A week had gone by without Harper seeing Jason. Even though they spoke everyday through a series of text messages, there had definitely been a change. The man who said he wasn’t going anywhere was growing increasingly harder to find. He had grown busier after their morning rendezvous, and Harper wasn’t sure if he was actually busy, or if he was just avoiding her. She figured she could just swing by his house, but the thought of finding him there with someone else was mortifying. She didn’t want to see another girl wearing his shirt.

That was the thought that made her change her mind. If she didn't want to see him with another girl, then what was she doing putting off an exclusive relationship? The test she was putting him through was insane because he was never bound to pass it. She’d hold out until he gave in and saw someone else. And when that happened, she’d rub it in his face and tell him that he lived up to her expectations of him. Jesus, she was crazy. Unfortunately, it took her multiple days to figure that out so time she could’ve spent with Jason, was spent alone.

Harper waited in her house until mid-afternoon, staring at her phone, waiting for it to ding and alert her of a test message. But it never did. At a certain point, she gave up on the idea of waiting around for Jason, and took matters into her own hands. Fifteen minutes later, she was on his front porch, lifting her fist to knock. Before she did, the door pulled open, and in the second before she saw who was behind it, Harper feared she was about to come face to face with another girl.

Thankfully that turned out to not be the case, and Jason looked like he got the wind knocked out of him when he saw her. He had a duffle bag over one shoulder and a suitcase in the other hand, and Harper figured she’d caught him trying to make a quick escape.

“Harper,” he choked out. “Hi,”

She flicked her eyes to his luggage, “where’re you going?”

He too looked at his bags. “I was gonna tell you… Was actually just on my way over to tell you… I’m going back to Dorval for awhile,”

Harper nodded slowly. How long had he known this, and was just now deciding to tell her? “How long’s awhile?”

“A few weeks. I’ve got a wedding to go to in Alberta and I figured I’d make it an extended trip to see my parents.” He waited, but when she didn’t say anything, he spoke up again. “I was gonna tell you sooner, but I wanted to give you space to make your decision about us, and I didn’t want you to think I was leaving to force you into a faster choice.”

“Well I’ve made up my mind, and I wish you would've told me sooner because now I’ll be the crazy girlfriend that worries her boyfriend is hooking up with a bridesmaid.”

Jason grinned boyishly and let go of his suitcase so he could cup his hand over Harper’s cheek. He kissed her gently and then brought her in for an embrace to hold her tight. When their eyes met again, Jason’s grin had spread from ear to ear. “I’m on a six o’clock flight tonight,”

Harper checked her phone for the time, disheartened by what she saw. Jason would be on his way to the airport shortly, leaving her for another extended period of time. Granted she had done this to herself. Had she come to the conclusion of wanting to exclusively date Jason sooner, none of this surprise news would’ve been a surprise. She could’ve seen it coming. He could seemingly tell that her mind was reeling, because he leaned in again to press his lips to hers. She reciprocated before burying her face into his chest.

“Did you want to come with me?”

She couldn’t even look up at him at first mostly because she thought she had imagined it. The idea of traveling to a foreign country with a man she barely knew was insane. It had to be crazy, right? In the seconds between hearing Jason’s question and needing to give him an answer, she pondered all of her options. Canada wasn’t really that foreign; it was just north by a few thousand miles. Not like they spoke another language. But wait, Dorval. Quebec. They spoke French. Or was it Quebecois? Harper began to panic, and pulled her head away from Jason’s chest and looked up at him. He was smiling, per usual, waiting for her answer, but Harper still had some mulling over to do.

Even if she did travel to Canada with Jason, it didn’t change the fact that she hardly knew him. When she thought about it, all she knew about him was that he was from Dorval, he was twenty-eight, played hockey for a living, had a husky-shepherd named Layla, and had a knack for making people laugh. But other than that, and the one intimate night they’d shared, what did she really know about the guy? Finally Harper opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“You just made a pro and con list in your head, didn’t you?” Jason grinned and shook his head.

Harper raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, “admittedly it was primarily cons.”

“What?!” The shock in Jason’s tone was over the top and it made Harper giggle, yet again emphasizing the way he was able to make people laugh. “Pro, you get to see a new country. One might say God’s country.”

She rolled her eyes playfully, and set her hands on his stomach, curling her fingertips in the fabric of his shirt. “Con, we just began a relationship… oh just ten minutes ago… it’s soon to take on the endeavor that is travel.”

“Pro, you get to see said country for free.”

“That’s a con. I don’t want to owe anyone anything.”

Now Jason pursed his lips. Who was the woman in front of him and how did he ever come to find her? But she was putting up a hell of a fight. “Pro, you’ll convince my mom I’m able to sustain a relationship with a girl other than my dog.”

“Con, if you need me to do that, you may have other problems.”

