After Sybil Lyme opened the event with a brief introduction of each of the award recipients, the meal continued. The room was abuzz with chatter and peaks of laughter amid a soft evening breeze that lifted the hem of the sheer curtains lining the pavilion.
Thresh and Rue carried the conversation for their table, and Katniss, happy for the distraction, joined in here and there. But Peeta retreated within himself, silently searching for some plausible reason why, of all the people in the world, he was sitting at arm's length from Katniss Everdeen. And how she already had such a lasting effect on him.
Soon, the servers were circling again, replacing the salad plates and soup bowls with artistically-stacked plates of pistachio-crusted lamb chops with roasted asparagus and carrots over creamy mashed potatoes. When Rue and Katniss veered into a conversation about something work related, Thresh discreetly elbowed Peeta in his side and leaned closer.
"What are you doing?" Thresh whispered. "Talk to her. Let her know you're interested."
I can't be interested, Thresh, Peeta thought to himself. And I hope you never know why.
But, Thresh was right. There was no reason he couldn't simply carry on a conversation with her while they sat for their meal at the leadership awards banquet. It's not like they would ever meet again. He decided that he was making too big a deal over meeting Katniss Everdeen. This night would soon be over.
Perspective Peeta. Dr. Aurelius always said to keep the right perspective.
He was taking another moment to decide exactly what to say when Katniss spoke.
"So, what made you two come to this event?" She gingerly stacked her fork with a cut piece of asparagus and lamb.
Thresh remained silent to give Peeta the lead.
"Thresh and I did the graphic design for this event."
Katniss took another look around her. "Wow. Everything?"
"Yes. From the banners to the programs, it's all us – excuse me," he said lightly, clearing his throat in jest. "It's all Latier Communications."
Katniss and Rue nodded approvingly. "The designs were the first things we noticed when we arrived. Weren't they, Katniss?"
Katniss put down her fork. "Oh no," Katniss murmured, grinning and lowering her head in mild embarrassment. Rue shut her eyes and tilted her head back with her gentle laugh.
"What?" Peeta asked, half smiling, half uneasy. He and Thresh exchanged quizzical glances. Did they miss something with the designs? Certainly Finnick or Lyme would have caught a typo or an error…
Rue waved her hand dismissively, seeing the perplexed looks on their faces. "It's nothing about you guys. Our fearless leader here decided to try her hand at designing some fliers the other week."
Rue laughed harder at the memory.
"You don't have to share this story, Rue," Katniss implored.
"Yes. Yes, I do." Rue drew a breath to steady herself. "Katniss had clip art pigs all over the page. And I mean everywhere."
"Pigs?" Thresh grinned.
"Pigs. And they way they were laid out, some of them were in pretty compromising situations. It was terrible. I and another staffer literally went into her computer when she left for a meeting and disabled clip art entirely."
The four of them laughed good-naturedly at Katniss's expense. "In my defense, it was for a barbecue fundraiser. And I was only trying to help."
"And we made her promise that she would never do that again," Rue said. "Around the office we call it the ' great bar-be-screw.'"
They laughed again, Katniss rolling her eyes as a hint of embarrassment lingered in her smile.
"Don't feel bad, Katniss," Thresh said graciously. "Clip art gets people into trouble every day."
"Thank you, Thresh," she smiled, shooting a mock withering glance at Rue. "We can't afford a fancy Latier Communications graphic designer, so I thought 'Hey, I'll give it a shot.'"
Peeta was speaking before he realized it.
"I can help out."
All eyes turned to him; Katniss's eyebrows dipped with question.
What. The hell. Are you doing, Peeta silently screamed to himself. His mouth continued to ignore his mind.
"Volunteer, I mean. If you need graphic design support, I can volunteer a few hours per week, if it'll help you out."
Katniss and Rue slowly turned to each other, their eyes widening.
"Are... are you serious?" Katniss asked Peeta.
Back out! Now! Say you were just kidding!
"Yeah. I'd be happy to help."
DAMMIT.
"We only have one Mac computer, and it's as old as Panem," Katniss said turning again at Rue. They talked about where they could find extra money in the budget to purchase a suitable computer for Peeta to use.
Well you might as well go ahead and offer since you've gotten yourself into this mess, Peeta silently chastised.
"I have a Mac. I can use my laptop. I'll just need a flash drive large enough to hold the work."
Rue covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh my goodness! Thank you Peeta," she squealed. "This is amazing!"
Peeta saw excitement in Katniss's eyes and a hint of wariness. It was as if she wondered why he would make such a generous offer. Hiring a Latier designer would have cost thousands.
