The Everdeen name was well known throughout New England; some might even say infamous. Ever since Rose-Marie Everdeen was found guilty of witchcraft in 1694 after committing several heinous crimes, the last name had been the subject of urban legends and bad Halloween campfire stories. The notoriety of the name had been passed down through generations and the mention of it still turned people's heads. Rumor had it; descendants of Rose-Marie and the Everdeen bloodline were still born with powers more than 300 years later.
Kat Evers hated Halloween. She'd always found it to be a pointless and annoying holiday, but her job had made her come to dread October 1, when Halloween "festivities" could officially begin. As an entertainment and lifestyle writer for the Boston News for the last three years, Kat had been assigned what she deemed stupid pieces about haunted tours around the city and pumpkin carving contests. And if she had to hear "the fascinating tale of the Everdeen clan" from her overenthusiastic editor, Effie Trinket, one more time…
October 5th marked her third anniversary with the paper and, as a congratulations, Effie gave Kat the feature article for the "big, big, big Halloween weekend issue." Kat knew that Effie had only the best intentions, and, really, she couldn't argue that heading up the feature was a big deal. She should have been grateful for the honor; she was grateful for the opportunity. However, she couldn't stomach the thought of writing about the Everdeens because, outside of Boston, she was Katniss Everdeen, descendant of Rose-Marie Everdeen.
That night, Katniss, her sister Primrose, and their best friend/cousin Johanna Mason (whose mother was Jillian Everdeen) went out to celebrate Katniss' big feature. The ladies entered their favorite bar, Delly's Tap, just as a group of sorority girls were singing the final words to "Call Me, Maybe." Every Thursday was karaoke night at Delly's, and Johanna and Prim forced Katniss to go each week. Even though they pressured her, the only time she sang was when they went up as a group. To pass the time while Prim and Johanna did their solos, Katniss would sit at the bar and mock her friends with whichever bartender was working that night.
There were three regular bartenders—a set of brothers—who also happened to own the place. The oldest brother, Kevin, was kind of an asshole; he liked to treat his brothers as employees or subordinates rather than equals. Katniss preferred the Thursdays he did not work. The middle brother, Ryan, was a goofball; constantly messing around and being reprimanded by both his older and younger brothers. She was pretty sure there was something going on between Ryan and Johanna. The youngest brother, Peeta… Well, he was something else. Someone special. Katniss wasn't one to ever dream of a "Prince Charming," but if she were, it would most definitely be Peeta Mellark. He was a few inches taller than she was, with wavy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a smile that could only be described as dreamy.
While Katniss would never actively pursue anyone she had an interest in, especially Peeta, she had been admiring him for quite some time. Her favorite nights out were the ones she spent flirting with Peeta, watching him work, and willing the other women in the bar to stay away. Prim and Johanna teased Katniss mercilessly about the flirtation, and she was pretty sure they sang twice as many songs on the nights Peeta was behind the bar to allow them more time alone. In any other situation, Katniss would be irritated with the girls' antics, but the more time she spent with Peeta, the more enamored she became.
Upon entering the bar, Katniss discreetly tried to see who was serving that night. When her gaze landed on the wrong head of blonde hair—Ryan's—she struggled to mask her disappointment. She made her way to the bar and settled in her usual seat, determined not to care about Peeta's absence.
"Looks like Lover Boy's not here tonight," Johanna goaded. "You think you'll make it?" Katniss scowled at her cousin and, for a hot minute, considered knocking her upside the head with the bottle of tequila from across the bar with a small swipe of her right index finger. Sometimes there was an upside to literally having power at your fingertips. Katniss knew she wouldn't do it; not here, at least. However, there were days Katniss seriously reconsidered her strict "no magic in front of others" rule, and it was usually the days Johanna was being particularly aggravating.
"Whatever," Katniss muttered as she took her first gulp of the 7&7 that Ryan provided her. It was going to be a long night.