Jason scrunched up his nose and mocked her as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders to kiss her once more. “Pro, I want you to come with me. So come with me,”

“You’ll grow to resent me very quickly,” she whispered, nodding matter-of-factly.

He tucked Harper’s hair behind her ear, trying to keep things light. But even he was having a hard time of that. “I don’t want to force you to vacation with me. It’s your choice, I… just thought it would be nice have you up in Canada. Even if you hadn’t wanted to be exclusive with me, I still would’ve wanted you there with me.” He paused and grinned, “believe it or not, I actually enjoy your company. I know that’s strange…”

Harper hit him in the chest gently. “If I go to Canada with you, you have to promise me something.” Jason seemed to be listening intently, so she continued. “Promise me you won’t read anything into this vacation other than just being a vacation.”

“Opposed to what?”

“Opposed to some idealistic view of our infant relationship, believing that something grand and spectacular is going to come of it.”

Jason nodded and licked his lips, “Harper Malone…” he wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to say. He could understand her reservations, but also didn’t know where this part of her had come from. From the moment he met her, to every day they had hung out afterwards, he continually saw sides of her that seemed to contrast each other. She could go from shy and unassuming, to completely overwhelmed by lust while in bed, and then to distant and wary. There had to reason for all of these sides to her. No one just came into life that way. Somewhere along the way, something had changed her.

---

Landing in Dorval was quite the culture shock for Harper. Aesthetically, it looked pretty much the same as America. And other than the spattering of French from the people, she would’ve thought she was still in the states. But the real shock came from Jason, running up to a couple, wrapping them in a gigantic hug. Harper knew what that meant; his parents. Again, the overwhelming sense of fear rushed through her. By the time she refocused her vision, Jason and the couple were staring at her, waiting for her to advance. Harper did so as coolly as she could. She was feet away from meeting Jason’s parents after just six hours of a relationship. That had to be some sort of record.
“Ma, dad… This is Harper,”

Harper blushed and extended her hand towards Jason’s parents. Having been raised by two lawyers, she knew the proper way of introducing herself, though she never had to do it for a boyfriend’s parents. Her extended hand was brushed past as Jason’s mother opened her arms and took her into a hug. She was caught off guard at first, but found that Jason’s mother wasn’t going to let go until she reciprocated the hug. Once she had gotten her fill, Jason’s father stepped up and did the same. Harper had never been greeted with such affection from a friend’s parents, and even by hers.

“Do you have to wait for Layla?” Jason’s dad asked, glancing at their baggage. They’d already picked it up for the carousel, but had been waiting for Layla to be unloaded.

“Just pick her up on our way out,” Jason smiled and looked back at Harper. He got the sense his parents had freaked her out a little bit, so he reached back and took her hand.

Jason’s mom picked up Harper’s suitcase and handed it to her husband, “well then let’s get out of here and get you two home. You must be starving and ready for showers.”

Harper tried to reach for her suitcase, but as soon as she did so, Jason’s parents were off leading them in the direction to get Layla. Within minutes, they were in the backseat of the car. Jason on one side, Harper on the other, and Layla perched between them. Harper was captivated by the city around her; this tiny little suburban town where everything was green and quaint. Because the airport took up most of the town, it didn’t take too long to get back to Jason’s childhood home. It was everything she expected it to be, a cottage style home with flowerbeds decorating the front yard. Even Layla knew they were home and grew restless until Jason let her out of the car.

She stood there, trying to get ahold of her bearings, but only when Jason stood beside her with both of their bags, did she actually believe where she was. His parents had already made their way inside with Layla, but Harper held still. “This is… spectacular,”

“Aren’t you happy you came along?” He grinned and nudged her arm.

Harper nodded and then looked up at him. “Your parents are affectionate,”

“They lead with love. I’m sure yours would do the same,” he smiled and hooked his arm around her shoulders.

She shook her head and began walking with him toward the house, “no. They’re lawyers, they lead with reason.”

Harper could feel him staring at her after her last remark, but she didn’t feel like getting into it or expanding on the topic. She just had to allow herself to enjoy this; all of it. There was only a short amount of time she’d actually get to spend in Canada, and she’d be damned if she allowed whatever baggage she carried with her to ruin it. Even though she had only stepped foot into Canada, Harper was more than ecstatic that she was here with Jason. Something about him made her feel safe, fun, adventurous, young… Between the two of them, that should’ve been her job for him, with him being on the closer end of thirty.

Inside the house, it was clear that the rooms were still clinging onto a past life that had once contained a family with children. Diplomas were hung from the walls, pictures were perched on the fireplace mantel, and relics made during Jason’s time in elementary school were still mounted in the kitchen. Jason’s parents were obviously proud of him, and the lengths he’d gone to in his life to become a professional athlete. But most intriguing to Harper was that on top of all the pride they felt for Jason, it was also very evident that they had the same amount of pride for their other son.

