The Long Day Is Over

Ordering in, catching up on TV, sleeping. Those were all things that Harper would consider a good time. Taking a five hour long flight just to watch a hockey game on her rare days off? Certainly not her idea of a good time, and yet, here she was; sitting in a seat eight rows up from the glass with Bristol, trying desperately to stay awake through what she deemed the most boring hockey game she had ever seen in her life.

Growing up in Philadelphia Harper had seen her fair share of hockey games, she had two hockey playing brothers so she was something of a rink rat for most of her life. She had an appreciation of the game, even a general liking for it but it wasn’t like she wanted to spend her rare vacation watching it.

“Thanks for coming.” Harper turned her head towards Bristol as the final buzzer went and the players skated off of the ice and down the tunnels. As the crowd quieted down and began leaving the arena she and Bristol stayed in their seats, and Bristol asked her, “How was the plane?"

“Meh, you know. I got a lot of reading done.” Harper stated, groaning when she hiked her backpack onto her shoulder and finally got up from her seat and followed Bristol out of their section and out into a hallway.

“John offered to pay for your flight.” Bristol reminded her.

Harper rolled her eyes but chuckled anyway as she followed Bristol through the arena, and she told her, “He was not paying to fly me here, I'm his girlfriend's best friend, not his girlfriend.”

“Just telling you what he told me.” Bristol stated with a shrug.

Harper watched as she greeted some of the other women waiting outside of the locker room, and she let the conversation drop. She liked John, she might even go so far as to say they’re almost close enough to be best friends, but she wasn’t about to let him pay for her flights to come and visit Bristol.

Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans Harper asked Bristol curiously, “So, what’s the plan for tonight anyway?”

“We are going out for a few drinks and some dinner.” Bristol told her, and when Harper made a face she stated, “Don’t argue. Just a few drinks, food, and then we’ll go home. I promise.”

Harper sighed, but relented and told her, “Fine, but you and John are buying my drinks.”

“Of course we are!” Bristol told her with a wide grin, and Harper couldn’t help but chuckle. Bristol then informed her, “James is gonna come out with us too. You remember him from over the summer right?”

Harper nodded her head, but she didn’t respond, and fifteen minutes of waiting later John finally walked out of the locker room and approached them. Harper turned away as he and Bristol embraced, and once they were finished greeting each other John reached over and hugged Harper gently, telling her, “It’s nice to see you.”

She nodded and smiled, “You too you big dork.”

He rolled his eyes but laughed nonetheless, and then he informed the girls, “Some of James’ teammates are coming out with us.”

With Harper’s back toward the five men that were approaching her she didn’t see James coming, and as he walked past her he lifted his hand and let it gently smack into the back of her head. His teammates stared at him in shock and confusion as Harper looked over at James, put her hands on her hair and exclaimed, “Excuse you, it took me a whole four minutes to do my hair this morning.”

James smirked and told her, “You should have spent at least five, maybe it would look nicer then.”

“Rude as hell.” Harper stated and he chuckled.

He gave her a small, warm hug, and said, “It’s good to see you again.”

“I mean, I guess it’s moderately nice to see you too, but I have to say I liked your hair much better the last time I saw you. It was shorter.” Harper stated, making everyone chuckle.

“Ah, Harpoon you missed me and you know it.” James stated, making her narrow her eyes at him.

She informed him, “That is so not my nickname, shut your mouth right now.”

James grinned, and then he caught his teammate’s confused glances and was quick to explain, “Oh right, you don’t know these people. Jeez Johnny, you’re a terrible host.”

John rolled his eyes and introduced Harper and Bristol, “This is my girlfriend Harper and my sidekick Bristol.”

“Please, like I would ever date you, do not insult me this way.” Harper stated, and then she turned to John, narrowed her eyes and added, “And I take offense to the sidekick comment.”

John grinned at her, “You’re far too short to be anything other than a sidekick. You’re like Robin and I’m Batman.”

“Batman sucks Tavares, get over it.” Harper informed him, rolling her eyes when he laughed.

Bristol finally took control of the situation and did the introductions properly, “I’m Bristol, John’s girlfriend, and loud mouth over there would be Harper my friend.”

“Why do I hang out with you rude people?” Harper muttered.

“Because I feed you when you visit?” John asked her with a grin.

“Good point.” She stated.

James finally took the time to introduce his teammates, “Well Shea you already know Bristol, but Harpoon that’s Shea, and Pekka, Craig and Roman.”