"Thank you, Peeta. Let me give you a card." She fumbled through her purse and extracted a poorly-designed business card. "That's my cell number on the card. We'll work around your schedule. I can't thank you enough." Her smile flashed full and appreciative before she trained it back to something more tentative.
"My pleasure." He reached for the card, knowing that he would remember every detail of the way her eyes glowed amid the sparkling lights overhead.
It'll be fine. Just do a few designs and that'll be the end of it. There's nothing to worry about. Perspective, Peeta. Perspective.
"Are you finished, sir?"
Peeta looked into the batting, heavily mascaraed eyes of a chignon-wearing server. She gestured toward his half-eaten ramekin of creme brulee.
"Yes, thank you," Peeta smiled politely.
She reached past him, slowly, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"I must say, you have the most beautiful blue eyes."
"Thank you," Peeta said. While he didn't expect her comment, he wasn't entirely surprised. People often complimented him on his slate blue eyes, which he inherited from his mother. All his other features came directly from his father; of the three Mellark boys, Peeta was the closest carbon copy of Daniel Mellark.
What did surprise him was the touch of her hand on his, lingering, as she slipped him a business card.
"I'm a massage therapist. If you ever need to release some tension, call me." She pinned him with a sultry gaze before collecting the other ramekins and moving to another table. Peeta, Thresh, and Rue sat in stunned silence several moments after she left before dissolving into 'what-the-hell-just-happened' muted laughter. Katniss sat quiet, impassive. She turned her attention back to her note cards.
"Well that sounds like a happy ending," Thresh teased. "Peeta what are your plans with that business card?"
Peeta placed the business card on the table and lifted both palms in innocence. "I have zero plans for this business card. That sounds like more than a mild-mannered designer such as myself can handle."
"Well, Katniss, maybe there is an audience for your flyer," Rue joked. "Server girl might have been all over the bar-be-screw."
Everyone laughed, except Katniss. "I never would have invited her," she said. Peeta noticed the chill in her voice and pondered Katniss's words.
Sybil tapped the microphone to begin the presentation portion of the event. The first recipient, a local chef, received the Phoenix Award for rebuilding her restaurant after it was destroyed by an electrical fire. Nearly an hour and five other recipients later, it was Katniss's turn.
Peeta drew a silent, deep breath to steady himself. He had come to the banquet with a game plan. He would sit through all of the speeches, and when Katniss Everdeen took the stage as the last recipient of the evening, he would pretend his cell phone was vibrating, and he would step out of the pavilion to take the imaginary call.
But, that was before he met her, before they shared a smile and a meal and light conversation. Before her indelible impact. He couldn't just leave. He had to endure her speech, suppress his emotions. That was something he was good at, something Dr. Aurelius always told him to stop doing.
Sybil Lyme gave the longer introduction:
"After losing her sister to a drunk driver five years ago, Katniss Claiborne Everdeen took action by starting a non-profit in her sister's memory to combat drunk driving. Today, the Primrose Lillian Everdeen Action Network is making a huge impact for an organization that is so young and so small in size. With a meager staff of five paid employees as well as volunteers, Katniss Everdeen has been instrumental in the recently-passed first-time DUI offender legislation, which requires that all first-time offenders where death did not occur attend regular sobriety meetings, receive counseling and be paired with a mentor, all for three years following the arrest. The offender also cannot purchase alcoholic beverages for one year after the crime.
"Ms. Everdeen has established herself as a presence in the middle and high schools, speaking regularly to students about the dangers of alcohol. Because of her activism, beverage companies were forced to stop advertising on college campuses in District 1, and she has inspired an army of supporters who have pledged to 'Take the PLEA and SteerClear of Drunk Driving.' All this, and she's only 25 years old! Join me now in honoring Ms. Katniss Claiborne Everdeen, this year's Under Thirty Young Trailblazer Award recipient from the District 1 Women in Leadership Council."
The audience applauded. With her notecards squeezed to a near cylinder in her hands, she stood, squared her shoulders, and strode to the stage with laser-sharp focus. Peeta bristled at the way several sets of male eyes washed over her. She mounted the stage, her name emblazoned behind her on the Power Point slide Peeta designed.
She adjusted the microphone downward and tried to smooth the notecards so they lay flat against the podium. The applause subsided. She lifted her eyes to the audience.
"Thank you for this amazing award. This is a great honor that…"
She fell silent for several moments. Her eyes flashed to Rue, who nodded in encouragement.
"This is a great honor that…"
After a brief pause, Katniss sighed in mild exasperation.
