Late May

Katniss settled on the couch to drink her morning coffee and check her Tumblr dashboard. She looked at the clock and knew she had time to respond to a few new messages. There was one from Serene-Pilot.

Madame, check your inbox. Lucky chapter 13 is waiting for you with my comments. I know it's odd but 13 has always been a lucky number for me. It was my number on my high school wrestling uniform and the only match I ever lost was to my older brother. Do you have a lucky number?

Work has been keeping me busy. My current project has made a lot of progress. Tonight I get to meet with more people in the business community of the town I'm working in. I don't mind parties. I get to meet new people and learn new things. It allows me to find out what people consider important within a community. Then I can ensure my business helps to meet those needs.

I have to admit that part of me wishes I could stay home tonight and read 4EverMal's new fic. She published twenty chapters at once. I'd like nothing better than to sit back on my couch with Biscuit, my iPad, and a beer and just take the night off…but as they say, there is no rest for the wicked. ;)

-Serene-Pilot

Clicking respond, Katniss replied:

Hmmmm. I've never really thought about whether or not I had a lucky number but if I had to pick one, I guess it would be 4. Whenever I have to pick a number from 1 to 10 that's always my choice.

Funny, I have to go to a business function tonight too. I hate them. I'm terrible at small talk and never feel like I know what to say but it's important that my boyfriend and I both go. Me for my business and him for the networking. Ugh…Networking. I just keep the following mantra in my head, "Fake it, until you make it."

I had to go shopping last weekend to pick out a new dress for the event. It should be noted that one way that I am definitely not like a girl is that I absolutely hate shopping. If I could order all my clothes online, I would. However, one of my friends forced me out to the mall last weekend. A least the cocktail dress is in my favorite color.

My favorite color is green by the way, dark forest green to be specific. What is yours?

-Warrior-Woman

Katniss clicked send and then navigated over to her and AO3 accounts so she could respond to a couple of reviews that came in overnight. When she was finished, she went back to scan her dashboard and saw a reply n her inbox.

I bet you will look very pretty in the green dress. By the way, my favorite color is orange.

-Serene-Pilot

She scrunched her face at his message. Orange? Who likes the color orange? Clicking respond, she typed:

Orange? Really? Like the color worn on safety vests and traffic cones?

-Warrior-Woman

By lunchtime that day, she had a response in her inbox.

LOL. Yes, orange but not safety orange. More like a soft, muted orange. Like at sunset.

-Serene-Pilot

She responded:

You're right that is a pretty color.

-Warrior Woman.

Katniss really did wish she could skip the party that evening, but considering the changes coming to Panem with increased competition for her business, she knew it wasn't wise. The Panem Chamber of Commerce's president, Plutarch Heavensbee, was hosting the affair.

That evening she dressed with care. Her new green cocktail dress was a simple sleeveless sheath dress with a v-neckline. She carefully braided her hair into sections and before twisting the plaits into a sophisticated updo. Her only adornments were gold hoop earrings and her mockingjay pin. Her daddy had given her the pin when she was a girl. It had the shape of a bird, which her father called a mockingjay, before he spun a tall tale about the mythical creature. She slipped on her practical Cole Haan sling-back black pumps and checked her appearance. Satisfied, she walked out of the bedroom and found Gale waiting for her in the living room ready to go.

"You look beautiful, Catnip! If we didn't have to be somewhere–"

Katniss playfully slapped away his arm as he reached for her. "Come on. We need to go."

When they arrived at the cocktail party, it was already in full swing. They began circulating around the room, saying hello to the people they knew and meeting the new faces.

They were visiting with the owner of a local construction company when Gale's head shot up having noticed something across the room. He must have spotted someone. Shortly thereafter, the owner of one of the electrician firms joined their little group allowing them to slip away.

"Katniss, there is someone I'd like you to meet," Gale said.

"Okay. Who?"

"It's the architect I'm working with on the textile mill redevelopment project. She just arrived a little while ago."

Her brow furrowed for a moment. Was that who he noticed? She hooked her arm with his and smiled. "I'd love to meet her."

They made their way across the room to a blonde woman who was standing a little off to herself.

"Madge," Gale called.

The woman's face brightened upon recognizing Gale. Katniss definitely hadn't met her before.

"Madge Undersee, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Katniss Everdeen. Katniss, as I told you before, Madge is the architect I'm working with on my current project. She just moved here at the beginning of the year."

"Nice to meet you, Madge. So you are the person keeping Gale late at work."

Madge blushed then sputtered, "It's nice to meet you, too." She quickly recovered and continued, "Gale has told me so much about you. I don't mean to keep him late. We just have tight deadlines on this project."

Katniss laughed. "I'm just teasing. This isn't the first project where he's been kept over."

"How are you enjoying the party?" Gale asked Madge.

"Oh, it's fine, but I don't really know anyone other than you, Effie, and the boss. And now of course Katniss."

"Gale, why don't you walk Madge around and introduce her? You both need to mingle with different people than I do anyways," Katniss offered.

"Are you sure, Catnip?"

"Yes. I'll be fine on my own. If I need you, I know where I can find you."

Gale nodded then led Madge away to meet contractors and subcontractors in Panem's construction industry. She watched them as they moved across the room. Gale must have said something funny because Madge laughed and playfully smacked at his forearm. They seemed really comfortable with each other. It was a good thing she trusted Gale, otherwise she might have been jealous.

