Page 35 of Summer Breakdown (Training Seasons #2)

It’s quiz night, and Frankie has the energy to go.

Well, it’s one forty-eight in the afternoon, but she’s pretty sure she’ll make it.

She wants to see Jasmine, and Jasmine won’t ask her to go round for tea, because she hates her or something.

Jasmine kissed her. On the mouth, in front of people, and forced every single one of Frankie’s dreams to be about her, and now she won’t ask her round for tea, and Frankie may die.

Her mum keeps asking her when she’s bringing Jasmine over, which just means Frankie is talking about her too much. She might have told the postman about her. Her dad wants to know if Marcel wants to play golf. She’s embarrassing herself, and she has no will to stop.

The phone rings, and she answer without thinking. “Good morning, Titans, er, club. How can I help?” There’s a reason she doesn’t answer the phone.

“It’s two in the afternoon,” Jasmine replies. Lord, her voice does something drastic to Frankie’s brain. She smiles against the receiver.

“Hi.”

Jasmine hums. “Hi. Can you let me know if either of the kids are needed for the match this weekend?”

“Hang on, the roster was finalised earlier,” Frankie replies, looking for the spreadsheet. Mali has taught her how to use the online system about twelve times, and still, Frankie hates it.

“Are you having trouble with the computer?” Jasmine asks. There’s humour in her tone, and Frankie wants to hang up on her, but she’s not sure the joke would land, or that Jasmine would call her back.

“Shh.”

“Do you want some help?”

“Why are you still talking?” Frankie asks, and she’s rewarded moments later when Jasmine laughs. One day she’ll figure out how to make the sound her ringtone. She’ll even put her phone on loud despite the fact she glares at it the moment it dares to make a noise.

“Marcel is playing. Lani said she didn’t want to do it, but if she’s changed her mind, I can sub her in at half-time.”

“Does everyone get special treatment, or just my children?”

“I’m only doing it for Mike,” Frankie replies quickly.

Jasmine’s voice is giggly, even as she clears her throat. “You’re so rude.”

If Frankie closes her eyes, she can see the shake of Jasmine’s shoulders. She might even push her lightly. Sometimes, her hand lingers against her shoulder, and Frankie almost bursts into flames.

“Mm-hmm.”

“Thanks,” Jasmine says.

“You’re welcome.” This is where she would hang up on anyone else. She probably would have put the phone down ages ago. Now, she might want to sit on the phone in silence if Jasmine let her.

“Are you going to the quiz tonight?” Jasmine asks, and Frankie leans back in her chair with a smile. Jasmine wants to see her. She wants to kiss her. She wants to spend her life with her.

“Yep. I even scrolled on the hellscape that is Twitter in case it’s general knowledge.”

“You know it’s usually not current affairs, right? It’s, like, who was the Prime Minister in 1992. ”

“Rats,” Frankie replies, and Jasmine cackles down the phone.

Oh, she misses her. How silly would it be to ask her to come to the office now?

Surely, there’s some kind of accounting that must be done.

Then they can go to the quiz together, and Frankie won’t have to worry about not getting to sit next to her.

“I can’t believe you’re in your funny era and I’m going to miss it.”

“What?” Frankie asks, as if someone has told her she has three hours to live. She clears her throat and tries again. “Why?” It sounds even worse the second time around. Jasmine doesn’t call her out on it though.

“Mike isn’t having them tonight.”

Frankie frowns. “Is he sick?”

“He’s useless,” Jasmine replies, with a bite to her tone. Frankie’s never heard it before. “Lani is so sad. She tried to pretend she wasn’t and then cried for twenty minutes. I hate it.”

“Oh, monster girl,” Frankie whispers. “I’m sorry. That sucks.”

Jasmine sighs. “Yeah. I love being with them.”

“I know you do,” Frankie responds. “It still sucks that everything changed.”

“Yeah.” Frankie knows she’s pulling her lip with her teeth. “Let me know if you win.”

“Without you? Doubtful.” The idea of going to the quiz without her isn’t even in her mind.

Jasmine hums, and Frankie misses her. She misses her enough that she might do something ridiculous and silly just to see her.

“Does that mean you’re free tonight?” Frankie asks.

“I have Lani and Marc,” she replies. It’s not a no. It’s a “she’ll have the kids,” which is fine. Frankie needs them there for this to work.

“How do you feel about uninvited guests?” Frankie asks.

“Is it you? ”

Frankie shrugs. “Maybe, maybe not.”

“You have to tell me.”

“That’s not the law,” Frankie replies, and she makes notes for quiz categories she could reasonably do herself. Music. Rugby players. Disney princesses. Who the Prime Minister was in 1992.

Jasmine laughs, and it feels like she’s right here. It makes her feel brave, especially when Jasmine says, “You’re ridiculous. Uninvited guests that look like you I feel good about.”

Frankie smiles so widely she knows Mali will see it from her desk. There’s a chance everyone in this office—on the team, in the world—knows she’s gone for Jasmine. It’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened to her.

Maybe she shouldn’t invite everyone else. That’s kinda rude. She’s sure Jasmine would love it, but she picked her out specifically. Perhaps Lani will be too sad for guests.

“But,” Jasmine says, “I trust you. So, whatever you’re thinking is fine with me.”

Frankie gasps. “You do?”

“Of course.”

Frankie smiles again. “I trust you too.”

Frankie’s probably going to kiss her tonight. Well, if Jasmine looks like she wants her to. If her eyes are on her lips for more than twenty seconds the entire time. If she leans in. If she smiles at her. Frankie’s really going to try and kiss her.

