Chapter 2: The Artist

I gripped the counter as I heard the soft tapping of knuckles against the door. I knew it was her; I had told her to come in through the back. I took a deep breath and braced myself as I eased myself away from the bakery counter and answered the door. She was wearing a long brown trench coat and a treacherous grin. "Hi Peeta," Gem drawled. "Is your shift over?" I nodded; it ended at seven exactly (surely it was a coincidence?).

"Uh, yeah, I come on in." I said as I stepped aside and allowed her to enter. Her impossibly high heels clicked against the tiles, and I was grateful that no one else was around and that Rye was attending the front counter; he would give me hell if he noticed. "Just turn here and you'll see the staircase, my room is the first one on the right," I said as I followed her up. I winced every time her shoes echoed loudly against the ancient wooden stairs. I opened the door for her as we reached my room, which I had spent nearly two hours cleaning and preparing for today.

"Nice," she complimented as she strolled around the room and settled on the large window seat, which I had placed cushions over.

"T-Thanks," I stuttered nervously as I locked the door behind me, running my shaking fingers through my tangled hair.

"So should we do this?" she asked as she began untying her trench coat while I scrambled to find my sketchbook and charcoals inside my desk drawer. I found them quickly and pulled my chair closer to her as I settled my sketchbook over my crossed leg, charcoal pencil in hand.

I looked up and gaped as she stood in front of me, her robe falling down her smooth bare shoulders, revealing…everything. I nearly choked; she was completely naked underneath that coat, my eyes ogling around her full, round pink breasts. I nearly hyperventilated when my eyes drifted down further. I had never seen a real naked woman before, not really. I didn't think Capitol porn would prepare me for this moment and I was right; I would have to use my boner as a stand now. I was glad the sketchbook covered my lap.

She smiled, pleased at my reaction. "Should I settle back on the window seat, Peeta? The curtains are drawn," she suggested.

"I…ugh…umm...yeah…uh, y-you do that. Just um, lift your legs up on the…yeah, just like that, and rest your arm over your head and bend…perfect." She was the perfect model; her neck tilted up towards me as her green gaze studied me, her mouth parted just right. I gulped.

Oh shit, I'm so fucking screwed, I thought as I forced myself to concentrate on the paper, my hand moving as if to its own accord. My dick may have betrayed me, but my hand remained steady when it drew, my left one gripping the sketchbook as my right one began to trace out her figure.

Gem thankfully remained quiet as she watched me sketch her, and soon I began to relax, the familiar act of tracing lines over paper having a soothing effect on me. Once I had measured her figure and outlined her head, torso, crotch, and shoes (which she had refused to remove), I started working on her limbs and added the long, lush curls over her head. I bit my lip as I carefully marked the lines on her palms and fingers, drew curves for her breasts, and dotted her puckered nipples. She smiled tentatively as I took in some courage before my eyes lingered on the downy curls between her legs. My cock strained to escape, but I adjusted my lap so she wouldn't notice. I wasn't even interested in this girl, but my crotch begged to differ. Thinking about Katniss wouldn't ease my situation in this case, but then again, it hardly ever did.

I inhaled and exhaled extra slowly as I continued adding details, the dark outline of the window seat, the deepness in her devious green gaze, both intriguing and intimidating all at once. This girl was trouble. I swallowed as I gripped my charcoal pencil and colored the shadows that would bring out the picture. Focusing on the cushions beneath her bottom, I tried once more to relax, but without success. Finally, I finished the sketch and signed my name underneath it, breathing out in relief.

"I'm finished." I declared, glad that this was over. But when she stood up, I realized that she had other plans in mind, as she didn't even attempt to pick her trench coat up from the floor when she approached me.

"Thank you, Peeta," she murmured seductively over my ear as she leaned towards me, taking the paper from my trembling hands, her breasts centimeters away from my fingers and mere inches away from my face.

"Y-you're welcome," I muttered quickly, feeling flustered.

"What do I owe you?"She asked playfully as she stood back up.

I wasn't even sure if I wanted to be paid anymore, I hadn't even thought about the price. "Uh…n-nothing, k-keep it," I stuttered quickly, saying anything that would make her go away so that I could relieve this pressure and move on.

She pouted, puffing out her glittery lips. "Oh, Peeta, are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?" she asked as her eyes drifted down to my crotch, which was still pitching up a tent. Fuck.

"Um well, what about the paints?" I spluttered.

She frowned, obviously disappointed. "Oh. Right…I'll bring them to you tomorrow at school," she promised, smiling again.

"Then that'll do," I concluded.

"Okay," she leaned in. "But next time…we'll be meeting up in the slag heap," she murmured, and before I could register what was happening, she kissed my lips and shoved her tongue inside my mouth, swirling it as it sought mine. I immediately tensed when her hand reached down to grope my bulge, and I instantly reacted and pulled her wrist away, shoving her shoulder with my other one to end the kiss.