Harper rolled her eyes at James, but she turned and smiled politely at the group of men who had been witnessing the snipe fest between her and James and John in amusement. They all smiled back politely, but Harper’s eyes lingered just a tiny bit longer on Roman and she was surprised to also find his eyes on her.

John glanced between the two of them, brow raised, before he asked, “Alright, shall we go?”

“Here, why don’t I be nice and carry this for you?” James asked Harper as he grabbed her backpack, instantly looking over at her in confusion, “What the hell do you have in here gold?”

“Textbooks… gold… same thing.” Harper stated with a shrug.

John looked over at her and asked, “Hold up, you brought textbooks to my game?”

“I had a five hour flight here, what was I supposed to do? Twiddle my thumbs and look at the really great nature whizzing by?” Harper asked him.

John opened his mouth but Bristol was quick to cut him off before he could speak, “Do I need to separate you two? I will do it. I’m hungry, and I’m sure everyone else here is.”

So with an exchange of the restaurant address Harper, Bristol and James got into John’s SUV while the rest of the Predators players climbed into a cab. The fifteen minute drive consisted of James and John catching up, and Harper didn’t mind one bit. She had half the mind to grab one of her textbooks and finish her chapter, but she didn’t.

Harper ended up seated between James and Pekka, and across from Shea and Roman and she could have sworn she saw Roman glare at the blonde beside her. Curiously Pekka asked her and James, “How exactly do you two know each other?”

James grinned, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze and said, “Harpoon and I go way back.”

“Stop calling me that.”

He ignored her and went on to explain, “We were the only two single ones on a two week long vacation with John and Stammer last summer.”

Harper went on to explain to Pekka, and likely the three other men at the table who didn’t know her as well, “Bristol and I grew up together.”

John, from the other side of James, leaned over and added, “And by association we’re now best friends too.”

Harper couldn’t help but state, “He’s like the third brother I never wanted.”

The group at the table chuckled, and it was Shea who asked her, “Where do you live? You mentioned taking a flight to get here.”

“San Francisco.” She was used to the looks of surprise that she got from their dinner company, it was like that every time she was visiting and had to tell someone she had literally travelled across the country to be there.

Bristol told them proudly, “She’s a doctor.”

“Intern, totally different.” Harper reminded her.

Bristol shrugged her shoulders, “Whatever you want to call it.”

Pekka commented, “So, basically you’re smarter than all of us combined.”

Harper chuckled and said, “I mean… you guys do fight over a piece of frozen rubber for a living so…”

While everyone chuckled, Shea asked her curiously, “Not a fan I take it?”

“Oh no, I have two hockey playing brothers, I probably spent just as much time as you guys in a rink growing up.” Harper informed him.

“That’s why she likes coming out here for games so much.” John said with a grin.

Bristol stated, “Ask her to then drive two hours from here to see a game at home though and it’s like pulling teeth.”

“That’s because this shithole is slightly better than the hellhole that is Philadelphia.” Harper stated seriously, and the guys all chuckled.

Roman’s brow raised as he asked her, “You’re from Philly?”

Harper nodded her head and Craig finally joined the conversation to say to her, “Don’t tell me you’re a Flyers fan though.”

Harper made a face and responded with, “God no. I’m a little smarter than that.”

“Pens?” He asked her, making an equally as disgusted face as he had with the last team he had asked her about.

Shaking her head Harper explained, “Stars, actually.”

“That’s worse.” Pekka told her, and when she raised her eyebrow at him he informed her, “At least the Pens have like Crosby and Malkin and Letang. Who do the Stars have?”

“Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp.” She fired back, and before Pekka could respond she asked, “Do I need to continue?”

Pekka challenged her with, “All forwards, doesn’t count.”

Harper glanced at the two defensemen sitting across from her and stated, “Well, we can’t all have Weber and Josi so… you take what you can get.”

Shea’s brow raised and he asked, “So you did know who we were before we introduced ourselves?”

She shrugged her shoulders and, with a smirk on her lips, asked him, “Was I supposed to fangirl and faint or something?”

They all laughed, and Roman met her eyes, and his smile grew when her cheeks flushed. He, much like the rest of his teammates, found it refreshing to be in the company of someone who didn’t seem to bow down to them, or filter themselves around them. It was nice to be able to have a drink with someone who didn’t see them as hockey players who happened to be guys but guys who happened to be hockey players.

