Learning Curve | Joanne

Maintenance

Joe looked around the hotel room, wondering how- within fifteen minutes of their arrival- Dianne had managed to make it look like they were standing in the aftermath of an earthquake. The piles of 'rubble' were high, the floor scattered will all sorts of debris. Joe stared at Dianne, who was sat in the middle of it all, and shook his head before walking up to the window and looking out into the sky.

"What are you doing?" Dianne asked from her place on the carpet.

"I'm looking out for the helicopter. Unicef or someone should be sending care packages down for us, since we're clearly living in the middle of some kind of natural disaster." Joe only turned back around when he felt something hit his back. Picking up the offending item, one of Dianne's bras, he pulled it like a catapult and launched it back at her.

Still sat in the middle of what looked like everything she had ever owned, Dianne grinned up at her boyfriend. "I'm just trying to find my hairbrush. I'll put it all back in a second."

Joe got up, picked up Dianne's hairbrush from her other bag, and handed it to her. She smiled guiltily. "Sorry. Thank you."

Joe rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing the pros still outweigh the cons. If you weren't as nice or as pretty as you are, I'd be out of here."

They had the same conversation, or a similar version of it, every time they arrived at a new hotel. Over their time on tour, they had got into a routine. The bus would arrive at the venue in the evening. They would get into the room and Joe would set his bag neatly on the side. Dianne would unzip her case in the middle of the room and just pour everything onto the floor, making false promises that she would pick up after herself (Joe had learned after one or two dates that it was easiest not to challenge the lie). They would then order room service, which they would eat while searching for things to do in the city the following day. Dianne's clothes would stay on the floor until it was time to pack up and leave again.

///

"Let me guess" Joe said, passing Dianne her dinner from the tray, "nail salon?"

Dianne looked up from her phone. She was sitting up against the bed's headboard, legs stretched out in front of her, scrolling through reviews of local nail bars. "How did you guess?" she asked, taking the plate from her boyfriend's waiting hands.

Joe smiled. "You picked off the last manicure. So, I guessed it was time for a new one. Plus, we've only got the evening show to do tomorrow, so you've got plenty of time."

Dianne nodded. "I have. Actually, since I've got time..." she went silent as she tapped away on her phone. Joe had got used to this; Dianne was only able to focus on one thing at once. She would be back in the room soon, but there was no point in trying to have a conversation while her brain was doing something else. Picking up his own phone, managing to eat his pasta with one hand, Joe looked up coffee and breakfast places near nail salons, thinking it would be nice to get brunch in before or after Dianne's appointment.

Noticing Dianne had put her phone down, Joe turned to her. "Will you have time for brunch tomorrow? Before you get your nails done? Then I could go shopping or something and wait for you."

Dianne paused. "I might be a while. I'm thinking I might go to this beauty salon place" she turned her phone to show Joe on the map. "I might need to take an Uber or something, if they can get me in, because it's quite far away. But they have everything I need."

Joe looked confused. "What else do you need? If you're getting a massage or a facial, I want to come too. Or are you getting your eyebrows done? After the last time, I didn't think you'd trust anyone..."

Dianne shook her head. "I need a wax."

"But the last time, that woman got wax in your hair and took a chunk out of your..." Joe stopped when he noticed Dianne was still shaking her head. "What?"

Dianne chuckled. "It's not my eyebrows that need waxing, Joseph."

It was a few seconds before a look of realization grew on Joe's face, his eyes getting wider and wider. "Oh... Oh!"

"And the penny drops" Dianne said with a smile.

///

"I never really thought about it before, but it must take a lot of work to look... like you."

Dianne raised an eyebrow at Joe's comment, toothbrush in her hand. It seemed to have come completely out of nowhere, disturbing the comfortable near-silence they shared whilst getting ready to sleep. "What do you mean?"

Joe shrugged. "I just mean it takes a lot of, like, procedures and stuff." He paused, noting the way Dianne was staring. "OK, procedures isn't the right word. But, like, you have to go to so many appointments and stuff. Nails, hair colour, hair cut, extensions, tan, eyebrows, waxes..."

Dianne nodded. "It's expensive and it takes up time. I'm used to it, though. I've been dancing my whole life and there are expectations, things you make sure you have done before a show or a competition. Underarms, legs, spray tan, eyebrows shaped... It's just part of my routine now. For this job, it's part of what you're expected to do, I guess."

"True, but it takes a lot of time and money. And pain, I'm guessing."

"Definitely. Well, not so much now."

Joe wasn't convinced. "I've only ever had one of those wax strip things done on my leg for a joke and that was bad enough. To be fair, I spent the first sixteen years of my life praying for body hair. I wouldn't want to get rid of it now; I'd look 12 again. I can't imagine getting... anything waxed. Especially not..." He took a moment to truly think about what Dianne was going to have done. "How do you even trust anyone to go near there with hot wax?"

"The secret is not to think about it. Any of it." Dianne shrugged. "None of it is normal. Laying in front of a complete stranger with pretty much everything on display is weird. Well, I guess girls do it more than boys..." She paused, realizing she was wrong. "Actually, no. Boys see each other's more often, but girls are more used to going into a room with a complete stranger, taking their knickers off and... well. It depends on what you're in for; smear test, waxing, laser hair removal."

"Laser?" Joe asked, stunned. "I don't even think I want to know any more. Sorry I asked."

They brushed their teeth next to one another, Dianne tying up her hair ready for bed as she did so. Once they were both done, they walked back into the bedroom and slipped into bed.

"I know you don't, but I just wanted to say that you don't ever have to do any of that for me. Especially if it hurts." Joe spoke quietly, unsure if Dianne would understand how he meant his words to come across.

She smiled. "I understand. But I don't. It's a me thing, not a you think. I... I make a choice about how I want to look. I know there's loads of stuff about how women need to look a certain way and, yes, I do follow some of it. But it's not for anyone except myself. It makes me feel good." She rolled closer to Joe, smiling as he naturally placed his arm around her. "I dance for a living. I need to feel confident in my body, as much as I can, because it's what people are looking at. And if extensions, nails or even a wax makes me feel good about myself, I'm going to do it."

Joe nodded. "That makes sense. And I'm glad it makes you feel confident. Your confidence is one of the biggest things about you that inspires me."

Dianne let out an 'aww' as she moved up to kiss Joe's cheek. "That's very sweet of you. I... I don't think I'm as confident as I come across, though. Nobody ever is. I still compare myself to other girls all the time. Are my arms bigger than hers? Why don't my boobs sit like that? How come her stomach is more toned than mine? But I just have to shut it down and remind myself that I have trained my body to do amazing things."

Joe nodded. "I can vouch for that" he said with a wink, earning himself a soft punch to the arm. "Sorry" he grinned, "I couldn't resist." Turning to face Dianne, he smiled softly at her. "You are amazing, though. And so beautiful. Without any of the... treatments and stuff you get done, I know for certain I'd still think you were the most gorgeous person I'd ever seen." He paused for a moment, taking in Dianne's face, natural, no makeup, ready for sleep. "You're stunning, Dianne." He leaned across the pillow to kiss her gently. "I'm a lucky boy."