Spicy Coffee, Sweet Love (A Contemporary Young Adult Romance)

by Andrews, Anna

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9. Epilogue

  Spicy Coffee, Sweet Love

  By Anna Andrews

  Spicy Coffee, Sweet Love

  © 2013 Anna Andrews

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Cover photo: ©solominviktor - Fotolia.com

  Chapter 1

  It had all begun with a cup of coffee, and Cody didn't even like coffee. Still, he admitted, the new mocha con latte supremo el deluxe (or whatever it was called; he was sure that wasn't right) didn't really taste like coffee so much as creamy chocolaty goodness with cinnamon.

  The coffee shop was owned and run by a man named Brad who had shown up at Cody's workplace a few days ago with a free sample for all the employees. Cody's office had nothing to do with the coffee shop, but it was right across the street, and Brad was the sort of energetic, enthusiastic business man who knew that his product was good and thought that if he could get the workers to try it, they'd be back for more on their lunch breaks and maybe before and after work, too.

  Brad was outgoing, friendly, and personable when he wanted to be, but Cody thought that maybe he was a bit too over-eager also. It came across as fake and pushy at times. He had a feeling Brad would have quite a temper if you worked for him, but he knew how to sell a product. And it was that free sample that had brought him to Brad's coffee shop after work for the second day in a row to order, "Another one of those fancy new coffee things." Cody didn't think he'd ever been to a coffee shop two days running before in his entire life, and he knew he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit now that it would turn into three tomorrow. He wondered vaguely if there were support groups for chocolaty cinnamon-flavored coffee addicts. Maybe he was the only one.

  Then again, the line he was waiting in was too long for him to be the only one. Cody noticed the woman in front of him tapping her pointed heel impatiently as she stared at her watch. She seemed a bit uptight, he thought. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and she wore an immaculate (if not slightly boring) business suit and carried a briefcase. He wondered what had her so riled up. She should be glad her work day was done, he thought to himself. Then again, not everyone loved life as much as he did.

  She snapped angrily at Brad, who was helping out behind the counter due to the busy time of day. She was yelling at him for taking too much time. Brad ignored it as he handed her the salad and Cup of Joe that she ordered, but Cody noticed that he didn't look nearly as friendly as he normally did. He didn't blame him. He wondered if the woman would be happier if she switched to drinking mocha fancy-o supreme latte deluxe that tasted like chocolate cinnamon.

  To Cody's surprise, the woman did not take her order "To-Go". He'd felt sure she'd been in some sort of rush to get somewhere but instead she went and sat at an empty corner table by the window. He wondered why she had been so impatient if she was planning on eating in. Strange.

  "Another large 'fancy coffee thing' to go?" Brad asked with a grin as Cody stepped up to the counter. Cody raised an eyebrow, impressed.

  "You remembered?"

  "I always remember faces and orders," Brad replied proudly, "just don't expect me to know your name. I'm terrible with those."

  Cody nodded and pulled out his wallet while Brad left to get his order. Then he let his eyes wander the room before resting back on the corner table where the impatient lady was jotting down some notes on a piece of paper. He wondered what she was writing and then wondered why he cared.

  "Earth to the fancy coffee man," Brad startled him back to attention.

  Cody took the coffee and handed Brad some money before starting to leave. Impulsively, he found his mind changed. He didn't know what it was about her that drew him to her, but he turned around and moved to another empty table where he could watch her.

  People always interested him. He had always been a people watcher even sitting on buses and imagining the stories of the other passengers. He'd picture where they were going, what they were doing, and who they'd be meeting up with. Something about Her in particular he found fascinating. Despite her angry visage, Cody found her to be very attractive. Her hair was a dark chestnut brown, her skin was smooth and pale like a porcelain vase, and her eyes were the most striking color of blue he had ever seen.

  He sat where he could view her profile and if she caught him, he'd easily be able to pretend he was just enjoying the view from the window behind her. ‘Brilliant and not at all creepy, right?’ Of course, it would probably be better if he had just walked over and asked to sit with her, but he had already seen the way she had snapped at Brad, and she did look busy. He kind of figured she wasn't in the mood for conversation at the moment. Besides, her real story was probably a lot more boring than any he could imagine. That was usually the case.

  "You like her?" asked a voice beside him startling him out of his reverie. Cody looked up to see Brad standing there.

  "Wow, okay seriously dude, that's the second time you've startled me in fifteen minutes. Do you always make such a point of scaring the crap out of your customers?"

  Brad grinned and slipped into the seat across from Cody, effectively and annoyingly blocking his view of Her. "Not my fault if you're not paying attention. I asked if you liked her."

  Cody shrugged. "I don't know her. And, for that matter, I don't know you, so it's none of your beeswax. Don't you have a line of customers to see to?"

  "That's the beauty of being the boss. I can take my break whenever I want to. I think you like her."

  "She seems aggravated and mean-spirited," Cody responded shortly.

