Of Books and Strangers

My take on the 'two characters rushing to get the last copy of a book' scenario.

''Come on, come on!' He whispered, eyes darting from spine to spine, brows furrowed, forehead dripping with sweat. Not this shelf. Whipping around, he scanned the next row. 'Ah!' he exclaimed. There it was, in all its glory. Pristine spine, copper decals, mint copy - and most of all, it was signed! Every book lover's dream!

Just as he reached for the chunky book, a soft hand accidentally brushed against his, also reaching for the same thing. Instinctively, he flinched back, hand retracting, allowing the stranger to make their move and swoop in on the prize. They gently pulled it out of the shelf, proceeding with caution so as to avoid damaging it. Finally, someone who treats books right.

'Ah, sorry. Did you want this?''