Jasmine hums again. Frankie doesn’t want her to leave, but she needs her hands, and she can’t balance the phone between her shoulder and her head the entire time.

“What are you doing?” Frankie asks.

“Right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Just some work.”

“Can I call?” Frankie asks easily, though the moment it leaves her mouth, she double-guesses.

“You know we’re on the phone now, right? ”

Frankie tries not to panic. Jasmine didn’t say no. She didn’t automatically say yes either. “Yeah. I just mean can I call from my phone? I have some admin things to do, but I can’t hold the landline comfortably.”

“Oh,” Jasmine responds. “Yeah.”

“Are you sure? If you’re busy or that’s annoying, you don’t—“ The line goes dead, the beep tone harsh against her ear. Frankie flinches. Well, at least it was quick and not at all painless. Her phone rings moments later. It’s Jasmine.

Video calling. Frankie tries to tamper down her smile before she answers, but it doesn’t work.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” Jasmine says, moving around a little, then her picture settles, and she waves at the camera.

Her hair is thrown up on top of her head, her pen between her teeth, and she might be in Frankie’s coach top.

The sun shines on the top of her head. She’s so beautiful.

“I thought hanging up would be hilarious, and it was, but then I thought maybe you’d be worried about it, or you’d think I didn’t want to call. ”

Jasmine knows her so well, and she’s barely had to tell her a thing.

She wonders if she can. To make it easier for her, to take some of the weight out of having to deal with Frankie’s mind.

Is it unkind to tell her how messed up her brain is?

There’s a frightful chance that Jasmine will look at her like she’s precious and not problematic.

“So,” Jasmine says, “I thought if you could see my face and how happy I am that you wanted to call, you’d feel better about it.”

Frankie smiles. “Happy?”

Jasmine screws up her nose. “Shh. Do some work. Lani is going to hear you soon and come running.”

“Monster girl,” she calls out, and Jasmine laughs. “I miss her.”

Jasmine chews on her cheek, looking down at her paper. Frankie wants to know what she’s working on. “She got tired after her breakdown. She’s having a tiny nap that I’m going to regret later.”

“Oh.” Frankie’s heart breaks for her.

Jasmine hums. “I can’t believe you’ll say you miss her, but you won’t tell me that.”

The heat floods Frankie’s face so fast she wouldn’t be able to hide it if she wanted to. Jasmine has caught her crawling across this very office floor before. She is around for every embarrassing moment, and Frankie only feels safe when she is.

“Are you doing maths?”

“Mm-hmm. Want me to do it out loud?” she asks, and her voice sounds flirty—so flirty Frankie can’t look at her in case she turns inside out.

“You’re so rude to me,” she mutters.

Jasmine laughs, but by the time Frankie looks at her, she’s already writing something down.

Frankie wants to tell her she does want her to do it out loud, because she misses her voice.

She doesn’t; instead, she notes down questions for the quiz.

She adds an entire round of maths and hopes Jasmine does say them out loud.

Then she sends Mali a message on the team function.

It takes Frankie, like, eight minutes to find it.

Frankie: babe, Jasmine can’t make the quiz tonight

Frankie: I want to do it at her house. wanna do that?

Mali: Sure!!!! With the guys?

Frankie: Yeah. Same set up, just don’t tell Jasmine.

Frankie: We’re on the phone rn so don’t run in either!!!

Then Frankie feels guilty, like maybe she’s ordering Mali around.

Frankie: 3

Mali: omg cute!!! You’re a cutie!

Mali: Do I need to do a quiz?

Frankie: Nah, I’m halfway done.

Mali: Okay! Zach and I will bring pizza. The kids aren’t allergic to anything are they?

Mali: I’ll message Cam for cookies

Mali: And Ez on drinks. 6?

Frankie: No allergies. And perf, thanks

“What are you smiling at?” Jasmine asks, her head in her hand as if she’s been watching her for ages. Stalker.

“You’re so nosy,” Frankie jokes. “This is official Titans business.”

“Ahhh, okay,” Jasmine replies. She nods seriously, but Frankie sees her smile.

Frankie watches her work for a moment. She’s so smart it’s stupid.

Frankie wants to be inside her head. She probably still won’t know how to multiply more than single digits, but she’d know what she liked. What scared her. What made her happy.

Frankie dreams about what it means to know someone that well.

She supposes she knows Jasmine likes sunshine, because she sits outside even if she only has a few minutes, and she hangs her laundry on the line even if it’s three degrees outside.

That horror films are her favourites, but only if they don’t contain children because once she had a dream where Marcel was a demon.

That she wants to be more than a mum, even if she’s the best mum Frankie’s ever met.

Maybe for right now, that’s enough. Maybe she’ll have a lifetime to learn the rest.

“I do,” Frankie says, and Jasmine raises her eyebrows in response before turning to face her. Fear runs up Frankie’s back like a bad idea, but she shoves it down as best she can with the thought that it might make Jasmine happy.

And it’s true.

“Hmm?”

“Miss you.”

The terror that rolled down her back was worth it when Jasmine smiles at her. The smile. Her smile. The one she keeps locked close to her chest. The one she wants in a locket that matches the one dangling from Jasmine’s neck. She wonders what she’d have to do to make it there.

“I miss—“ Jasmine starts, but their attention is taken by the pitter-patter of tiny feet. Frankie doesn’t mind, especially when Lani’s eyes widen when she sees her on the phone.

“Frankenstein?!”