Baristaprotagonist Stories

In a city run by an omnipotent assistant, cash is suspicious, coffee is prohibited, and solitude is the default state of being human. She doesn't want freedom. She doesn't want justice. She wants caffeine. And perhaps to pay her rent.

Myles Belinsky is one bad day away from quitting his NYC barista job, tossing his flip phone into the Hudson, and disappearing forever. He is broke, bitter, and his apartment walls are thin enough to hear every one of his neighbour's questionable life choices. So when his new neighbour turns out to be Pierre de Santis-- rockstar, tabloid prince, and walking disaster-- Myles knows exactly what to do: ignore him. Pierre, unfortunately, has other plans. With a smirk like sin, and the ego to match, Pierre takes one look at Myles and decides he's his new favourite game. He flirts. He teases. He keeps playing his music too damn loud to annoy Myles, and he shows up at the café like it's his stage, and Myles is the only audience that matters. It's all just fun for Pierre-- until it isnt. Because somewhere between the relentless charm, and eye-roll worthy pickup lines, things start to shift. For both of them. And neither one is handling it well. Now Pierre is spiralling. Myles is mentally moving to another country, and Minerva-- Piere's 16 year old sister and long-suffering roommate-- is stuck watching the world's slowest emotional crash-and-burn happen right infront of her eyes. It's 2009. The jeans are too tight. The eyeliner's heavy. And the emotional repression is even worse. And love? Love wasn't supposed to be a part of this.