"I publish the banns of marriage between Andrew Bond, bachelor of this parish and Madeline Peters - spinster, also of this parish. This is for the first time of asking. If any of you know any reason in law why they may not marry each other you are to declare it."

"I object," shouted a voice from the back of the church.

Everyone turned round to look at the bald, overweight man who had stood up. He had the air of a scheming lawyer. Tom Hunter had been a vicar for twenty years and this was the first time that he'd ever faced this scenario.

Drew and Maddy sat perfectly still, their hands clutching each others. Neither of them could talk; just wanting to know why.

The congregation excitedly chatted to each other as the vicar stared in shock at the objector. Eventually Tom asked, "Can you substantiate your objection?"

"I can."

Drew's hands tightened their grip on his fiancés. The hum of conversation stopped dead at that point, as they all waited to hear what the issue was. The vicar went to speak with Megan Bride, the churches deacon, and asked her to continue the service while he sorted out the mess.

The vicar came up to Drew and Maddy, "Can you please stay here while I consult with this man then I'll talk to you."

Time passed like the speed of a snail. Prayers were said, readings read and hymns sung but neither Drew nor Maddy noticed. They stayed seated, their hands tightly interlaced as they wondered what was wrong.

Eventually the vicar re-appeared and signalled for Drew and Maddy to go to the vestry. The singing of the hymn wilted as the congregation watched Drew and Maddy walk into the vestry.

"Can we still get married?" asked Maddy.

* * *

"AHHHH!" screamed Drew, as he woke violently from his nightmare.

"Drew, it's okay," the comforting voice next to him said. Drew turned over and saw the faint outline of the love of his life, slightly lit by the morning dawn.

"It was the same nightmare."

"I know, but we'll be married soon," said Maddy cuddling up to her fiancé. "There isn't anything that can stop us. I've chosen my wedding dress and no, I'm not telling you what it's like."

"I should get myself my morning suit soon," Drew commented.

"I'll come with you," Maddy said, not wanting to remind her lover that a morning suit might not fit very well. "Now let's see if we can get another hour's sleep or I'll be too tired for our morning ride."

So after their morning training ride they disappeared to the shops of Hyde. Drew had never grown to love clothes shopping, like Maddy had, she could shop for hours but rarely came home with anything new. Now aged twenty-three the only major prize out of his grasp had been the Olympic gold. Even though Britain had a world-class rider, cycling was still not very popular and Drew could still walk down the street without hindrance.

"How can I help you two ladies?" the salesman asked the twins as they entered the shop.

Drew's heart sank when he'd heard this question. Over the last nine years his body had grown more feminine but Maddy didn't appear to mind. Drew had thought he'd eventually get used to people calling him a girl and most of the time it didn't bother him. However, today it did. He wanted to be dressed as a man when he married Maddy, not as a girl.

Maddy squeezed his hand in reassurance. It seemed that she was doing that a lot of lately.

"This is Andrew Bond, the MALE British national cycling champion," Maddy quietly informed the salesman. "He might look a bit feminine but believe me he has all the correct equipment. We are to be married and wondered if you could fit him for a morning suit."

'Please don't make Drew prove it,' prayed Maddy to herself. She didn't want Drew to be embarrassed by having to show his undeveloped equipment.

"I'm sorry," said the salesman looking not at all pleased to have to deal with them. Lesbian weddings were all the rage since the government had just legalised same sex marriage and this was a lesbian marriage if he ever saw it. "Please come through to the changing area and I'll measure you."

The male section of the shop was quiet but the female half looked very busy, so Maddy tagged along. The salesman measured without saying a word, Drew's leg and waist for the trousers. After jotting the figures down, he measured his chest.

"I'll see what I have for you to try on," he muttered. If they wanted male clothes then that's what he'd do. "However, I don't know how well things are going to fit."

When he returned, he handed the trousers and jacket to Drew who disappeared on his own into the cubicle.

After a few minutes Maddy heard a low sob, which the bored salesman who was standing at the other end of the room hadn't heard.

"You okay Drew?" Maddy asked quietly through the curtain.

