Must Love Coffee

By Sarah Mayberry

All's fair in love and...caffeine?

When Daniel jokingly appoints himself Customer of the Week at his favourite coffee shop, he has no idea he's just fired the first salvo in what will swiftly become an epic battle of wills with a mysterious woman called Cassidy. As a committed coffee lover, Cassidy can't let his self-appointed claim go uncontested - and so starts a clash for the ages. 

The city becomes captivated by their escalating antics via the magic of social media and Cassidy and Daniel become obsessed with one-upping each other's next move, providing a much-needed distraction from everyday life. But as they keep upping the stakes, both of them start to wonder if there's more to this rivalry than meets the eye. 

But meeting IRL means letting go of their contest and facing reality. Their caffeine addiction has taken them this far...but will one of them blink and admit the real fix is the other?

Based on a true story that entertained the world, this light-hearted novella offers a window into a possible "what if?" for lovers of happy-ever-afters everywhere. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sarah Mayberry
• Release date: Sep 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9780987316042

Sarah Mayberry

Sarah Mayberry was born in Melbourne, Australia. Ever since she learned to read and write she has wanted to be an author. She studied professional writing and literature before embarking on various writing-related jobs, working as a magazine editor and in various story-related roles on Australia's longest running serial drama, Neighbours. She inherited a love of romances from both her grandmothers and fulfilled her fondest wish when she was accepted for publication.

Book preview

1

Daniel was having a good day. Then suddenly he wasn’t.

He and Pete were about to enter Cuppa Diem to order the second of what would probably end up being five coffees for the day. The sun was shining. The smell of freshly ground coffee was in the air. Then he made the mistake of glancing up the street.

The dog was trotting along with his ears perked up, his tail a delighted curl in the air behind him. His fur was a mottled salt and pepper, and there was a white patch on his chest that looked exactly like an old-timey tuxedo bib. He was interested in everything, eyes bright, tongue lolling—and he looked so much like Daniel’s Schnauzer, Walter, it was a kick in the stomach.

Daniel froze, his hand on the door. Pete walked into him, pushing him against the cold glass.

Sorry, Daniel mumbled. He ducked his head as he entered the shop.

When grief ambushed him like this, it felt as though an Irish Wolf Hound was sitting on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He figured that was the price you paid for having unconditional love in your life for fifteen years, but that didn’t make it any easier to cope when the Hound came calling.

Grab me a long black, will you? Pete said.

Daniel nodded, still avoiding eye contact. Willing the moment to pass.

It had been two months. He knew his friends didn’t really get what was going on for him, how deep his grief ran. To them, Walter had been just a dog. They didn’t understand the effortless companionship he and Walter had enjoyed. They hadn’t participated in the walks, the faux wrestling, the hours watching football on the couch together. They hadn’t gladly endured room-clearing farts, bad breath, and early-morning calls of nature in exchange for the warm weight of Walter’s head on their knee and his steady brown gaze.

I saw him, too. Almost thought it was Walter for a second, Pete said quietly.

Oh, God. Pete was trying to be a good friend, but Daniel was so not up for this conversation.

You know what this place needs? A loyalty program, he said, apropos of absolutely frickin’ nothing.

What?

We’re hard core, committed coffee drinkers. I think we deserve some kind of recognition for that, don’t you? Daniel said.

He was one person away from the front of the queue and he caught the eye of the bearded barista behind the mammoth espresso machine.

Be honest with me, Daniel said. I’m your best customer, right? Five coffees a day has to put me up there.

The barista laughed as he finished steaming some milk. You’d be surprised. Don’t know if anyone ever told you this, but caffeine is addictive.

I reject that unwarranted attack on my favorite beverage, Daniel said. You guys should hand out loyalty cards. Better yet, how about a ‘customer of the week’ club?

Let me guess—you’re volunteering to be our first winner, the bearded barista said as he created foam art on a latte.

Someone has to be the first. I’m happy to be the Neil Armstrong of coffee, Daniel said. He could feel the tightness in his chest easing. The Wolf Hound was gone. For now.

That’s very noble of you, the barista said.

Daniel ordered their coffees, and five minutes later they were walking into the warm lobby of their office building.

Gotta be honest, I was only half joking about being customer of the week, Daniel said.

Oh, I know. Pete was smirking as they stepped into the elevator and hit the button for their floor.

This could be my big chance to be somebody.

That’s so fucking sad, Pete said.

That was a full joke.

Yeah, I don’t think it was, Pete said. I think you’re secretly looking for some way to put your mark on the world now that you’re thirty-two and you haven’t been recruited for a major sporting team, won the lottery, or been invited to star in a Hollywood blockbuster.

You can read me like a PowerPoint slide. It’s scary, Daniel said as they reached the point where they went their separate ways, Pete to his office, Daniel to his.

It’s good to feel seen. Pete raised his coffee up in silent goodbye.

Back in his office, Daniel checked his email—just the twenty notifications since he left his desk ten minutes ago—then returned three phone calls. Before he got to work on the marketing report, he spent a couple of minutes creating the world’s worst Customer of the Week flyer with a goofy selfie of himself front and center before flicking it to Pete via email.

Less than sixty seconds later he got a two-word reply: DARE YOU. Daniel huffed out a laugh. It had been a while since he and Pete had participated in some pointless office shenanigans. They were about due, he figured.

Two hours later, Pete appeared in his office, miming drinking from a cup.

Perfect timing. I was just starting to get twitchy, Daniel said, grabbing his coat.

Not that caffeine is addictive.

Wash out your mouth, you heathen.

They made the short trip to Cuppa Diem and while Pete was busy putting in their order, Daniel sidled up to the wall near the cash

Reviews for Must Love Coffee

[Nancy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a delightful short story of a man and a woman each hurting in their own way from loss. Him from the death of a beloved pet and her from the betrayal of her husband. They have mutual friends that are dying to get them together and each one refuses saying they are not ready. When as a joke he puts up a picture of himself as his favorite coffee shops Customer of the Week which sparks a friendly competition between them as to whom can one up the other. Who will win this competition and will they finally have a meeting that might lead to them having a HEA ending.