  "She is. Did you hear her bark her order? She's always like that. And yet, I've caught you staring at her twice now, so much so that you didn't see me approaching. You didn't take your coffee to-go like you'd planned, and even now you didn't have to ask who I was talking about when I asked if you liked her, so she was obviously on your mind."

  "Just because I'm thinking of someone, doesn't mean they are good thoughts. I haven't decided what I think of her yet. You say she's always like that?"

  "Always."

  "Then she comes here often?"

  "Every weekday at the exact same time," Brad grinned. "I suppose you'll be around more, too?"

  So that's what this was about. Brad was dropping a couple hints Cody's way that would bring him back to the shop day after day. ‘More advertising. Did the guy ever stop?’ Cody shrugged. "If not for her, I'll be back for the amazing fancy coffee anyway," he confirmed, hoping that Brad would leave him alone now.

  He wasn't quite done, though. "You know," he said, "we have a really good membership rewards program here."

  "Not interested," Cody replied quickly.

  "No? Well maybe another time."

  "You're all about publicity, aren't you?" Cody commented. He was usually a pretty good judge of character. It probably stemmed from so much people-watching. "Why don't you go advertise to someone who's not already a customer?"

  Brad nodded in her direction. "That girl you like? She works for a huge advertising firm. They get us a few f
ree ads and billboards and in exchange we cater to all their many office parties free of charge. It's a great deal."

  "So?"

  "So, we can't stand her. She's always miserable. I had one young recruit quit after an encounter with her last week. I talked her into coming back the next day, but that's beside the point. She can be downright nasty at times. She complains about every little thing loudly and in front of our customers and it looks bad for business. I'd kick her out, but I can't because of who she works with."

  "That's a lovely story," Cody replied dryly, "but it has nothing to do with me."

  "We figure maybe she's just like that because she hates life. You befriend her, cheer her up enough that she stops complaining, and there's a month of free fancy coffees in it for you."

  "Why don't you befriend her yourself?"

  "Are you kidding? I can't stand her; I told you that. You, on the other hand, seem to like her. What do you say? Are you in?"

  "Not a chance. First of all, I'd be shot down immediately. I didn't intend to actually speak with her after I saw how she treated you, though I totally think you deserve it. Secondly, let's say I do change my mind and befriend her: how's she gonna feel if she finds out you bribed me to do it?"

  "Oh man! You don't just like her; you like her bad. Can't for the life of me figure out why, though. I prefer the pretty blonds myself."

  Cody leaned to peek at her around Brad's shoulder. "I think she's quite pretty, or she could be if she would relax a bit. Doesn't mean I like her."

  Brad stood, "Say what you will, but I'll still see you tomorrow."

  "For more coffee," Cody agreed, draining the last gulp from his mug.

  Usually Cody liked his job and enjoyed his time at work. Sure it wasn't everyone's cup of tea (coffee?) being in an office processing numbers all day, but he had his own office with windows that opened and a great view. His boss was friendly, the pay was good, and Cody's own positive outlook on life meant it was a good job. Still, he'd spent his entire shift counting down the minutes until the end of the day when he could get some more mocha deluxe chocolato supreme… well the fancy coffee stuff… and when he could see Her again.

  ‘Brad must be right’, he mused. ‘He must like her bad’. He felt a bit puzzled as to why he would, but it seemed to be true nonetheless.

  He'd decided overnight that, at any rate, it couldn't hurt just to offer her a smile and a friendly word, could it? She might bite his head off, figuratively speaking, but maybe all she needed was someone to vent to anyway.

  He didn't see her when he first stepped into the coffee shop, so he stepped back and pretended to read the menu on the wall behind the counter while he waited, as if he'd ever order anything other than mocha con deluxe supreme cinnamon latte.

  She walked in a moment later with an ugly scowl on her pretty face. Cody offered her a smile, but she didn't seem to notice as she breezed past him into the line. He followed, standing behind her, and wondering how to get her attention off her watch and onto him.

  It wasn't Brad behind the counter today. It was a younger girl whose name tag read Ana. Cody really hoped it wasn't the one who had quit before. When She placed her order, the young girl nervously flitted about like a frightened bird, and She complained the entire time about the wait. Then Ana got even more of an earful when they didn't have Italian salad dressing. An old man standing in the line beside them leaned over and told Her off for her attitude and then loudly grumbled to his wife about how disrespectful young women were these days, so She shot him down, too, telling him to shut up and mind his own business with a few choice words in the mix.

  Cody frowned. The man's comments were true, to a degree, and She shouldn't be acting like she was, obviously, but he couldn't fight the feeling that maybe, for once, She needed someone on her side. There had to be a reason she was so angry and probably having everyone treat her as though she were the scum of the earth, whether she deserved it or not, wasn't helping. And why did he care so much about this stranger? He reached out without thinking and put his hand on her upper arm to get her attention. She whipped around, shaking his hand off.

  "What in the hell do you think you're doing!?"

  Cody didn't actually know, so he ignored the question and instead said softly enough that only she would hear him, "Ignore them all. You're alright, you know."

