Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around various aspects of her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend, and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. When Savvy’s complacency (and her sexy new lingerie) reaches a breaking point, she knows it’s time for some renovations.
Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her waistline, her work/life balance (or lack thereof,) and last (but not least): her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of close female friends. But as any HGTV junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then, it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest ‘upgrade.’ Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around, beginning with how she sees herself (and loves herself,) before she can build a love that lasts.
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“Shit!” Savvy whispered. A bubble of bacon grease popped
on her arm, and she jumped back. Rubbing away the grease, she turned down the
white knob on her gas stove to calm the crackling bacon, flipping thick slices
of applewood-smoked goodness with a pair of tongs. Crisper this time.
Other than her occasional muttered curses, the only
sounds in the house came from the sizzling on the stove and the deep hum of a
cranky old refrigerator. The kind of hum that keeps you guessing whether it
actually still functions. Tugging on the door, she ducked her head in to pull
out baby portobello mushrooms, fresh spinach, and a red bell pepper from the
crisper. She grabbed Gruyère cheese, a carton of eggs, and a pint of fresh
strawberries, closing the door slowly to avoid its signature creak.
Savvy skillfully ran her chef’s knife through mushrooms,
peppers, and onion more slowly than usual. She took great care not to wake the
man sleeping down the hall. She eyed the black silk camisole and lacy short set
hanging nearby, and a shiver of excitement ran down her spine. She looked down
at Jason’s old basketball shirt, a relic from some
college intramural tournament that he and his boys played in. Not exactly
a seductive look. Whoever those guys were that enjoyed women with their
hair tied back and no makeup on, Jason was not one of them.
She separated egg yolks from whites and tossed the
veggies into a heated omelet pan, adding handfuls of fresh spinach as they
softened, then the beaten egg whites a moment later. Using a handheld cheese
grater, curls of Gruyère sprinkled onto the omelet, slowly expanding and
flattening into a melty pool.
Savvy had moved into her childhood home eight months ago,
right after Mama moved to San Jose with her new husband, leaving it empty. Very
little had changed in the house since her childhood. Carpets still covered
pristine hardwood floors, and plastic runners lined the hallway leading to the
bedrooms. Dingy from years of wear and tear, the edges of the runners were
yellowed with age. Mama’s house, with its floral decor, took clutter to
hoarding levels—she never threw anything away.
The faded yellow paint on the walls, dry and peeling, reminded
Savvy of the lists of contractors Mama had given her, tucked between the milk
crate and the French press. She intended to renovate the house to make it feel
more like her own, but work was too busy to take on a project. The tea kettle
hissed hot steam, and she snatched it from the stove before whistling
interrupted the morning quiet. Boiling water cascaded over finely ground Kona
coffee, the aroma carrying just enough caffeine to raise her energy level.
After peeking over her shoulder, Savvy reached into the
oven and grabbed a slice of chewy bacon from the tray. If it’s eaten
straight from the pan, it has no calories. These are the Bacon Rules.
Sliced strawberries and cubed mangoes with a chiffonade
of fresh mint joined the omelet and crispy bacon, making for a colorful,
drool-worthy presentation. Savvy ran a paper towel around the rim of the plate
before capturing the aesthetic for her IG Story.
She kicked off her slippers and lifted the enormous
T-shirt over her head before realizing with a flash of embarrassment that the
kitchen curtains were wide open. She rushed to shut them, stubbing her toe on a
loose piece of tile and yelling silently into the morning. Once she regained
her composure, she slipped the camisole over her head, sucking in her breath
and running her fingers over the slightly taut, black fabric. Don’t
overthink it, Savvy. With her silky cream kimono robe with pale pink
peonies framing her sexy new pj’s and Jason’s meal on an enameled wooden tray,
she shook out her hair one last time and headed down the hall.
“Good morning, Baby I have breakfast for you,” Savvy
cooed softly as she reached the doorway.
Jason opened his eyes slowly, rolling toward her onto his
side as he yawned. “How long you been up, Savs?” His beard was flattened on his
left side from being pressed into the pillow. He smoothed a hand over the
crown of his head, flattening the top of his fade, then grabbed his phone
before turning to look at her. Jason took in her attempt at seduction, his deep
voice thick from sleep. “What you got on?”
Dammit. “Just something new. I thought you’d like
it. I was up for maybe an hour?” she lied. More like two. “Couldn’t get
back to sleep, so I thought I’d surprise you.” Setting the tray on the
nightstand, she stole a quick kiss.
“I taste bacon on your lips.” He dug into his plate, shoving
bacon and mango into his mouth at the same time. His hooded eyes chastised her
before returning back to his meal.
How does he even taste his own food eating that fast? She
sat down next to him with a bowl of fresh fruit, resting her pedicured toes on
the edge of the bed frame. “What do you have going on today?”
“Need to stop by my momma’s after she gets out of church,
go home and walk Ginger, and then play a couple of pickup games with the
fellas. What’s on your plate today? You cookin’ tonight?” He crunched through
his bacon with enthusiasm, moving half of his omelet onto a piece of toast.
