Page 28 of Summer Breakdown (Training Seasons #2)

Then, Jasmine asked her specifically. Ezra probably told her to, but she did it either way.

So before she could overthink what Ezra had talked to Jasmine about, she was already in the car.

She had to wait in the car park for ten minutes lest they think she ran out of her house the moment Jasmine asked her to, obviously. She couldn’t look too keen .

The horror of letting people know she wants to be around them worked out, though.

Now, she sits at Jasmine’s dining table as the sky turns dark, her chin in her palm as she watches Jasmine talk.

She invited her in for tea, and Frankie has managed to convince her she’s still thirsty after her second cup, an orange juice and a shared flatbread.

Jasmine doesn’t seem to mind, her hands fly around as she explains how Frankie should let her be a sponsor for the women’s team just so her name will be on the shirt.

“You’re so ridiculous,” Frankie says fondly.

“I just think you’d look good with me all over you,” she shrugs.

Frankie blushes but she leans a little closer anyway.

Frankie can’t tell if Jasmine is flirtier when it’s dark out, or if the lowlight in the kitchen makes everything more romantic.

Either way it makes Frankie turn inside out.

She can’t decide if she wants to hide under the table, or crawl across it.

All she knows is that she’ll do anything for Jasmine to look at her like she is right now, for the rest of time.

Frankie runs her forefinger against Jasmine’s hand on the table, tucking her fingers under her palm until they hold hands like schoolgirls.

She wants to flirt back, but there’s never been someone she wanted as badly as she wants to keep Jasmine.

She’s not sure how people are ever alluring when the person in front of them has the power to destroy them.

“Was that too much?” Jasmine asks, head tilted like she knows she’s ruining Frankie’s life. Frankie shakes her head.

Jasmine hums. “Just so you know… I am always waiting to talk to you, too. The other day, I paid Kai a fiver to trip over during training so you’d want to come and tell me about it.

” Frankie cackles, Jasmine is so unserious and it worked flawlessly because Frankie immediately ran over to tell her and then didn’t leave for fifteen minutes.

“Whenever I write in the group chat,” Jasmine carries on. “I’m waiting to see if you think it’s funny. And oh, if you respond to me directly instead?” she closes her eyes, smiling, her shoulders up by her ears.

“It makes my day.” Frankie wasn’t aware she had this effect on her. It’s life affirming in a way she never expected.

“It does?”

“Yeah,” she whispers. “You’re really important to me.”

“Can I kiss you?” Frankie blurts out.

Jasmine smiles brightly. “You don’t have to ask.”

Frankie pulls her bottom lip between her teeth before she leans forwards. The light is low, and her eyes flutter shut just as she breathes in the cherry from Jasmine’s lips.

Then Jasmine’s phone rings. A loud, shrill sound Frankie’s never heard before.

Jasmine groans but Frankie thinks it’s frustration more than annoyance.

“I’m sorry. It’s Mike.” She gets up, grabbing her phone from the counter. The kids are at his place tonight. When Frankie waved them off this afternoon, she wasn’t as giddy as she thought she would be at the prospect of having a kid free house. Hanging out with Marcel and Lani is fun.

“Hello. Oh, hi baby.” Jasmine rolls her neck but Frankie can see the blush rushing down her neck from here. Frankie taps her feet. She’s not impatient, but she does want her tongue on Jasmine within the next thirty seconds.

But then Jasmine frowns. “What did she fall over?”

Jasmine runs her hand over her forehead. “Put your dad on, baby… What do you mean he’s not there?”

Frankie gets up, clearing the dining table and looking for Jasmine’s keys. If she can’t find them, she’ll drive Jasmine there. She doesn’t know how to flirt with her, but she does know when Jasmine needs something and right now she needs to pick her kids up.

“I’m on my way, okay?” she says, spinning around to look for something. Frankie holds her keys high and Jasmine grabs onto her hand as they leave. She locks the front door as Jasmine talks frantically .

“You haven’t done anything wrong, Marc. Do you want me to stay on the phone? No… you don’t have to move. I’ll come in. Be there soon. I love you.”

Frankie drives as carefully as she can when she’s over the speed limit. Jasmine directs her but she’s mainly quiet. When they’re on a straight road, Frankie reaches for her hand.