Roman’s cheeks flushed as the laughter got even louder when Pekka informed Harper, “Roman’s pretty, he’s used to girls fainting in his presence.”

As uncomfortable as he was Roman’s ego may have swelled a little bit when Harper explained to Pekka, “Girls have been known to faint in the presence of pretty people, and he certainly fits that bill.”

The conversation flowed through dinner and two rounds of drinks, and then John leaned over James and told Harper, “Your bag is in my car.”

Harper nodded her head slowly, “No shit Sherlock you were my ride.”

There was a few snickers around the table, and John rolled his eyes and warned her, “I won’t pay for your food.”

She shrugged her shoulders and told him, “James will, he owes me anyway.”

“I do?” James asked her.

She nodded her head and reminded him, “Yeah, remember that one time over the summer where I got all of three bites of my sandwich and I turned around for three seconds and the whole thing was basically gone?”

The guys chuckled, and James shrugged his shoulders but it was Pekka who spoke, he looked over at Bristol and told her, “We like her. You should let us keep her.”

Bristol let out a snort and told him, “Good luck with that.”

John tossed a key card past James, it landed on Harper’s chest, she picked it up, flipped it back and forth and then turned to him, brow raised and asked, “What the fuck is this for?”

“So classy.” John stated.

Harper rolled her eyes as everyone chuckled, and she asked him, “I’m from Philly, what’s your excuse?”

He ignored her question, and simply answered her previous one, “I booked you a room at a hotel, you can share a cab with James or something.”

Harper raised her eyebrow and then she turned to Bristol and commented, “I see how it is. You beg me to come visit and then when I do you put me up in a hotel so that you can get laid. Cool.”

Bristol grinned, “James will keep you company tonight.”

Harper rolled her eyes and fired back, “I am so not hanging out with this chucklehead all night.”

As his teammates laughed at his expense James rolled his eyes, “Harpoon, how you wound me.”

“Alright, we’re leaving it was nice seeing you guys.” John announced, and before Harper could say anything he and Bristol were headed for the door.

She muttered to herself, “Ditched for dick, alright. That’s a new one.”

Roman choked on his drink, having been the only one who heard what she said. Their eyes met, and Harper’s cheeks flushed a deep scarlet while James, Craig, Shea and Pekka looked between each other in confusion, and then between Harper and Roman.

Shea gave Roman a good couple of pats on the back, before Harper got up and said, “Well, it was nice to meet you guys but I think I’m gonna call it a night.”

Shea nudged Roman so hard he nearly fell right out of his chair, but the defenseman jumped up from his spot and asked her, “Share a cab? Since we’re going to the same place and all.”

Harper shrugged her shoulder but James grabbed her wrist to keep her from leaving right away, and he reminded her, “You could give Stammer a call, he thinks you’re avoiding him.”

Harper joked, “I am avoiding him.”

She and Roman walked side by side out the restaurant, where Roman flagged a cab, and they climbed into the backseat, which was when he asked her, “You and Stamkos?”

She made a face, “God no, never.”

“Good.” He spoke before he could stop himself, and his face went fifty shades of red when he realized what he had said.

Harper’s brow raised, “What do you mean?”

Roman shrugged and stumbled through an explanation, “Well... I just mean… like…never mind.”

She let it slide, simply explaining to Roman, “Bristol and John have been together for like five years and as much as I say otherwise I do consider him a very close friend so I’ve also gotten to know some of his friends.”

“Like Nealer.” Roman commented.

She nodded, “Like James, and Steven.”

“But it’s not… like that with either of them?” Roman asked her curiously, blushing again when she turned to look at him.

She smiled and shook her head, “No, never has been, never will be. They’re so not my type.”

His brow cocked, “What is your type?”

She seemed to think about his question for a moment, before she shrugged her shoulders and told him, “I don’t really know, I just know it’s not them.”

The cab pulling up to the curb outside of their hotel caused their conversation to stop, and much to Harper’s voiced displeasure Roman paid for the cab, and then they both got out and entered the hotel together. They got into the elevator together in silence, Roman hit the button for the fourth floor and Harper hit the button for the second floor. He was disappointed they wouldn’t have a longer ride.

She turned to him and said softly, “Thanks for keeping me company.”

He nodded his head and told her, “Thanks for hanging out with us tonight, it was nice.”

Harper smiled, and Roman could have sworn he saw her cheeks flush but she stepped out of the elevator before he could tell for sure. She turned to him from the hallway, and said, “Night Roman.”

“Goodnight Harper.”