Katniss mingled with the other small business owners that worked in the business district. Many expressed concern for Everdeen's with the opening of Mellark's in a few months' time. She assured them that Everdeen's wasn't planning to go anywhere. Her business offered personalized service, not to mention, Sae prepared the best soup and sandwiches in town.

Needing a break from defending the prospects of her business repeatedly, she excused herself from the current group of people she was visiting with and made her way over to the buffet. She picked up a plate and started to select bites of the various tidbits being offered when she bumped into a man. A handsome blond man. Peeta.

"Oh, it's you."

"Hello, Katniss. How are you doing?"

"You promised to come back to the café, but I haven't seen you," she said with a smile.

"Oh, sorry." Peeta laughed. "The last few months have been so busy. You know, getting settled and all."

"Well, you really should come by. We are just about to switch to our summer menu, which is fantastic. You have to try our watermelon salad."

"Oh, Katniss there you are!" Plutarch Heavensbee interrupted.

"Hello, Plutarch. How have you been?"

"Good, good. There is someone I wanted to introduce you to since your businesses are similar, but I see you've already met Peeta Mellark?"

Her jaw dropped slightly and she felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Her eyes bounced from Plutarch to Peeta and back to Plutarch. Plutarch enjoyed "colorful" gatherings, but she refused to add to the night's color by overreacting. Katniss forced a tight smile and then said, "Yes, Peeta ate in the café a while back. I was just telling him that he should come back as we are switching to the summer menu."

"Good, good. I must move along – I need to find Cressida. You two have fun talking about the health food business." Plutarch walked off and shouted above the crowd at some other poor individual.

Katniss turned to Peeta and hissed, "You lied to me."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You kept your name from me when you visited my store."

"That's not lying."

"Semantics. It's a lie of omission."

"I could tell that day, you wouldn't have been happy to meet me," he answered simply as he picked mushrooms off the top of his mini-quiche.

"Are you really picking off the shitake's on that quiche? Are you five?"

"I hate mushrooms."

"Do you not understand all the healing properties in shitake mushrooms? And you dare to say you are in the health food business?"

"You know lady, you really are a piece of work! Aren't you?" he snapped.

Katniss huffed, silenced by his hostility. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and stomped off to search for Gale. He was off in the corner visiting with Madge. She joined them and grabbed his scotch, downing it in one gulp.

"Are you alright, Catnip?"

"Gale, you would not believe the nerve of the guy I was just talking to. Peeta Mellark. Of Mellark's." She shook her head and closed her eyes.

"Catnip, do you want to go?"

"No. I won't let him chase me off. I should also talk to a few more people. Heck! These are my people. He's the newcomer here."

Gale smiled his approval as she turned around and began to work the room. As she had told her beta this morning, she hated small talk and chitchat but she would fake it to save her business. She would not allow anyone within Panem's small business community to see anything besides confidence from her. She had been around in this community long enough to know that when others smelled fear, the sharks started circling. Lines of credit at the bank would begin to dry up. Others would make low-ball offers to buy property. She refused to let that happen. The party had now become an arena and she was determined to be the victor.

Katniss and Gale returned home shortly after ten. He showered and immediately crashed but she was too wound up. She found herself on the couch working on the next chapter of her fic until well after midnight, writing and revising chapter fourteen until she felt it was ready for another's eyes. She drafted her e-mail to Serene-Pilot with the chapter attached and hit send when she noticed he was online in G-chat. They had never chatted live before. Taking a chance, she sent him an invitation.

Serene-Pilot: Hello! How was your evening? Did you survive the party?

Warrior-Woman: Better now than a few hours ago.

Warrior-Woman: I did survive – barely.

Serene-Pilot: Was it that bad?

Warrior-Woman: Not at first, but I ran into the man who is my business nemesis. I froze. He said something so hostile that it took my breath. I didn't know how to respond to him so I walked away. Of course, afterward I could think of a thousand comebacks, but at the time, I was just shell-shocked.

Serene-Pilot: I wish I had that problem. I'm good at responding to people and keeping the upper hand but that also means that I sometimes say things I regret. I can be accidentally very cruel, in a way I never normally would be if I wasn't in the heat of the moment and I had just taken the time to think before I spoke. I'm ashamed to say that I did that tonight. I felt terrible afterwards. Especially since before we started arguing she seemed like a very nice woman that I would have liked to get to know better.

Warrior-Woman: For once, I just wish I could react as you do. I came home and lost myself in writing for a couple hours. That helped calm me down.

Serene-Pilot: Writing is such a good outlet. As you know, I've never written fanfiction myself, but I enjoy betaing. I like helping others refine their stories.

Serene-Pilot: When I need to lose myself, I draw or paint. That's what I did when I came home to cool down.

Warrior-Woman: Have you ever drawn any fanart?

Serene-Pilot: Yes, but I've never shared it. The truth is I've never really shown anyone my work since I was a boy.

Warrior-Woman: Well, I'd love to see it.

Serene-Pilot: Maybe I'll show you one day.

Warrior-Woman: I just looked at the time. I really should call it a night.

Serene-Pilot: Me too. Biscuit has been bugging me for an hour wanting me to go to bed. Darn demanding cat.

Warrior-Woman: Scratch his head for me. Night.

Serene-Pilot: Good night to you too.

A/N:

Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.

If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7

The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.

As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.