Her eyes widened in shock as she pulled away, still completely bare. "I-I'm sorry, Gem, but I'm a professional." I blurted out, before realizing how stupid I sounded.

She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, Peeta, you're so adorable," she said as she bent down, picking up her trench coat and slipping it back on, throwing her hair back so it wouldn't get caught beneath. She hid her portrait in an inside pocket.

She sighed. "Look Peeta, this was fun, and I understand that you may be a bit uncomfortable right now, but I can already assure you that this isn't the last you'll be seeing of me," she winked before she headed out the door, stomping down the stairs before I could stop her. I scrambled up to follow her outside.

"Gem, wait up!" I ran towards her as we headed down to the bakery and out the back door. She turned to me. "Listen, I appreciate you modeling for me and everything, but please don't tell anyone else about this. I'm not really sure if I'm interested in starting this sort of business," I rubbed the back of my neck worriedly.

She flashed her smile at me again, "Alright. This'll be our little secret," she said in a hushed tone as she left. I frowned. She was going to tell the whole fucking school, I just knew it.

That night, I punched the shower wall angrily as I thought about what I had done today. I knew that Katniss didn't even know I existed, and that Gem and I hadn't really done anything, and that drawing nude models was nothing unusual for an artist, but damn it, it all felt….off. I felt like I had somehow betrayed Katniss. It was the same sick, wrenching feeling that I had at the pit of my stomach when I had my first kiss in middle school. A girl had tossed me against the wall of the slag heap and made out with me for the three days that we supposedly dated before deciding that I wasn't interesting enough. She said I was a good kisser, but that there was something weird about me. She hadn't known that I had been thinking about Katniss every time I kissed her. I hadn't kissed a girl since then…at least not up until now.

I groaned as I grabbed my hard cock in my hand and rubbed it frantically to relieve the tension. Images of Katniss instantly flashed in my mind, and despite the fact that I had seen a different girl naked today, all I could think about was her; all I could imagine was Katniss' bare olive skin and dark, intricate braid. Her mysterious gray eyes were the ones watching me, she was the one taking off the trench coat and asking me to draw her. But she wore hunter's boots instead of heels; her smile was genuine instead of condescending and fake. I would imagine her laughing, calling my name, and touching herself for the portrait, teasing me to no end. And when she touched me, I would let her, and she would get me off as she heard me gasping, panting, begging her to go faster as she moved her hand up and down my cock, circling the tip with her thumb…and then my fantasy would change and I would be slipping my tongue inside her sweet pussy, making her scream my name like a true Mellark would do, flicking my tongue all over her. I felt the familiar tingling in my balls and I squeezed them with my other hand as I came, slowing down my movements as the hot shower water washed away the semen. I shuddered in relief and finished up before getting out of the water and heading to bed, more dreams of Katniss awaiting me there.

The next day at school, Delly confronted me at our lunch table. "Peeta, what's with all of these rumors I keep hearing about you drawing Gem Niche naked? Is it true that you're starting a porn business?" she hissed.

I nearly choked on my sandwich as Blathe and Nert burst out laughing and high-fived each other. I scowled at them. "No, I'm not starting a porn business," I said firmly as I continued to glare at them.

Nert smirked. "Peeta, you have to at least consider it, I heard that even the Peacekeepers would be interested, and your art's good."

"You told the Peacekeepers?" I seethed.

"Wait a minute, what's going on?" Delly intervened.

"Peeta draws nude models," Blathe answered her proudly. I smacked my hand against my forehead. Idiots, I thought. Delly had no idea about my sexual fantasies; there was no way in hell I would ever show her the threesome I drew after a particularly erotic wet dream that I had one night.

"Look Delly, you know I'm really into art, and I've done research on the subject; using nude models is a perfectly acceptable way to practice drawing the human anatomy," I said smoothly.

Delly rolled her eyes. "Peeta, how dense are you? Gem Niche is obviously only trying to get in your pants, and you're letting her take advantage of you; and what's worse, you're showing these immature idiots your art," she pointed out.

Just then, Gem approached us, carrying a large rectangular package in her hands. She flashed her teeth at me as she gave me another one of her overconfident smiles, "Here you go, handsome. Thanks for last night," she said in a low voice before she handed me the package. Nert and Blathe wolf-whistled as my cheeks burned, and Delly pretended to gag. It was then that I noticed the entire school was staring at me as Gem bent down and planted a sloppy wet kiss on my cheek before sauntering back to her table, swiveling her hips the whole way. I gulped when I saw Katniss narrowing her eyes at me suspiciously from her table with Madge. Part of me felt guilty, while the other part hoped that she was jealous, because then it would mean that she had feelings for me.

"Well, what did that skanky whore give you?" Delly snapped, bringing me back to reality. I opened the package carefully and my eyes widened as the perfect arrangement of colors overwhelmed my senses.

"Oh wow, look at all these paints and brushes!" I yelled excitedly as I showed my friends.

