The Marriage of Nathan West

The Invitation

Nathan West was tired. Dead tired. After working two consecutive ten hour shifts looking for a runaway kid, he was ready to call it a night. He thought about crashing at the PCPD and avoiding the tired drive home but the last thing he wanted was to crash on an uncomfortable couch in the break room. He unlocked his door expecting to find a dark room and an empty bed. Instead, the lamp next to the table was on, casting an inviting glow over the room and Maxie Jones was asleep in his bed, curled on her side. He undressed and slid into bed next to her doing his best not to wake her. Maxie rolled over to face him, blinking awake.

"Hi."

"Hey," Nathan answered kissing her forehead. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Wasn't asleep. I was waiting for you," Maxie replied.

"Really? I appreciate that but I just finished two very long shifts-"

Maxie raised herself on her elbow and slapped his shoulder playfully. "I know that. I waited because something came for you at my place today and I wanted to give it to you." She leaned over and picked up a heavy envelope from the nightstand. "You'll notice, Detective West, that the seal is still intact."

"I'm sure that killed you too," Nathan answered with a tired grin. "Come on, hand it over."

"I want you to know it took every ounce of willpower I had not to open it." She laid the envelope on his outstretched hand. "I did look at the outside of it though. That is an invitation. Probably to a wedding. Go on, open it."

Nathan sat up and studied the envelope. She was definitely right, it was certainly an invitation. The postmark was Manhattan. His brow furrowed trying to think of who he knew in New York that would still think enough of him to invite him to anything let alone a wedding.

"And why would you think it was a wedding invitation?" He asked turning it over in his hand.

Maxie arched an eyebrow at him. "Well, for one thing, I'm not blind. For another, it has a maker's imprint on the envelope. That printer is exclusive to wedding invitations. I've used them myself."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. When Carly thought she was madly in love with Franco and was going to marry him? When I was planning that wedding, I had custom invitations in black made there. That was a bleak affair," she added. "Now come on, open it up. I'm dying of curiosity."

"Can't this wait until morning? I'm exhausted."

"Nope." She pushed the envelope at him again. "Open."

Nathan sighed and tore open the envelope. He pulled the invitation out, watching Maxie the whole time. She was a lot more excited by this invite than he was. Truthfully, he had left Manhattan a year and a half ago and never once looked back. He'd lost touch with a lot of the old crowd too. Whoever had decided to invite him to a wedding must have done so out of obligation, certainly not social etiquette. Madeline Reeves was a pariah in Manhattan society now and his career on the force had long ago ruined his own place with the upper crust.

"Read it out loud," Maxie prompted.

He grinned but acquiesced. "Mr. and Mrs.Geoffrey Kirkland request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Alicia Corrine, to Eric Edward Holt. Well hm," he added with a frown.

"What? Is this Alicia an ex or something?" Maxie asked taking the invitation away. She looked down at it and added, "This wedding is Saturday. Kind of late for sending an invitation."

"Well, I doubt Ali sent it." Nathan leaned back, watching Maxie turn the invitation over in her hands. "She's a snob."

"How do you know her?"

"Her mother is Cassie Kirkland."

Maxie raised her eyebrows. "The woman who flew you to Portland over New Year's?"

"One and the same. I grew up with Ali but we were never close. The only way she would invite me to her wedding was if someone made her. If I had to guess, I'd say it was either her mother or Eric. He was one of my best friends in high school," Nathan added.

Maxie tossed the invitation aside and inched closer to him. "Let's go," she said leaning into him and kissing his neck.

"Max, come on-"

"I'm serious. You've been working too much lately. You need a vacation and I really want to get out of Port Charles for a little bit. We could leave Friday and spend the weekend in Manhattan." She nipped at his neck again. "Don't you want to see your old friend again? I'd love to meet people who knew you when you were James Reeves, a member of the Manhattan social elite and not Detective Nathan West. Please? It'll be fun."

He was going to regret it. Ali Kirkland was a terrible person no matter how nice her mother was and he hadn't spoken to Eric Holt in years. But Maxie was right. He did need some time away from the PCPD. A wedding was only an hour at the most and no one said they had to go the reception. He pulled Maxie down to him, kissing her thoroughly.

"If you really want to go-"

"I do!"

"Then I guess we're heading to Manhattan."