I was down my dreams were wearing thin
When you're lost where do you begin
My heart always seemed to drift from day to day
Looking for the love that never came my way
Dave sighed. Again. It was his third sigh in five minutes, during which, he’d spoken nary a word.

‘What’s up mate,’ asked Sean Bean, his on-screen brother.

Another sigh. ‘I’m 40. Single. Hardly a thing to show for it, except Liza. . . I always wanted a big family, Beanie. I mean, Gods, my Mum had SEVEN of us.’

Ahhh. . . his younger friend was feeling the bite of age and time.

‘Well, Daisy, all I can do is listen, man. I hear ya though. That lady over there looks right miserable too,’ he observed off handedly.

Dave looked up his gaze captured by a girl with eyes so green he was sure they must be contacts. He offered a shy smile.

*~/~*

‘I swear, Lynne, if you keep tearing that napkin you are going to break it down to subatomic particle,.’ Lindsay, a high school chemistry teacher, told her friend.

‘Ha ha ha,’ Lynne retorted, without a trace of humour. ‘I’m just hearing the ticking of my biological clock, and it’s approaching alarm state.’

‘I hear ya girl.’ Linds looked up, and met Dave’s eyes. ‘That bloke over there looks a sight worse than you, and that’s saying a rather lot.’

Lynne turned slightly, looking up into a piercing blue gaze. Hesitantly, she smiled, before turning in her seat.

Then you smiled and I reached out to you
I could tell you were lonely too
One look and then it all began for you and me
The moment that we touched I knew that there would be

‘I’ll be right back, Lynne.’ Linds excused herself, seeing the man at the other table do the same.

She headed over toward the loo, and bumped into the other man. She smiled a sly smile; apparently great minds did think alike.

*~/~*

Sean saw the other woman at the table he’d pointed out get up, and quickly also excused himself. Daisy was sharp though, and looked at the other table, and then at Sean, shrewdly. Sean had the good grace to blush at least.

Stepping over towards the loo, he stopped, smiling at Linds, noticing the sly look in her eyes. They turned to watch their friends.

*~/~*

Dave looked at his friend, then over at Lynne. He couldn’t be a chicken now, not after the discussion he and Beanie had just had. He sighed. Mustering his courage, he stood and headed over to her table.

‘Is this seat available?’ He cringed inwardly, cursing himself for using such a lame line.

She looked up at him, half a smile on her face.

*~/~*

‘Is the seat available?’ he asked. She saw the look on his face after saying that and supressed a laugh. She nodded and motioned for him to sit.

‘I think we’ve been set up, Dave.’

He looked at her sharply. ‘You know who I am then.’

‘Lord of the Rings—I loved Faramir. I could relate to the parental issues.’

‘So. . . since you know my name. . .’

‘Oh! Lynne, my name is Lynne.’

‘Hi Lynne,’ David said, his voice dropping, taking her hand.

A jolt of electricity surged up Lynne’s arm, and she dropped his hand.

A quick look at his face told her he’d felt it too.

Two less lonely people in the world
And it's gonna be fine
Out of all the people in the world
I just can't believe you're mine
In my life where everything was wrong
Something finally went right
Now there's two less lonely people
In the world tonight

Dave couldn’t believe his good fortune, meeting Lynne at lunch that day. She was caring, smart, fun, and made him laugh. He felt alive in a way he hadn’t since. . . ever?

*~/~*

Lynne took Dave’s hand, savouring the feel of his palm against hers, the way his fingers twined oh-so-perfectly around hers. It was as though each of their hands had been moulded round the other.

Just to think what I might have missed
Looking back how did I exist
I dreamed, still I never thought I'd come this far
But miracles come true, I know 'cause here we are

Dave thought back to that day. He’d almost cancelled; he’d been so depressed over his life. Then he’d heard his Da’s voice, almost clear as though he stood next to Dave: ‘Go, son; t’will be worth it.’

*~/~*

Lynne had almost missed the lunch date with Lindsay that day, she remembered. A new case had come in, involving a case of sibling abuse. Her boss gave the case to someone else though, for she had a project for Lynne. So Lynne was free to meet Linds after all. She shuddered to think what might’ve happened had she not been out that day.

Two less lonely people in the world
And it's gonna be fine
Out of all the people in the world
I just can't believe you're mine
In my life where everything was wrong
Something finally went right
Now there's two less lonely people
In the world tonight

Sean took Lindsay’s hand, pulling her close. The Gods really have a funny way about them, he thought silently. Though they hadn’t known each other the day that they took advantage of an opportunity, and set their friends up, they knew each other now. He had asked her to go out with him when it became clear they shared a common purpose that day.

Tonight, he would be asking her another, different, question.


Tonight I fell in love with you
And all the things I never knew
Seemed to come to me somehow
Baby, love is here and now there's

‘I love you Lynne,’ whispered Dave, gently kissing her. He took her hand with one of his, and with his other, found the small box in his pocket.

*~/~*

‘Lindsay,’ whispered Sean. ‘I love you, the way I never thought I’d love again.’ He pulled his hand out of his pocket, and opened it, revealing the gold band with an emerald laid into a beautiful setting.

*~/~*

‘Sweetheart, you’ve become more precious to me than all but my daughter. Marry me, Lynne. Please, be with me until only death separates us.’

*~/~*

‘Marry me, Lindsay. Until you and I met, I was a ghost of a person. My body was here, my soul, long passed. I love you.’

*~/~*

Both girls, while blocks apart, answered simultaneously. ‘Yes!’ they cried, throwing themselves into the arms of the men with whom they’d live as husband and wife.

Two less lonely people in the world
And it's gonna be fine
Out of all the people in the world
I just can't believe you're mine
In my life where everything was wrong
Something finally went right
Now there's two less lonely people
In the world tonight

‘Do you, Lynne Michelle Matthews, take David Wenham to be your lawfully wedded husband?’

*~/~*

‘I do,’ responded Sean.

*~/~*

‘With this ring, I thee wed,’ recited Lindsay.

*~/~*

‘You may now kiss the bride!’ announced the Reverend, to the two new husbands. And tonight, there were FOUR less lonely people in the world.