On That Midnight Street | Joanne

Chapter Eighteen

"How much spice do you like?"

Dianne sat on the bar stool in Joe's kitchen, watching as he prepared dinner for both of them. They had finished rehearsing at a normal-ish time, and Joe and offered to cook for her.

Byron was away and so they had the apartment to themselves.

Dianne leaned closer, looking at the curry Joe was cooking up. "I like quite a lot of spice. Put in as much as you want- I'll be happy with whatever. It's just nice to be cooked for."

Joe smiled. "Do you cook much? I mean, obviously when Strictly's on nobody has time really. But aside from that?"

Dianne shook her head. "I mean, I'm usually rehearsing or performing in one thing or another. When I have a day off I prefer to go out to eat. Or order in. I can cook maybe five or six dishes. But they're pretty basic. And most of them are breakfast. I'm good at toast."

Joe smiled and leaned closer. "OK. So if you had to go on Masterchef, what would your signature dish be?"

Dianne took a moment to think, watching Joe as he wandered around the kitchen. "Probably my spaghetti. It's my Nonna's recipe. She's actually Italian, so it's pretty good. I've learned how to make that pretty well."

Joe smiled. "You'll have to make it for me one day."

"I will. I wish I could cook more things, but I've never had time really. It was either learn to cook or learn to dance. Guess which I picked?"

Joe laughed. "I bet Shirley can do both" he said, smiling at Dianne. In training, Dianne had made a running joke out of the fact that all Joe wanted to do was impress the head judge.

"Oh, I bet she can. You're bloody obsessed with Shirley." Dianne leaned forwards, resting her head on her hand. "You could always ask Shirley to be your girlfriend, if the cooking is your priority. But I bet there's other things I'm much better at." She winked. "Or maybe you were serious when you said you liked an older woman..."

Joe made retching noises. "Ah, I don't want to think of Shirley like that! I've got the worst mental image! Oh god!" Dianne clapped her hands and threw her head back in laughter as Joe covered his eyes. Dianne continued.

"Oh, I can just see her now. Waiting for you in her underwear. On your bed. With the lights all low." Joe turned the heat down on their dinner and walked around, trying to tickle Dianne. She hopped off the stool and ran backwards towards the couch.

"Oh Shirley! Just like that, Shirley! Oh yeah, I love your salsa rhythm. Ah...touch me, Shirley. Ah, I'm..."

Joe leaned forwards and pulled Dianne onto the sofa, tickling her ribs. Flipping her down so that he was on top of her, he leaned in and kissed her.

As they broke apart, she was still laughing. "Why did you kiss me?"

Joe looked at her, an annoyed expression on his face. "Because it was the only thing I can think of to get you to shut up."

Dianne grinned. "Well, it clearly works. Maybe I should annoy you more often." Joe rolled his eyes and walked back to the kitchen.

"Right. Dinner's ready. But any more talk of Shirley and yours will be going straight on your face."

Dianne laughed, but held up her hand in surrender. "OK, fine. I'm too hungry to argue."

///

Dianne offered to help Joe clean the kitchen after their meal. Joe smiled as he watched her walk around the space.

She was clearly at home here, and he had got used to having her around. She knew where everything went, and somehow it just felt right. His mind called back to their earlier conversation. To something Dianne had said before she had ruined the image of Shirley Ballas for him forever.