CERULEAN — KENNETH NICHOLS
/The bartender fell in love with the blonde in the black cocktail dress because of her cerulean eyes, the blue the ocean takes after a hard winter snow, the hue that takes its name from the Latin word for Heaven. She gulped one Hemingway daiquiri and softly asked for another, explaining that she was nervous to meet her fiance's parents for the first time. He comped the second drink, luxuriating in her gratitude.
The bartender's heart broke when his better arrived in a thousand-dollar suit, parents in tow, braying, "She's smart and loving, but wait'll you see those green eyes..."
Kenneth Nichols received his MFA in Creative Writing from Ohio State. He teaches writing at two colleges in Central New York and maintains the writing craft web site Great Writers Steal, accessible at www.greatwriterssteal.com. His work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including Main Street Rag, Skeptical Inquirer and Lunch Ticket.