"They don't fit over my hips," Drew hissed back.

"Okay, calm down and sort yourself out. I'll have a word with our friendly salesman."

"Okay," sniffed Drew.

Maddy crept slowly across to the salesman, who was sneakily watching the football on his mobile. "Sorry but the trousers don't appear to fit very well," stated Maddy making the salesman jump.

"They were what the measurements indicated," he replied, reluctantly putting the mobile into his pocket.

"I know," said Maddy smoothly, "but he has slightly enhanced hips, which doesn't help."

"Let me measure again," he huffed, taking out his tape measure. As he walked across he thought, "She should be the one wearing the trousers, she is certainly the boss."

"Mmm, I see what you mean," the man said as he measured the hips as well as the waist. "Let me get a slightly different pair and a belt."

The trousers were passed behind the cubicle curtains and Drew put them on. They fitted over the hips but were very baggy on the waist and were tight on his bottom. Drew tightened the belt and looked in the mirror. Not perfect but it would give him some ideas.

He removed the jacket and put it on. The arms were a little too long but the jacket tails went as far as his knees as they should. Drew ignored the issue with the arms, fastened the jacket and pulled back the curtains.

Maddy was the first to see him and did her best not to smile. Actually Drew had turned out better that she'd thought, but he still looked like a girl in the morning-suit.

"Not bad," Maddy said. "Are you happy with it?"

"Well it needs a bit of alteration, so I'd not be able to hire it," said Drew.

On hearing Maddy, the salesman turned round and saw Drew. He took one look and did his best not to snigger. The suit helped hide the breasts but overall it all looked ridiculous.

"The trousers look a bit tight on the bottom," he said. "I'm a bit worried that they might split if you sat in them as they are."

"Why don't you take them off while we have a look to see if there is anything better fitting," Maddy said to Drew.

When Drew was safely in the changing cubicle, Maddy had a quiet word with the salesman. "Surely you must have something that will fit, in the style he wants."

"I'm not so sure," he reluctantly said, itching to get back to the football.

"Just think of the commission," she said with a smile.

"I'll be back in a few moments."

The salesman went to see one of his female colleagues thinking that she might have something that didn't look too girly. He hated crossing the boundary in the store, but as the young lady had said, commission is commission.

"Hi Trish, you're into cycling aren't you?"

"A little, why do you want a race?" she asked back. Ian Wright wasn't her favourite colleague. He was always full of himself.

"No, just got a woman in for a fitting and claims to be a male cyclist called Andrew Bond."

"You have Drew Bond in here," she said, her pulse starting to increase at the thought of a celebrity in the store.

"So is Drew a woman?"

"No, you idiot, Drew is a man who just happens to look like a woman. He won the Tour de France aged twenty, equalling the record set in 1904. In fact he is the spitting image of his partner."

"Fiancé," corrected Ian. "She is here with him."

"Oh my God," she said. "Maddy Peters is here as well. Oh, I've got to get their autographs."

"Steady on," said Ian beginning to realise that he hadn't been treating a celebrity very well and possibly missing out on a huge tip. "Remember the rules that were laid down a few years ago about treating celebrity customers. If you go running up to them, you will lose your job."

"Oh yeah," she replied despondently. "But Drew and Maddy in this shop; isn't it amazing?"

"It certainly is," agreed Ian in an uninterested way. "Anyway Drew is here for a fitting and the suit isn't fitting him very well. Do you have anything that might work?"

"He'd be better off wearing a wedding dress," she giggled.

"I've got a suspicion that Drew is trying to look like a man for the wedding, though even in the morning suit I just got him into, he still looked like a girl to me."

"You obviously don't keep up with the clothing styles on this side of the shop, do you? What are Drew's measurements?"

Ian handed Trish the piece of paper containing the all important information and she disappeared. A few moments later, she was back with a jacket and pair of trousers that looked very similar to the ones Drew had tried earlier.

"This is the latest craze since they legalised same sex marriages," Trish patiently informed her lazy colleague. "When two women get married one usually is a bit more butch and they want to wear something that looks a bit more masculine. However, in some ways it enhances the female attributes such as the narrow waist, as the women like to remind everyone that this is two women getting married."