Harper had picked up on it quickly. Family photos were of the four of them; mom, dad, and two boys. Jason was the younger of the two, just as Harper was in her family. But she found it odd that Jason had never mentioned his brother. She didn’t have a particularly good relationship with her sister, but Harper had managed to bring her up, even in passing. She figured she’d ask about it eventually. Maybe not in front of his parents, but whenever she had Jason alone… if she’d have him alone at all on this trip. He’d want to see friends and family, and if they were staying in his parents’ house, she doubted they’d have much alone time at all.

As for that night, she had seemingly been correct. The evening was spent in with Jason’s parents, eating dinner and taking part in constant chatter. And Harper realized that she hadn’t had a one-on-one conversation with Jason since the flight over. Not that that was a particular long amount of time. But she was in an unfamiliar country where she only knew one person. And that one person was in conversation with everyone else except her. Of course, he had every right to be. He hadn’t seen his family in months and with how much his life had changed in the past month after being traded, he had a lot to tell.

The night wore on and Harper felt herself growing tired. She still didn’t know where she’d be laying her head tonight, and hoped that Jason would pick up on this soon. The four of them were in the living room; Jason’s mom sitting up in a leather chair, Jason’s father sitting on the slight stoop in front of the fireplace, and Harper and Jason were on the couch. She was trying to keep their displays of affection to a minimum. Although Jason’s parents were obviously affectionate, she wasn’t sure how much she should show Jason in front of them. But Jason seemed oblivious to her hesitation. Quickly after sitting down, he had wrapped his arm around Harper’s shoulders and pulled her into his body tightly. Now as they spoke with his parents, he’d lean over and kiss the side of her head every now and again. She noticed that every time she tried to ease away from him, he held her in place and kissed her head. Her eyes were feeling heavier and heavier and she only realized how close she was to falling asleep when Jason gently shook her.

“We should head out,” he mentioned, glancing down at Harper, probably wondering if he’d have to carry her out to the car.

“Are you staying in Montreal?” His dad asked as they all stood up.

Jason nodded and picked up Harper’s purse, “can I take the truck?”

Now Jason’s dad nodded. They all exchanged goodbyes and Jason promised they’d be back soon to hang out more. But after that, Jason helped Harper into his dad’s truck, and began the twenty minute drive to Montreal. They had a lot to do there considering it was Harper’s first time. Jason wanted to take her to all the touristy things before they had to fly to Alberta for the wedding in a week.

“Don’t fall asleep on me just yet, we’re on the fourteenth floor of the hotel. I can’t carry you and all the luggage,” he draped his arm over the center console and placed his hand on Harper’s thigh.

“It’s been a long day,” she pleaded and hoped it’d be reason enough for him to let her go to sleep.

“I know, just a couple minutes more.”

Harper let out a reluctant squeak. But Jason was good to his word. They arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel only a few minutes later, to be followed up to their room by a porter a few minutes after that. By the time they were finally alone, it was half past midnight, and Harper allowed herself to collapse on the turned down bed.

“Quite presumptuous that I’d allow you in this bed,” she mentioned, turning onto her side. She wasn’t even sure she had the energy to change into pajamas.

“I can get another room,” Jason smiled, bending overt help pull off her shoes.

Once her feet were free, Harper waved her hand, “I’m sure you’re already spending a small fortune on the room… You can stay,”

He smiled and kicked off his shoes while simultaneously pulling off his shirt. He too crawled onto the bed and curled himself around Harper. “This is not exactly how I thought we’d be spending the first night of our actual relationship.”

“Oh?” She turned around in his arms to face him. “What’d you expect?” At first it looked like he was going to say something, but stopped himself. So she pressed a little harder, “come on, tell me.”

Jason was hesitant to say the least, like he knew that if he actually said what he was thinking, she might explode. So of course now Harper really wanted to know. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck to get closer to him until almost every part of their bodies touched. To be honest, Harper could assume what he had been expecting and she wasn’t as hurt or angry by it as Jason anticipated her to be.

“You expected sex?” Judging by his guilty glance, Harper knew she was right. And yeah, a part of her was mildly hurt that he’d expect just because they were together that sex was automatically on the table. But another part of her just wanted to please him, regardless of what that entailed. And that part believed if making him happy meant spreading her legs and acting like she wanted sex too, she might do it. The more he looked at her, the more he was convinced it wasn’t going to happen simply because of how tired she was. Eventually, he pressed his lips to her forehead. “You don’t want to fuck me?”

That dirty mouth of hers was going to kill him one of these days. It only came out during their most intimate of times, which made it sound even dirtier. “No, I… I do. Trust me. But strangely enough, I prefer the girls I fuck to be conscious,”

“That’s weird,” she giggled, her eyes drifting shut.

Jason stroked her hair gently, “maybe in the morning when we’re both a little more awake.”

Notes

As this story picks up, I'd like everyone's feedback because contrary to my previous stories, I actually don't have a specific direction I'm going to take this. So subscribe and comment and vote, friends!