me.

"Hi Julia! I hope you're enjoying your day? Is there something you need?"

"I just wanted to thank you really. I couldn't help noticing that you'd taken Sarah under your wing -- I hoped you would, that's why I arranged for her to sit at your table but it seems you took care of her even before we got back here?"

I explained about Sarah looking so sad in the church, asking whether her parents were really as bad as they seemed.

"Ha!" Barked Julia "Bad doesn't even cover it! I didn't want to invite them today but she's my dad's only sibling so I didn't really have a choice; to be honest I was hoping they'd decline. I don't think my aunt used to be so staunchly puritanical, the rest of the family certainly aren't, so I have no idea why she has that stick up her arse all the time nowadays. She's not the worst though -- Sarah's dad has turned into a real arsehole in recent years and the man makes my skin crawl."

"Well I'll certainly do my best to see that Sarah has a good time but for now we have to get back for the speeches!"

I hustled Julia out of the bathroom and we retook our seats. The speeches were surprisingly short and funny with Julia's father having us in stitches and the best man telling a couple of jokes that made Sarah's parents blanch at the crudeness, which in turn had Sarah almost crying with laughter. As soon as they were over, Jake assumed his MC role and requested that everyone move into the bar area so that the dining room could be cleared and set up for the evening's festivities.

I could see Sarah scanning the room and looking around, I noticed that her parents had already left the room. It seemed she was correct when she guessed they would leave directly after the meal and she looked much calmer now she didn't have to deliberately avoid them and she felt free to join some other members of her family to catch up, so I left her to go and check on the staff to make sure everything was going to plan.

A few minutes later, I was just chatting to the band as they were setting up their kit when Gary came running into the room calling for me.

"I'm over here, where's the fire?"

"Sorry Andi but there's a really loud argument going on in the carpark and it looks like that girl you were talking to is in trouble."

We shot out of the door and as I rounded the corner into the carpark I could see Sarah's father trying to force her into a car, while she was kicking and screaming, trying to get away.

"Stop right there before I call the police!" I shouted at the top of my voice "Gary, get the registration number just in case."

Sarah's mum was just standing there but her dad let go of Sarah when I shouted and she came running over to me, sobbing and rubbing her wrists where her dad had been grasping them.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" I was nose to nose with her dad and I think he was startled by the anger in my voice. "start talking or I'll call the police and get you arrested for kidnapping."

"She's my daughter so I'm not kidnapping her; I'm taking her somewhere safe, somewhere she'll be looked after. This is a private family matter so I'll thank you to mind your own business."

"I think you'll find that your relationship is immaterial, it was obvious she was being forced against her will and she's over eighteen and can make her own decisions. You see that CCTV camera up there? The whole episode will be recorded and there are several witnesses; I don't like people causing shit in my hotel and that makes it my business."

By this time Jake had also come outside to see what the commotion was and her dad was obviously more worried about my 6ft 3" strapping, rugby playing brother than he was of me and Gary, so without another word he ordered his wife (who still hadn't moved or opened her mouth) into the car and drove away.

"Ok, show's over. Thanks all, now get back to your duties while I look after Sarah." I took her hand and steered her around to the back of the building where the entrance to my private apartment is, opening the door and ordering her to sit while I ran back into the hotel bar for the bottle of brandy we were drinking from earlier.

When I got back to Sarah she was sitting in an armchair sobbing, so I dumped the brandy and glasses on the coffee table and knelt down next to the chair, pulling her into my arms while she cried herself out. When the tears finally dried up, Sarah pulled back and forced a half-hearted smile onto her lips that didn't even come close to reaching her eyes.

"I'm so, so sorry about that; he said he wanted to talk to me, I thought maybe he'd had a change of heart and wanted a reconciliation. Instead he told me he was taking me to a place where they could 'pray the gay out of my black soul!' and he wasn't taking no for an answer!"

"So I noticed. What about your Mum? She looks like she hasn't voiced an opinion on anything in years."

"She's totally cowed by Dad and just does what she's told; he's so puritanical I can't even imagine how I was conceived! I suspect he'd be violent to Mum if she stood up to him but I have no proof of that, it's just a feeling that I get, like the anger is constantly simmering just below the surface waiting to break free."

We talked until Sarah was calmer, then I called Jake to make sure her parents had definitely left before suggesting we re-join the party.

"Actually I think I ought to go. I have a long journey ahead of me so I better check out the train times"

"You aren't staying here tonight?" I queried.

"By the time I decided to brave it and come to the wedding the hotel was fully booked and I couldn't find anything else local, so I thought I'd just head back."

"The hotel might be booked out but I have a spare room here, so why don't you stay with me? I can lend you some clothes for tomorrow if you want and I'll run you to the station when you need to get your train tomorrow. Honestly, now your parents have left it's safe to stay and I hate the thought of you travelling on your own when you've had such an upsetting day. You might as well stay and at least have some fun now the coast is clear."

Sarah came up with all sorts of reasons why she should go and not impose further upon my hospitality but they were all very half hearted, so with little persuasion we headed back into the reception.

The rest of the evening went smoothly with everyone having a great time. The caterers did just as good a job on the evening buffet as they did for the wedding breakfast, the booze was flowing freely and the band had everyone dancing.

Once people started to drift away late into the evening, Julia caught up to me at the bar. She'd changed out of her wedding dress into a little slinky red number and was positively glowing with happiness and more than a little tipsy.