Nert and Blathe seemed unimpressed, and Delly pursed her lips in disapproval. "Peeta, you can't keep this. She's trying to buy you so you can sleep with her. She knows you're the only handsome male virgin left in the school that she hasn't screwed yet. She wants to add you to her trophy list." She said coldly.

My face faltered as I took in her words; Delly had never acted this mean before. "Oh. Um…well, I don't think I'm that, uh, handsome, as you say, but maybe you're right and she's just using me. But still…she paid me for the portrait I drew of her, so it's not like it's a gift. Besides, I don't plan on doing this again, and I don't even like her," I assured her.

"Well I think she's a fine piece of ass," Nert commented as he studied his nails.

"Nert, you're gay," Delly reminded him.

"I would bang her," Blathe said.

"Technically, I'm bisexual," Nert corrected Delly.

I rolled my eyes, "Nert, shut up, you just want to get laid. Besides, this isn't even about Gem. I only did this because I needed the paints, and now that I have them, I'm done," I declared as I sat back on my chair.

"So you could've saved up for them instead messing with that slut," Delly reasoned. "Now you're in heaps of trouble."

"Yes, well, that would have taken me years, and I'll just ignore her from now on if she comes on to me like that." I insisted. "I'm only going to use these paints to draw landscapes and stuff." I decided.

"But you're still doing the charcoal porn drawings, right?" Blathe asked greedily.

"Peeta, do you seriously draw porn?" Delly asked, concerned.

"It's not porn, it's contemporary art," I corrected her. "And yes, I'm still doing them, but I'm not showing them to you guys anymore after what happened," I accused, narrowing my eyes at Nert.

"I was just trying to promote you!" Nert exclaimed in defense.

"Well then don't," I said as I stood up to dump my empty lunch sack, "because I'm not looking for models anymore."

But I lied. Gem ended up telling her friends, and they all ended up begging me to draw them, and I became more and more curious about the female anatomy. They all tried to flirt with me, but after a while they noticed that I had become immune to their charms, and I no longer blushed or became aroused when I drew someone nude. Soon, word spread around the school that I was the biggest tease, and the virginity of Peeta Mellark became the holy grail of District Twelve's sluts. The only good thing about this was that, as usual, Katniss paid no mind to the fickle teenage gossip that spread around the school like wildfire, and therefore knew nothing about this.

But Delly knew, and she confronted me by my locker one morning. "Peeta is it true that you're selling your drawings to the Peacekeepers?" she demanded as I gathered my books.

I frowned. "Who told you that?"

"Nert did, of course. He says that you've been selling porn to everyone who asks for it, even the Peacekeepers! Please don't tell me that you're using these girls to…" she trailed off.

I gaped. "Delly, no, never, how could you say that? You know I'm not like that!" I exclaimed, outraged.

"Well then how…"

"Those are completely different drawings! The girls that model for me do help me, but only in terms of practice…I learn about the human body, and I give them their portraits. Then, in my free time, I draw out some other, random stuff that comes to me and that's what sells." I explained.

Delly seemed unconvinced. "Peeta, I don't think this is right…if you get caught…"

"I won't." I promised her. They know that if they sell me out, I won't draw stuff for them anymore, and they know that if they don't pay me, I'll run out of materials to keep going. It's a perfect system."

"Peeta, how in the world do you have time to do all of this when you work at the bakery, go to school, and have wrestling during the weekends?" she asked suspiciously.

I chewed on my lip. "Well…about that…since I no longer need the allowances from working at the bakery, I make my brothers cover for me in exchange of my drawings….and I give them my salaries, since my parents don't know because we all work different shifts," I told her.

Delly's eyes widened. "Peeta, I don't know if you've noticed this, but people are starting to wonder where your cake decorations went, because Leven and Rye's aren't nearly as good as yours," she warned me.

I swallowed. My mother had noticed this as well; she had smacked me the other day for "slacking," and blamed me for our steady yet noticeable decrease in sells. She had been right to blame me, for once. This was my fault, and I had to fix it. "Delly, I don't know what to do," I mumbled helplessly as I slouched against the lockers.

Delly patted me sympathetically on the shoulder. "I think both you and I know that you have to give this up before it's too late. Besides, the reaping is next week and everyone's going to be really tense and you never know what may be said then," she hinted carefully.

I knew what she was getting at. "I hope Katniss doesn't get picked," I said softly, then instantly regretted even thinking it. "It's because of her that I even started drawing," I admitted. "I kept picturing her in my head, and I became so obsessed with what she may look like that I sought her in other girls," I confessed lamely.

Delly nodded as if she had already suspected this, which she probably had, honestly. The bell rang before she could even formulate a proper response, however, and soon we both parted ways. It was my last proper conversation with her. I had decided to stop drawing and go back to the bakery for the rest of the week until the reaping came, and then I would make a final decision. But the opportunity never came.

To be continued…