Pillow Talk | Joanne One Shot Series

Walking on Broken Glass

"Are you serious?" Dianne walked into the apartment after a long day of rehearsing, pausing in the doorway of the kitchen. The sink was piled with unwashed pots. There were open packets of food on the side, trails of crumbs everywhere. "Joe?" she called out.

Nothing.

Walking into the room, she began picking up the mess and tidying away. She loaded the pots into the dishwasher and quickly wiped down the surfaces.

"Hey, you're back" Joe said as he walked in. He stopped in his tracks as he was met with an angry stare from his girlfriend. "What's the matter?"

Dianne huffed and spread her arms out, gesturing to the still-not-tidy kitchen. "I don't know, Joe. Why don't you take a look?"

Joe sighed. "Sorry, I must have lost track of time. I only came down here to make some dinner and then I got back to work. I was going to clean when I finished."

"Did you leave me any dinner?" Dianne asked pointedly, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd want any. I thought you were getting tapas with the girls."

Dianne couldn't help but roll her eyes. "That's tomorrow. It's fine. I'll just make some toast or something."

Joe walked closer, wanting to reach out for Dianne. She moved away from him.

"Let me make you some toast" he said calmly. "You've had a long day."

Dianne sighed before launching into her biting response. "Yes, Joe. I have had a long day. A long day made even longer by the fact that I have to come home and clean up after you. I got up early this morning to put your laundry in the washing machine. And you haven't even got it out the dryer."

"I know."

"And then I get back and I have to clean the pots or load the dishwasher. And then clean up the mess and the crumbs you've left. It's ridiculous, Joe. Ridiculous."

Joe tried to bite his tongue, but he needed something to fight back with. "Well, you can talk." The look on Dianne's face was enough to make him wish he'd never opened his mouth.

"Can I?" she asked. "Go on."

"You're such a hypocrite. You're so messy. I almost tripped over your shoes this morning when I came downstairs. Your hairbrush was on the bathroom floor. And there's five boxes of red hair dye open in the bathroom. Five."

Dianne ran her hand over her neck. "Maybe I'd have time to sort them out if I wasn't so busy picking up after you all day." She didn't have the energy to argue, not really, but Joe had pushed her buttons. 

Joe stood back. Dianne's voice was raised now, and he didn't want to push it further. "I'm sorry, alright. I'll... I'll make sure I do my bit. Look, let me make you something to eat."

Dianne shook her head. "I don't even want any food. I've had enough, Joe. Just piss off."

Joe stood back and watched as his girlfriend angrily made her way out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

///

Joe cautiously approached his bedroom door. The lights were off, and he could see the faint outline of Dianne curled up in bed facing the wall.

He walked quietly towards her, unsure if she was sleeping. He had left her for a long enough time that he hoped she had calmed down. He had finished tidying the kitchen and made sure everything was spotless.