"I'm sorry. I can't stand here and read from my note cards. These note cards are about me, and I don't want to talk about myself."
She paused, lowering her head to gather her thoughts. Soon, her eyes were back on the audience.
"Moments ago, I reached into my purse and pulled out this pin." She extended her hand to the audience, tilting her palm so they could see. "It's a mockingjay pin. It's all I have left to remember my sister by. I carry it everywhere I go."
Peeta drew a silent, shaky breath.
"I called her Prim. When we were kids, I was the only one who could call her that. She would say, "For you, Katniss, anything." Katniss smiled at the memory. "There was nothing I wouldn't do for her."
Katniss cleared her throat. She always spoke about Prim. Somehow, this time felt different.
"Prim was amazing. Most people her age worked at a restaurant or in a clothing store. But Prim was determined to be a nurse, so she worked part-time at a community clinic in Coldstream, which is a city not far from our hometown in District 12. The last time I spoke to her was earlier that afternoon when she was getting ready for work. I was a student at Leig University, and she didn't know this, but I planned to come home for part of my fall break so I could take her on a tour of a few colleges where she wanted to submit applications. And, I was going celebrate her birthday. I had everything figured out…"
The room was so quiet that you could hear the faint buzz of the lights. Peeta lowered his gaze, wishing he could somehow disappear into thin air.
"My mother called a little after 11:30, screaming. My sister should have been home by 10, and my mother was going to look for her when a Peacekeeper knocked at the door. The accident was so terrible that it took the officers nearly an hour to locate her wallet with her identification."
Katniss again cleared her throat and squeezed her eyes shut. When she reopened them, her gaze was piercing.
"So the truth is that while I am truly honored to be recognized by the Women in Leadership Council, I wish I never had to. I wish that almost 30 people in Panem did not die daily from drunk driving. I wish that nearly half of high school sophomores didn't drink alcohol. I wish that mothers and sisters and fathers and brothers and children and friends never had to lose someone who held so much life and so much promise and so much good for humanity in the prime of their lives."
The audience broke into applause.
"But that's not the world we live in. So I will make combating drunk driving my life's work. And I will help as many people as I can because I was too late to help my sister. So join me, and my amazing, selfless staff, and help us put an end to senseless actions that lead to senseless tragedies. Thank you."
The audience gave her a standing ovation. Rue dabbed her eyes with a napkin and Thresh whistled in support.
Peeta saw his opportunity and excused himself from the room. He went to the bathroom, splashed his face with cold water, and gripped the side of the sink, his arms locked, as he tried to maintain his composure. When he returned, Katniss was greeting a line of people who offered congratulations and words of support. Peeta hoped to slip back to his seat, unnoticed. But, her eyes fluttered to him when he returned. It was as if she sensed his absence.
He nodded approvingly, summoning an affirming smile despite the raging war within him. She smiled softly then turned her attention back to the well-wishers.
The night grew chillier. Neither Peeta nor Thresh wanted to stick around for the dancing portion of the evening; Thresh wanted to get back to Cressida, and Peeta wanted to be alone to try to gain perspective.
But, even if they wanted to dance, they couldn't. A small line of people had formed to congratulate Katniss on her award, and Rue was engaging another cluster of people, speaking passionately about some of PLEA's new initiatives.
Thresh pulled Peeta aside. "What we have here are two lovely ladies without jackets on this chilly night. We can't have that now can we?"
Peeta chuckled at Thresh's raised eyebrow and grin. "Should I give my jacket to Rue?"
"Nope. I've got Rue. She's like family, so it makes sense that I look out for her. However, if you offer your jacket to Katniss…"
Peeta glanced at her. Her arms were folded tightly over her chest as she spoke. With the outfit she was wearing, she had to feel cold.
"I can give her my jacket," Peeta shrugged. "But I don't think I'll pursue her, Thresh. She's way out of my league."
In other words, I don't deserve her.
Thresh's jaw dropped. "Okay, I know you don't date hardly ever, but this one came to you. She practically fell in your lap. And did you see the way guys are looking at her? You'd be nuts not to let her know you're interested in getting to know her."
Peeta chewed on his bottom lip. He couldn't explain his reasons to Thresh, so he played along.
"You're right," he smiled, telling Thresh what he wanted to hear. "You're right. Let's go keep these beauties warm."
They each took off their jackets and meandered to the separate spots where the ladies stood.
"If your mother found out that I let you catch cold, I'd be in deep trouble," Thresh joked as he draped his coat around Rue's shoulders. She smiled generously, and the small crowd adjusted to make room for Thresh to join the conversation.
