Page 38 of Breakpoint
T he rain hammered against the window panes of the condo in Queens, a relentless, drumming rhythm that almost, but not quite, drowned out the soft tapping on the screen as Dani paused the recording on her tablet.
The weather in New York City was always unpredictable in September, and when it rained in New York City, it really poured, whereby the streets that were normally bustling seemed quiet as everyone took refuge.
Beside her, nestled against her shoulder on the plush, oversized velvet green couch, Jaz did the same, her own tablet displaying a different match. Though Jaz had her back wrapped up with a heating pack because she was dealing with some lingering tightness.
The brick walls and high industrial ceilings in the condo made everything echo, so they sat in comfortable silence with the volume off, both reviewing film of their opponents for their first round at the US Open.
There was no bigger Grand Slam tournament for an American tennis player than the US Open.
The atmosphere was always electric, mainly because the fans were usually a little drunk .
Jaz told her the first time that she won it was like a drug being put straight into her veins.
Having thirty thousand people on the largest tennis court in the world, shouting your name.
They said New York City is where dreams were made, and Dani was hoping to make her dreams of winning the Open a reality this week.
“See there? My backhand was late. Again.” She tapped the screen, rewinding the footage a few seconds, getting frustrated with herself all over again.
Jaz leaned over to take a look. “You’re anticipating the slice too much,” Jaz observed. She traced the trajectory of the ball on her screen. “She’s baiting you. Look at her shoulder position before she even makes contact.”
Dani leaned closer, squinting at the image.
She saw it then—the subtle tell, the almost imperceptible shift in her opponent’s posture.
It was the kind of detail only someone who had spent years dissecting the nuances of the game, someone who knew the mental and physical chess match of professional tennis as intimately as she did, could pick up.
That someone was right beside her, their legs intertwined, a shared blanket draped over their knees.
Training with Jaz has not only upped her game on the court but also all the things she had to do off the court to stay in peak condition and to compete with the best. Especially after her embarrassing loss in Cincinnati.
She was seeing the ball quicker on returns, and her backhand had become even more of a weapon.
“Thanks, babe.” Dani had never dated another tennis player before. Jaz understood her world and what she was trying to accomplish. It was easy— refreshing—not having to argue about priorities or why she cared so much about a silly green ball. “This is nice.”
“What is?” Jaz paused her tablet and looked at Dani curiously.
She smiled and took Jaz’s hand in hers. “Just being here with you like this. Like, even though we’re working, it doesn’t feel like work, you know?” Her voice was thick with a contentment that had nothing to do with tennis and everything to do with the quiet intimacy of the moment.
“I get it.” Jaz opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.
Dani squeezed her hands encouragingly and remained quiet until Jaz was ready to open up.
“I see the world differently with you. Even though you play tennis, you make me think about things beyond tennis. Like I can have a life and be happy on and off the court.”
Dani leaned over and kissed her. Because she totally understood. Understood the sacrifices, the frustrations, and the fleeting moments of triumph that made up their shared world. There was no ego here, no competition, just two professionals, deeply in love, helping each other refine their craft.
It hit her at that moment. She was deeply in love with Jaz Mason. Holy fucking shit! Her whole body froze, including her lips on Jaz’s, at the realization.
Jaz pulled back and looked at her, eyebrows scrunched together. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just thinking about what you said again about my backhand.
” She knew Jaz would understand about your brain not shutting off tennis, particularly mistakes.
Dani needed to deflect quickly because Jaz often read her like an open book, and she wasn’t ready for that conversation.
“You have a pretty easy road to the finals, don’t you think? ”
“I’m not looking too far ahead,” Jaz sagely replied. “One match at a time. Just focusing on the opponent in front of me. Though I do see one opponent is on the other side of the draw.”
She smirked. “I know. It’s a shame I’ll have to whip your ass in the finals.”
Jaz raised her eyebrows in challenge, with a level of confidence that turned Dani on. “You do remember the last time we played, right? And that was on my worst surface.”