“I need to check on my uncle before I go shopping for
some work clothes. You could come over for dinner later.”
He grunted, looking up from his omelet on toast, cheeks
threatening to burst. “What you cookin’?” he repeated.
She rolled her eyes as she fixed her mouth to give him options,
but her phone pinged.
Jason hit her with a side-eye, shaking his head. His
mouth bursting with food. “Is that who I think it is?” His voice peaked, like a
kid three seconds away from a tantrum.
Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, Savvy eyed him
carefully. “Yes, Babe, it is.” Her voice calm, she scrutinized the request from
her boss. He needed data about insured millennials to present to a new
insurance client, and she’d forgotten to incorporate that into her
presentation slides.
“He’s interrupting quality time, Savvy.” Jason stood,
bare chested in basketball shorts, his deep voice booming with displeasure.
Athletic, but not overly muscular, he ran his fingers over his flat stomach,
stretching his long limbs, as she pounded away on her phone’s keyboard with her
thumbs. “Why am I just waking up on Sunday morning, and you’re already
working?”
Shit. “Just one sec, Jay, I promise.” Biting her lip, she ran through report data in her head to pinpoint the figures her boss wanted. She’d always had a good memory for numbers. She typed her response as quickly as her thumbs allowed, noting that she would be in the office for a few hours in the afternoon if he had any additional questions. Jason didn’t need to know that last part. “There, see? Done.” Savvy smiled up at him, willing him to sit next to her.
He did. “I don’t know anyone else who is okay with their
boss interrupting their weekend. He can’t just wait till tomorrow?”
“Well, I’m not working now…” Nuzzling his shoulder, she
traced her fingertips down his back. “You know, Babe, I was hoping that we
could…you know.” The kimono robe slipped suggestively, exposing her shoulders.
Jason avoided eye contact as he handed Savvy his empty
tray. “You ain’t got time for all that, Boss Lady.” Tsking, he shook his head,
making his way to the bathroom. The sound of a shower curtain being shoved
aside and water raining from the showerhead followed. As steam spread across
the bathroom mirror, he called out to her. “You should probably see if you can
take them clothes back. Fit’s too tight.”
Savvy set the tray down on the bed next to her, then
stood, wrapping the kimono tightly around her middle. Shoulders rounded, she
returned to the kitchen with Jason’s empty plate, helping herself to another
slice of perfect, chewy bacon. So much for quality time.
Jason left as Savvy showered, calling out to her that
he’d come back for dinner. After getting ready, she pulled containers of last
night’s leftovers out of the fridge and shoved them into a heavy cloth grocery
bag. Baked chicken breasts with sautéed mushrooms covered in a marsala wine
sauce. Parmesan and asparagus risotto. Mixed greens with grape tomatoes and a
mason jar of fresh lemon and shallot vinaigrette. After grabbing her purse and
a sealed envelope from her desk, she walked out into the sunshine. The sky
swirled a perfect blue, a breeze ruffled through the treetops kissing wind
chimes on her neighbor’s porch. A good-looking Black man in dusty jeans, a torn
T-shirt, and work boots walked by with a beautiful chocolate Lab. He raised a
hand in greeting as they strolled by, and she nodded in response.
Her surroundings changed from lush greenery to concrete
skyscrapers and industrial buildings, as she navigated south on the 5 freeway,
past Downtown LA. Spotting USC on her right, she threw a strong side-eye at the
home of the Trojans. Bruin blood for life, baby.
Big brick buildings blurred into dilapidated warehouses
and older residential neighborhoods. Exiting at Century Boulevard, she steered
toward Uncle’s house, which he’d inherited from Savvy’s grandparents, since
Granny and PopPop had already bought the Los Feliz house for Savvy, her mom,
and her brothers. Mama complained that Uncle’s place was an old money pit,
always needing repairs, but Unc and Savvy loved that house.
Pulling up in the driveway, she took in the dip in the
roof that Uncle described on the phone. He’d sunk the last of his savings into
the front porch when the steps needed replacing. The upkeep crept up faster
now, but there was no letting go of Granny and PopPop’s most prized possession.
Whenever she needed money in college, Savvy’d called her
uncle to avoid stressing Mama, who worked hard to put three kids through school.
Unc helped whenever he could, treating her like the daughter he never had. Now,
with the stability she found at work, Savvy reciprocated as often as she could,
while still building a renovation fund for her own house.
Walking up the steps, Savvy looked through the screen
door into the sitting room. “Unc! Where you at?”
“Now, why do you always have to holler like you ain’t got
no home training?” Uncle’s husky voice rang with amusement. He leaned hard
against a crutch, swinging open the screen door for her to walk through.
Savvy grinned at him, planting a big kiss on his cheek as
she walked past. “Any home training I received was undone by a certain
someone.” In her childhood, Unc had been her hero; he helped to raise her and
her brothers when their dad took off. Ma’s older brother, Uncle Joe always came
by to check on them. When money ran short, he stepped in and made sure they
were never without.