Katniss's back was turned. Peeta approached with more trepidation. He barely knew her.
That's right, I barely know her. She's cold, and I'm just making a nice gesture by offering my jacket. I'll offer my jacket, do some design work for her, and that'll be the end of it.
He approached from behind and carefully draped his jacket over her shoulders. She turned her head in surprise, her eyes softening on him. He watched with an odd rush of satisfaction as she resumed her conversation but pulled the lapels together, clasping the too large jacket around her.
Lyme and Plutarch were the last to approach, and they talked longer than the others. Over the blaring music, Peeta overheard Plutarch tell Katniss that President Paylor and her entire cabinet thanks The PLEA network for its "good, important work."
"Thank you, Mr. Heavensbee," Katniss practically shouted. "I would love an opportunity to talk with you more about a community initiative we're working on that would take our message nationwide."
"Absolutely," Plutarch said. He pulled out his wallet and slid a business card from between the black folds. "This is the number to my secretary. When you call, give her this very private password." He leaned over and whispered in Katniss's ear.
"Now don't repeat that to anyone. I only use that code word to prioritize appointments on my calendar. She'll know to give you top billing on my schedule. And I'm sure you'd like to know about joining the governmental grant cycle. I'll have a representative from that department sit in on our meeting."
Katniss looked floored. "Thank you," she gushed as she shook his hand. "Yes, thank you so much."
Most of the crowd had taken to the dance floor. Peeta talked with Rue and Thresh while Katniss talked with a final well-wisher, a fellow award recipient. Katniss rejoined them. An electric current surged through Peeta at the sight of her wearing his jacket.
"Excellent job," Thresh said warmly. "Your story is powerful, and you're making a difference." He pulled Rue into a warm side hug. "You both are."
"Thank you, Thresh," Katniss said genially. "You're very kind."
Peeta wanted to say something, anything, but he didn't know what to say. She had no idea that they shared the same story, and it was too emotional for him to rehash. He swallowed hard and made an attempt.
"You didn't need those notecards," he said quietly. "You just needed to speak from the heart. Good job, Katniss."
"Thank you, Peeta."
Maybe it was just him, but there was something about how she said his name. It kindled his desire to claim her – and to escape her. It was fresh torment to add to the battle that had taken residency in his soul for the past five years.
Katniss turned to Rue. "I'm wiped out. Did you want to stay and dance? If so, I'll wait on you."
Rue heaved a sigh. "No. I need to go home and set fire to these high-heeled shoes. We can leave whenever you're ready."
Rue turned to Peeta and Thresh. "We're going to head out. Are you guys hitting the dance floor?"
Thresh and Peeta rode together. They exchanged knowing glances. "Nah," Thresh said. "We've been putting in pretty long hours, so we're both ready to leave. But I'd love to have you ladies over sometime. You can meet my girlfriend Cress. She's an artist and does documentary work, so she could be a good contact for PLEA. And Peeta doesn't have a girlfriend, but you ladies can bring your boyfriends if you'd like. We can all hang out together."
Peeta forced a smile to his lips. Good effort Thresh, he thought sarcastically. Very subtle.
"I'm in a relationship, but Katniss is single." Rue seemed to be following Thresh's playbook. Katniss momentarily turned her gaze to the floor. "I think that's a great idea," Rue continued. "Plus, you and I have a lot more catching up to do."
Rue and Thresh tapped each other's numbers into their cell phones. Thresh shot Peeta a look. He spoke to Katniss.
"I should give you a card. To set up the volunteering schedule."
"Oh, um, yeah. I would appreciate that."
Peeta patted his pants pockets then grinned sheepishly. "Actually, it's in my coat pocket. Left side."
"Oh," she smiled nervously. She was still wearing his jacket. She slipped her hand into the left pocket. The first card she pulled out was her own. The next card belonged to someone else he'd met that night. The card from the server-massage-therapist was still sitting on the table.
"Maybe it's the right side," he said.
"Ah, here it is." She tilted the card to reflect the lamp light in the parking lot. "Peeta Mellark, visual communications expert. I will be giving you a call."
Peeta and Thresh walked the women to Katniss's car, a green older model sedan. The back driver's door creaked when she opened it to place her award plaque on the backseat.
"Well, I guess I should give this back," she said sheepishly, her eyes lingering on Peeta's. She removed the jacket and handed it to him. "Thank you for that. I'm rarely outside this time of night."
"No problem." He draped the jacket over his arm. Thresh and Rue cackled over some experience they had in common. Peeta and Katniss stood in awkward silence.
