Chapter 22

                                    

                                          
Diana's POV
I take a sip of my hot chocolate, relaxing into Alex's chest as the hot beverage heats me up. Alex is working away on his computer, while I'm sitting on his lap drinking my large hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. 
I protested and said I was fine sitting at my own desk, but he quite literally pulled me onto his lap and didn't let me go. 
I didn't mind though. I love moments like these when we don't need to talk to enjoy spending time together. 
I'm only slightly worried about the fact the work I should be doing isn't getting done. But if Alex, the CEO of the company, isn't worried about it, I don't see why I should be. 
I glance at the time on Alex's computer and see it's nearly noon. 
"Alex we have that meeting" I tell him, and he sighs. "I hate when you remind me of things I have to do" He mumbles, and I laugh while getting off his lap. 
"Are you okay going to this? I understand if you want to stay here?" Alex asks, and I turn and smile at him. "Thanks, but I'm going. Can't let them win, now can we?" I say, and Alex smirks before placing a kiss on my lips. 
I smile as we pull away, before remembering the time. I take hold of his hand and 'drag' him out of his office, throwing my now empty cup in the bin and grabbing my laptop on the way to the elevator. 
"You looking forward to Christmas?" Alex asks as the elevator doors close. Christmas is in exactly two weeks, and to say I'm excited would be a fucking understatement.  
I love Christmas. It's my favourite holiday and I always go all out with the decorations. 
We always put the decorations up on the eighth of December. I get a big tree and then struggle to get it inside the house so Casey ends up doing it for me. Casey puts up a bunch of Christmas lights around the outside of the house while I stress over him falling off the ladder or the narrow windowsill he's standing on. We decorate a gingerbread house- well I do and Casey criticises everything I do while eating the icing or throwing jelly-tots at me. It's a little tradition we've formed over the last four years and I love it. 
"Yes. I love Christmas. It's my favourite time of year" I grin and he smiles at me. "What do you usually do on Christmas?" He asks. 
"I wake Casey up at ten am and force him to go downstairs and open presents. He complains and insists he's 'too old for this santa shit'. Then he gives me presents and I scold him for it. We make dinner together, then do Christmas crackers. I get pissed at Casey because he purposely lets me win. Then we watch Christmas movies and fall asleep on the couch" I explain. Our Christmas for the last four years has been exactly the same, yet I love it and I know Casey does too.
Alex smiles as I explain our Christmas day plan, and it makes me ten times happier. I explained this to Mason once, he didn't even pretend to care. I don't even think he was listening.  
He made me feel boring a lot of the time, and that I was dramatic for getting excited over stuff like this at the age I am. Alex never makes me feel like that. I could be explaining the colour of the dog shit I stepped on accidentally and he'd still be amazed.
The doors of the elevator open, and like yesterday he managed to distract me from my fear the whole time. I wonder if he does it internationally.
"What about you?" I ask as we step out of the elevator. 
"My nieces wake everyone up at five am. We go downstairs and my sister and them open presents while we all complain about how early it is. Then our mother threatens us and we shut up fast". 
"We all end up falling back asleep on the couch, then our sister usually sprays us with a water gun to wake us up. We have dinner, exchange presents. Then most of us stay up drinking till we pass out" Alex explains, and I smile at how fun their Christmas sounds.
"The reason I bring it up is my mam told me to invite you and Casey over for Christmas. She's been dying to meet you ever since Leo went and told her about you the day him and the others came to the office" Alex mutters, and I stifle a laugh. Something tells me Alex wasn't too happy with that. "I know you and Casey have your own plans, so if you can't go it's fine," He tells me, and I nod.
"I'll talk to Casey about it," I tell him, and he nods as we stop in front of the door to the meeting room. "Ready?" He asks, and I nod. "Let's get this over with".
We walk in and the room goes quiet like usual. We take our seats, and Alex starts the meeting where it left off yesterday.
Thirty minutes later it's done, and everyone starts to grab their things when Alex tells them to wait.
"Before you all go," He says, and everyone turns their full attention back to him.
"I'm well aware of what you were all speaking about before yesterday's meeting," Alex says, and they all look at me instead with an angry look.
"Look at me when I'm fucking talking to you" Alex practically snaps, and they all quickly look back at him immediately.
"If it was up to me you would of all been fired yesterday afternoon" Alex says, and a look of shock and horror wash over all their faces. It's rather entertaining to watch.
"Because it clearly states in your contracts that if you participate in any form of verbal or physical bullying or harassment, you can be suspended or fired regardless of whatever contract you're on" Alex informs them, and they all share a look of panic.
"It concerns me how many of you shared a look of fear when I said that. I have a feeling I should start sending out job applications" Alex mutters, looking at them all in disgust. The room is deadly silent, all of them staring at the table, looking too scared to even move.
"Diana chose to allow you all one more chance" Alex tells them, and a few of them flicker their eyes to me to see if it's true.
I did in fact tell Alex to give them one more chance. Not because I forgave them, but because I kept thinking about how their families might struggle if they were fired. I'm too nice for my own good, believe me, I know. Casey reminds me all the time. 
"So this..clueless prostitute as you all put it yesterday, has the say in whether you all lose your jobs or not" Alex tells him, and every single one of them turns to me in fear and I don't try to hold back my smile. 
I was loving this a little too much. 
"So I highly suggest you all are nice to her and respect her from here on out," Alex says. 
"It's unfortunate I have to sit here and lecture all you grown men on what manners are. For the sake of your jobs, don't make me have to do it again" Alex tells them.
"Yes sir" They all call out. 
"What are you waiting for? Apologise. Now" Alex orders, and they all apologise. I highly doubt they are sorry, but I'm already satisfied with the humiliation they're feeling. 
"Now get out of my sight" Alex mutters, and they all practically jump up from their seats and run out. The door closes behind them, and I finally allow myself to laugh. 
I calm down a few seconds later, but the big smile on my face will be with me for the rest of the day. I turn to Alex and see he's already staring at me amused.  
"You're amazing," I tell him. "I know" He sighs. 
I get up from my seat and hug him, and he chuckles while pulling me onto him so I'm straddling his lap. 
I smile and cup his face in my hands and place a gentle kiss on his lips. 
We pull away a few seconds later, and I grin. "Thank you" I whisper. "Don't thank me for telling people not to treat you like shit" Alex mumbles, and I chuckle.
"I think you should come over tonight," I tell him, and he raises an eyebrow at me. 
His hands are resting on my upper thigh that are on either side of his lap, and he's rubbing small circles with his thumb. "Should I now?" He asks and I hum in response. 
"I get lonely, you know," I tell him, and he smirks. "Well, we can't have that, now can we?" He whispers, and I laugh as he places his lips to mine and kisses me.