Page 81 of Summer Breakdown
“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.”