“Mmm-hmm.” His smile twitched at the corners of his
mouth. “What you up to today, Baby Girl?”
Inside, her uncle’s security uniform hung on the back of
a chair in a plastic cover from the dry cleaner. A retired police officer, he’d
taken on part-time work as a night watchman for an office building in
Inglewood. On his limited retirement pay and meager income handling security,
making ends meet had been a challenge, especially after he got injured on the
job. At the time, Savvy had shaken her head at his explanation. “They
vandalized the side of the building—of course I chased after them.” Who did
he think he was, Usain Bolt? Unc sprained his ankle running after the
vandals, and, under doctor’s orders, had to take time off until he could put
full weight on his foot.
Savvy waved her bag of food containers at him, carrying
it into the kitchen. She put the containers in the fridge and placed the sealed
envelope on the Formica countertop; she had written “ROOF” on the front with a
Sharpie. “I’m supposed to run an errand, but I think I’m just going to go into
the office for a few hours. How was your week?”
He stood in the doorway, rolling his eyes. “I’m bored. I
want to be back at work, but they want me to be off the crutches first.”
“I support that decision.”
“Yeah, well. Ain’t got much to do, other than checkin’ in
on Mabel.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Miss Mabel, huh?” Mabel Winslow
lived across the street from Savvy’s grandparents’ house most of her life. Like
Unc, Miss Mabel grew up in her house.
She’d moved away when she married but returned after a
bad divorce to help care for her parents. When her parents passed within a
month of each other, they left Mabel the house and their golden retriever,
Samson. A smile curved across her lips. “You’ve been jonesing after Miss Mabel
since I was in high school. Tell me you finally asked her out.”
Uncle Joe shook his head, fighting a smile, his upper lip
curled slightly with amusement. “I’m a gentleman, Baby Girl.”
“Uh, gentlemen go on dates, Unc.” She winked at him,
coaxing laughter.
“We ain’t there yet. I just stopped by to see how she’s
doing. You know she was in that car accident a couple weeks ago. Tweaked her
back.”
“Is she okay?” She leaned against the counter.
“Says she is, but I think she might need a couple rounds
of physical therapy. Doesn’t hurt to make sure she’s fully recovered.”
Savvy eyed her uncle. “Sounds like somebody can dish advice
he isn’t willing to take…”
He tsked, pursing his lips at her. “Thank you for the
help with the roof, but listen, Baby Girl. You workin’ too much. And you should
be putting this money toward your own house.”
She rolled her eyes, following him into the den, where
his favorite leather recliner faced a big screen TV. “You are forever saying I
work too much. And I want to help, Unc.”
He sat gingerly, leaning his crutch against one of his
armrests. “You need a vacation.”
“You know I work the way I do because of what I learned
from you and Mama. It’s just what we do.”
“Nah. We worked hard so that you wouldn’t
have to, Savvy. Your mama pushes you because she thinks you have to climb the
corporate ladder to stay on it.” He wagged a finger at her.
She groaned, rolling her eyes. “Well, I am my mother’s
daughter, and I feel most secure knowing that if either of you need me, I am in
a position to help.”
Mama carried two, sometimes three jobs when Savvy and her
brothers were little to make sure they were fed, that their shoes fit, and that
they could participate in sports or other activities. Their dad had a wandering
eye and left to be with another woman, leaving Mama to be Wonder Woman for the
family. Savvy missed one first grade field trip due to a lack of funds, and
Mama worked herself ragged to avoid that ever happening again. Pops never
really got his shit together, losing touch with Savvy when he started his
third family.
“The roof money is from a rainy-day fund, and if you
think about it, those rainy days are exactly what we need to keep out of this
house. I can do my renovations anytime.” She offered Uncle a crooked smile.
He shook his head, annoyed at her humor. “I know you’re
itchin’ to redo that kitchen.”
She stood, ready to leave before he could march into an
assessment of her current setup. An updated kitchen was at the very top of her
bucket list. “I am. But you always came through for me. Let me do that for
you.”
He pursed his lips, offered his cheek, and she leaned in
to kiss it.
“You’ll be back on your feet in no time. In the meantime,
call me whenever you need. Got that?”
“Mmm-hmm. Love you, Baby Girl.”
“I love you more, Uncle.” Savvy winked at him and turned
to leave. “Let me know when you and Miss Mabel go out on your hot date!”
Excerpted from Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by
Taj McCoy © 2022 by Taj McCoy, used with permission by MIRA/HarperCollins.
About the Author
Oakland native and attorney Taj McCoy is committed to
writing stories championing black and biracial women of color, plus-sized
protagonists, and characters with a strong sense of sisterhood and familial
bonds. When she’s not writing, she may be on Twitter boosting other
marginalized writers, trying to zen out in yoga, sharing recipes on her
website, or cooking private supper club meals for close friends.
Social Links:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
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