"Miss Everdeen?"
"What is it, Effie?" I sighed. This is the worst part about being a competitive skater. The whole competing part.
"Your crew is here to get you all ready for your free skate."
"New ones? What happened to Flavius and-"
"Flavius was unable to leave his family at the time, something about his wife. Your new crew is just two, hair and makeup, and nails."
"Two? Okay, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be, let's get this over with."
"Alright I'll send them in. No biting!"
"That was only one time!"
"No biting!" Effie repeated as she strutted out, her feathery outfit making her look like she's an exotic bird. A few seconds later, two people came in.
"Hi, I'm Delly, this is my partner, Peeta. We'll be getting you ready!"
Delly. What kind of a name is that? And Peeta? Seriously, where are these people from?
"Hi, Delly and Peeta." I leaned around the bubbly blonde in front of me to see her companion, who was also blonde and looked like he could be her brother. He seemed shy.
"Let's get started!"
She opened up a gigantic bag with all sorts of tools, polishes and creams that she proceeded to examine as if selecting a weapon of choice.
Peeta smiled softly at me before going behind me and running his fingers through my hair to decide a course of action. Stylists have done this hundreds of times to me. But it feels more sensual when Peeta does it. Maybe because he's an attractive young guy and doesn't have orange corkscrews dancing around his head.
"What is your free skate style?" Delly held her perfectly manicured nail to her chin, looking at me curiously.
"It's kinda... Peppy, but more like intense energy. I don't know how to describe it, I don't talk, I skate." I explained in a huff. I hate talking.
"This is your costume, I assume then?"
I look down at the skimpy red-orange leotard with the shimmering fringe. It's beautiful, Cinna did a great job. Still, I would rather skate in my warm-up clothes.
"Yeah."
"Excellent, we'll go with a girl-on-fire theme then!" This girl's energy is something else. It would be annoying but she's so infectious. Peeta still hasn't said anything from behind me, where he's setting up his tools and accessories. Every now and then he'll run his fingers through my hair again, I guess to see what kind of hairstyle it will hold. I personally don't see the point in hairstyles. Typically, figure skaters pull their hair back tight against their skulls and put a scrunchie in it or something. But this particular competition calls for a full makeover, full on glam for the show. Mr. Snow, the CEO of the company that puts it on, loves a good show, and it's his decision to make. It isn't costing me anything to have the extra help, so I have nothing to complain about.
Delly worked quietly, channeling her energy into her work, already halfway done with trimming and buffing my nails. Peeta was styling my hair gently, and sometimes I forgot he was behind me, he was so soft. Some hair stylists make me yell when they pull too hard. I might have to keep Peeta around. Depends on what the finished product looks like.
Silence is always preferable to me, so I made no attempts at conversation. Delly was so wrapped up in her work that nothing but my hands held her attention. And Peeta just doesn't talk I guess. I wonder if he doesn't speak English or something.
"Are these highlights natural?" I almost jumped hearing his smooth voice behind me a few minutes later.
"Wha-um no. Well, naturally enhanced I guess. I didn't dye my hair but I used some kind of product to put them there... But it was natural I think." I should stop talking.
"They look great." He sounded like he had bobby pins or something in his mouth.
"Uh-thanks."
He was quiet for awhile. Then he told me to close my eyes as he sprayed all around my head to keep the hairdo in place. When he stepped back, I shook my head roughly to test it's lasting powers. I didn't move and I smiled.
"Do you want to check it before I do your makeup?"
"Yeah." He held a mirror behind me and handed me another so I could see the back of my head.
"Wow... Looks great, I can't believe it doesn't move."
He chuckled softly, reaching out to take the mirror back.
"Well that's my job..."
I watched as he started sticking his brushes, combs and other tools into the bag. He swung that off the table and replaced it with another, with makeup. I internally groaned. I hate makeup and all the stickiness it brings.
Without disturbing Delly, Peeta turned me a little so my face was in the light and perched himself on a stool in front of me. I inhaled sharply at the proximity, he was less than eight inches from my face. I didn't notice how cute he is. He has gigantic blue eyes, with a tiny bit of silver eyeshadow on his lids, making the blue look even brighter. His hands reached back subconsciously to tighten the curly ponytail at the nape of his neck. His straight nose was peppered with freckles and his lips were pursed thoughtfully as he regarded my face.
Those lips look so kissable.
What?
Katniss, quit fantasizing about your freakin makeup artist of all people.
"What piece are you skating to?"