“Well, I’m better now, thanks to this fantastic training and partnership I’ve been doing over the last seven months with the self-proclaimed greatest of all time.”
“Oh really?”
“Oh yes. She’s been teaching me so much. Like just the right place to position my hands.” Dani’s hands leaned over to squeeze Jaz’s thigh before snaking up her legs. Again, there was a constant urge to rip Jaz’s clothes off.
Jaz immediately picked her hand up and removed it from the inside of her thigh. So close to the spot that Dani longed to touch. “I really need to finish this.”
“I could finish you,” Dani shot back quickly.
“Even for you, that was lame and too easy.”
She laughed at Jaz’s retort. “A girl’s gotta give it her best shot. I can’t seem to keep my hands off of you.”
“Same. But I cannot get distracted by the best sex of my life.”
Dani perked up at that. “Best sex, eh? ”
“And they say my ego is big,” she deadpanned. “But yes, my sex life before was kinda vanilla. I think Lena was always waiting for me to take control. Like I’m dominant and aggressive on the court, so I would be the same in bed.”
“So you’re saying before it wasn’t that adventurous? So she never ate you out within an inch of your life on a private plane. Or took you from behind with a strap, breast pressed against the window while overlooking the New York skyline?”
Jaz swallowed. “Um, no, definitely not.”
She could tell Jaz was being transported to that moment, a few nights ago, up against the window in this very condo, just like she was.
Jaz asked her what she wanted for her birthday, declaring that twenty-one was special and something worth celebrating. In years past, Dani might have gone out with Sascha and gotten blackout drunk, but this year, all she wanted was a quiet night with her girlfriend.
When Jaz pressed that she could have anything under the sun, it was then that Dani revealed her deepest desire. “I wanna use my strap on you.”
Jaz's eyes got wider than Dani had ever seen them, then she whispered shyly like she was embarrassed, “I’ve never done that before.”
“We don’t have to, but I thought you might be open to trying something new.” Dani sought to soothe her in that moment, but was also on edge thinking about being with Jaz in that way. “I don’t want to pressure you and always want you to feel comfortable when we’re together. ”
That’s what mattered more than anything. Jaz wasn’t a fan of change, and she didn’t want her lover to feel like she had to do it to please Dani.
The silence was intense, but Jaz didn’t look away, thinking it over. After what felt like hours but was likely only a few seconds, Jaz licked her lips and then nodded.
Dani sprinted across the room to the walk-in closet like she was attacking a well-placed drop shot at the net.
She dug through the secret compartment of her luggage, looking for the harness and new dildo she packed just in case she got the nerve to suggest it.
Thankfully, she and Jaz had flown here on a private plane and didn’t have to go through airport security because she couldn’t imagine what would have shown up on the airport x-ray machine.
She quickly stripped and stepped into the harness, positioning the dildo through the O-ring. She threw on a robe because she didn’t feel quite confident in walking across the condo naked with a dildo dangling in front of her. It also gave her a place to stash the lube.
When she finally exited to the main area, Jaz had moved from the couch to standing, and Dani could see the tension in her shoulders.
She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city, offering a breathtaking panorama.
The city lights glittered below, a dizzying tapestry of gold and silver woven across the inky black canvas of the night.
They could see the outline of the Queensboro Bridge and the lights from the Manhattan skyline.
Jaz had also changed into a robe, and Dani hoped she was also naked underneath.
Because she couldn’t resist, she came up behind Jaz and slipped her arms around her waist and just held on for a moment. Jaz jumped at her touch, obviously a bit nervous. “You okay?”
Jaz leaned back, her head tilting against her shoulder, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She answered Dani's question with a slight nod as she laced her fingers tightly with hers.
Dani responded by nuzzling the curve of her neck, inhaling the faint scent of her perfume, the cocoa butter aroma that somehow managed to cut through everything else.
Jaz’s robe loosened as they stood there, and Dani couldn’t help staring at her breast in the window’s reflection.
She licked her lips as she stared, and was losing the ability to control herself from touching them.
Jaz loved breast play, and Dani loved to play, touch, caress, kiss and suck on those breasts.