"You're right. I've got no choice in this matter." Lucas agreed.

The owner silently nodded. He bent down on the counter and Lucas for an instant could hear a vacuum-like sound before a light appeared for an instant in the walls, casting a huge shadow of the man. He rummaged for a few seconds before returning and closing what it seemed to be the door of a mini fridge, and then proceeding to put two cans of cold grape juice and a small round cheese wheel that was already half consumed on a white porcelain plate on the counter.

He then turned his back for an instant and grabbed a few paper handkerchiefs and put on the side of the white porcelain plate before producing from a drawer under the counter a small and very sharp knife that resembled a scalpel with a slightly bigger blade. Afterwards, he procured a packet of toothpicks and placed them beside cheese plate and then looked at Lucas.

"Well, since destiny placed us in the same spot at this so specific time this must be a fated encounter." The man spoke, "Let us at least share a nice snack whilst we chat. Free of charge"

"If you insist then I will not stand in ceremony," he replied whilst grabbing a can of juice and opening it before point its opened tip towards the owner, " To fated encounters."

"To fated encounters." The owner likewise mimicked Lucas's motions and tapped the tip of his can against Lucas's.

"Cheers," both said in unison.

After both taking a sip of the juice, the owner acted once more. He picked the small knife and began cutting in a precise and practised fashion.

Tink...Tink...Tink...Tink.

He cut the small cheese wheel four times separating four slices of it. He then picked two toothpicks from the packet and stabbed two of the slices with it, then he chose one for himself and proceeded to take a bite out of it. 

"Try one, I guarantee it is of the utmost quality."

"What kind of cheese is this?" Lucas inquired whilst he grabbed the last toothpick for himself and brought the cheese slice to his mouth, quietly taking a tiny bite out of it.

As his tastes buds took in the new taste, he found himself quite amused with the new information his brain provided him about the snack. It had a creamy and rich taste with a sweet and buttery tinge to it that made him, a fan of sweet things, very happy as a grin blossomed on his face. The grin did not go unnoticed by the owner which, in satisfaction and a slight tinge of pride, promptly replied.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"This is what is known as a havarti cheese," he said, "This cheese is considered a semi-soft type that has amongst its known features of being sweet and buttery with a rich and creamy flavor that can become sharp as it ages. This one you won't notice though as it is quite fresh."

The pair then began to chat about various topics. They spoke about politics, sports, religion and even spoke about the meaning of life itself whilst enjoying the cheese and canned grape juice. All that took them quite a long time as the conversation lasted for two whole hours without them noticing at all how long they spent chatting.

As they finally did notice the time, and also noticed that the snacks were thoroughly finished, they stopped. Lucas was ready to go out after thanking the man for the pleasant conversation when once more a very familiar, and especially annoying, sound rung in the air once more.

CRAAAACKKK BOOOOOM!!!!

The lightning and thunder roared furiously once again and the fierce rain continued. It seemed that he would not be able to get out of the place any time soon. Thanks to the heating Lucas had completely dried up and was, in fact, feeling really warm and comfy. He was quite reluctant to try and face the rain, and as such, he sat down again and this time he fetched his wallet and took out his bank card before speaking.

"Well...I don't see myself getting out of here so soon and considering that I might as well appreciate what you've got in store" 

"That's the spirit!" The owner nodded and laughed.

"So, what kind of beverage would you recommend for such a rainy day where one finds himself stuck in a fateful encounter?" Lucas inquired.

The man smiled lightly and turned to his shelves, analyzing his products with a pensive expression.

"A good wine for a wet weather..." He murmured.

The man occasionally picked up a bottle and held it in his hands thinking. It took a good ten minutes and ten bottles before the man chose one and placed it in the counter. It was a very standard dark green wine bottle with a paper like a label that said "2005 Hendry Block 28 Zinfandel".

"This is a good one for a day such as this." The man said.

Lucas quickly paid for the bottle and the man provided a glass for him to drink it. Lucas then told the man that drinking alone was quite boring and that he would appreciate the company and the man quickly understood the meaning of the words and grabbed a glass for himself before opening the bottle and carefully pouring a glass to each of them.

They silently drank for a few minutes in respect for the wine. They took their time to taste the wine very carefully and after a good while of silent appreciation the owner finally spoke.

"I noticed that you have been paying attention to my books."

"You did? heh, I guess I'm caught red-handed," Lucas chuckled sheepishly, "Are those books for sale or are they just for exhibition?"

"Those are my favorite books which I read quite often and are not for sale," He replied, "But if you like we can make a deal for one of those."

"A deal?" Lucas inquired full of suspicion.

"Well...not a deal per se, but a bet." he replied.

"What kind of bet?"