"Whatever," Ian replied, only the commission on his mind. "I'll try them on Drew, thanks."

"Let's see if this fits better on Andrew," Ian said to Maddy as he entered the changing area.

The suit was passed behind the cubicle curtains and a few minutes later Drew appeared, the clothes looking a lot better on him.

"Does this one fit any better?" Maddy asked.

"Oh yeah, the trousers are perfect. Where on Earth did you find them? You know I've not been able to get male trousers that fitted me properly in ten years."

"Just good fortune," she replied, giving him a hug.

"I preferred the jacket with the tails though," Drew lamented.

"You look fine," reassured Maddy. "You look just as I want."

"I'm so pleased," Drew said smiling back in relief. "I was worried the other day that you would want me to get married in girl's clothes."

The salesman came tottering across, "Oh now, doesn't that suit you a lot better. This could have been made for you."

"Maddy," said Drew after a few seconds thought. "I think I'll buy this instead of hiring it. It's rare I can find something that fits so well."

"Well, we can afford it," she said. "Why don't you get changed and I'll pay."

Ten minutes later, they were on their way home to the village of Tintwistle. Drew was thankful to find something for the wedding so quickly, Maddy thankful for the current fashion of "manly" looking female formal outfits.

Drew's afternoon ride was more rigorous. Instead of sticking to the flats he was up into the hills to the east of Manchester. Across to Barnsley, up to Huddersfield, Oldham and home. A nice circular journey, with a nice mixture of terrain. This was the type of ride that Drew loved, but knew how much of a strain it was on Maddy. Out on the road, nothing much mattered. Drew didn't have to fit into other peoples preconceptions of who he was. It was hard enough battling with the British Olympic committee five years ago about his appearance. It was a battle he'd lost then and one that they'd never forgiven themselves for starting.

"How do you do it?" asked Drew as he came into the house, the smell of food causing his stomach to rumble.

"Do what?" asked Maddy, giving Drew a kiss.

"Go out for a ride and then still cook something."

"The something is just chicken and rice. Anyway I don't ride as far as you do."

Drew's morning rides with Maddy were a way he could help push her. Drive her ready for her competitions. The afternoon ride, Drew did alone and was him pushing himself. When they didn't have any competition, this was their standard weekend schedule. During the week, Drew practiced with others in the club to ensure peak fitness and Maddy did likewise.

"Oh, ten minutes ago I had Em on the phone. She went in today to be fitted for her bridesmaid outfit. She's so over-the-moon that we asked her."

"Why wouldn't we ask her," Drew asked, puzzled. "She is a good friend to both of us. We also will have Bernie and Ally as bridesmaids, so it isn't like we are missing anyone out."

"You need to ring Josh tonight and tell him what you're going to wear. Then as best man he can get something to complement you."

"Who would have thought the wedding would be such a hassle," Drew lamented.

"Well there is only a short period of time we can do it," she replied. "You have 'the Tour' just before the wedding and then the Olympics just after. With all the training you won't have time to worry about the hassle. Anyway I'll be doing a lot of the preparations while you do that race."

"But you must train as well. You are reserve in the Olympic squad."

As they finished their meal, the telephone rang which Maddy answered. She didn't say much but her face clouded over.

"I wish you wouldn't have your phone on 'private'" said Drew. "Who was it? You don't look too happy."

"I'm not. Let's go and sit down for a few moments?"

"Who was it?"

Maddy dragged Drew over to the settee. "It was Brian Graves. There has been a change and he has been assigned to coach the people entered for the Olympics. He wants us to pop in on Monday for a chat."

Drew's face clouded over at the mention of his name. "You can't be serious," he groaned thinking back five years to their last encounter.

"I'm not happy about it either," she replied. "Even though I wasn't around five years ago, I still heard what happened."

"I still blame him for our parent's death."

"I know, I know," she said as they both wept into each others arms.

(to be continued)

Karen Page 10.08.05 © 2005
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