I'm in the Lyon bus terminal, sitting on a bus scheduled to leave for Grenoble.  The 4:50pm departure time is approaching, and the seats are filling up.  I wonder who is going to sit next to me.

Will it be a hairy teen, a loose bouncy french woman, a talkative farmer, or a soulless statistician?  It could be anyone.  It feels like I am on the program 'The Good Place,' waiting for my soul mate.

It turns 4:50, and the seat beside me is the only one empty.  I am a little let down, everyone else has someone, and I am on my own.  But it is not the worst thing that could happen.  At least I won't have to talk up a loose woman. "Actually," I think, as the doors close and the engines start up, "Fifty minutes to talk to myself is maybe just the medicine I need."

As the bus pulls out, I see a dude running for the bus.  He is waving, but the driver doesn't seem to see him.  I catch his eye, and mouth the words "Seat four B?"

"Yeah!" he yells back, face hopeful.

I shake my head. Too late Bucko, I'm not in the Soul Mate business today!

I have a pleasant ride to Grenoble, looking up at the mountains, and talking to nobody.