Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell, page 20
“Let’s get it.” Matt dipped into a low squat in jest, and got a playful smack in the back of the head from Rob.
“Pull it together, bruh.” Rob shook his head. His deep voice was so rich that it sent a shiver down her spine. That man was fine.
Savvy heard Maggie exhale. “Whew, chile,” she said softly.
“Alright, y’all, let’s go get ’em,” she said, as she held out the ball to let the guys know they were starting.
“We got this, Savs,” Kotter called out.
Thwack! Savvy hit the ball just inside the T, giving it everything that she had. Matt blinked, swinging his racket hard, but missing the ball as it whizzed by.
“Damn, girl!” Matt called out.
“Nice, Savs.” Spencer clicked his racket against hers, giving her a wink.
“One point for Savvy’s team.” Beth smiled confidently. “This is going to get interesting really quickly.”
She tossed a ball to Maggie to serve next. Shawn squatted into a ready position, gaze steady on Mags, swinging his racket side to side. Maggie served hard toward Shawn’s body, but he stepped out of the way and hit the ball with his forehand across the court. Joanie leaped toward the ball with a swinging volley, which Rob missed because he’d set his feet to go in the opposite direction.
“Well, well,” Rob said. “Looks like we have to play a little catch-up now.”
“Be careful over there, Savvy,” Matt called. “This dude comes with the heat on serve.”
Savvy put on her mean mug to defeat her nerves. “Bring it.”
Her friends cheered, and Beth was all smiles. “That’s right, get ’em, Sis. I want you to focus on body shots.”
Savvy nodded, setting her sights on Rob, tilting her head slightly as she bent her knees and squared her shoulders.
“Damn,” Rob said, watching her. The rest of the fellas chuckled. “No one better mess with Savvy if she gives you that look!”
Spencer peeked at her from the corner of his eye.
They played on, putting their all into it, rotating spots, and punishing the guys for thinking that they had anything on them. Spencer was smooth on the court. Quiet, focused. Savvy admired his technique, thinking that all of his competitiveness must be in his head, because he didn’t talk smack. After five or six rotations, the other guys were ready to throw in the towel. Matt plopped down on the ground, catching his breath. “Y’all came to play today.”
“If we’re here, we came to play.” Maggie said it simply. “Mama didn’t raise no punk.”
Shawn pointed at Mags, smirking. “You weren’t lying, Savvy!”
“So where are y’all heading for dinner?” Rob asked, looking squarely at Maggie. “Maybe we can join you? We need to make plans for the next time we can all get together.”
Maggie nodded slowly. “Let’s go to Savvy’s house. She can really burn.”
“And I just had my kitchen renovated, so there’s space for everyone.” She stood next to Spencer, catching her breath. The scents of his natural musk and cologne combined to create an intoxicating fragrance.
All of the men perked up. “Word?” Matt asked. “Just tell us what to bring.”
“Don’t worry,” Savvy smiled. “I got this. Just be careful around the construction.”
20
Savvy left the tennis court before the others to get the food started. Spencer had to get home to walk Teddy, but he promised to stop by after. Rummaging through her old refrigerator, which was still on the back patio, she found she had everything she needed to change the ingredients into something that would be well received by the guys. She pulled the white paper off the island countertop, allowing only a brief thrill to run through her as she remembered what she and Spencer had done there.
Savvy turned the dial on her new six-burner stove, excited to see parts of her kitchen coming together so beautifully. The new flooring was still covered. The backsplash wasn’t up yet, and they hadn’t painted the kitchen yet, but the bigger, open space was inviting. The island faced the dining and living area, with new built-ins and crown molding. The furniture was covered with tarps from fresh painting.
Savvy coated some chicken thighs in olive oil and jerk seasoning, threw them into a pot on high heat to brown the sides, and then poured a bottle and a half of lager and a cup of orange juice in to cover the meat. She turned the burner up to high and let that get to work while she pulled purple and green heads of cabbage out of the refrigerator, along with a couple of carrots, green onions, and cilantro. She grabbed white miso, white pepper, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and a bag of dry-roasted sliced almonds from her new pantry.
