Character Interview – Gracie
by Alicia Renee Kline
Gracie is well established as being one of the most fun characters to write for in Intoxicated. In the role of Lauren’s best friend, she has a unique viewpoint on the action. And she’s not afraid to express her opinions.
Q: How did your friendship with Lauren begin?
A: We met through work. She was already at the bank when I got hired there as a teller. Even though she was in the mortgage department, we bonded because we were the two youngest employees at the branch. We started going out to lunch together, and the friendship just grew from there.
Q: Some would say that the two of you are exact opposites. What do you think?
A: I think we balance each other out well. She’s ultra serious at times and I never try to be that deep. It happens sometimes, but usually not on purpose. She’s a little bit older than me, so she’s kind of taken the older sister role. I can come to her for advice, especially on things that are career oriented. I think she sort of lives through me at times, since she never really was the type to party during her college years. Sometimes I think that she was born at about age twenty-five.
Q: Were you supportive of her decision to accept the promotion and move to Fort Wayne?
A: Yes, no question about it. It’s what she’s always wanted. She’ll be an awesome manager and it would be totally selfish on my part to be mad at her for leaving. She’s the kind of friend I know I’ll have for the rest of my life. We’ll spend a lot more time on the phone with one another now, and we can always email each other at work as long as the subject matter isn’t too inappropriate. Who knows, maybe someday she’ll convince me to move up there with her. It’s not like I have any ties to Indianapolis besides her dad.
Q: You come across as a harsh critic of her boyfriend, Eric. Why so negative?
A: He has a few redeeming qualities, I’m sure, if Lauren’s still with him. I haven’t found them yet. He is an egomaniac, always about himself. There’s nothing wrong with him being proud of his achievements, but Lauren’s just as good, if not better. It just seems that he’s always on, you know? I’d swear he sold used cars instead of insurance.
Q: In your opinion, would Lauren be better off without him?
A: In my opinion, the world would be better off without him.
Q: So, in a perfect world, who would you pair her with?
A: Anyone else!
Q: How about her roommate’s brother, Matthew? It seems she has a bit of a crush on him.
A: Who wouldn’t? If he didn’t already have designs on her, I would be interested. He would be a major upgrade as far as I’m concerned.
Q: Wait a second – so she’s not just imagining things? There really is something more than friendship going on between them?
A: He’s actually discussed it with me a little bit. Sure, he didn’t come out and say it, but I could tell. It’s obvious that she’s the center of his universe.
Q: And you’re okay with that, given his past?
A: Everyone has a past. He’s quite literally done his time and repented for his wrongdoings. If Lauren’s willing to have an open mind about it, then who am I to judge? To be honest, his past doesn’t bother me in the least.
Q: If you could give your best friend a final piece of advice, what would you tell Lauren?
A: Sometimes you are blind to the truth that is right in front of you. See, unexpected deepness!
When everything she ever wanted turns out not to be enough…
Lauren Jefferies is on the verge of having it all. Hard work and determination have culminated in a promotion that promises to put her on track with her upwardly mobile boyfriend Eric. High school sweethearts and together for ten years, they are young enough to have their whole lives ahead of them, but old enough to have established themselves as forces to be reckoned with.
The news should be cause for celebration.
But taking the job means moving two hours away.
Instead of planning their reign as an up and coming power couple, they find their already tenuous relationship further damaged by their conflicting opinions. Eric doesn’t want her to leave. Lauren refuses to back down. In the end, she packs her things and heads up north to her new life, the abstract promise of figuring this all out later hanging between them.
Lauren settles into her new routine quite easily, thanks largely in part to her fast friendship with her roommate Blake. Blake’s companionship comes in a package deal with that of her older brother Matthew. One night over dinner, an innocent conversation leads to the discovery that the three of them have more in common than they’d ever imagined.
Ashamed of his role in the thread that ties them together, Matthew begins to withdraw. As Lauren devises a game plan to ease his torment, Eric inadvertently pushes them together with his selfish actions.
Lauren’s relationship with Eric continues to flounder. The distance is an issue, but Eric’s indifference does nothing to help. Every bright spot in their courtship is countered by darkness and bitterness. More often than not, Matthew is there to pick up the pieces that Eric leaves behind.
Prior to meeting Matthew, Lauren thought she knew what she wanted. Now that she’s just about to obtain everything on her list, she’s left to question if she ever really knew what that was.
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Genre – Romance / Chick Lit
Rating – PG13
Connect with Alicia Renee Kline on Twitter
Website http://aliciareneekline.com/
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