Katniss glanced across the open office at the wall clock that read 2:45 p.m. Oh, no. Only fifteen minutes before Capitol's department store closes for Christmas. She pressed the "off" switch on the side of the electric typewriter, leaving a half-typed memo to be completed after the holiday.
"I'm done," she announced to the few co-workers who remained at the desks surrounding her own. She stood up, removed her long green coat from the back of her chair and put it on over her professional attire of a white blouse and pleated navy skirt. Then she reached for the brown leather briefcase, which contained her purse and empty lunch sack. "Merry Christmas everyone," she called out as she rushed toward the elevator.
Pushing the "down" button, she tapped her foot insistently as she waited for the elevator to arrive.
How did I lose all track of time? I'd feel so bad if I had nothing to give Prim tomorrow.
Katniss had had to special order the microscope for her high-school aged sister because Capitol's didn't have one in stock. It had arrived a few days ago. I should have gotten it immediately when I got the call. Not wait until the last minute when I have other things to do tonight.
Snow was falling as she exited the office building. She scowled. There was nothing in the forecast about snow. I'm not dressed for it. Buttoning her coat, she walked quickly, but cautiously, in high heels down the icy sidewalk. Don't slip. She wished she'd worn her hair down today instead of in a bun because her ears were stinging from the cold. Fortunately, the store was only a couple of blocks away.
Please be open, please be open, please be open, she repeated to herself as large white flakes stuck to her coat. She soon rounded the corner and found herself at the store's grand, old-fashioned entrance which featured a row of eight doors with gold handles. Pulling the handle of the first door, she breathed a sigh of relief as it whooshed outward and warm air passed over her. Yeah! Not closed yet.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed another shopper – a blond-haired man dressed in a long gray overcoat and red knit scarf – reaching for the handle of a door further down the row. He gave her a relieved look and then a small, dimpled smile. It cheered her up to know she wasn't the only person rushing at the last minute.
As she stepped inside, a tall tree decorated with colored lights and shiny glass balls caught her attention. Katniss headed in the direction of that landmark because it was next to the escalator. Her heels clicked loudly on the tile floor as she walked causing her to wince. That wince turned into a grimace when she arrived at the escalator. The moving stairs were turned off. The store had an elevator, but she didn't want to listen to her heels click as she walked all over the first floor looking for it. Instead, she walked up the frozen escalator stairs carefully, not wanting her narrow heels to get caught in the grooves that lined the metal steps.
At the top, Katniss turned to the right and headed toward the counter where she'd ordered the microscope. No one was at the counter, so she rang the bell next to the cash register and waited for someone to appear. After a couple of minutes, she rang it again. Still, no one arrived to help her.
"Anyone here?" she called out.
No answer. "Well, that's just great," she muttered.
She left the counter and walked to the neighboring department where sporting equipment was sold. Maybe someone there could be of assistance. But the same sight greeted her. No salespeople and curiously enough she realized, no customers either. She walked the entire circuit of the second floor, passing the toy department, the platform set aside for Santa to sit and greet excited kiddies, and the linens and bedding area. But the floor was empty of employees.
Have they all gone home? She suddenly remembered the blond-haired man who'd entered the store along with her. Someone must be helping him. I'll go downstairs.
Katniss scanned the floor below as she made her way down the escalator stairs, but she didn't see anyone. An unsettling sensation swept over her. This seems like a bad dream.
"Is anyone here?" she called out as she reached the bottom step.
She sighed in relief as the blond-haired man came around the side of the Christmas tree and rushed up to her.
"The employees have gone home, and we're locked in," he said matter-of-factly.
He must have made a mistake. "That can't be right. We got inside."
He gave her a rueful grin, running a hand through his wavy hair. "Well, the doors are locked now. I tried every single one, and I can't get out of here."
Not believing him, she rushed to the entrance, not caring a whit about the sound of her heels. She pushed and then tugged at all eight doors. None would budge. Through the window, she saw the snow was continuing to fall. The street was empty of cars and the sidewalk was empty of pedestrians.
Hands in his pockets, the man stared at the snowy scene before them. "It looks bad out there."
I'll never make it home in these shoes. But then I'll never make it home tonight if I can't get out of the store.