After an hour or two (but who's counting?) of acting interested in the conversation between Prim, Johanna, and Ryan, Katniss was on her third drink. She was feeling bored and a little buzzed—never a good combination. To entertain herself while the other girls chose which song they'd sing first, Katniss decided to play a little game. Any time someone sitting at the bar acted like an asshole, their drink would mysteriously spill after a minute or two. This held her attention for quite awhile until the first chord of "Islands in the Stream" came through the speaker, her cue to turn toward the stage and cheer on Prim and Johanna.
As she swayed in her seat while the two sang onstage, she began to hum along. Katniss absentmindedly twirled her finger in a circle, in turn twirling the straw in her glass sitting a foot away. For as obnoxious as Prim and Johanna were sometimes, Katniss had to acknowledge that they both could sing surprisingly well. When she heard a group of guys a few tables over talking about which one was taking home the blonde girl singing, a quick flick of her wrist sent their pitcher of beer rolling off the table. Trying to disguise her laughter, Katniss swiveled in her chair so she faced the bar again and resumed twirling her straw.
When she regained her composure, Katniss turned to catch another look at the unhappy table. Instead, she found Peeta staring at her, eyes twinkling in amusement, trying to hold in his laughter.
"That's really not very nice, you know," he scolded, releasing a chuckle as she took him in. Peeta was wearing a well-tailored navy blue suit and matching tie with a crisp white shirt. He looked great every other night, but this was on another level. Katniss blushed when she realized she was staring and quite possibly gaping, but Peeta laughed again and slid onto the empty stool next to her. "I use my powers for good, Peeta, not evil. I'm Thor—not Loki," he teased in a dead-on impersonation of Katniss, something she's told him too many times to count.
"Hey!" She choked out the protest, still flustered by his surprise appearance. The two younger Mellarks were the only ones outside of family and close friends—the only ones in Boston—who knew the girls' secret and real last name. Katniss was livid when she found out that Johanna had spilled the beans one night when she was at the guys' apartment "hanging out" with Ryan. She was afraid the revelation would ruin the rapport she'd built with Peeta since they'd met, that he'd pull away, but he found it more interesting than anything else and often asked questions and for demonstrations. Nothing had changed since he found out, and Katniss was grateful for that.
"Don't you usually sing Dolly's part?" he asked, nodding toward the stage. Katniss rolled her eyes at his observation, because of course he was right. Typically the three girls sang this song together, but tonight Katniss sat out because she "had a headache." She was far too proud to admit that she wasn't having as much fun without Peeta. Sensing her hesitance, he continued, "Why aren't you up there tonight?"
"I just wasn't really feeling it," she responded, clapping as Prim and Johanna finished their song. Peeta joined her in clapping, adding a few whoops as the girls made their way back to Katniss.
"Lover Boy is here!" Johanna sang as she ran over and enveloped Peeta in a hug. She had no issues with physical contact, unlike Katniss, and often hugged people when she was drunk, despite being incredibly abrasive when sober. "Maybe Brainless will sing now!"
"No," Katniss stated adamantly. "No, no, no. No."
"Awe, come on, Kat!" Prim pleaded. She was half in the bag, but knew that her older sister would do anything she asked. "Pleeeease?! Sing for us!"
Katniss shot her sister a glare. "Prim," she warned.
"If not for us, then do it for Peeta!" Katniss narrowed her eyes at her sister, but she could still see Peeta blush and smile sheepishly. "Come on, he's wearing a suit and everything!" Prim emphasized before she scampered off with Johanna in tow.
"What does Peeta wearing a suit have to do with anything?" Katniss yelled after them incredulously. She honestly couldn't believe she was even entertaining the thought. By this time, her third drink was half empty and she knew it was time to slow down if she had any chance of staying coherent throughout the night.
"What's wrong with me wearing a suit?" Peeta asked, looking genuinely concerned and mock offended. Before Katniss could respond, Ryan interrupted and answered for her.
"Nothing's wrong with it. You look good, baby bro. How was the meeting?"
