Joe and Dianne In Another Universe

Part 1

It had been stupid.

What had Dianne really expected to happen?

Did she really think Joe would suddenly realize that he was madly in love with her, just like she was about him?

That after three years of friendship he would suddenly have a light bulb moment and it would all click into place?

That they were meant to be more than just good friends?

These thoughts swirled around her brain as she stood in the centre of a fancy London restaurant with a glass of Champaign in hand, a fake smile plastered on her face as she listened to one of her best friends give a toast at his engagement party. He stood in a tight fitted black suit with a green tie to match that of his fiancé's dress. His hair was styled into his signature quiff and the glasses he wore highlighted his intoxicating eyes that Dianne could confidently say was his best feature, well maybe apart from his neck.

She was brought out of her internal thoughts when the room filled with a sudden applause. The happy couple stood in front of a gathered crowd, smiling, as Joe leaned down to peck the lips of his bride to be.

"You look like you are in your own wee world, are you okay?" Dianne turned to her side to see the owner of the voice was Zoe, Joe's sister.

Dianne had become incredibly close to Zoe, in fact to all of Joe's family, since she and Joe had been paired up on SCD back in 2018. Although since Joe had started dating Casandra , she had found it hard to be around him and then by extension his family. When she had received the news that Joe had proposed after only six months of dating, Dianne had been devastated. She knew she didn't have a right to feel like this. She had never been honest with Joe, she had kept those feelings close to her heart, and had shut down anything romantic from progressing.

"Oh I'm fine", Dianne lied, "probably just had a bit too much of the bubbly stuff, I'm such a light weight now a days". Zoe gave back a sympathetic look, which Dianne wasn't really sure why. As far as Dianne had been aware, only she and Joe had known about that night, or nights really, in the end promising each other to not to tell anyone. "Anyway, enough about me, how are you? How's baby Sugg-Deyes doing?" Dianne asked as she put her glass down on the table nearby, placing her hands on Zoe's protruding bump when she got permission to do so from the expecting mother.

"Cooking away nicely" Zoe said as she maneuvered Dianne's hand over to where her baby boy was currently kicking. "Are you saying hello to Auntie Dot?" Zoe asked in a high pitched baby voice, "I know Mia and Billy call you Auntie Dot, I hope that's okay?" She asked after realising she hadn't got the red head's permission to do so.

"Of course, just wait until he arrives, Auntie Dot will be spoiling him rotten, won't I little man. Wow he certainly knows how to kick, doesn't he?"

"Oh yes we definitely have a little footballer in here for sure" Zoe nodded as Dianne went to help Zoe sit down on the nearest chair available.

"Or dancer"? Dianne offered taking her seat next to Zoe's.

"True he might take after his uncle Joe and surprise us all with his fancy footwork on the dancefloor, although I think it was more your magic touch than it was his natural ability" Zoe replied as she rubbed her belly in the hopes of calming her unborn son down from his kicking spree.

Blushing Dianne turned her head to look over to the other side of the room, where standing in front of a glass window, that had a magical view of the London skyline, she saw Joe and Casandra with some of the parties guests. There were three who Dianne recognised as Joe's childhood friends from his home back in Wiltshire, as well as also standing beside them, Alfie and Casper. On Casandra's side there was five girls, who Dianne presumed were her friends. Dianne didn't usually like to judge people before she met them, but she could imagine from just looking at the group of girls they were exactly the kind of people she would not choose to be friends with.