Part 3

The wedding was beautiful. The bride walked down the aisle, in her own designer gown, head high, with perfect posture, but dropping all conscious modeling when she first set eyes on the groom. Then her face broke out into a beautiful smile.

Everyone went from the church to a reception at the Cassidine Mansion, which sat on its own island out in the lake. Getting there was a lot of fun. The Cassidines had hired two medium sized boats for the occasion, to ferry the guests back and forth.

There was a live band, naturally. The large living room and dining room had doors thrown open to try to make one big hall. The band and the dancers were in the living room area. After all the obligatory dances of bride and groom and so on, the guests started going out onto the dance floor.

"Hi," Alexis said to Jerry, who she observed watching the dancers from the edge of the dance floor. "Are you here alone?"

"I sure am."

"Want to dance?"

"Sure!"

"You should know something," Alexis said, falling into step with him.

"What is that?"

"You've been marked out for me by my friend Zander. He and his girlfriend, they are in a conspiracy on this."

"What an honor that is! They think me good enough for such an attractive and intelligent woman?"

Alexis laughed. "I'm glad you take it in a positive light. But you see, now you know why you have been invited so often to the motor speedway. And why you are only invited there on days when I am also."

"And I thought Zander liked me for myself!"

"He may. But he has this other agenda. He thinks I don't realize it, of course."

"I must say I think it is rather kind of two such young adults, who appear to me to be quite keen on each other, to take the time from that youthful paradise of romance to consider the woefully dull love lives of us older people – Oh, I'm so sorry!" Jerry had bumped into a tall young man.

Alexis recognized the tall young man's dancing partner.

"Hello, Emily," she said. "You look really nice. Are you back from college for the summer, or just here for the wedding?"

"I'm back. How are you?"

"Fine. Is this your date?"

"Yes, this is Sean Monroe from Lexington, Kentucky. He works at a law firm I work at down there. Sean, this is Alexis Davis, a lawyer I worked for while I was in high school."

"Nice to meet you," Sean said. "I'm a lawyer too; I want to take the New York State Bar."

"It's a tough one," Alexis said.

"I know it," Sean said.

"This is Jerry Jax," Alexis said. "Jerry, Emily Quartermaine, who, as she said, worked in my office a couple of years ago, and Sean Monroe."

"Are you related to Jax?" Emily asked Jerry.

"He's my brother."

"Oh. He owns some shares in my grandfather's company, I think."

"He gets around."

After the dance, Jerry said, "Can I get you a drink? And of course, you can report this drink to Zander and the young lady."

"Quinn. Sure, give me something to report."

They took their drinks and went out into a shaded, patio area.

In a moment, Jaspar Jax was beside Alexis. He greeted Alexis and Jerry.

They exchanged a few pleasantries about the wedding. Then Jax asked: "Alexis, what do you know about this Sergei K, that Russian?"

"Business at a wedding?" Jerry said. "Little brother, you are slipping. Hold that stuff for later."

"Why, the man's an interesting topic of conversation," Jax said. "And quite personal, since the young friend you took such interest in is his son."

"Are you worried about some of his recent moves, Jax?" Alexis asked him.

"Not worried. Simply curious. Keeping my ear to the ground. I mean, he's got a personal connection to Port Charles, not a business one, so I assume his activities are purely side ventures."

"Might be a good assumption," Alexis said. "You're a smart guy."

"Good job, Alexis!" Jerry said, "I admire your evasiveness."

"I'm a lawyer," Alexis grinned. "I try."

"You represented Zander Smith," Jax said. "He even lived with you. The source of all sorts of trouble, somehow. Do you think he gets that from his old man?"

"Well, let's see," Alexis said. "Here's how you can think of it. Think of Zander's father as Zander to the 25th power."

Jerry smiled. "Little brother, your work is cut out for you! But you are always up to it! That I know."

"Oh, be quiet, Jerry," Jax said, smiling, however. "I had to be that way, or get railroaded constantly by my older brother."

