Savvy
Dear Diary
I’ve been driving for two days, and I am finally in Hollywood, Florida. It’s beautiful here. Warm even for the beginning of Fall. I wasn’t expecting that. This is where my life will hopefully change for the better. Tomorrow is Monday. I am hoping my lawyer has good news for me. If Brian has signed the papers, I will be one step closer in changing my last name back to my maiden name. I’ll soon no longer be Savanna Garrison, I’ll be Savanna James. I can’t wait.
***************************************************************************
“Yes, Mrs. Garrison, he signed the papers. I just got done filing them with the courts. I was just about to call you.”
“Oh, my God, yes. Thank you, Mrs. Wilson. The moment I find a place to stay, I will send you my address so you can mail me the papers. Thank you, thank you so much.”
We hung up and I did a happy dance. I dressed in a pink tank top and white linen capris. I put on my white converse, grabbed my purse and keys and left my hotel room. I went to have my continental breakfast. I made myself some waffles, had some of the fake scrambled eggs and bacon and a cup of cranberry juice. Again, f*ck the calories.
I went and bought a newspaper and opened a housing app on my phone. I was looking for houses for sale or rent. I didn’t want an apartment. I found a cute café and ordered an iced green tea. Finding a table outside, I quickly grabbed a hairband out of my purse, and put my hair up into a messy bun. With a pen in hand, I opened the paper to the classifieds. For the next two hours, I contacted people and realtors. I had an appointment with my new realtor, Stacy Dobbs. I was waiting for her at the moment to show up at the café I was at. I told her what I was wearing, and she said she would be driving a silver Bentley Continental GT.
That very car pulled up right next to me. A bubbly blonde, about my height, bounced out of her car. She looked at the café and her eyes zeroed in on me.
“Helloooo. Savvy? I’m Stacy,” she said, smiling a blinding smile. I liked her immediately. She had a curvy body with immaculate curves in all the right places. If I was a lesbian, she’d be my type. She had on a gray pencil skirt and a white blousy tank. Her white stiletto heels hurt my feet just looking at them.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” she said, when she sat down across from me.
Her bright blue eyes sparkling with happiness, she held her hand out to me to shake. I took it and said hi.
“So, you’re looking for a two or three bedroom with a pool? Would you do a condo?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Budget?”
“Between three hundred and five hundred and fifty thousand. My daddy gave me money for a rainy day. It was my wedding present. But my husband cheated on me, and I am starting over.”
“Oh,” she said, with wide eyes.
“Sorry. I word vomit when I meet new people.”
“Oh, that’s okay. How old are you, may I ask? You look really young.”
“I’m twenty five.”
“Oh, wow. You have great genes. I thought you were twenty. I’m twenty six. So, since you are here, I am assuming you are divorcing?”
“Divorced actually. Just got the good news this morning.”
“Well, congratulations then. Well, let’s celebrate by finding you a new home, shall we?”
We took her car. I left mine parked. She said it was no big deal and that she preferred driving with her clients. She chatted a lot and I didn’t mind that. I answered all her questions. She told me she was born and raised here, had no boyfriend, and had a select few friends.
“I know we just met, but I’d like to be friends, Savvy. I think you and my two friends will get along really well. If you’re up for it, I’d like to take you out this weekend. You can meet them, and we can celebrate your divorce.”
“I’d actually really like that. I could really use some new friends. I miss my soul sister. I am hoping I’ll love it here so much, she’ll come and visit me and want to stay.”
She giggled. Our first stop was a three bedroom, two baths, single family home. It was a hundred and fifty thousand under the low end of my budget. It was cute, but there was no pool. The backyard, however, was big, and I could picture a pool back there.
“I know it’s on the low end of your budget, but it’s been on the market for a while. An old lady died here of old age. I have to disclose that. Some people are really superstitious about buying a dead person's house. But I look at it as good luck.”
I giggled at her optimism. It was a cute house but not what I was looking for.
Next, we checked out a two bedrooms, two baths, 1200 sqft home. This one was in the middle of my budget. It had a nice kitchen and a small pool. It would have worked if it wasn’t for the family living next door. They were extremely loud, playing loud music that covered the constant screaming of children. That was a no-go.
She took me to a condo next, and I fell in love. Everything was white and black. The floors were white, the trimming was black. The counters in the white kitchen were black marble, and the appliances were all silver. There were two bedrooms and two baths. There was a community pool, but the building, she said, was all single twenty to thirty-something's, and she lived on the floor below me. I squealed at that information and told her I would take it. We filled out all the paperwork, and she said in two weeks I could move in.
“In the meantime, I have an extra bedroom. You can stay with me.”
“What? We hardly know each other. How can you be this nice? I could be a crack wh*re for all you know.”
She laughed a full belly laugh. “First, we’ve spent the last three hours together, and you never once left my side to shoot up, or smoke crack or however it’s done. Second, I get a really good vibe from you and my daddy always told me to trust my gut. You are good people, Savanna.”
“Oh, jeez, you’re gonna make me bawl.
“I’m serious. Move in with me until you can move in here. Here’s a key. Go get your stuff, come back here. Take a bath, there’s wine in the fridge. Help yourself to anything. I’ll be home in about three hours. Do you cook, or should I bring something home?”
“I cook, and I cook d*mn good.”
“Awesome, I love home-cooked meals. Let’s get you back to your car.”
We drove back to the café. I hugged her goodbye. I stopped by the store to get the ingredients for a three-cheese spicy sausage penne pasta dish. I also got french bread, garlic and, just in case she didn’t have any butter. I was trying to find the pasta when I crashed my cart into somebody.
“Oh, no. I am so sorry,” I looked up and up. Holy h*ll. This guy was a giant.
He smiled at me, his white teeth and plush lips were framed by a neatly trimmed beard. He had a straight nose and glittering green eyes. He was wearing some white board shorts and a yellow t-shirt that set off his tanned skin marvelously. His muscles bulged and he flexed. He actually flexed. I giggled.
“No harm done. I’m Mac.”
“Savvy. Again, I’m sorry. I was trying to find penne pasta.”
He looked to his left and grabbed a box for me.
“Here, try the kind with protein, it’s delicious,” he said, raking his eyes down my body when he said delicious. I felt my cheeks warm and his smile widened.
“I haven’t seen you around before. Visiting?”
“No, I just moved here. Divorced my husband for being a cheating bastard. I bought a condo down the street, but staying with a friend right now, cooking her dinner tonight.” Ugh shut up Savvy. Freaking word vomit, just tell him your whole life story already.
“I’m sorry, he did that to you, but hey, new you, right?”
“That’s right. Well, I should get this stuff bought and get going. Nie to meet you,” I said, and hastily retreated.
“Nice to meet you, Savvy.” I threw a smile over my shoulder and literally smacked myself in the forehead. I really need to learn how to shut up.