Gone was her concern about not having a Christmas present for her sister. Now she just wanted to escape from Capitol's. She turned toward the man throwing up her hands as if to ask, what do we do? Find a heavy object to shatter one of the glass doors?
He pulled his right hand from his pocket and extended it toward her. "My name's Peeta."
Peeta stood a couple of inches taller than her with her heels on. His hair was ashy blond that curled around his forehead, and his eyes were a deep shade of blue.
She reached for his large hand taking in the callouses on his thumbs as his hand closed around hers. Instead of shaking her hand, though, Peeta squeezed it gently. Katniss reveled in the immediate sensation of warmth and friendliness that overwhelmed her. There was something about Peeta that seemed safe and oddly familiar though she couldn't put her finger on it.
After an awkward pause, she introduced herself, quickly following with a question. "Do you have any idea as to what we can do?"
"The administrative offices are on the third floor. We should go up there. Someone might still be at their desk working. Anyway, the tearoom is up there, too. Maybe they shut down early for an employee party."
An employee party on Christmas Eve while a snowstorm rages? That seems unlikely. But it is possible that a manager has stayed late. At any rate, it's a much better idea than trying to break a door.
Her face brightened. "Okay, let's check out the third floor."
They turned back toward the escalator, her heels clicking loudly. "How about we take the elevator," she suggested.
"There's an out-of-order sign on it," Peeta said.
Just my luck.
When they reached the escalator, Katniss stopped to take off her high heels. Yes, her stockings might get snagged on the metal steps and cause a run, but it would be less expensive to replace a pair of stockings than to repair a broken heel. Plus, she was tired of the "clicking" noise, and anyway her feet were aching.
Peeta gave her a curious look.
"It's tricky to walk up an escalator in narrow heels," she explained as she put her shoes into her briefcase.
They climbed to the third floor which housed the furniture department. Living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture was set out across the carpeted floor in room arrangements. Peeta led the way, walking through a half dozen living room settings to reach the administrative offices. Katniss followed. But the customer service counter was shrouded in darkness, as were the offices beyond it.
"How about we try the tearoom?" Peeta suggested.
The tearoom was on the other side of the floor, so they walked back through the living room settings, around the escalator and then through a few bedroom arrangements before they entered Capitol's small restaurant.
The lights were still on in the dining area, and the tables were set as if awaiting customers. But, alas, it, too, was empty.
Katniss spied a telephone on a counter that was likely used by the hostess to accept reservations. "Let's call the fire department and tell them we're locked inside," she said, excitedly. She picked up the receiver, but there was no dial tone. "It's dead. But maybe another phone would work."
With a plan in place, the couple split up spending the next ten minutes going through the entire store lifting up the receiver on every telephone listening for a dial tone. But none of the phones were operating.
They met up again on the third floor next to the escalator. "The storm might have knocked out the phone system," Peeta suggested.
Katniss bit her lip. What a mess. Her stomach growled loudly at that moment, causing her to look away from Peeta in embarrassment.
"I'm hungry, too," he said, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "Let's go to the tearoom and find something to eat. We'll both think better on a full stomach."
They returned to the tearoom, and then passed through the swinging doors that led into the kitchen. Peeta opened the refrigerator. He pulled out some pans and set them onto the long counter. Then he peeled back the foil to inspect the contents. It was leftovers from the tearoom's special Christmas Eve luncheon: ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
"This looks good," Peeta said. "It just needs to be heated up." He turned the oven on and then looked around until he located an empty pan and some large spoons. He grabbed a white towel off the counter and placed it over his shoulder.
"You sure know your way around this kitchen," Katniss remarked. "It's almost like you work here."
"I spend all day in a bakery kitchen," Peeta said, as he portioned out food into the empty pan. "Most commercial kitchen are set up the same." He looked up at her and smiled. "What about you? What do you do for a living?"
"I work in an office."
Peeta opened the oven door and put the pan on the rack to heat. He leaned back against the counter and turned to Katniss. "Will your family contact the authorities if you don't return home tonight?"
Katniss shook her head. "Unfortunately, not. I live alone. My family lives upstate. They won't realize I'm missing until I don't show up at the train station in District 12 tomorrow afternoon."