I blinked once to clear my thoughts.
"Eh-Carmen." I mumbled out automatically.
"Such a classic." He smiled.
He dabbed his brush into the foundation on the back of his hand, the olive tone several shades darker than his own fair skin.
It's quite unnerving, the way he looks at my face. I feel like he can see right through my skin and bones and into my very soul.
I kinda like it.
As he was adding some "fierce contours" as he called them, he had me suck in my cheeks to find my cheekbones. I felt ridiculous, like a fish and we both ended up giggling when I moved my lips in a fish imitation. Then he started working on my eyes and I had to close them. I really wish I could watch, I'm sure it's fascinating to watch the intensity of his gaze as his talented hands wield his brushes. But every now and then, he would have me open to check the effect.
"Katniss?"
My eyes flew open at the sound of my name.
"What?"
"Were you daydreaming? I asked you to open your eyes a few times..."
"Oh, sorry. Yeah... I was... Going over my routine..."
"Mm. Okay, close." He seemed distracted as he kept on going, mostly silent but an occasional mutter of frustration when he could find the right color in the jumble of eyeliners and mascaras in his black hole of a bag.
"I assume you're used to false lashes?"
"What? Oh, yeah. It's fine if you want to put some on. It won't bother me."
"Well your natural lashes are lovely by themselves." I blushed. "But I was thinking something a little... Different..." He rummaged through a small compartment. "These." I took the case from him to examine the lashes. They were longest between the outer corner and the middle, and the base had red gems embedded in it. The hairs started a deep red blooming from the gems and went through orange into a sort of yellow gold. They really looked like fire meets precious materials. They were, admittedly, super cool.
"You like them?"
"Yeah... They're beautiful."
"Okay, I'll put them on you." He pulled out a tube of adhesive and applied it.
I looked at his knees so he could put them on me. The glue was slightly cold on my eyelids and the sensation clashed with the warmth of Peeta's pinky as he steadied his hand against my forehead.
"Look at me." My eyes lifted as he pressed gently to make sure they're secure. The tip of his tongue peeked out the corner of his mouth in an expression of concentration. He is seriously very cute.
"Those look so good on you."
I grinned as he reached for the mirror again.
I looked at his handiwork, slightly awestruck.
"Wow... It's so different from my usual guy. It's... So cool..." I tilted several directions to examine it.
"Glad you're happy with it. Some of my better work, really.." I looked at his lopsided smile, returning it with one of my own.
I looked at the hand that Delly was done with, entranced by the dimensional shades of red, orange and gold, matching the fire theme we apparently were going with.
"Did you guys plan this?"
"No, not really. We've known each other for a long time, worked together for several years, I guess by now we just think alike."
"Oh. Are you two..."
"Dating?" I nod. He laughs.
"We're practically related. No, we aren't together." I heave a sigh of relief, not realizing how obvious that made me.
"So... Um..." He lifts an eyebrow at me expectantly. "What got you into makeup?"
"I don't know. I've always loved art, and nobody hires artists anymore, so I figured, why not go into a field that people do need. And here I am."
"Huh. That's smart."
"Do you have a typical skater story?"
"A what?"
"You know, your mom dropped you on the rink as a baby, and it was just meant to be?" I laughed.
"No, I don't. I started pretty late. I was nine when I first started skating."
"Only in competition is nine late."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Do you skate?"
He laughed, shaking his head.
"I would never intentionally put someone in the position of trying to teach me."
"What if I told you I could teach you?" He raised his eyebrow.
"What if I told you I don't want to land on top of you?"
"What if I told you I won't let you fall?"
"What if I told you I literally can't skate?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"No, I mean it's impossible for me to learn."
He leaned down and pulled his pantleg up to reveal metal in the place of flesh.
"What..." I leaned down, touching it hesitantly, wondering if this was just a trick of makeup I'd seen so many people do. The cold surface told me all I needed to know.
"I was born with only one leg." He shrugged. "Skating is automatically out of the picture. I content myself with watching beautiful skaters like you." I blushed again.
"I'll bet I could still teach you. Skating is a lot like walking, but smoother."
He looked at me doubtfully.
"I promise I won't let you fall, okay? After the competition."
He sighed. "Okay."
"There! How do you like them Katniss?" Delly finally emerged from her bubble of concentration.
"I-they're beautiful, Delly."
"Peeta did such a good job on your hair and face! You look perfect!" I heard Peeta's quiet murmur of agreement and found myself blushing yet again.