It takes two

Chapter twenty

"Where are you going mama?"

Emelia walked into Joe's bedroom where Dianne was sat doing her makeup, making sure to put in extra effort for the evenings events. Tonight wasn't just any night, it was the Pride of Britain awards and it would be their first public appearance together, even if their relationship was still a secret from the world beyond Elstree and the apartment.

"Me and Joe are going to the Pride of Britain awards, it's an award show angel. Byron and Emily will be babysitting you though, we will be here in the morning." Emelia nodded, sitting on the end of the bed. She looked up at the black bag/ case that her dress was in, wondering what her mothers dress was like.

"Oh that's cool. I'm going to go see Byron now. He's singing!" Dianne chuckled as she skipped out of the room. She contemplated the night, not only how amazing it would be but also how they would have to hide their relationship from everyone, not having the ability to just be together. She sighed, having almost done her makeup and now combing through her hair.

Joe soon came out of the shower, drying off and doing his bottom half before putting on his shirt, it brand new and soft against his skin, the trousers also brand new. It had always made him feel excited when he got a new suit, the new quality of it.

"You alright love, you seem stressed." Since having a girlfriend, Joe had learn to become more in tune with emotions, the ones of both himself and others. He had immediately picked up on how she was combing her hair, the unusual force.  She sighed, not bothering to hide it.

"It's just going to be hard, hiding this from everyone." she gestured between them, Joe catching on and nodding, doing up the top button. "I don't want to have to pretend I'm not in love with you." He could hear the worry in her voice and went over to her, sitting down next to her and resting his hand over hers.

"Me neither Dotty, but we can't risk the producers cutting your contract, you've worked so hard for it and I genuinely don't think I would forgive myself if you got it taken away because of me." There was a slight chuckle but at the same time he was serious, deadly serious. The last thing he wanted was for her to lose her career, the one she had worked all her life for. She nodded, although she knew it could never be his sole fault.

"It's just one night, a few hours and then if there's another event we cross that bridge when we come to it, but it's just until Christmas, and we can always just deny everything if it comes up." she saw a point, as long as they denied it and there's a lack of evidence, who was to say what they could and couldn't exactly do.

She nodded, turning to him and doing up his top button as she spoke. "You're right, you're so smart." He gave a cheeky grin, straightening his collar once she finished doing up the button before looking around the room, tilting his head to the side.

"Where is that bow tie of mine, I swear I put it down on the bed." she rolled her eyes, although she found it cute when he was a bit of a scatter brain sometimes. He lifted the sheets, still no bow tie.

"Oh no." It hit him. He laughed, wandering out of the room, leaving Dianne confused as can be.

"Joseph?" He soon came in, holding Emelia up around her torso while she looked like a thief who had been caught. Dianne burst out laughing, seeing Emelia with a rather dapper hair tie around her ponytail, complete with a black "hairbow."

Joe shook his head fondly, looking pointedly but softly at the five year old he held up just a few feet above the floor.

"When I said bow tie, I didn't mean hair bow Emelia Buswell!"

"Love, have you seen my...uh, wow." Joe was found at a loss for words when he stood at the bottom of the steps, previously having been pottering around but having stopped and gone speechless at the sight of his girlfriend descending the steps in a beautiful deep green dress that complimented her figure extremely well, her hair perfectly done and her makeup flawless. Before Joe knew it she was stood in front of him, maybe just a little red in the face from where his eyes hadn't left her once.