Couple, Snow, Winter, Artwork, Cold

"I'm so sorry," he said.

"It's okay."

He dusted the snow off the book he had knocked out of her hand and gave it to her.  "I read that last month.  How do you like it?"

"I don't," she admitted.  "It's tedious.  Slow and boring."

"I felt the same way.  I barely made it to the end.  Actually, I skipped whole chapters."

She smiled. "So many authors write one amazing book, or series, and then nothing else I want to read."

"Happens all the time."

"The book they are touting as the best book of the year...isn't," she said.  "At least not to me.  I read it and I don't know what the fuss is all about."

"Can I buy you coffee, hot chocolate, or tea, at the cafe across the street?  To make up for getting the cover of your book wet?  I'd really like that. We could talk about books."

She hesitated, then nodded.

They crossed the street, and drank coffee until the cafe was closing.  They both left with lists of books they were going to read and discuss when they met again next week.

Sometimes, on a snowy winter day, in the middle of December, an unexpected gift may just walk into your life.  It happens more often than you think.