Friday Snippet: The Widow’s Granddaughter (2)

Here’s the second part of “The Widow’s Granddaughter.” This story uses a character, Jeffrey Tanner, I developed as an example for 1001 Character Quirks for Writing Fiction. I also developed the other characters using the same process I describe in that ebook, but Jeffrey is the only character I use as an example.

-TimK

P.S. WRT the Character Quirks book, I owe Holly Lisle thanks for her advice, freely given, in helping me to make it useful. All mistakes or inadequacies, of course, are my fault and mine alone.

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WARNING: This story contains strong language and adult situations (but no graphic sex).

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(continued from part 1)

Mrs. Kramer sat for several seconds before she struggled to her feet and without a word hobbled out of the office and into the parking lot. From his office, Jeffrey watched her through the window.

Then he marched out of the building and into the parking lot. A young woman was helping Mrs. Kramer into the passenger side of the car. This woman epitomized youth and beauty, Jeffrey thought. Blonde hair flowed down around soft cheeks to just past her shoulders. She wore a smart, brown, corduroy jacket and blue jeans, with sleek, brown shoes on her feet. It was an outfit that accentuated her curves just enough, but not too much, and made her look tall and sexy.

“You don’t even drive!” he shouted at the old woman.

Mrs. Kramer glared at him. “Do you have a point to make?”

“If you can afford a driver, you can afford a car,” he said, even though he knew this woman was likely a friend or relative, not a professional driver.

“This is my granddaughter, Mr. Tanner, not a hired driver.”

He turned to the young woman. “Glad to meet you,” he said.

“I guess that makes one of us,” she scoffed.

“Marietta, please,” said Mrs. Kramer.

“Marietta, eh?” said Jeffrey, still staring at her. “God, I bet you’re good in bed.”

Mrs. Kramer gaped at him.

Marietta said, “You couldn’t keep up with me, that’s for sure.”

“I’ll bet you a hundred dollars,” he said.

Marietta left her grandmother hanging onto the open car door for support, strutted up to Jeffrey, and stared him in the face. Her eyes shone bright blue below fair eyebrows.

“I’ll tell you what,” she said. “I’ll bet you the car.”

“You’ll bet me the car? But it’s my car.”

“If I give out first, you can take the car. If you give out first, she gets to keep it, no matter how long it takes to pay for.”

“That’s no bet. I can already take the car. It’s my car.”

“Right. You’re chicken. I know your type, all talk and no balls.”

Her eyes pierced the air between them like darts.

He hissed at her, “Fuck you.”

Mouth flat, eyes steady, she whispered back, “That’s the idea, Chicken-Balls.”

(to be continued)

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Other Friday Snippets

The way Friday Snippets works is that fiction authors can leave a link to their own snippet on others’ blog posts that are part of the meme. Many of the participating writers are using one of Mister Linky’s Autolink Widgets to streamline this process. See “Friday Snippets” at Holly Lisle’s blog for more information.