"I got that from two brothers," Alexis said. "But there's Oksana, Jax. She was married to Sergei K. for many years. Maybe she is the one to pump for information."

"Not a bad idea, really. So will you introduce me?"

"I'd be glad to."

Emily saw Lucky, and took Sean over to him. "You've got to meet my old friend Lucky," she said.

Emily said hello to Lucky and Lisa and introduced Sean to both of them.

"This is my date, who came all the way from Kentucky, Lucky," Emily said. "I'm lucky he would do it, but he took pity on me after you left me high and dry. Lucky's my oldest friend," Emily explained to Lisa. "He was going to be my date for this wedding until he met you."

"Don't let her make you feel guilty, Lisa," Lucky said. "She had no trouble getting somebody as a date, which I knew would be the case all along."

"I hate to be a second choice," Sean said, teasingly.

"You're rather a first choice," Emily said. "Lucky and I have been friends since childhood. We were a default for each other. It's like having to go to the homecoming dance with your brother. Now, neither of us had to."

"I'm glad to hear that," Sean said. "Oh, Ms. Davis," he said, seeing Alexis nearby. "May I have a dance?"

"Don't see why not," Alexis answered. "But please, call me Alexis."

They went off onto the dance floor.

Jerry gallantly asked Emily to dance.

"I'd love to later," she said, "I want to tell Lucky something, though. Maybe Lisa would like to?"

Lisa exchanged glances with Lucky, and then accepted.

"Did you have an investigation done, as I suggested?" Lucky asked her, before she could say anything.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Yes," she said. "First, he's a lawyer, so he was investigated by the Kentucky Bar. So he must not have a criminal record. And he doesn't have any kids."

"Did you get a full report?"

"Naturally. But don't tell him."

"I wouldn't do that."

"I wanted to be sure."

"OK. Have you investigated his prior girlfriends, you know, to see if any of them have any warnings?"

Emily didn't answer.

"No ex-wives? Or worse, no current wife?" Lucky persisted.

"None of that."

"He must be a lot older than you if he's already a lawyer."

"He is twenty-six, what of it?"

"You're only nineteen. It is a little older."

"More mature."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. And since he got through high school without knocking anybody up, and hasn't resorted to illegal activities, he's the best on your list. I shouldn't forget Juan. But he was running from his father, wasn't he? So at twenty-six, his parents can have no say. He must be much more mature than Juan or Zander or Vinnie. You're doing much better."

"We've got to learn from past mistakes."

"Looks like you have."

Joanna had met Sean in the boat. AJ and she had gotten on with Emily and Sean.

Sean was staying in the gatehouse, the guest of Ned. Edward had made some noise about keeping him at a distance and keeping an eye on him, remember that he had thought "that deviant" might have seduced Emily on the Quartermaines' very property somewhere a sin supposedly worse than seducing her elsewhere, it seemed.

However, in general, the Quartermaines were impressed with Sean Monroe.

"From Lexington, Kentucky," Joanna said, half to herself. "The same place. I could even swear that was the last name of - . No," she said, "it couldn't be."

"Couldn't be what?" AJ asked, only half hearing her in the midst of some clever remark on Sean's part.

"Nothing," Joanna said. "Speculation. Have you ever been over to this island before?"

"I really appreciate your taking me to that wedding, Sean," Emily said, as they walked from the gatehouse to the main house. They reached the patio. "Thank you."

It was dark. Sean pulled Emily towards him. "How grateful?" he asked teasingly, and then kissed her.

Then she asked, "Are you going to look up Nurse Quinn?"

"No. I'm only up here to study for the bar. And to see you as much as I can get away with."

She smiled, looking a little self-conscious. "Can you work anywhere up here?" she asked.

"Only clerking, until I pass the bar. I'm going to talk to that Baldwin firm. I did that last time I was up here, and they were pretty cool."

"That's great." She looked up, and let him kiss her again.