Everyone arrived then; Savvy heard Joanie let them in with her key. Mags took bags and coats, while Joanie removed tarps from the furniture and began mixing drinks. Mags connected her cell phone to the Bluetooth speaker, put on a chill playlist, and came into the kitchen to offer help.
“So.” Savvy lowered her voice. “What do you think of Rob?”
“Girl, he is so fine. I don’t know. And that voice!”
“Right? That voice is something serious.” Savvy took a swig from her bottle of lager and then handed it to Mags, who followed suit.
Grasping the bottle, she shook her head. “Seriously, he could talk me straight out of my clothes.”
“Well, damn, girl. Don’t deny yourself. I say just let it happen.” Savvy chuckled, beginning to slice up the cabbage and carrots for slaw. As she finished, she threw the vegetables into a bowl, then chopped up the fresh cilantro and green onions and threw those on top. She whisked together the dressing, squeezing in a little bit of lemon juice.
Mags looked around the kitchen, taking in the changes. “Spencer’s done a great job. You look really close to having a finished kitchen!” She noticed that Savvy had already set out sweet Hawaiian rolls, some sliced red onion, sweet pickles, a tray of sliced cheeses, and two kinds of barbecue sauce. “Damn, girl. How did you do this so quickly?”
She shrugged. “I already had everything I needed for this potluck at work. I can just get more. This is an easy one. I’m doing a pulled chicken instead of pork, but it’s dark meat, so the flavor should be good. Hey, grab the tongs and check the meat for me, will you?”
Mags lifted the lid and the scents of beer, citrus, and jerk seasoning wafted up. “This smells amazing.” She used the tongs to lift up the chicken, and it was just starting to fall apart.
“Keep doing that. It’ll continue to soak up the flavors from the liquid as you pull.”
“Mmmmm.” She snuck a piece to taste. “I miss your cooking, and it really hasn’t been that long.”
“I’m glad Beth came through.”
“Yeah, she’s good people.”
“I heard my name. What are you two doing over here?” Beth walked over from the living room area, taking in the sights in the kitchen. “Damn, Savvy. You’ve been holding out on us!”
“I need to see this.” Matt pushed his way into the kitchen, head craning over Maggie’s to see the pulled chicken.
“Do any of y’all have nut allergies? I should have asked earlier.” Savvy turned to their kitchen intruders.
“We eat everything, Savvy. Don’t even worry about it. Matter of fact, don’t expect to have any leftovers.” Matt tried to sneak a piece of chicken out of the pot, but Mags playfully slapped his hand.
“Cool.” Savvy poured her fresh dressing on the cabbage slaw, tossing it with another pair of tongs, and then sprinkled a handful of sliced almonds on top.
“This girl’s a gourmet,” Matt observed to Mags. “Y’all work out together and then eat well, I see.”
Mags grinned up at him. “You have no idea!”
“You might have to fight me for this chicken,” Matt joked. Mags stopped what she was doing and snapped the tongs at him. He jumped back laughing, hands up. “You know what, I’m going to go back over there where it’s safe and grab a drink. Just let me know when we can come in here and make a plate.”
“That’s what I thought,” she retorted, giving him a sly smile and turning back to her assigned task.
Savvy turned to Beth. “You know, your friends are really something.”
She cracked a smile. “You know I tried to tell you, right? Your friends are pretty unique themselves.” She tapped Mags on her left shoulder and stole a piece of chicken from her right side. Mags nudged her toward the door.
“Okay, Sis. You just lost your pass too. Out you go!” Mags shooed her out of the kitchen.
As she rounded toward the dining table, she turned to grin at her. “You just gon’ let her do me like that, Savs?”
Savvy hooked an elbow around Mags’s shoulder and smiled over at Beth sweetly. “Every time, love.”