"It went really well." Peeta relayed the goings-on of his dinner meeting with a possible new distributor as Katniss busied herself pretending to text on her phone. She tried not to make it too obvious she was listening to every word. As the brothers talked, Katniss searched for Prim and Johanna. Unsurprisingly, she spotted them flipping furiously through the DJ's binder of song choices. After a few minutes, Peeta's attention was back on Katniss and he flashed her a smile that lit up his eyes and made her heart beat faster. Damn it, Katniss.
"So the suit is okay?" he sipped his Jack and Coke as he asked.
Katniss let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah. It's okay, Peeta," she replied as she looked him up and down again. Peeta grinned as he realized what she was doing.
"Are you checking me out, Everdeen?" He grinned wider with his accusation. Katniss rolled her eyes so hard she felt dizzy. At least, that's what she told herself when she felt her chest flush.
"In your dreams, Mellark," she teased back.
"Actually, I'm pretty sure he does dream about it, Kat, so be careful what you wish for!" Ryan chimed in from behind the bar before running and hiding from whatever projectile would inevitably find its way to him.
That's the problem with Ryan, Johanna, and Prim. They think that just because I enjoy Peeta's company and occasionally flirt with him means I like him or… Even Katniss couldn't finish the thought, because she knew it was absurd to deny that she was in deep. She'd never felt an emotional connection to a man before, let alone like the strong pull she felt toward Peeta. Her feelings and behavior were so out of character that she felt embarrassed any time she thought about it.
This whole thing was Prim's fault, she supposed. Until "that night," Katniss was perfectly content with him being "just the bartender," an inside joke they shared. "That night" was about eleven months ago, a few weeks after Prim turned twenty-one. When Katniss' phone rang after one in the morning on a Wednesday, she knew it'd be bad. Nothing good ever came from that type of calls. Because Prim's number showed on the caller ID, Katniss was startled to hear Peeta's deep voice on the other end of the line. He was serving that night and noticed some asshole frat boys feeding Prim drinks. Peeta explained that her fourth martini was fizzing as one of the guys handed it to her but he snatched it away before she took a sip. It turned out that the ringleader of the group had his own agenda for the night that involved her sister. Peeta, being the gentleman he is, assured her over the phone that he had already "handled the situation." When Katniss reached the bar frantic, in her pajamas and out of breath, Prim was safe, just a little shaken up. Peeta had taken it upon himself to knock the offender out cold and call the police.
It wasn't as though Katniss felt like she owed Peeta anything, although she would be eternally grateful to him for saving her sister that night. She couldn't help that after the incident, she looked at him in an entirely new way. They had been friendly before, but became actual friends, outside the bar, after. As they grew closer, she noticed that he had several smiles, including one he saved only for her, and that the blue of his eyes changed with what he wore. Everything about Peeta was special, and she couldn't believe she'd never noticed it before.
Katniss' thoughts were interrupted by the "woo-ing" coming from the microphones, now in the hands of her cousin and sister.
"This song goes out to my big sister, Kat," Prim said with a dramatic flair that only came out when she'd had too much to drink.
"Yes! Congratulations, Brainless!" Johanna continued for Prim, "We are sooo proud of you! Hit it!" She directed to the DJ. The synthesized beat of Madonna's "Material Girl" came through the speakers and Katniss laughed out loud as she shook her head at the girls watching her.
"Cut them off!" She yelled over the music to Ryan who stood just a few feet away. He waved her off with a laugh; she knew he would if he thought they needed it.
"What are we congratulating you for?" Peeta inquired as he lifted his drink in a gesture to toast. Katniss raised her glass, ready to clink his.
"I got selected to head the Halloween features. Apparently it's a big deal," Katniss said with an exaggerated enthusiasm that Peeta spotted immediately. Although he knew she was being sarcastic, his eyes brightened.
"Congratulations are in order, miss hotshot!" he laughed as he bowed his head to her. Katniss snorted.
"Just a writer, Peeta. What about you, mister businessman? Should we be celebrating you, too?"
