On That Midnight Street | Joanne

Chapter Twelve

They could hear the music coming from the bar before they saw it.

"This place is pretty special" Dianne explained as they got closer. "It isn't very well known, but it's amazing. It's one of my favourite places in London."

Joe looked up at the sign as they walked through the wooden swing doors and into a dimly lit bar with a large black floor at the edge. La Milonga.

"I've booked us a table in the corner. Let me get us some drinks. We're just in time for the main event."

Just as Dianne sat back down at their table, placing a bottle of red wine and two glasses in front of them, the lights dimmed even more, and the live band began to play.

"Ready?" She asked Joe with a smile. "I can guarantee you've never seen anything like this before. This is what it's all about- where this whole thing comes from".

Two dancers appeared at the corners of the room and moved slowly towards one another. Their movements were fluid and strong. Beautiful. Incredible.

"Wow" Joe didn't realise he'd said it out loud. Dianne smiled and took a sip from her glass.

"I know."

The dancers moved deftly around a single, wooden chair in the middle of the floor. The man lifted his partner above his head, where her leg stretched out almost to touch her ear.

"It's sexy, isn't it?" Dianne whispered. Joe nodded, feeling his heart rate increasing.

The performance finished after the couple had danced four different routines- all equally as entrancing. The room erupted into applause and calls for more. The band began a different song and, slowly, the room filled with couples. Dianne drained her glass and held out her hand.

"Come on. Let me show you how to tango."

Dianne was clearly at home in this place. The music seemed to flow through her, and Joe watched mesmerized as she turned impossibly quickly, her now-loose hair whipping about her face. The music changed again, becoming sultrier and slower.

Her hand reached out to press against his chest as she moved closer. His hands found her hips and she leaned back, just as she had in their earlier routine. Joe swallowed thickly as she came back up, her forehead pressed against his.

She guided his hips and feet as they stood impossibly close on the edge of the floor. There was no space left between their bodies and Joe gulped as he felt Dianne's hips move to press against his thigh.

She pulled away and turned once more, winking at him as she walked around him, running her hand over the back of his neck. The song ended.

Joe stood still, spellbound, until Dianne leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"Do you want to take this back to my place?"

Joe nodded and followed Dianne as she walked back to their table to finish her drink and grab her bag. "Are you sure?"

She reached for his hand and led him out of the bar.

///

"That was amazing. I had no idea there would even be anywhere like that in London." Joe followed Dianne as she opened the door to her flat and walked down the corridor to her tiny kitchen. She reached into the cupboard and pulled out two glasses.

"More wine?" She asked. Joe nodded.

She poured as she spoke. "Yeah, it's amazing. Janette introduced me to it when I moved here- we all had a night out there as a sort of celebration for the start of the last series of the show. The male dancer we saw, Nikolaj, used to be world champion. Him and his wife have been dancing there most weeks since they retired from competing."

"It was so good. It makes me want to go to Spain and Argentina and sit and watch those dances happen where they were invented."

Dianne smiled. "We should definitely do that one day." She handed him a glass and walked over to her couch. Joe followed and sat at the opposite corner to her.

As they carried on talking, Dianne put down her glass and moved closer to Joe. He finished his drink and put his arm around her, running his thumb up and down over the fabric of her dress.

"I had a really good time tonight" Joe said quietly. "I... I seem to always have a really great time with you."

Dianne smiled. "I think we just work well together."

Joe nodded. "We do." Dianne moved her hand up to caress his neck and leaned in. Joe closed the gap between them as he brought his lips to hers.

The kiss deepened quickly and Joe turned his body to get closer to Dianne. She ran her hand over his back and pulled him forwards onto her as she leaned back. "I've been wanting to do this all night" she whispered. Joe felt his skin tingle as he shivered at her words.

Her kisses travelled to his neck, and then back up to his lips.

Between kisses, Joe's hand wandered over her waist and came to rest on the bare skin of her stomach, exposed from where her short dress had ridden up. His hand carried on moving upwards as they kissed, until he reached the cup of her bra.

Dianne pulled away. "Shall we take this into the bedroom?" she asked, in a tone Joe hadn't heard her use before aside from in his dreams. He nodded and followed her.

One wall of her bedroom was covered in drawers and hangers full of clothes. The other side was where she did her makeup. Joe wasn't particularly bothered about looking around- he had other things on his mind.

He crawled onto the bed where Dianne was now laying, propped up against a pillow, and kissed her gently. She pulled off her dress and threw it to the floor, before moving back to kiss him. Her hand found the button on his jeans.

"They can't be comfortable."

Joe shook his head and gulped as he watched Dianne slowly pull down the zipper. Her hand found his hip as she kissed his neck.

Slowly, Joe pulled his jeans off and threw them off the bed.

Dianne turned to him, her head now resting against the pillow. He brushed her hair back behind her ear and moved back to capture her lips once more.

Their kisses grew slower as they lay beside one another, hands lazily exploring new areas of skin. Dianne pulled away as she felt Joe's eyes flutter closed.

Pressing one final kiss to his forehead, she watched as he rolled back onto the pillow.

"I'd be mad if you weren't so cute" she whispered. Pulling the covers up and over both of them, she realised how exhausted she was. She could definitely forgive Joe for falling asleep; they had both worked so hard and it had been a long, late night. She turned onto her own pillow and closed her eyes, still smiling.

"Goodnight, Joseph."

In the dark, she felt Joe roll onto his side. His hand found her waist and he pulled her close.

"G'nigh'" he mumbled.