THE SECRETS WE KEEP.

- LAY YOUR LOVE ON HER (PART 1).

hey everyone! i just wanted to add this in at the start just to say that a lot of this chapter was written just off the top of my head at 2am one tuesday evening. some of what dianne says i can relate to a lot with how proud i am of joe and what i'm sure a lot of you can too! but that was just a little something i wanted to say just to let you get to know me better! it's officially strictly day too, i can't wait for this evening and to see all the dances! i hope you enjoy this chapter and you can let me know if i could make something better for you! the next one will come soon :)

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JOES POV:
"I still can't get over that foxtrot today, Joe you should be so proud of yourself!" The 5pm dark sky hid the rosy blush forming on both my cheeks. "You know, we may see somebody else topping that leaderboard tomorrow.." Stacey's kind words were followed by a gentle nudge into my stomach from her elbow, my only way to humbly respond was with an exaggerated eye roll into the back of my head. It's hard to ever see myself topping the leaderboard, especially when the competition around you is people like Ashley and Faye, who are leaps and bounds ahead of myself in the dance universe. "I will try Stace.. for her" The sound of my voice declined near the end of the sentence, in hope for her not to suspect anymore. But it was true, the best score I can get would be for Dianne.

With our arms intertwined together, I held  the door open with my foot, entering after her into the dim lit restaurant where almost all the celebs and pros were already waiting for our celebratory dinner. For once, I could enjoy my Friday with a calm feeling nestling in my stomach about tomorrow evening. Something about this dance just felt, right. Camera blocking for me is almost as nerve racking as the actual show. This is the first time you are back at Elstree after maybe a bad week previously, and now you have to show to all of the crew and your fellow contestants that you deserve that spot. You almost have to prove yourself in a way, that you can bounce back from a bad dance by showing everybody and your partner that you are proud of what you have been working on.

Our sectioned off part of the restaurant seemed to take us far from the bustling London, but to the romantic side of Paris, with the whole room being lit by a range of beige coloured candles spread out across the whole area. A table setting was placed at each chair across the table, which spread from one end of the room to the other. Each setting included a grey placement, with a glass filled halfway with red wine to the left and a shining new set of silver cutlery placed perfectly onto a napkin to the right. To separate out evenly divided sections were clear vases with a single red rose in each, paired with another beige candle. After we made the rounds of everybody, greeting them and asking how they were, Stacey and I decided to sit near the end of the table per her request. Of course, the seat across from me just happened to be empty, and how I hoped for the MIA redhead to fill that space.

From the entrance way came giggling laughter accompanied by the familiar voice of a certain Australian, which made us all turn in our seats. Seeing her walk through the door caused my jaw to drop to floor, having to pinch myself gently incase my eyes were deceiving me. My eyes scanned from her toes to her hair, watching as the black knee high boots ran up her perfectly toned legs to come in contact with the end of her leopard print dress, which exentuated her hips and waist. My burning gaze moved upwards, my breath hitching in my throat at the light dusting of makeup across her face, with a stand out striking lip colour of a dark red hue. Instead of the signature Dianne ponytail, her previously dark roots had been coloured and her now straight hair lay across her shoulders that made each feature pop.

I had to gather myself before joining to the back of the queue of awaiting huggers, each of us taking it in turns as if at a meet and greet. Eventually reaching the front of the line, to see this beautiful sight up close, my mouth turned dry just as she pulled me in for a hug. I was able to catch her cheek and place a sneaky kiss onto it, which I was hoping could pass off as 'accidental'. "Dianne, you-you look.. beautiful" Dammit Joe, stop stuttering. She mumbled out a thank you before dropping her gaze to the floor, the light hitting her face just right for me to see her smile widening and her cheeks reddening. The slight awkward encounter was cut short by the multiple waiters entering the room, coming to either ends of the table to meet in the middle. "Just friends my ass.." The mumble came from an already tipsy Stacey beside me, who sent me a wide smirk. I sat speechless in my chair. But, looking at everybody who's facial expressions were identical to hers, it was clear now that it was obvious we weren't just friends anymore.