"Just a bartender, Katniss." He winked, clinked his glass against hers and finished what was left of his drink. Katniss couldn't help but think that he was so much more than just anything. As she sipped her drink, she noticed Peeta adjust in his seat and surreptitiously move his stool closer to hers. She struggled to conceal the excitement that swept through her, but at this point she didn't want to. This game of back-and-forth was getting tiring, and hiding her feelings was becoming unbearable.
As the girls' singing became louder and more off-key, Peeta leaned in to speak in her ear. The noise surrounding them grew louder but it sounded a million miles away as he came closer. His proximity was intoxicating and Katniss could feel his warm breath on her ear and neck as he spoke.
"So tell me why you're not singing tonight. For real."
"I just didn't want to," she leaned into him to return the intimate gesture, while also running her fingertips along the width of his shoulder. "Why? Is that a problem for you?" He chuckled low and she savored the vibrations she felt through her entire body.
"Not at all, I just-" he cut himself off.
"Hm?" Katniss felt his chest expand with the deep breath he took.
"You're enchanting when you sing," he admitted. "I like when you show everyone up." A giggle escaped before Katniss could stop it. Then she had an idea.
"You really want me to sing?" Her lips were grazing his ear by this point.
"I do," Peeta responded.
"Okay. I'll sing. But you only get one song out of me, one shot, so you'd better use it wisely."
"One song tonight? I can work with that," Peeta mused.
"One song ever."
Peeta whined as he pulled back to look her in the eye. "That's not fair!" Katniss shrugged at him, a sly smile forming. "Fine. I want you to sing tonight," he requested just as she thought he would. She gave his shoulder a quick squeeze before downing the rest of her drink in one gulp and hopping off her stool.
Katniss made her way straight to the DJ; she knew exactly which song she was going to sing. There was one more singer and then it would be her turn. While the wait wasn't excruciating, Katniss became nervous, second-guessing herself, as the minutes passed. By this time, Prim and Johanna were already back hanging out with Peeta and Ryan, waving at her every time they made eye contact.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Kat to the stage! Her song is going to be a surprise. She also says, 'This is your one shot,' whatever that means." The crowd cheered loudly as Katniss took a deep breath before stepping on the platform to take the microphone as the music started.
"I put a spell on you…'Cause you're mine…" Katniss sang as the accompaniment played. Her eyes connected with Peeta's the moment the music began and they didn't move. She knew that Nina Simone's lyrics didn't exactly fit their situation, but she also knew that Peeta would understand the significance of the song. The look on his face was indescribable: awe, confusion, amusement, and lust (maybe?) all wrapped into one. The patrons hooted and hollered but still, Katniss refused to look away from Peeta.
After a very long two minutes and forty-two seconds, Katniss' song ended and she replaced the microphone in the stand it came from. When she fought through the crowd to get back to her seat and to Peeta, Johanna and Prim hijacked her and bombarded her with hugs, kisses, and accolades. She smiled politely and disentangled herself from her friends when she spotted Peeta in the back hallway, waiting patiently for her to notice him. He stood in front of an "Employees Only" door and opened it silently as she approached.
Katniss' heartbeat was so loud she was sure he would hear it in the quiet refuge of the office. Peeta's face was flushed and Katniss tried to read what was happening, as his expression gave away nothing. He inhaled deeply and Katniss followed suit as he took a step closer to her.
"So… One shot, right?" He asked evenly. Afraid her words would come out too breathy or high-pitched; Katniss simply bit her lip and nodded, her gaze never leaving his. Again, Peeta stepped closer, his eyes flitting down to her lips for the briefest moment as hers did the same. Katniss wet her lips in anticipation, hoping she was reading this correctly.
Any doubt she had went out the window when, less than a second later, Peeta closed the distance between them. Taking two more steps to her, he took her face in his hands and brought their lips together in a fervent, searing kiss. She grabbed hold of his sport coat, fearing her knees would give out, and pulled him closer until only their clothes separated them. Their mouths moved in the most perfect rhythm as Katniss allowed her hands to explore Peeta's body. She felt like she had been kissing him her entire life, and she never wanted to stop.
