Cocktails: the Martini edition

and a swig of 1956

My flash-fiction piece was originally published on Medium. It comes from a series that I call “Conversations” and have set in different decades. I hope you enjoy it!

Conversations at a Party: April 1956

“You changed your hair,” he said.

She smiled to herself and turned around. “Hi.”

“Hi, yourself.”

She swirled her drink and watched the liquid spin to a stop.

He pointed at the drink. “You need another one?”

She held up the still half-full glass, her lipstick stuck firmly in a half-moon to the rim.

“Oh,” he said with a nervous chuckle.

She held the glass to her cheek and smiled.

“Who’s this?” he nodded toward the man at her elbow.

“Oh,” she looked to the left at the man whose eyes had been ping-ponging back and forth between the two of them. She took a sip of her drink and giggled to fill the space. “Roger.”

Roger’s eyes ping-ponged again. He stuck out his hand. “Yeah, Roger.”

“Rog, how’s everything?” he said, shaking his hand warmly. “Be a dear and get us a couple more drinks?”

She drained her drink in a gulp, obligingly.

Roger ping-ponged, took each glass, and walked toward the hosts’ bar cart.