A/N: Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites. The title of this story comes from a Pet Shop Boys song of the same name, mainly because I had the chorus stuck in my head at the time and it seemed fitting. Here's the next chapter, which is mostly John. The subsequent chapters will be longer, I promise!

Disclaimer: Downton Abbey, John, Anna and any other DA characters used in this chapter, the previous chapter and any subsequent chapters do not belong to me.

Now, on with the show!

John Bates stirred in his bed as the first rays of light began to filter through his bedroom windows. Sleep was hard to come by the previous night as the unseasonably warm August weather kept him from sleeping comfortably. The one bedroom flat he'd moved into the month prior lacked proper ventilation and seemed to hold the sweltering hot and humid air firmly within its walls. But this was how he needed to live for now. At least until he could get back on his feet and find something better. He still had his job, thanks to Rob. And his health, even if it seemed the rest of his life was crumbling at his feet. John glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand, blinking wearily to focus on the red numbers, seeing that it was still early and that he wouldn't be needed at the office for a few more hours yet.

He set his feet on the floor and stretched his arms overhead, wringing out the knots that had seemed to form along his spine and neck over night, each reach of his arm letting out a gentle crack or pop. Making his way into the flat's small kitchen to click the kettle on for his morning cup of tea, John ran the day's schedule through his head, trying to determine how much he'd need to hold Rob's hand throughout the day. John hated to admit it, but for being the Vice-President of one of the UK's major networks, Rob just wasn't very good at his job. No matter what John said to advise him on which shows to cancel and renew, Rob always seemed to do the opposite, often making unpopular decisions, resulting in losses of both money and viewership. It was amazing the man still had a job!

Unfortunately, today was a very important day for the network as the autumn schedule, and the subsequent trailers for the new and returning shows were set to debut. This meant it would be a very busy and stressful day for John. But first, tea.

John set about making his tea, pouring in the desired amount of milk with just a dash of sugar, before sitting at his tiny dining table and opening his laptop to check his email and catch up on current events.

Most of his emails were work related, with one every so often from his mother, who'd surprisingly managed to set an email account up for herself from the basic computer John had gifted to her for Christmas, or from an eligible bachelorette from the dating website Rob had convinced him to sign up for after he left Vera and started divorce proceedings. According to Rob, John needed a nice woman to wash the taste of evil out of his mouth, left there from his entirely too long, and torturous fifteen year marriage to Vera. Rob was right – she was an evil creature who'd done enough to damage John for several lifetimes. He honestly didn't know if he could ever repair his heart enough to let someone else in. He was resigned to live a life of solitude, with only the company of Rob and the rest of the Crawley family. But, he humored his friend and created a profile with the disclaimer that it would only last a month, though so far nothing had come from it. Most of the messages he received were from wannabe actresses trying to play him up for an audition once they saw that he worked in television. He ignored them all. John Bates would no longer be someone's doormat! He'd had quite enough of that being married to Vera.

Today was day twenty-five of his month long trial. Only five more days before he could delete the whole thing and move on with his life, able to tell his best friend that he tried, but did not succeed.

John scrolled through his email, past the coupons from his favorite bookstore, past the recipes of the week from a cooking magazine he subscribed to, and stopped abruptly at the email from . Something about this email was different. Perhaps it was the truly angelic face, with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen staring back at him. Or perhaps it was the completely genuine message enclosed. Whatever it was, John Bates was instantly smitten. Perhaps he'd be staying on this website a little longer.

From: Anna

To: John

Subject: Hello there

Hello John,

I was browsing through my list of matches and came across your profile. I knew right away you were someone I needed to know more about.

I also love to read, all manner of books, though sometimes I don't have the time to indulge as much as I'd like. There really is nothing like losing oneself in another world, in using your own imagination to picture scenery and characters and transporting yourself to another time. Oh, off I go romanticizing again. I tend to do that when talking of books. What are some of your favorites? I would like to guess, just by looking at you, that perhaps you're one for poetry? Or maybe you enjoy essays or short stories? I say that because your eyes seem soulful, like you have a world of knowledge behind them from pouring over some of the finest literature.

I'm sorry, perhaps that was too forward. Though I must admit, your eyes are what drew me in, though your words enticed me more.

I hope to hear back from you soon! Best of luck in your search if I don't.

Anna

Wow. Well this woman was something else, though what a woman like her saw in him was anyone's guess. Beautiful, and from what he could tell from her profile, she was also successful and very intelligent. She worked in fashion. John looked down at his pajamas. Old pajama pants, a t-shirt with no fewer than five holes, and a robe that had definitely seen better days. Not to mention his socks. He was fairly certain if he walked more than ten more steps in them, his big toe would be making an appearance. No, there's no way a fashion designer would approve.

Actually, if it weren't for the need to dress professionally at work, he'd most likely wear nothing but jeans and a polo shirt daily. Perhaps this Anna could give him a few pointers…

He really needed to start getting ready for work, yet he knew that if he didn't respond to her email now, he'd lose his nerve by the time he got another opportunity to stop and respond to his emails. Rob really could crack the whip when he wanted to.

From: John

To: Anna

Subject: RE: Hello there

Dear Anna,

Thank you very much for your email. I still don't completely understand what a beautiful, successful entrepreneur such as yourself sees in a big oaf like me, but for now I'll trust your judgment.

I'm not very good at this sort of thing, so for now I'll just respond to your questions. I very much agree with your feelings regarding literature. I find reading is a great escape for me, and has proved very beneficial over the past decade and the personal hardships that came along with that time. But, those are stories for another time.

I'm afraid you have me pegged quite accurately when it comes to my choice of reading. I very much love poetry and will often choose a volume over a novel. I suppose that's the romantic in me. I do, however, balance it out with essays and short stories. My favorites are the Transcendentalists like Thoreau and Emerson. I could sit on my sofa of an evening with a pot of tea at the ready and read their essays over and over again, finding a new interpretation each time. I'm sorry; this makes me sound incredibly dull. Sometimes I have a few biscuits or penguins along with my tea to spice things up!

Anyway, I'm sorry to say I must end this here and begin my day. I very much enjoyed hearing from you, and hope to do so again. Have a wonderful day, Anna.

John

John stopped typing to re-read what he wrote before hitting 'send.' Hopefully he didn't come off sounding like a complete bore. He supposed he could have done more to make himself seem more interesting, but what was the dating advice again? Be yourself? He'll just have to be his usual, boring self and hope for the best. Clicking send, John closed his laptop and set about getting ready for his day. Now instead of simply worrying about Rob destroying a television empire singlehandedly, he had something else with which to concern his mind. Would he hear from the lovely Anna again?