Strictly '18

3

-Dianne-
We sat down in a cafe and ordered something to drink.

"You're gonna be amazing in the final. We really do have a chance of winning."

"Really? I genuinely think it's between Stacey and Ashley." Joe shrugged.

"Nah. We've got a strong chance, I reckon." I smiled to him. I smiled and thanked the waitress as she bought over our drinks and took our orders.

"Get whatever you want, I'm paying." He told me.

"I don't want you spending loads on me."

"I want to spend loads on you, you deserve it after everything you've done for me since we met." He looked at me seriously and held my hand over the table. I felt myself blush slightly.

Joe let me choose my food first then he ordered his. He paid for it all then the waitress left.

"Let me put some money towards it. It's not fair you paying for it all." I said as I reached for my purse.

"Di, it's alright. I said I want to treat you, you deserve it for everything you've done for me and everything you've gone through because of me. It's just a way of me saying thank you." He explained and sighed. I sighed and looked at him.

"Fine. Okay. But next time we get food out, I'm paying." I told him seriously.

"Sure. Okay." He smiled as he held my hands and kissed them. We were interrupted when I got a text on my phone. It was from my mum.

Mum: Hi love, just wondering, where do you plan on staying when you're over next week? Our place or Andrew's? Xxx

I sighed as I didn't know where I wanted to stay. Where did I want to wake up on Christmas Day?

"What's up?" Joe noticed that I was thinking about something.

"My mum just text me asking where I want to stay when I go back to Australia next week. Their house or my brother's."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you're going back." He frowned softly and looked down at the table.

"Hey, I'll call you all the time, whenever I can. I promise." I squeezed his hands slightly.

"I know. But it'll be daytime there and night here. It won't be the same and I'll miss you so much."

"It's only a week. I'll be back before New Year's Eve and I'm not going till next Friday. We've still got the final and our little getaway to look forward to yet."

"I know. But it's gonna be horrible going from seeing you all day every day for like 3 months to not seeing you properly for a week."

"I know. But we'll be okay. We can phone each other all the time." I tried so hard to reassure him. He nodded softly.

"Stay at your parents' house. You'll probably prefer to wake up there on Christmas Day." He smiled softly.

"I was just thinking that." I smiled widely. He chuckled softly.

As I was replying to my mum's messages, our food was served to us. We both thanked the waitress and began eating. Like usual, I took my time with my food. Joe, however, ate his food as if it was a race.

"Why are you eating so fast? Make the most of it."

"I was hungry. I didn't have breakfast." He told me before shovelling more into his mouth.

"Neither did I. If I remember rightly... we woke up in the same room this morning." I laughed. He chuckled and shrugged. "What's the plan after this?" He shrugged again.

"Go back to the hotel and watch movies?" He suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea. Or we could spend time with Stacey and Kevin? You and Kev get along so well and we should make the most of the time we have left with them."

"Okay... I just wanted to spend my time with you before you go."

"We've got the treehouse holiday, Joe. You'll have me all to yourself there." I giggled.

"Hardly... Zoe and Alfie will be there." He pouted.

"Come on, how about we go back to the hotel, start watching a film and I'll text Kevin to see if they're up for hanging out. If not then you're all good?"

"Okay, good idea."

———

We got back to the hotel room and we both led down on the bed.

"All of a sudden, I'm really tired." He sighed.

"So am I. My whole body feels like fried-"

"You mean scrambled." He corrected me casually.

"My whole body feels like scrambled eggs." I chuckled. "I could seriously just do with a massage. I know we only had physio on Sunday but I would kill for a massage right now."

Joe shuffled away from me on the bed as I said that. I frowned softly. He obviously sensed my confusion.

"You said you'd kill for a massage. I don't want to be killed, thanks." He chuckled.

"Unless..." I smiled widely and looked over at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He chuckled nervously.

"You could be super romantic and give me a massage." I grinned cheekily. I was expecting him to complain and try to get out of it.

"Okay, sure. I'll give it a good ol' go." He said as he tried to do an Australian accent.

"That's the worst accent I've ever heard." I laughed.

"Stop bullying me or I'm not doing it." He pouted at me.

"Okay. Okay, I'm sorry. Please can I have a massage? Pretty please?" I smiled softly.

"Of course. How could I ever say no to you?" He chuckled. "You get yourself sorted on the bed and comfortable. I'll go get some cream."

I nodded and watched him leave the room. I took my T-shirt off and led down on the bed on my front. I still had my bra on and I waited for him to come back.

"I'm gonna need to sit on your legs and bum. Is that okay?" He asked.

"Of course." I smiled softly. He climbed onto the bed and then sat on my legs.

I tensed slightly as some cream landed on my back. He chuckled softly and rubbed it into my back. I relaxed and closed my eyes. He began rubbing my shoulders and back.

"How's that?" He asked quietly.

"Amazing, Joe. Thank you." I sighed softly. I felt him lean forwards and a kiss landed on my shoulder. I giggled softly. "Your hair is tickling my neck, Joe."

"Shh, people will hear if you giggle loudly." He chuckled and kept rubbing my back. I chuckled and closed my eyes. I felt him lean close to me again.

"I'm gonna keep giggling if you keep doing that. You're tickling." I smiled widely.

"I'll try not to tickle then." He chuckled before kissing my neck. I relaxed as he kept kissing my neck softly.

Even though we hadn't been official that long, I felt like I was falling in love with him.