Chapter 10
With her tote bag slung over her shoulder and her Kindle loaded with three new sapphic romance books Jules slid her sunglasses down onto her face as she exited her condo’s glass windowed lobby.
She had zero plans for the day and after doing a little social media research, she’d found a cute coffee shop right near the harbour that had an iced coffee with her name all over it.
The warm air filled her lungs as she rounded the corner and out of the corner of her eye, spotted a familiar flash of red hair jogging up the road.
As the body came fully into view, Jules could tell that it was Frankie and her mouth went dry as she took in the sight – Frankie’s tall, strong frame clad in running shorts and a tight tank top that clung to her body, giving Jules a full view of her defined muscles and sweat covered freckled skin.
It was like a scene in a movie where everything slowed down and Jules pushed her sunglasses back up to openly gape at the scene unfolding before her; long legs taking firm strides, red hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, hair whipping around behind Frankie’s head.
And yes, the tank top and whatever sports bra Frankie chose to wear that morning did very little to keep her very assets from standing out.
Their eyes met and Frankie smiled, making Jules feel like she’d been caught staring at something she wasn't allowed to be looking at but could anyone blame her?
”Hey, you,” Frankie called out as she slowed her run and came to a stop in front of Jules on the sidewalk.
She took a long swig from a bottle of water before tucking it in the crook of arm and glancing down at the smartwatch on her wrist. She pushed a button on the side of it then lifted her gaze to look at Jules again, “I was just thinking about you.”
“I hope it was a good thought,” Jules said jokingly, trying to come across as calm and collected as she could. On the inside, however, she was freaking out a little bit, her heart pounding in her chest.
A drop of sweat rolled down Frankie’s neck and over her collarbone before its path continued down into the valley between her breasts and Jules swallowed hard, trying not to lower her eyes and watch for more.
“Of course it was a good thought,” Frankie said. “And I’m glad I ran into you. Literally.”
“Oh yeah?” Jules asked, her curiosity spiking, wondering what Frankie could possibly want that had anything to do with her. She was, after all, a very busy woman with a very high profile career.
Frankie smiled and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I was wondering if maybe tonight you’d want to go grab a bite to eat with me? I keep hearing about all of these amazing restaurants from the other coaches and I thought, who better to go with me than another Halifax newbie?”
Play it cool, Jules, she told herself. It’s just dinner with a new friend, nothing more than that. And you want a new friend.
A new friend is nice, a new friend is a good thing, and it’s totally okay that your new friend is a tall gorgeous redhead whose smile makes you feel all tingly inside and who right now, looked like a model who'd run right off the pages of a fitness magazine.
“I get it though, if you’re busy…” Frankie quickly added. “I know you and your brother spend a lot of time together so it’s okay if you're not up for it.”
“I would love to have dinner with you. Just name the time and place.”
They finally exchanged numbers to confirm details and even though Jules did have plans with her brother, she would cancel them. For the first time in years, she was going to put herself first.
Cam – 6:23pm
Bummer that you’re missing out on the pizza with Mason and his fiancé Charlie.
He says she was looking forward to meeting you because there are too many dudes around all the time – her words, not his. But I hope you feel better, headaches suck. I'll have a beer for you and check in later!
So maybe Jules hadn’t exactly cancelled her plans with brother so much as she’d come up with an excuse as for why she couldn’t make it. It felt strange to tell him that his coach had asked her out to dinner, that she would rather share a meal with Frankie than him tonight.
Yes, it was a lie. Yes, it was wrong. Would Cam understand?
Probably, but if part of doing things for herself meant keeping things to herself for now then so be it.
And they were just going as friends, nothing serious, even if the candlelit intimate seafood bar Frankie had sent her the address to didn’t exactly scream casual dining.
As Jules stood on the sidewalk outside the restaurant waiting for Frankie to arrive, she could see people sitting at small tables through the window and she watched as they leaned into one another for hushed conversation and shared bites.
It looked a heck of a lot like the kind of place people would go to on a first date but maybe Frankie just didn’t know enough about the vibe when she’d made the suggestion.