When they had to break for air, Peeta walked her backwards until her back hit the wall. She pulled him by the lapels of his jacket and resumed kissing him. He chuckled as he tried to catch his breath, but refused to miss out on a second of this newfound bliss. His hands traveled from her back to her hips down to her ass. A small moan escaped Katniss as their hips collided and the heat spread through her body like a wildfire. Just as she hitched her left leg around Peeta to bring them impossibly closer, the door swung open to reveal a very pleased, very drunk Johanna. Katniss stopped her movements but didn't release Peeta.
"Fucking finally!" Johanna's boisterous voice bounced off the walls of the small, quiet office. Katniss, furious, huffed at her friend impatiently. "Brainless, we're outta here. Let's go!"
Katniss dropped her leg and leaned her head back against the wall, but made no move to untangle herself from Peeta. He made no move either, and didn't seem at all bothered by Johanna's intrusion. Johanna exited, leaving the door wide open, and yelled back to them, as if it were an afterthought. "She has a three date rule, by the way!"
Quickly pointing her finger and swiping it to slam the door, Katniss cursed at Johanna under her breath, making a mental note to hit her with something tomorrow. Meeting Peeta's eyes again, she began to apologize for Johanna's behavior when he silenced her with a kiss, this time gentle, sweet, and patient.
"Don't apologize for her," he assured. "It's probably a good thing she came in. You know, three date rule and all." He winked and gave her her smile that was heart-warming and panty dropping at the same time. Katniss sighed as he took both of her hands in his and entwined their fingers, bringing one hand up and placing a kiss on her open palm.
"Yeah…" Katniss agreed, albeit disappointed. "I guess." Peeta laughed.
"Come on, Katniss. Three dates isn't so bad. We've waited over a year to even kiss. I'm sure you can make it through three dates." Katniss rolled her eyes at Peeta's words and tried her hide her smile with a scowl. She could feel his smile as he kissed her forehead.
"Fine," she relented. "But tonight counts as date number one."
Two dates later…
Katniss inserted her key into the deadbolt of the front door to the house she, Johanna, and Prim rented together. Tonight was date number three and Katniss could barely contain her excitement. Earlier in the evening, she had suggested Prim and Johanna leave, but she was sure they didn't on account of them being nosy. When the door opened, Katniss heard the television on and spotted the light on in the kitchen. She cursed the girls for still being here; they would definitely pay for this. It wasn't a modesty issue as much as Katniss simply wanted Peeta to herself.
"Hey lovebirds!" Johanna called from the living room.
"Hi guys!" Prim chimed in.
"Hi," Katniss called back, the irritation evident in her tone. She gave Peeta an "I'm sorry" look, to which he smiled and shook his head. He was so easy-going, friendly, and charming, he would've plopped between them on the couch and been content for the rest of the night. In fact, when they reached the living room, he sat in one of the oversized chairs, making himself at home. The three made polite conversation while Katniss looked on, her frustration growing.
As Katniss' gaze lingered on Peeta for far too long, Johanna interrupted in the way only she can. "Jesus, Katniss! Stop undressing him with your eyes. He's not a piece of meat," she said in a tone that insinuated that's exactly what he was.
"Please," Katniss scoffed. "If I wanted to undress him, I wouldn't be doing it with my eyes." Peeta grinned. With that, Katniss made a circular motion with her index finger and watched as the buttons on his charcoal gray button-down undid themselves one by one. Johanna cackled and Prim giggled as Peeta looked around in confusion, knowing Katniss had done something. She smiled coyly and nodded toward his shirt, which he realized was now half unbuttoned.
"Well that's a new trick," he started laughing. He stopped when she grabbed hold of his tie and tugged on it for him to stand up. The electricity was back and she pulled him from the room by his tie. Once away from the prying eyes, she brought his lips to hers in a slow, lingering kiss.
"Come on, Peeta." Katniss whispered, leading him up the stairs to her bedroom. "I think it's time that you show me some magic."