“It’s almost eleven,” she whispers, clamping Frankie’s fingers with her own. “Marcel is a child. He shouldn’t have to—fuck he’s not a babysitter.”

“Take a deep breath,” Frankie says. They come to a red light and Jasmine does just that. Frankie looks at her, the panic in her eye and the way she worries her lip.

“Sweetheart,” she mutters and Jasmine looks over at her. “Kehlani is going to be okay. No, Marcel shouldn’t have to watch her this late, but you know he’d do anything for her. You know he’s got her.”

Jasmine nods. “I know.”

Frankie rubs her thumb across her knuckles until Jasmine sighs.

“Thank you.”

“What for?”

“For jumping up to come with me,” she says, looking out the window. This light is notorious for being long. “For not caring that I had to stop our date to go get my kids.”

Frankie’s entire body heats up so fast she’s sure Jasmine can feel it through her palm. “Was it?”

Jasmine turns to look at her with a frown and Frankie has half an eye on the colour of the lights, the rest on the way Jasmine blinks at her.

“Was it a date?” Frankie asks and Jasmine screws her face up. She’s delightful.

“Shut up.”

“What happened to ‘you’d look so good’…”

“Oh my God,” Jasmine groans, her face in her hands, but jokes on her. Frankie’s is still laced with hers. “I’ll walk. ”

Frankie laughs. She’s not one to tease because she knows Jasmine could obliterate her at anytime with one suggestive look, but it did what she wanted it to do. Jasmine takes a deep breath, her heel no longer tapping against the floor.

“If it helps,” Frankie whispers, then, “I think every time I speak to you is a date.” She leans to press her lips to her temple, and before Jasmine can reply, the light turns green.

The drive isn’t long, and before Frankie knows it, they’re back in Jasmine’s front garden.

Lani’s okay, but she does need her knee braces and she’s clearly been crying.

She’s being tight lipped about what happened because she doesn’t want her useless father to get into trouble.

As if he didn’t leave them at home alone.

Frankie’s panicked the entire time, but Jasmine is calm and collected and exactly the person she would want around her.

Jasmine hands Lani to Frankie when they step inside. “I just need to grab—“

“It’s okay, Ma,” Marcel replies. “ I can get them. brB.”

Frankie snorts. “You got the entire family to say it?”

“I heard you say it the other day,” Lani replies, and Frankie gasps at her.

“Fibs!”

Lani giggles, though she leans against her more than usual. “I’m not!”

“Cute girl is telling porkie-pies,” Frankie replies, and she spins her until she’s on her back instead. “Now I can’t hear you.”

“Frankie!” Lani squeals, her hands pulling at her cheeks. Jasmine smiles, her fingers tight against her thighs. Frankie figures it’s okay, Jasmine sees them at training all the time. And Lani is usually attached to her there.She hopes she knows she’d never drop her.

“Okay, alright,” Frankie says, spinning her back. “If you’re not telling porkies.”

“I’m not, I’m not. ”

“How are your legs?” Frankie asks, and Lani frowns because she’s been tricked but Jasmine’s eyes light up, so Frankie figures it’s worth it.

“They’re a bit tired,” she whispers.

“What colour?” Jasmine asks, and Lani pouts a little, then holds her arms out until Jasmine takes her. Jasmine kisses her cheeks and her forehead and her nose until she smiles and kisses her back. Frankie smiles too.

“What colour, baby? You’re not in trouble.”

“Maybe a dark orange.” Jasmine clenches her jaw.

“Okay,” Jasmine whispers. “Okay. We can use a heat patch tonight, and tomorrow we can go in the pool.”

Lani hugs her tighter. “Frankie, we can play mermaids.”

“What if I can’t swim?” she asks, scandalised. Really, she’s ecstatic she has another reason to come back. “Are you trying to drown me because I won’t let you join the men’s team?”

Lani giggles, and Jasmine matches her. This isn’t how Frankie wanted to end the night, but Lani’s eyes are drooping. It’s what she knew could happen if she wanted to date a single mum, and she desperately, embarrassingly wants to date Jasmine.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Frankie asks and Lani nods, but her eyes are trained on Jasmine.

“Yeah, “ Jasmine replies. She leans forwards, and kisses Frankie’s check. “See you tomorrow, my girl.”