With everything ready, Mags helped her carry the food to the dining table, which Joanie had uncovered and set. Joanie had drinks ready for them, and the fellas dove into the food like they hadn’t eaten all day. Just as Savvy went to reach for a Hawaiian roll, her cell phone rang.
“Excuse me for a sec, I need to take this.”
Walking into the other room, she answered the phone. “Hey, Unc. Everything okay?”
“Come to the house, Baby Girl. It’s on fire.” The strain in his voice told her everything she needed to know. She rushed into the living room to grab her purse; everyone looked at her in surprise.
“I have to go. You guys eat. I’ll call you.” Savvy was out the door before anyone could respond.
* * *
She stood next to her uncle feeling the warmth of the flames kissing her cheeks from two hundred feet away. Savvy put her arm around his shoulder and felt him tremble. Their refuge was burning to the ground. Home to all of their memories. “What happened, Unc?”
“I don’t know, Baby Girl,” he whispered. “I was coming home from the doctor’s office, and the firefighters were already here. Ms. Mabel across the street saw smoke and called them.”
Savvy leaned toward him, pulling him into a hug, as tears flowed down her cheeks. “Thank God you are safe. I can’t lose you, Uncle,” she whispered.
Their foreheads met for a moment of silence, and she closed her eyes to say a silent prayer of thanks for his safety.
“You ain’t done with me yet, Baby Girl.” Uncle Joe’s voice caught, and he had to step back to compose himself. He covered his mouth. Unable to meet her eyes, he turned away from the fire. “This is my fault.”
She looked at her uncle in surprise, his eyes squeezed shut like he wanted to push something from his memory, the weight of responsibility anchoring his shoulders. “How is this your fault, Uncle? You didn’t start the fire.”
“No, but if it started because of those damn electrical issues, it’s my fault.” He sucked his teeth, shaking his head. His arms were out at his sides, splaying widely, as he made his case. “I thought that I had more time, that I could take care of all of the issues in the house. I knew they were there, but the cost was too much to handle all at once. And now look at it.” A tear escaped his eye; his voice barely above a whisper. “What would your granny think? She left me to care for their home. Look at their home now.”
The fire raged throughout the entire house. The front door stood wide-open. They could see nothing inside but fire illuminating the hallway toward the kitchen. Flames spread over the rooftop. They stretched out like arms reaching for the stars from the windows.
Water forced its way into the house through the broken windows, and Savvy thought about Granny’s quilts, the old photographs of her grandparents dancing or hosting their beloved neighborhood cookouts. Her uncle’s new instruments. Nothing would be salvaged.
She pulled her uncle to her. “Granny wouldn’t blame you, Uncle. Remember how she used to crack jokes about the stairs creaking? How they had to take down the porch swing? The house always had problems, but we loved it anyway.”
He nodded slowly, watching as the blackened steps of the porch warped under the force of the water. “We sure did.” He cracked a sad smile that touched only half of his mouth. “She used to joke that someone could fall through the floor of that guest bedroom and land right on the stove.” He chuckled slowly. “Oh, Mama. She never cared about stuff, you know. She wouldn’t let this worry her one bit. The only thing she’d try to salvage would be—”
“Her big pot,” Savvy finished, smiling. “That’s so true. That pot is magic.”
“Mmm-hmm. Good thing I gave that to you after she passed.”
She slid her hand into his, leaning her head onto his shoulder. “I’ll keep it safe, Uncle. I promise.”
He kissed the top of her head, squeezing her hand. “There’s no one else I’d trust to do the job, Baby Girl.” He smiled ruefully. “I can only imagine what your mama will have to say about this.”
Savvy tugged at her uncle’s hand, and they sat on the curb. They stayed like that, watching the firemen work, sharing old memories, trying to laugh through the loss they both felt. Eventually, Uncle sent her home, saying he was going to stay to talk to the firemen. Ms. Mabel had already offered for him to stay in the in-law suite on the back of her property. She liked the safety of having a retired cop in the neighborhood, though Savvy suspected she wanted his proximity for other reasons too. She gave him a tight squeeze, promising to call him in the morning. “I love you, Uncle.”
