Pillow Talk | Joanne One Shot Series

She Moves in Her Own Way

"Mate, I don't think my legs will ever be the same again."

Joe had walked in after his third day of rehearsing with Dianne. When he had signed up for Strictly, he knew that dancing all day meant he would be tired and, probably, would get fitter over time. He hadn't envisioned just how many different ways his body could move and how wrong his posture had been for the last 27 years. Dianne had been pushing him, using the ballet barre in the studio to get him to stretch his muscles and joints and teaching him how to stand, walk and hold himself.

He felt like a baby deer just learning how to move for the first time. Everything felt new and nothing felt comfortable.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Byron asked, looking up from his spot on the couch as Joe made his way slowly into the living room.

Joe threw his bag down and shook his head. "No. I... I'll go and have a hot bath in a minute. But I'm hungry."

"There's some left over stir fry in the fridge if you want that?" Byron offered. "It's pretty decent."

Joe grabbed the plate and walked over to the microwave. "Thanks, bud. 100 roommate points for you."

Byron smiled as Joe finished reheating his dinner and took a seat at the breakfast bar.

"So, how is it going?" he asked as Joe ate.

Joe shook his head as he chewed. "Good. But she's pushing me hard."

"That's good though. It shows she thinks you can do it."

Joe couldn't help but smile. "I guess." As he ate, he could feel his eyes growing heavier. Byron walked over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I'll wash up. You go run a bath. I'm worried you're going to faceplant your dinner."

Pushing his plate away, Joe relented and got up from his seat. Running a hand through his hair and pushing it back away from his forehead he looked over at his roommate.

"You're my hero. Right, I'm going upstairs. I probably won't come down again. So, goodnight."

Byron nodded. "Sleep well."

///

Joe hauled himself out of the bath once his fingers had started to resemble raisins. Drying off, he pulled on a pair of shorts and padded over to his bed.

With his head resting on his pillow, Joe tried to stretch out his still-sore legs and feet. To distract himself from the pain, he grabbed his phone and began to scroll through his notifications.

Hey. How are you feeling? Hope your legs are alright!

Joe smiled as he read the message from his dance partner. He quickly tapped back a reply: Recovering from your torture. Not sure how you do this every day!

He didn't have to wait long for a reply.

You get used to it. Hot baths, Epsom salts, ice, protein and stretching.

Joe began typing a reply when another message came through.

I might be nicer to you tomorrow if you are genuinely in pain. But you are doing such a good job so far. I am a proud teacher!

Joe grinned and typed back. Thank you. You're a good teacher.

Their conversation went on for a few minutes, the two of them chatting about the schedule for rehearsing for the rest of the week, and Joe was feeling his eyes growing heavy. He didn't want to stop speaking to Dianne, but it was getting harder to focus on the words. Rolling onto his side, he scrolled through his contacts and dialed.

"Hello?" Dianne answered on the first ring. Joe smiled as he recognized the confusion in her voice.

"Sorry" he explained, "I can't be arsed to keep texting back, so I thought I'd just call. Is... is that ok? If you're busy or anything I can go."

He moved his pillow under his neck until he was comfortable and listened as Dianne spoke. He loved her Australian accent. Something about it just made him smile.

"You're all good" she said. "I'm just chilling out. I should probably wash up my pots from dinner before Johannes sees the mess and murders me, but I'm comfy and I don't want to move."

"Byron offered to clean up for me. And he let me eat his leftovers so I didn't have to cook."

"Ah, these South African roommates. What would life be like without them?"

Joe smiled at Dianne's response. It was something they had bonded over initially; the weird quirks that they had both noticed living with South Africans. They had laughed about how they had both used the word 'howzit' as a greeting without meaning to, and how they had got used to the idea that 'now' can be any time between immediately and three days later.

The two of them had only known one another for just over a month, and they had only been officially partnered for two weeks. Their bond, their friendship, had grown so quickly and it had taken Joe by surprise how comfortable he felt with Dianne. He never would have imagined having this much fun (despite the sore muscles) in a dance studio, and he certainly could not have predicted wanting to speak to the same girl on the phone for hours after they had said goodbye. There was something special about Dianne, he just felt it.

Their conversation had turned from their roommates and their respective evenings to silly stories from their childhoods. Dianne's tales were a lot more dramatic than Joe's and her storytelling style had him quickly giggling.

"We so would not have been friends" he said after one story.

Dianne gasped. "I'm actually offended. I'm a delight; always have been. Please explain yourself, Mr Sugg."

"Well, you were a bit of a wild child. And a princess. Sounds like you bloody got away with everything. When I was a kid, children like you annoyed me. I'd have told on you for sure."

"We definitely wouldn't have been friends, then! Would you actually have told a teacher on me?"

Joe laughed, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "Definitely."

He laid in silence for a moment.

"Joe?"

Her voice pulled him back in. "Are you falling asleep?"

"No... Sorry, I was just..."

"Yeah you are."

Joe sighed.

"Go to sleep, Joe. I'll see you tomorrow."

He rolled over, phone still pressed to his ear. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the voice in his head telling him to ask her to stay on the phone with him until he fell asleep.

"Course. Night, Dianne."

"Sweet dreams, Joe."

The call ended and Joe carefully placed his phone next to his bed. Closing his eyes once more, he couldn't help but smile.

Dianne put him at ease. He was comfortable. Happy.

He fell asleep wondering if she felt the same way about him.