She tugged on her thin knit sweater, dark blue with little embroidered flowers on it, and glanced down at her favourite pair of grey jeans that always felt like they’d been tailored to fit her body despite coming off a sale rack.
She looked nice, she told herself. Cozy, comfortable, pretty even, not that she was trying to look pretty for Frankie.
Except she absolutely had tried to look pretty for Frankie.
Even though the days were still warm, Jules was learning that evenings spent closer to the water once the sun set were cool and bare skin was a mistake. After admiring her outfit choice, she shifted her weight back and forth on her heels and glanced around.
The surrounding restaurants were busy with tourists and locals all congregating for delicious east coast meals, everyone wanting to soak up the last bits of summer.
Jules could hear music spilling out onto the street from a sports bar up the road and she smiled to herself when she heard a group of people outside laughing at something.
She threw a glance over her shoulder at the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. “I’m really loving this city at night,” Frankie said and Jules spun around to face her.
Frankie was dressed in light wash straight cut jeans, blue and tan sneakers, and a blue checkered plaid flannel shirt with a black waist pack slung over her shoulder. In terms of looking good while dressing casual, Frankie was the real winner tonight.
Her hair was down, one of the rare times she’d worn it that way, and Jules admired the way it framed her gorgeous features. A soft glow from the lights that lit the sign above large bay windows caught Frankie’s green eyes and they almost seemed to twinkle.
“It’s pretty special,” Jules said, but her thoughts were still on Frankie and how great she looked.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long?” Frankie asked, smiling at Jules. “I had a last minute call with the coaching staff about some pre-season community practices next week that ran longer than I expected but I think Neil could tell I was antsy so he showed some mercy and let me leave.”
“Antsy? What for, worried you’ll eat some bad seafood?” Jules joked, knowing full well just how antsy she had also been.
She’d gotten dressed way too early and had spent the next two hours questioning every conversation she and Frankie ever had. Totally fine, totally normal, she wasn’t nervous at all.
“Something like that,” Frankie answered and her voice was warm but shyer than Jules expected.
Paired with the little half smile on her face and the way she was fidgeting with a silver signet ring on her index finger…
Jules would almost guess Frankie was nervous too.
“Should we head inside? I made a reservation just in case it was busy.”
Jules just smiled and motioned for Frankie to lead the way. “After you.”
The hostess sat them at a table near the back in a quiet cozy corner and the industrial style lighting paired with old fishing nets draped over the ceiling gave the space a unique atmosphere that was very fitting for where they actually were; just a short walk from one of the busiest harbours in North America and its bustling boardwalk.
The inside of the restaurant, with its dark wood paneling, soft melodic music, and close quarters had solidified what Jules had already assumed from the outside.
The space was intimate, it was romantic and it felt like she and Frankie were the only two patrons who weren’t actually there on a date, though Jules wouldn’t have minded if they were.
“Maybe I should’ve looked at a few more reviews,” Frankie said, glancing around at the people seated nearby. “It looks like half of the people here are about to get engaged then go home after they scarf down their oysters to celebrate. Not exactly a casual spot for friends to grab a bite.”
“Hah, yeah…I uh, I didn’t really notice but I think you’re right,” Jules said, her heart dropping because that was the confirmation she hadn’t known she was looking for.
All Frankie wanted to do was share a meal with a friend, nothing more, and she had mistakenly taken them to a restaurant where people didn’t come to do that.
“Did you want to go somewhere else?” Frankie asked. Her eyes darted around in search of a server. “There was a pub up the road I think?”
Jules waved her off with a slight grin. It didn’t have to be a big thing and she was more than capable of eating anywhere regardless of what surrounded them. If anything, leaving after they’d already been seated to go somewhere else would almost make it more awkward.
“It’s fine, we’re already here and the food looks great so what’s a few oysters between friends, am I right?”
They agreed to stay and thirty minutes later, a seafood spread sat between them on the small table. Jules laughed at something Frankie said as she took a sip from a glass of very expensive wine but she didn’t care about the price.