AUTHOR'S NOTE
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN is a departure from my usual Lit offerings. It's in the Romance section, for one! And there's not a cheating wife in sight!
It's a lighthearted, romantic piece that has been written as part of the
LITEROTICA ANNUAL VALENTINE'S DAY STORY CONTEST
so please remember to give it a rating when you finish
.
The premise is loosely based on a dating show that aired in Australia back in the 1980's. I'm sure countries around the world had their versions. Briefly, three contestants of the same gender were hidden from view from a contestant of the opposite gender who asked three questions. He or she would select the answer they liked the best. After all three questions had been asked and answered the contestant would select his or her favourite "hopeful" and the pair would go off on a holiday. Some time later they would return to the show to talk about their trip and whether they were now dating.
I hope you enjoy my version.
Big thanks to my Valentine -- Vandemonium1 -- who proofread MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN and was his usual supportive self.
Happy Reading!
*****
"OUCH! DAMN!"
This feels so right.
Must be love at first sight.
You and I fit like hand to glove.
Must be a gift from the heavens above.
Tilly shook her head and laughed quietly when she heard the combination of Shannon swearing and the opening lines of the catchy tune to
Match Made In Heaven
waft down the hall. That meant it was seven o'clock. Shannon, Tilly's roommate and best friend, never missed an episode. And that was before she got a job in the hair-and-makeup department of the matchmaking show. The show was Shannon's equivalent of church on Sunday. She also never failed to trip over the corner of the rug that adorned the centre of their living room in her haste to curl up like a kitten in the corner of the lounge. You'd think the girl would learn.
Some call it fate.
Others kismet.
But for you and I destiny's the word.
I would have preferred.
"Hurry up, Till, or you'll miss the start," Shannon hollered, the beginning of impatience tinging her summons to the sofa. If Tilly knew her at all—and she did; backpacking around a country together will do that for you—Shannon would be squirming in her seat, barely able to sit still. And why she was already getting her knickers in a knot was beyond Tilly—they were still playing the opening song.
Doesn't matter which you use.
We're a Match Made In Heaven.
Oh yeah, Match Made In Heaven!
As the jingle drew to a close, Tilly quickly added the finishing touches to the cheese platter she'd been preparing. She grabbed the Sauvignon Blanc and two glasses and performing a balancing act worthy of the high-wire artists from Cirque du Soleil, scurried down the hall to the lounge room. Shannon spared her a glance and a smile before returning her gaze to the television where the host, Gene Winters, had just bounded out, looking like an advert for spray tanning.
"Great hair," Tilly commented, indicating the host with a nod of her head at the same time as she placed the cheese platter on the coffee table in front of them. She poured the wine into the two glasses and passed one to Shannon.
"I touched up his foils and gave it a trim before drying it. His fringe was getting a touch too long."
Tilly smiled to herself—Shannon sounded smug. Tilly sat and nudged her, waiting for Shannon to turn and look at her before flashing an exaggerated wink. "That explains why he looks even more polished than usual."
Shannon grinned and jostled Tilly back.
Shannon was, in Tilly's opinion, the best hair and makeup artist in Sydney. She had that whole edgy and trendy London look happening. Not so surprising, considering that's where she originally hailed from. Even when Shannon was wearing nothing more sophisticated than a pair of cut-off shorts, she still managed to look chic. Tilly knew she lacked the aplomb of her best friend. Her excuse was she'd grown up as the only girl with five brothers. She had no choice but to end up a tomboy. On top of that she was a bookworm. Oh, and she hailed from Yorkshire—a born and bred northerner, more at home in jeans and a plaid shirt.
The next half hour passed quickly, with more than a few laughs from both girls and wistful sighs from Shannon. Apparently, the winning guy contestant had been 'divine', and so having him end up paired with 'blondezilla' whose boobs were as fake as her eyelashes was a waste of a good man.
If it wasn't for Shannon, Tilly probably wouldn't have ever started watching
Match Made In Heaven
, but Shannon's funny, and at times, snarky commentary—along with her behind the scenes gossip—always made it fun. And, of course, Shannon's howls of horror at some of the answers, usually accompanied by her thumping of their poor couch, were entertainment in and of themselves. Truth be told, Tilly had come to look forward to their weekly viewing of the show almost as much as Shannon did.
When the credits began to roll, Shannon sighed and sipped her wine, then turned to Tilly. "You should go on the show, Till."
Tilly snorted. "What and make a huge idiot of myself in front of millions? Methinks not."
"You wouldn't make an idiot of yourself. We're doing a big bonus show for Valentine's Day. Kind of like two episodes in the one show."
One look at Shannon's face told Tilly how excited she was. It also told her Shannon was planning something. Tilly had a sinking feeling she was about to be conned.
"What? So two shows in one for Valentine's Day?"
Shannon started waving her arms about—a sure sign she was getting excited. "They sure are. The first half will be a girl looking for a guy and the second half a guy looking."