Petra Gönczi // Drink Talks

’I take a sip and cross out yet another line. The light on the table becomes broken and spreads a chic rainbow on the white surface. My glass fractured it so it can become something else. It must be nice to get a chance.’

This is a flash fiction collection that revolves around drinks from an espresso to a gin and tonic. As I named it Drink Talks, you might have guessed that. There’s something else, too. All these stories are scenes that were cut. They will make you feel a sense of unfinished business and urge you to think some more. I wish I intended to do that but no: I am more of a feeler. I just felt they had to stop at one point. Stop and make space for the next one.
So, what can I give you?

"Whoa. Okay. This is going to stick with me."

The flying coffee. And the writer gets scared.

"I feel so happy! When I read this, I could not stop from smiling. Thank you so much!

A tea with good intentions

"Wow, that was beautifully written."

Your whiskey and the moon

“Have you ever been to an office Christmas party? Have you ever sat alone at a table at an office Christmas party? Have you ever sat alone sipping your gin and tonic at an office Christmas party? You don’t need to answer. I know you did. And it’s what I’m doing right now... This gin and tonic is my oyster. An escape from the artificial ’I don’t know you… you must work at Payroll’ smiles and the ’have you finished all the work?.... Nahhh.. Anyway, it’s Christmas!’ toasts and let us not forget the ’CEO is giving funnier and funnier speeches every year’ claps."

Excerpt from: Gin and tonic for an office Christmas // Petra Gönczi // Drink Talks

“The man sitting next to my table was trying to hide his glances towards me. Was it my writing he was interested in or was it my iced wine resting next to it? We all know. My scene, all this, me sitting there with a sweating glass of an icy red wine and a paper staring back at me, was actually a recurring morning episode during the summer. I was wondering how they enjoyed this cliché: a paper filled with crossed out sentences, equalling a writer struggling with her work – and a glass of wine in the morning, equalling a writer struggling with her life...”

Excerpt from: Morning forecast: wine on ice with a chance of rainbow // Petra Gönczi // Drink Talks

"Do you know who's the one here with a head spinning the most? Look over there. See the red umbrella resting next to the garbage can? Someone left it here yesterday, it was stormy. Now wait a second, that group of people will just enter the elevator on the left and you'll see. Ok, there: the young woman in a tight black skirt, a pale pink blouse and a red ’I can do this’ bag on her shoulder. She keeps swinging back and forth on her feet. She was too early. She still has 25 minutes till the interview."

Excerpt from: Americano, next to the fig tree // Petra Gönczi // Drink Talks

Petra drinks her coffee black.
She can type fast, blindly.
She thinks we should all lead with kindness.
She hates comparison, especially in art.
She wants to help every artist and dog.
She reads a lot.
She talks less and prefers silence.
She loves to dance.
Her eyes are the colour of cola.
She wants a bookshelf that touches the ceiling.
And a rolling ladder for that bookshelf.
One day, she'll learn how to play the guitar.
Okay, good talk, good talk.
Cheers! 🥂