“I’m actually going to hang back here and putter around, try and keep myself busy,” she replied, trying her best to sound like the confident woman she was attempting to be.
“Oh,” Frankie said, her voice going a little quiet. “That’s a bummer. It would have been fun to have you with us but I get it. There are way too many stinky men. Be glad you won’t be forced to endure…the smells.”
Jules laughed out loud and bit her lip. “Ew that’s awful.”
Frankie laughed along with her and the sound was melodic and warm, settling somewhere deep in Jules' chest. “But you know I’m right!”
“Yeah, I do. I have a brother who has played hockey his entire life. Don’t remind me of just how bad it is, but I hope you survive.”
”Me too, because I really need to wander some fake living rooms at IKEA with you. It’s very important.”
Laughter filled the room again and even though Jules was alone, it felt like Frankie was right beside her because of how easy it was to talk to her, like they’d been friends for years.
“I’m going to go make your playlist now and you better like every song I add to it,” Jules teased, knowing full well that she was going to curate it to absolute perfection.
“I can’t wait.”
Chapter 13
Three Weeks Later
@hockeybro*69: Theylost two pre-season games and we’re supposed to give a shit about some new team in the middle of buttfuck nowhere with a girl for a coach? I’d rather stick my head in the oven. #facecardhire
@slapshotnetters: power play looked decent from Frankie Stevens. Consider us impressed!
@hockeyhaterz: please get the chick off my screen. I don’t want to see some bitch behind the bench!!! It’s bad enough that they have women commentators now…
“Are they always this bad?” Jules asked as she scrolled through Instagram and turned to stare at Frankie, her blue eyes wide and full of disgust. “This is horrible.”
Frankie took a sip from a hot vanilla latte and nodded. “Comes with the job, unfortunately. And to be honest, I’ve seen worse.”
She and Jules were perched on stools in front of a bar top in a small cafe near the edge of the harbour front as rain pitter pattered against thewindow, leaving a chill in the air that made everything feel damp. She tugged the sleeves of a light blue hoodie down over her wrists and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug for extra warmth.
Training camp had come to an end and with pre-season all but wrapped up, the first game of Halifax Harbour’s inaugural season was right around the corner.
Their pre-season games, though they were all away trips, had gone about as well as expected. They’d lost two and won one but no one expected anything spectacular out of a brand new team composed of a bunch of guys who’ve barely played together.
Chemistry in sports didn’t just happen, it was something you grew, something you strived for, and they were still striving.
Chemistry between two people though? That could be instantaneous and Frankie felt it every time she looked at Jules, every time they spoke, every time they were around each other like they were now. It was always there, simmering just beneath the surface of whatever their relationship was.
”I’m so sorry that you have to deal with this.”
While the sympathy was appreciated, especially coming from Jules, the vitriol and hate that came from supposed hockey fans who hid behind anonymous usernames and faceless profile photos was simply part of the job and she was not alone in having those comments hurled in her direction.
No, it was every woman who worked professionally in sports. Frankie’s was just another name on a list of women who worked tirelessly to carve out a space for themselves within the sports world, constantly forced to navigate a series of land mines and challenges no male would ever have to.
When it came to actually being behind the bench, Frankie wasn’t even the first woman to do it. That esteemed honour belonged to Jessica Campbell, someone who had become somewhat of a hockey legend herself because of her position. She would’ve had an even tougher journey to get to where she was now and when she came into the league, she was forced to carry the entire weight of an immense gender bias on her shoulders.
Frankie could almost say she had it easy in comparison being the second and not the first to do it, though that wasn't true because every day still felt like climbing a mountain and working in hockey wasn’t a nine to five job – it was 24/7. But Campbell had paved the way and made it possible, had proven to sports fans that yes, women can and should be doing this job.
“I’ve got thick skin,” Frankie said, offering Jules an appreciative smile. “I can handle a few dumb jocks being assholes online.”
“Maybe so,” Jules said, her gaze softening. She slipped her hand onto Frankie's arm and gave it a light reassuring squeeze. “But you shouldn’t have to. It’s…it’s fucking stupid. That’s what it is. Dumb men being douchebags, deciding a sport and a job belongs to them.”
“Ooo, I like it when you’re feisty,” Frankie teased.
They’d started to spend more time together like this. The stakes were low and there was no pressure, they were simply two people developing a friendship and grabbing coffee or a bite to eat now and then. And it was nice to have someone to confide in when she needed it. As much as Frankie confided in Sydney, she was still a world away but Jules was here, sitting right across from her now looking adorable with a faded Toronto Blue Jays baseball hat on her head.