"No worried boyfriend?"
"Nope," she murmured, her cheeks growing warm. She'd hadn't date in a year and a half.
Katniss decided to reverse the tables on Peeta. She couldn't help but be curious. "What about you? Is there a girl who'll be calling around to track you down tonight."
Katniss expected he had plenty of girlfriends – a guy as good-looking as Peeta would have no trouble attracting women.
But Peeta shook his head. "There's no one who cares where I am tonight. And my family won't notice I'm gone until Christmas dinner tomorrow afternoon. Guess we can count out the thought that anyone will send out a search party for us."
He reached for two dinner plates from a shelf and set them onto the counter. "Everything's probably warm by now." He opened the oven door and removed the towel from his shoulder to use as a potholder. After portioning the food out on plates, he picked one up in each hand. "We may as well eat in the dining room."
Katniss walked ahead to hold open one of the swinging doors. Peeta set the plates down on the nearest table. "Would you like some water?" he asked.
She nodded, then unbuttoned her coat and placed it over the back of the chair. She set her brief case onto the floor and sat down at the table, unfolded the napkin, and placed it in her lap. She dug her toes into the carpet as she waited for Peeta to return. He was soon back with two glasses of ice water.
Before sitting down, he removed his coat and scarf as well, placing them over the back of his chair. The blue pullover sweater he wore only made his eyes look even bluer.
He's really cute. She told herself to stop it. What's wrong with you? You spend an hour alone with a guy and you forget how awful it can get when it's over. He's not interested in you. He's only being polite.
Still a kind of shyness came over her. She stabbed a green been with her fork. Quietness reigned as they began to eat. But after a few minutes, Peeta continued their conversation. "How did you end up at Capitol's so late in the day?"
Katniss swallowed a mouthful of creamy potatoes. "I had to special order a gift for my sister. It didn't arrive until a few days ago. I should have picked it up then."
Peeta cut his ham with a knife. "I understand. It's a busy time of year. What did you get her?"
"A microscope. Prim's taking a lot of science classes in high school, and she wanted to do some experiments. She hoping to go to medical school."
"She sounds smart."
Katniss picked up her glass of water and took a sip. "She is. I'm proud of her."
Peeta grinned. "I can tell. You beam when you talk about her."
"What about you?" Katniss asked eager to get the attention off herself. "Why are you at Capitol's at the last minute?"
"My brothers and I chipped in to buy my mother a purse. My brother Rye was supposed to have picked it up; but he didn't. He gave me the money to get it this morning, because he was leaving to go skiing, but the bakery was extra busy today. I got a late start."
They ate in silence for a few more minutes until Katniss broke the ice. "Do you have any other thoughts about how we can out of here?"
"It's dumb, but maybe we could make some signs and tape them to the front doors saying we're trapped inside."
"That's not dumb. It's like writing SOS in the sand on a beach."
"Exactly."
After they finished eating, they carried their plates into the kitchen. "I think we ought to wash the dishes," Peeta said. "We already appropriated their food; I don't want to leave a mess behind as well."
Katniss agreed. They made quick work of it. Peeta washed, Katniss dried.
They found some scratch paper in the waste can under a desk in the administrative office. They both took pens and wrote:
HELP
Customers Locked Inside
Carrying a tape dispenser along with them, they returned to the first floor.
"I don't know how many people are going to walk by and see our message," Peeta said as they approached the doors.
In the glow of the streetlamps, the falling snow presented a cozy scene outside. It looks like we're in a snow globe. If only we weren't locked inside.
After taping a paper to each of the eight doors, they climbed the escalator to the third floor to put away the tape dispenser and retrieve their coats from the dining room. The temperature in the store had dropped. Katniss even put her high heels back on to keep her toes warm.
They re-located to the living room section to sit. Katniss choose a large, upholstered armchair with a flowered print and Peeta sat on a love seat with a checked pattern that faced her. "What do we do now?" Katniss asked, as she set her briefcase on the ground beside her.
"Wait, I suppose. The only other way out would to be to pull the fire alarm, but that might set off the sprinklers. I don't want to be responsible for flooding the store. I couldn't replace all this stuff," Peeta waved his arms around, "on my salary."