Thresh extended his hand to Katniss. "It was great meeting you. I'll set something up for all of us to get together and send word by Rue."
"That sounds good, Thresh. It was great meeting you as well."
Peeta and Rue also exchanged parting words. He extended his hand to Katniss.
"It was good to meet you, Katniss. I'll look to hear from you soon."
"You will. Thank you, Peeta."
Peeta and Thresh were making their way across the parking lot when they heard the scraping sound of a car that refused to start. They both turned around to see the distressed look on Katniss's face. She dropped her head to the steering wheel in defeat.
She and Rue were climbing out of the car when Peeta and Thresh reached them.
"Pop the hood," Peeta said, motioning for her and Rue to stay inside the car. But they both got out and stood with them. Peeta and Thresh covered the women again with their jackets.
Thresh turned on a light app on his cell phone and asked Rue to shine it over the engine.
"Does this happen often?"
"Yes," Katniss said, staring at the car in frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with it. I just had an alternator put in. I have new brakes. I get oil changes religiously. I even wash it at least once a month."
Thresh smiled sympathetically. "How old is the car?"
"About 19 years," she mumbled.
Peeta winced; Thresh's lips formed a silent "O."
"I know, I know," she said. "I need another car. I just can't afford a new one right now."
Rue wrapped an arm supportively around her shoulder. Nearly a year had passed since Katniss took a salary. She put all she had into making her non-profit successful, sacrificing her finances, her social life, her sleep.
"Is there any way to fix it?" Rue asked. "At least so it's drivable for tonight?"
Peeta and Thresh mumbled between each other, checking various parts of the engine.
"My best guess is that either the battery is dead or it's the fuel pump," Peeta said.
Thresh nodded. "Or your timing belt."
Worry flickered in Katniss's eyes. "I had the battery replaced about six months ago," she said. "And I think the timing belt was changed about two years ago."
"Then it's probably the fuel pump," Thresh said.
"What does that cost to replace?"
He and Peeta exchanged shrugs. "Anywhere from $300 to $600 is my guess," Thresh said.
Katniss sighed heavily. "Well that's not ideal, but it's not the worst estimate ever."
"Maybe we should look for another car," Rue chimed in. "Something more reliable. It doesn't have to be new."
"I think she's right," Thresh added. "This one will keep putting you down."
Katniss nodded, her shoulders sagging. Peeta hated seeing dejection on her face.
"Why don't we do this. Tomorrow is Saturday. We don't have to work. Why don't we leave your car here tonight, and Thresh and I can come back tomorrow morning to get a better look in the daylight. Right now, it's hard to really see what may be wrong."
"I feel like such a burden," Katniss said, her brows squeezed.
"You're not," Peeta reassured. "We'd be glad to help."
"Absolutely," said Thresh. "Any friend of Rue is a friend of mine."
Katniss smiled weakly. Her only other choice was to call him, her ex, Gale Hawthorne who lived 25 minutes away. Every time they were together, they fell into the same trap: Small talk, arguing, sex, more arguing, sourly parting ways.
"Okay. Thanks. I owe you both."
Peeta jogged to his car and pulled it around to Katniss's stalled vehicle. She and Rue gathered some papers and files from her backseat, along with the plaque. Thresh climbed into Peeta's backseat with Rue, forcing Katniss to the front.
Peeta asked Katniss to direct him to her house, knowing Thresh would get on him later for not dropping her off last. But despite his attraction to her, Peeta knew anything romantic was out of the question. It had to be that way.
On Katniss's direction, Peeta drove to Kinnerman Parkway which led to another part of town, heavily-populated and more reasonably priced than those downtown, where the pavilion and Latier were located.
They reached Katniss's apartment community, located two lefts, a roundabout, and a sharp right from the parkway. Her rental community was small, a cul-de-sac of five refurbished townhouses.
"I'm number 875," she said.
"Are you going to be okay for the rest of the night," Peeta asked. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'll be fine. I can't thank you guys enough."
She climbed out the front seat and began collecting her things.
"So can we set a time?" Thresh asked. "Maybe tomorrow morning around 11?"
"That sounds perfect," she said. Peeta nodded in agreement.
Katniss and Rue exchanged a smile. "Call me if you need me, okay?" Rue said.
"I will. Goodnight everyone."
They waited until she entered her unit, flipped on the lights and returned to the door to wave.
After they pulled off, Katniss realized she was still wearing Peeta's jacket. It smelled like his cologne, something with hints of cinnamon and vanilla.
"Peeta Mellark," she murmured, not sure what to make of the girlish grin spreading across her lips.