“I love you too, Baby Girl. Go get some rest—you have work in the morning.”
* * *
“You sure you’re okay?” Spencer rubbed her shoulder, rhythmically kneading his thumb into her back. His head propped up in one hand, he used the other to ease some of the tension out of Savvy’s muscles.
She lay with her back to him, appreciating the contact, but feeling numb inside. “Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you for staying to check on me.” She hadn’t said much since she returned. The girls had sent Beth and her friends home with care packages, exactly as Savvy would have done. When she got back, she promised to keep the girls updated as they left.
“Of course. I got here right after you left. When the girls told me about the fire, it just seemed right to wait.” He ran his fingers up her arm, and she shivered. He pulled her closer against him, kissing her shoulder, running his hand over her hair. “Just relax, Savs. I got you.”
He continued to run his fingers over her hair, and Savvy felt herself relax. She opened her eyes hours later, hearing the lock on the front door click. Again.
21
Savvy pushed through her file review with huge resolve to be done at a decent hour, though she was completely inundated by her new clients. She made a list of things that had to be tackled that day and decided everything else could wait. She had plans to meet the girls for dinner in Little Tokyo. She had been dreaming of an uni dinner tray for weeks. Fresh sea urchin was something Savvy could never turn down.
Her phone pinged with a text message from Spencer.
Hey, beautiful. I hope your day is going well. Give me a call when you have a free minute.
Butterflies began to flutter in her chest, but then she remembered him leaving before she was awake again and she stared out the window. The sun had begun to set, but there was still another hour or two before dark. A hazy orange glow spread across the horizon, and Savvy thought again about having a little escape. Maybe a spa trip would do her some good.
I’ll respond to him later. Once she made it through a critical mass of files and reviewed a strategy memo for an upcoming meeting with Warren and some of senior management, she looked at her calendar to find a window of time that fell after a big presentation she was scheduled to give their new clients. She was barely keeping her head above water in this new role—deadlines were coming to her fast, and she wasn’t able to stay ahead like she had in the past, but she was sure it was just because she’d been distracted with the breakup and the renovation. After her presentation would be the perfect time for a long weekend. By then, the renovation would be done too, so she would have the house back to herself. She could use the time to get her head right for the job. Convinced, she sent an email to her boss requesting three days of vacation time.
Warren emailed her back almost immediately, marveling at how much paid leave she had stored up over the last few years. When Savvy replied, telling him that she was rewarding herself with a getaway, his immediate response made her laugh. About damn time.
After another hour, she surveyed the mountains of files on every flat surface of her office. She easily had several hours more work to do, but she was too distracted to focus. Switching gears, she researched more cooking classes offered at Paul and Sarah’s waterfront grill. A staycation could be everything. Before Savvy could overanalyze the whole thing, she booked three different classes with Chef Sarah, and texted an invitation to have her and Paul over for dinner.
* * *
Savvy met the girls in front of one of their favorite sushi spots. Joanie left work early to position herself in line, since no reservations were accepted.
They settled in at their table and ordered a bottle of sake. “How’s your uncle?” Joanie wiped her hands with a hot towel.
Savvy took a deep breath. “He’s really shaken. He feels like the fire was his fault. It’s a total loss.” She shook her head. “We’re devastated.”
Joanie squeezed her shoulder. “I’m so sorry. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do. Literally anything.”
Maggie nodded, reaching over to grab Savvy’s hand.
“Thanks, guys. I will,” she assured them, reaching for her menu.
“How are you holding up?”
“Honestly, I’ve been better, but I have some news.” The girls looked up at her from their menus expectantly. Savvy put on her brightest smile, ready for the inevitable. “I’ve decided to plan a little solo retreat.”