Katniss grinned back at him. "I agree with you on that."
A minute or two of comfortable silence reigned as both were lost in their thoughts.
Peeta broke the ice. "I never expected to spend Christmas Eve locked in Capitol's. I was hoping to spend the evening wrapping gifts and decorating a gingerbread house."
Katniss' eyebrows rose. "A gingerbread house?"
"The gingerbread house is the centerpiece for my parents' Christmas table."
"That sounds nice. I'd be wrapping gifts, too, and packing my suitcase." She frowned. "At least those were my plans."
"How long have you been living here in Dandelion City?"
"A year and a half. I wanted to do something different with my life." Because my boyfriend dumped me and left me doubting everything I thought I knew. But she kept that thought to herself.
"That sounds exciting," Peeta said. "I've never lived anywhere else. I grew up in Dandelion Ciry and will likely spend the rest of my life here working for the family business. We're bakers, but I mentioned that before."
"Do you like it?"
"I do. There's always something different. I like to decorate the cakes. Birthday cakes, retirement cakes, wedding cakes, and so on. I hear so many interesting stories and meet so many interesting people. And we switch up our products to match the seasons, hot cross buns for Easter, apple pie for 4th of July, and pumpkin bread in the fall. Things are always changing."
I never would have guessed.
"You said you worked in an office. Do you like your job? It must be important if you need to carry a briefcase to work."
Katniss shook her head. "My job's not that important. I'm a typist and I file papers. The briefcase was a gift from my sister. I carry my purse and my lunch in it."
"Well, I'm impressed that you moved away from your hometown and made a life for yourself," Peeta said. "That's very adventurous of you."
I wasn't looking for adventure. I was looking to escape from District 12 where everything reminded me of a future that wasn't going to happen. "Thanks, but it hasn't been easy."
Peeta's voice lowered, taking on a soothing tone. "I'd guess it could be lonely to leave everyone you love behind."
"It is," she mumbled. She wanted to slap herself as tears formed in her eyes. Why has this conversation gotten me so sentimental? Maybe because it's Christmas Eve and I'm locked in a department store with a stranger.
"I visited Santa one time at Capitol's when I was little," Peeta said.
Katniss was grateful for his change of subject. "Yes, I saw his chair. It's next to the toy department.
"It was a clever move to put him near the toys," Peeta said. "It gives kids ideas about what to ask for and parents a chance to purchase the items while their child's attention is on Santa."
Katniss was staring at Peeta as he spoke when a movement beyond his shoulder, at the other end of the store, caught her attention. Her eyes grew big as a mustard-yellow creature ran across the floor and into the entrance of the tearoom. "What was that?" she exclaimed, her hand rising to point at it.
Peeta turned his head around to look. But it was too late. The creature was long gone. He turned back to Katniss. "What did you see?"
"A small animal just ran into the tearoom."
"It probably was a mouse."
More likely a rat. It was bigger than a mouse. Katniss visibly shivered. "And we ate food from the kitchen."
"The food came out of the refrigerator," Peeta said. "And we put everything away and cleaned up after ourselves. It's not that unusual that there'd be the odd mouse in an old building like this. It's over 100 years old, after all.
"Hey, I have an idea. Let's go to the second floor and look at the toys. It would be fun to see what kids are playing with these days."
Katniss could care less about visiting the toy department, but she was eager to leave the third floor that she now imagined it was crawling with rats. Surely that rat wasn't alone. He must have family members nearby.
"Okay," she said as she sprang up from the chair. With her briefcase in hand, she followed Peeta down the escalator.
The toy section, along with Santa's throne, took up at least a quarter of the second floor. Peeta stepped up on the platform that held Santa's throne and sat on the large chair.
"I always wanted to do this."
He beamed at Katniss, and she couldn't help but imagine that with a beard he'd make a great Santa Claus. Of course, he's too young to play Santa. Maybe Santa's son.
"Do you have a good memory of visiting Santa here?" she asked.
"A funny memory, actually," Peeta said. "I never made it to Santa's lap because my brother Rye was ahead of me. He pulled at Santa's beard, and it came off his face. All the kids in line saw. A few started to holler and cry. Then Santa let out some choice words and a lady dressed like Mrs. Claus shut the whole thing down. I guess Santa needed a break."
