You are my life

Please

(Alex's POV)

The next morning I was back at work, sitting at my desk and going over the cash forecast the CEO had asked for by this afternoon. Zelda had just been here to discuss her business and sponsorships so when that was out of the way, I got back to what my boss wanted.

However, my eyes kept wandering back to the framed picture I had perched beside my desktop of Pipes and I in Fiji in 2004. We were on a beach with white sand and crystal clear blue water with a palm tree towering over us, casting a shadow. It was one of my favourites. It was a spontaneous shot where we were both wearing sharongs on our lower half with bikini tops on our upper. I had run at Piper from behind, surprising her and lifting her up while we both heartily laughed. Piper just looked so radiant in it.
We both looked so young and carefree.
We both looked so in love.
It got me thinking.

Maybe we could go back there soon?
Maybe for our honeymoon?
Hmm but Pipes had already said she'd booked our honeymoon and plane tickets.
Maybe I could surprise her with a getaway trip? A romantic escape, just the two of us, like we'd talked about in the shower last night. Sort've like a pre-wedding honeymoon.

Still staring at the picture with a smile and my thoughts running wild, I was startled by a knock on my open door and a familiar voice.
"I'd ah, ask what the cheshire cat grin is for but going by your line of sight I can already tell it might have something to do with you and a certain blonde you just can't stop ogling." Nicky says from my doorway with a smirk.
I look up at her and smile, straightening up in my leather chair.
"Shut up asshole, what're you doing here?" I ask her she she takes a seat opposite me at the other side of my desk.
"That uh redhead, the one that just left your office, that her?" She asks.
I nod and look back at my computer screen, continuing to get on with work as I talked to Nicky, multi-tasking and all that.
"That is her." I confirm.
"Fuck. Chapman has great taste in women." She says approvingly, looking out my door, her eyes following the route Zelda had taken a few minutes earlier.
I glare at her.
"Hey, only stating a fact Vause. She's engaged slash prison married to your fine ass isn't she?"
I press my lips firmly together and nod, looking at her again.
"She is and I intend to keep it that way so I guess it's a good thing you find Zelda hot so here, is her number." I say, stretching across to the business card holder I had at the other side of my desk containing all the business cards of the clients I and this company invested in, reaching her Zelda's.
"Sweet, thanks. But hey, uh, Vause, talking of which, hot or not I'm still doing you a favour here and she's not the only reason I'm here if you catch my drift?" She asks.
"What can I do for you Nichols?" I ask her, flicking my attention back to the cash forecast I had to finish.
"Well, when Red got dementia, they left me her role of being in charge of the kitchen and when I got out, well let's just say I had no other real prospects so I thought maybe I could set up something in her memory. You know? As her legacy. Maybe buy back her old place and get it up and running." She suggests and I knew where this was going so I finish her plea.
"And you want me and this company to invest in you."
"I do." She confirms.

My mouth twists to the side in thought as I slowly nod in consideration.
"Okay, bring your business plan back here in a couple of weeks and I'll take a look at it then we'll take it from there. You're right, I do owe you one and it does sound like a pretty great prospect and a sweet idea." I tell her.
Her face lights up.
"Aw thanks Vause! Can we not just do that at your place though?" She asks.
"No, there's too many distractions at home." I tell her.
She smirks.
"You mean there's one very hot, very tall and now very powerful blonde distraction?"
I don't answer her.
And she knew by my silence she was right.
Then her face falls when she realises what I'd said.
"Wait, a couple of weeks?! Why so long?!" She asks.
I simply lift the framed photo I'd been staring at when she arrived and showed it to her.
"Yes Vause, you both look great and nauseatingly in love, what's that got to do with anything?" She asks sarcastically.
"Everything." I say, putting the frame back on my desk where it belongs, angling it a bit to face me.
I continue.
"Pipes and I were talking about a romantic getaway from the world in the shower last night-" I start to explain but she cuts me off.
"I bet you were." She suggestively smirks.
I make a sarcastic amused face at her.
"Funny. She was just showing me how intimate and romantic showering together can be."
"I bet she was." She continues to suggestively smirk and waggles an eyebrow at me.
I sigh.
"Anyway. This photo is us in Fiji in 2004 and I was thinking of taking her away for a couple of weeks. Back to Fiji. Just the two of us. Work and wedding preparations has been really stressing her out lately, stressing us both out. I mean my God Nicky have you seen how much is involved in putting together a wedding?! Between the colour scheme, the dresses, the menu, the venue, the date, the guest list, the photographer, the music. Look, she just needs to relax. We need to relax and just spend some quality time together. It's the least she deserves since we both know I haven't exactly been partner of the year." I tell her.
She nods understandingly and gets up from her chair.
"I get it. It's fine. You and Piper needed a relaxing vacation together a long time ago and I'm probably talking in the region of before we even met long time ago. I appreciate you doing this for me Vause I really do so hey, I'll see you in two weeks. Have a great time with your missus and try not to have too much sex." She smiles and leaves before quickly popping her head round the doorway again.
"Oh and uh, I better be your woman of honour." She winks.
"You got it." I smile, shaking my head happily.

When Nicky's gone, I leave my office and knock the door of the CEO's office.
"Hey Michael can I have the next two weeks off?"