"I like how tall you are," she said. "Few guys can make me feel little. I kind of like it."

"And you can wear your high heels!" he said. "I often provide that wonderful service to women!"

"Ha, ha," she said. "But I cannot imagine you with that little nurse."

"Yeah, my neck was often stiff from having to bend over for her," he laughed. "Well, good night, tall and willowy one. You sure are beautiful."

Zander was telling Gail about his conversation with Quinn after the talk she had gone to on nursing in Africa, and the conversation with Emily at the Nurse's Ball. Oksana just listened.

"She looked like I was from some other planet," he said. "Even I realized it was dumb really quick, but in that first second it was perfectly plausible. Why shouldn't she go to any end of the earth if she wants? She keeps trying to tell me it's all OK and then realizes she has to repeat it all again."

"Oh, I think you are trying," Gail replied. "You know it. Next time, you can say to yourself, this is like those previous incidents. It's a joke, or there's a mix-up of words, or there's an explanation. As long as you make that your first assumption, you can ask for more information."

"I keep waiting for a shoe to drop. I am afraid to get comfortable. I think I did with Emily and when the shoe dropped, it felt so bad. And I know Quinn is not Emily. It's not fair to Quinn. I know it. I don't understand how it is that I cannot stop reacting."

"Your feelings are as they are. It did feel bad. Naturally you don't want to feel that way again. Your guard is up against being fooled. Now, though, your head is working on your feelings at least some of the time."

"I hope so. I could get her to be fed up with me."

"I think it was related to what Emily said, and your experience with her in the past. It brings those same feelings up closer to consciousness. And for the record, I'm not sure you really ever did feel secure about Emily. But you did well when you told Quinn what Emily said and how you felt afterward."

"I don't know why Quinn should end up having to deal with all that."

"If she wants you, she has to!"

"Don't listen to Emily," Oksana suggested. "Walk away."

"I was at the bar for a purpose and I don't think I want to plan my life around where Emily goes. I don't want to look like I'm running away from her. Making too big a deal of avoiding her."

"Why does she talk to you, anyway?" Oksana said. "You broke up with her."

"She broke up with me. I don't know. I don't see why she wouldn't just want me to be happy. I think maybe she thinks it was a mistake, or not her fault, and wants me to say so, but I can't think of it at the time. Or how would I put that? I don't know. You're right, Gail, I think of how bad it felt when she broke up with me. Maybe I haven't gotten over that yet? Even if I tell her that it was an mistake and I don't blame her for doing it, it still happened."

"It still felt bad and that can't be changed," Gail said.

"That's true," Zander said.

"You have a family now, too," Gail said. "Now, I know this is the hard part. Lean on them, some."

"I don't know when the shoe will drop with them, either," Zander said. "And don't bother with mocking me about that," he said, giving Oksana a resentful glance. "My head knows you will not. My head does not get the first say, though."

"I know," Oksana said. "But I promise I don't drop you into your shoes."

"Huh?"

"I mean I am still here no matter what Quinn does. I cannot say for your father, but he is probably so, too."

"Good, Oksana," Gail said. "Next time you have an incident like you described, with Emily, whether with Emily or with anyone else, Zander, how about, you think, talk to Mom first about it? Try that. Mom is mom whether this or that girl is still in your life or not. Your brother, your father, Rosa, all the rest."

"They're not shrinks, though. Why should they have to listen to this stuff?"

"You would listen to them if they wanted to talk to you about some insecurity of theirs," Gail said. "I feel pretty sure about that. Why doesn't it go both ways, then? Why does it all fall on you? We know why you feel that way – it relates to being overburdened after the divorce. It is hard to overcome a thing like that. I think you can, though."

"I only wish Quinn didn't pay," Zander said. "And she comes from this family where they don't have all that, and there are guys out there from such families too, who aren't such a pain in the neck."

"Oh, I think Quinn cares about you," Gail said. "You try to see that for yourself."