When people ask how they met, Max and Scarlet tell them about a coffee loyalty program.
The Pine Street Coffee Company is a relaxed establishment with spacious rooms for working and enjoying coffee. The shop opens early and closes late, with a big cast of regulars. While it follows the model of other coffee places, including that every tenth coffee you order is free, it is the hundredth coffee ordered that opens doors. The 100-cup loyalty members are invited to the end-of-the-year staff party.
The staff party happens just before pumpkin spice season. At the party, the store employees enjoy watching regular customers become friends.
One year, the staff introduced Max to Scarlet. The two never drank coffee at the same time. Scarlet had an important downtown job, which saw her grabbing coffee in the first couple of hours of the day while Max wandered in during the evening most nights and worked on his screenplay. However, the pair always intrigued the staff because they ordered the same thing.
Max and Scarlet both ordered a small cup of black coffee and a honey cinnamon latte. They would then pour the coffee into their own cup to mix the drink. They didn’t let the staff mix the drinks because they wanted to control the ratio. After the staff introduced them at the party, Max and Scarlet shared a nice conversation before going their separate ways.
Two days later, Max was surprised to find that his drink was paid for by Scarlet. She also sent a note asking about his screenplay progress. The staff ended up passing notes between the two for weeks. Finally, Max ventured into Pine Street when it opened. Max ordered two of their specialty drinks and waited for Scarlet to arrive.
The wedding was 18 months later at the Pine Street Coffee Company. Both made sure they received credit for cups of coffee bought at the reception so they could attend the end-of-year party.