Page 22 of Breakpoint
“Can we just extend our afternoon session?” Dani asked. Jaz looked like she wanted to argue because this was definitely outside of their normal training routine. “I promise I’ll have my head in the game by then and do some extra sprints, too.”
Jaz's hunches went back down at the notion of Dani agreeing to do extra sprints. Dani hated sprints, especially in the afternoon when the humidity was suffocating. Jaz walked over to Dani, touching her shoulder. It lasted just a second, but the contact pricked Dani’s skin like a faint electric shock.
“Do whatever you think is best with the media and your family.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Dani heard the sound of her phone ringing. She walked over to the bench area and flipped it over. “It’s Chris video calling me. I probably should take this.”
Jaz nodded. “Cool. I’m going to grab a smoothie. Then do a quick cool down and massage with Scott.”
Dani smirked. “You just want to finish the book you’re listening to? I know you, Jaz Mason.”
“Whatever,” Jaz shot back but there was a small smile playing across Jaz’ lips to let Dani know that she had been correct.
“At least you’re not one of those tennis players who plays pickleball for fun.” Dani laughed.
“Oh, don’t get me started on every pickleballer thinking they can actually play tennis at the same level.
” Dani had heard Jaz rant a few times about pickleball taking over tennis courts.
Jaz walked over to the bench, dropping her racket and grabbed her towel, water bottle and headphones to retreat up the lush green hill to the back entrance of her house.
Dani couldn’t help but stare at Jaz’s ample backside lasciviously.
But then, felt like an ass for checking her partner out again .
Dani finally hit the green button to answer the video call. She wasn’t surprised that he waited on the line until she picked up. “Hey, Chris, what’s up?”
“Dani! How are you?” he shouted with a wide smile.
Before she could answer, he continued talking.
“Great. So much is going on that I need to update you on. I’ve booked you for a morning show in New York tomorrow morning.
And found another beverage company that wants you to do a bunch of social media blasts for them. ”
Did he forget where she was and what she was doing? “Chris, I can’t go to New York. I’m in Florida training.”
“Again? Dani, you’re hot right now after your Wimbledon win with Jaz. We need to capitalize on this,” he declared with excitement, bulldozing right through her response.
She tried not to roll her eyes at him. She didn’t want him to feel ungrateful for all the work he was doing on her behalf, but she needed to focus. “Chris, the Olympics are coming up. Don’t you think we should focus on that? Winning gold.”
“Yes, you need to win gold.” He nodded, and she was glad they were on the same page about that. “But, Dani, it’s also my job to get you as many opportunities as possible. To build your brand.”
“But what will my brand be worth if I lose? Jaz says—”
He cut her off with a laugh. “I wouldn’t take branding advice from Jaz Mason. The media hates her, whereas they love you. That’s why we need to keep you out there.”
Dani became offended on Jaz’s behalf because the Jaz she knew was definitely not who the media made her out to be. “Chris, I just can’t travel to New York, but I’ll do all the social media blasts. Send me the info,” she acquiesced.
“Okay, but let me set up a couple of paparazzi to get some photos of you out to dinner in Miami or something?” He tried to slide in quickly.
Dani was over this conversation, but she knew Chris could be persistent, and she would eventually give in. He had gotten her this far, and some of those sponsorships had kept her afloat financially. “I’ll think about it. I gotta run, Chris, send me the details on the posts I need to do. Byeeee.”
She hung up with a smile before he could get another word in. She shook off that call and walked over to the bench to wipe down the rest of the sweat she was covered in. This Florida humidity was no joke, but they would play in similar temperatures in Atlanta in a few weeks.
Moving to grab her water bottle, she saw Jaz’s phone. She must have left it when she picked up the rest of her stuff. Jaz would likely come looking for it after her cool down stretches, so she could listen to her book while getting her massage from Scott.
That made Dani wonder what Jaz was listening to right now. It became a personal challenge for Dani to find a book that Jaz would be interested in that she hadn’t already read. Maybe she could pick up the same book and listen to it, and they could chat about it together.
She looked on the screen to see what Jaz was currently consumed with, giving her some guidance.
She didn’t recognize the title but pressed play on the screen.
The narrator was describing a very graphic sex scene between two women.
She dropped the phone on the ground in shock.
She picked it up, hoping that she hadn't cracked the screen, then clicked on the title of the book so the cover would appear.
This was definitely a sapphic romance novel.
She scrolled down and Jaz had hundreds of them, some of them well-known titles from authors that she recognized like Sarah Waters, but also LOTS of sapphic erotica.
Why was Jaz reading lesfic? She felt like complete shit for invading Jaz’s privacy because that wasn’t her goal. She just wanted another way to find some common ground. But now that she heard and saw it, she couldn’t unsee it.
Was Jaz queer? Dani would definitely know or at least heard rumors, because the women’s pro tour was just as gossipy as a high school cheer squad.
If she was, there was no way this would have not leaked somewhere.
Although Dani’s own queerness wasn’t well known either, obscured by gender conformity and her feminine appearance.
But if you asked enough questions to the right people, Dani’s could be confirmed.
So no, Jaz couldn’t be. Dani was just projecting her own hopes.
Finding this meant nothing. Straight women listen to queer romance and erotica all the time.
And just because she was a female athlete didn’t mean she was automatically a lesbian.
But then she thought about their interaction with Lena and how awkward it was with something underlying it.
A warmth spread through Dani, entirely unrelated to the oppressive heat.
Woah.