6 stories
Costa Coffee Crush
A barista with a caramel addiction and curves to match steams things up in the back room
The Hijabi Barista | باريستا المحجبة
She makes his coffee every morning. He comes for the caffeine, stays for her smile. Between espresso shots and small talk, something brews.
The Barista's Brew
At sixty, Gwendolyn thought her coffee shop days were over. Then a handsome regular ordered something complicated, and her life got interesting again.
The Spoken Word Seduction
She's been hosting poetry night at the Black-owned coffee shop for a decade. When a young poet joins the rotation with verses written just for her, the words lead somewhere physical.
Columbus Ohio Coffee Shop
Her coffee shop in Columbus's Little Somalia serves the best Somali tea—a thick ebony widow who knows everyone's order. When he becomes a regular, she offers private tastings. Some brews are meant to be shared intimately.
Dark Roast
She opens a specialty coffee shop in Brixton—Somali coffee traditions meets London hipster culture. He's the customer who comes every morning and knows more about beans than she expects. Their shared passion for coffee becomes passion for each other.