  She glared at him, but he would have to be blind not to see the surprise flash across her face.

  "A restaurant," she stated loudly, "shouldn't advertise items they don't have." She was watching him, gauging his reaction to her. Before he could reply, though, the old man interrupted again.

  "As if that is this girl's fault," he gestured at Ana who was standing in silence. Cody glared at the man, even if it might be wrong of him, and then turned back to the woman in front of him.

  "The owner's name is Brad. You should complain to him about it."

  Her face softened just a tiny, minuscule bit. "Brad? I'll have to remember that. Thanks."

  Cody shrugged and nodded. It was a small thing, he knew, that she'd thanked him, but it was a start. He hesitated and then offered his hand for her to shake.

  "I'm Cody, by the way."

  She glanced at his hand but rudely ignored it as she answered, "India".

  She turned almost too quickly and grabbed her Italian dressing-less salad and plain black coffee from the counter and stormed off. Cody let her alone and took his fancy coffee to-go. It was enough for today, he decided, because now she had a name.

  Chapter 2

  Over the weekend, Cody didn't go to the coffee shop. He was pretty sure that India hadn't either, based on what Brad had said before. Instead, he spent the entire weekend talking himself into sitting with her on Monday. Only India didn't show up on Monday. Brad was there and gave him his coffee el fancy-o-deluxe latte supreme before he'd even ordered it.

  "Thought you said she was always here," he stated as Brad handed him the cup.

  "First time she hasn't been. Can't say I miss her. If you've scared her away, I owe you."

  "Shut up," Cody replied, annoyed at Brad's attitude toward her, even if it was deserved. He took his coffee and sat down at a table, hoping she was just running late. He drank slowly and was about to give up when he heard her familiar voice yelling from where he sat. Immediately he stood and went to watch.

  "It's been three days and you mean to tell me you still don't have any Italian dressing?!"

  "If you want Italian, go to Italy and good riddance," Brad replied, obviously having had enough of her and forgetting about keeping his company in her good graces for the time being.

  "I demand to speak with Brad," India commanded, and Brad's eyebrow lifted amused.

  "You're looking at him."

  "You? Gosh, you'd think the owner would be smart. Well, never mind."

  Cody listened as she started in about the service and how it was so slow and how she was already running late today and having a bad day and the last thing she need was Brad's sarcasm. She just wanted some Italian dressing for her salad and some quick service. Frustration was evident on her face as Brad took it upon himself to mock her in return. Cody realized that he should be doing something, and he stepped forward.

  "India," he smiled at her. "We meet again."

  She stopped mid-rant and for a tiny split moment, Cody saw a look on her face that almost reminded him of relief, and he wondered about it. Then she scowled at him.

  "What do you want?"

  "To make a recommendation."

  "Not interested."

  "Trust me, you will be," Cody assured her. He glanced at Brad. "Get her some of that fancy coffee stuff will you? And for Pete's sake, have some Italian dressing for her by tomorrow."

  "She doesn't deserve the fancy," Brad muttered under his breath, but it was just loud enough for them both to hear.

  "Excuse me?" India turned on him. "I'll take two."

  "Ooookay," Brad rolled his eyes at her as though she was insane, but he got them for her, and Co
dy got the feeling he’d suddenly remembered the company ties again. India handed one of the coffees to Cody.

  "Hold this for a moment, will you?"

  Cody nodded and then to his surprise (though perhaps he shouldn't have been), she took the lid off the other and threw the hot drink all over the counter. Both Brad’s and Cody's mouths dropped open, but India didn't wait for either of them to say anything before grabbing her plain salad from the counter and storming out of the store. Cody followed her quickly as Brad shouted to him, "Keep her out of here, will you?!"

  "India!" Cody called, jogging to catch up to her. "You forgot your drink."

  She stopped walking and waited for him. When he handed it to her, she fiddled with the cup in her hands and stared at her ridiculously pointed heels.

  "I shouldn't have done that," she admitted.

  "Nope, probably not," Cody agreed, but there was no hint of accusation in his tone. She looked up at him, and he smiled at her.

  "Try the coffee before it gets cold."

  She took a sip and then nodded. "Yeah, it is actually really, really good. I guess I'd better savor it. I doubt I'll be allowed in there again."

  "He's not going to kick you out. He needs your company’s business."

  "What?"

  Cody shrugged. "That's what he said. He's unable to kick you out because your company advertises for his or something like that."

  "Oh, so you guys just sit around talking about me? Is that it?" The look of anger started to return to her eyes, until Cody denied it.

  "No! Well, I don't. Brad's an idiot. I don't even know him really. He started complaining about you to me one day and said he'd kick you out if it wasn't for that fact. I told him it wasn't any of my business."

  "You're right; it's not."

  There was an awkward silence for a moment before India suddenly asked, "How does he know where I work?"

  Cody pointed to the symbol on her briefcase. "That's how."

  "Oh. Well, I didn't even know about the company ties. I'm nothing more than an assistant. I basically make coffee and photocopies and answer the phone; that's it."