"My uncle used to own that restaurant, and..." She trailed off as she looked around town. "Oh! I used to work there when I was a teenager. Used to sweep up hair every Saturday."
Joe couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm as she spoke so fondly about her home town, describing every detail about the place. It was almost as if she hadn't been here in a while, which Joe thought not possible as she lived so close.
It was a Tuesday, a day he was originally meant to be spending with Mike. However, he informed Joe at the weekend that it wasn't possible for him to get a day off work until next Monday, hence him spending the day with Dianne. Not that he was complaining, not at all.
"Do you want to go grab lunch?" Her words pulled Joe out of his trance, but before he could answer she was already leading him over to a quaint little coffee shop.
Smiling at their joined hands, he followed behind her.
"Ah, Dianne! So lovely to see you, my dear!" The old woman behind the counter said.
"Miss Jackie, hey! I've missed coming in here everyday." Dianne continued making small conversation with the lady before rattling off their food orders. "Eat in?"
Joe just nodded before swooping in and swiping his credit card against the machine.
"You didn't have to pay, you know?" Dianne gave him a stern look.
"I wanted to." Joe just shrugged before sitting on one of the stools places further along the counter. "Haven't been here in a while, then?" Joe asked as Dianne said down next to him.
She shook her head, whilst taking a bite into her sandwich. "I spent a lot of hours in this shop over the years but I haven't been back in quite a long time."
Joe sensed it was a touchy subject so quickly moved on. "What breed is Juno? I've never seen a dog quite like him?"
"The vet thought that he was a border collie crossed with something else, will never know for sure though." She swallowed her next bite, before continuing. "You know, I never really thought about getting a dog, but when I saw him I just couldn't say no. And just thinking that if I didn't have him, he would probably be in some rescue shelter. I was surprised when we couldn't trace him back to his owner, but maybe it was for the best. Responsible owners would microchip their pets."
Nodding in agreement, Joe finished off his drink. "I've always wanted a dog, but with my lifestyle at the moment it just wouldn't be fair on the poor thing."
They continued chatting for the duration of their lunch stop, before heading back outside where Dianne continued speaking about her town. Joe smiled when she interlaced their fingers, not quite believing his luck in meeting such an incredible person.
//
Still hand in hand, they slowed when they approached Dianne's front door, their bodies impossibly close.
Plucking up all the courage he could find, Joe turned grabbed her other hand so they were facing each other. "Hey, so um, I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner tomorrow night?" He asked cautiously, never feeling so nervous.
He felt a hand on his cheek, and the look on Dianne's face made him relax a little.
She leant in and whispered. "I would love nothing more. Text me the time and where to meet you."
Joe felt the next few seconds go by in a blur as Dianne had gone onto her toes and lightly kissed his cheek, before quickly turning round and disappearing into the house, leaving him stood there in shock but with an overwhelming sense of happiness.
The 40 minute walk back to Mike's house went quicker than expected and he hadn't been able to stop smiling the whole way. Arriving back, he saw the back of his friend sitting on the sofa, surprised he was up so late.
"You're up late." Joe stated before going to put the kettle on.
"Work stuff that needs to be done." Mike replied, turning his head. "Have a good time in town?"
"Yeah, it was great." Joe smiled again. "Perfect, actually."
"Glad you're having a good time, mate. Sorry about not being able to take this week off, but I'm ready to do whatever you want on Monday." Mike apologised, before going back to his laptop.
"It's chill. I think a proper beach day would be good." He saw Mike nod. "Well, I'm off to bed so goodnight."
He heard Mike mumble "night" before shutting his bedroom door and laying flat on the bed.
"Dianne Buswell, what are you doing to me?" he thought, while letting his mind drift off.
The following evening, Joe was a bag of nerves, not even remembering the last time he had been on a date.
Texting Dianne saying he was by the beach entrance, he waited, thinking how life here is what he really craved.
Hearing the sound of heels against the pavement, he stood up and turned around, feeling is jaw drop to the ground.
There she was. In a long, floaty dress with her hair in beach waves, she looked breathtaking.
Not being able to form words properly, he just stood there admiring the view. Moving closer to her, he cupped her cheeks and smiled. "You look incredible."
He saw Dianne bite her lip, which drove him crazy, before she responded. "So do you."
Removing his hands from her face, he took her hand and lead her in the right direction. "Come on then, we have a dinner reservation."
An: hello! sorry this chapter is a bit short but i wanted to get one up today. the next few days are quite busy for me but i'm hoping to write a bit more at the weekend!