Katniss chuckled. "I guess he did."
Peeta stood up from the chair. "Those were simpler times," he said. He stepped off the platform and began to walk down the nearest aisle studying the toys on the shelf. "It looks like kids are interested in the same stuff I was. Paint sets, modeling clay, and Easy Bake Ovens."
"Easy Bake Ovens?" Katniss laughed aloud.
"Well, baking's in my blood," Peeta replied. "What kinds of toys did you play with?"
"The usual, dolls, and dishes, and jump ropes." Katniss glanced down at the briefcase she carried. Working in an office was never part of my childhood dream.
As she made her way up and down the toy aisles, warm memories of childhood Christmases came over her. Waking up Prim to see what Santa had left them. The festive mood in their house that ensued when their father admired the craftmanship of Santa's elves and their mother made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Putting on a new dress and going to church to sing carols and then returning home to enjoy a meal.
Of course, all that changed after Dad died.
But still it was enjoyable to focus on pleasant moments from the past. There were so many.
A squeak sounded, startling Katniss from her thoughts. "This would be perfect," Peeta said.
Katniss turned her eyes away from the plastic tea set she'd been examining to walk around the corner.
Peeta held a plump baker squeak toy in his hands, and grinned. "My sister-in-law is expecting. This would be a great toy for the baby." He turned it over in his hands, before setting it down on the shelf. "I can't wait to be an uncle. I'll come back and purchase this later."
Beyond Peeta, a mustard-yellow creature ran past Santa's throne chair and into the back room behind the toy department.
Katniss took in a sharp breath.
Peeta caught her eye. "What's wrong."
"I just saw another rodent."
Peeta turned his head to look, but the creature had already vanished.
"This store must be infested," Katniss continued.
"I can understand if they're on the third floor because the tearoom's up there," Peeta said. "But there's no food source on this floor."
He sounds like he doesn't believe me. "I know what I saw."
"Do you want to go downstairs?" he asked.
"Yes. Maybe it's stopped snowing."
But as they made their way back to the store's entrance, they could see that the storm hadn't let up. Several inches lay on the sidewalk. A few of their SOS signs had fallen to the floor as the glass doors were too cold to keep the tape sticky enough to hold up the paper.
Katniss sighed in frustration. Up until now, chatting with Peeta and eating dinner with him had been pleasant, fun even, but now locked inside Capitol's with the largest mice she'd ever seen, she just wanted out. What now?
"I've been thinking about purchasing a new pair of shoes," Peeta said. "Would you mind if we went to the shoe department to look around."
"Of course not." They'd already window shopped in the toy department. Why not look around the shoe department as well?
Capitol's shoe section was located at the rear of the first floor. It was a large area that spanned the entire width of the store. Peeta headed toward the section displaying shoes for men, while Katniss walked over to the display of women's shoes. Her feet hurt, and the loud clicking of her heels was driving her crazy. She desperately wanted to take her shoes off. But the thought of the critters she'd seen running through the store stopped her.
Instead, Katniss walked to a table displaying women's slippers. Would it be wrong if she borrowed a pair to wear while she was stuck in the store? She picked up a fuzzy pink slipper lined with soft fur. This looks comfortable.
Of course, the slipper's mate was in a box in the stockroom behind the shoe section. She glanced over at Peeta. He was perusing men's dress shoes, picking them up one by one and studying their soles. "I'll be right back," she called out as she set off, slipper in hand, for the curtain that blocked the stock area.
Behind it, were rows and rows of shelves filled with boxes. Fortunately, each shelf was labeled which made the task easier. In only a couple of minutes she found the slipper's mate. She removed her heels, placing them into her briefcase, and putting on the slippers. This is more like it.
"Katniss," Peeta called. "Where are you?"
She made her way out of the row of shelves and met him outside of the curtain.
"Doing some shopping?" Peeta asked, as he noticed her slippers.
"My feet are tired," she explained.
"I've never understood how women can wear heels all day long."
"I only wear them because it's required work attire. I'd much prefer it if I could wear something like this every day." She lifted one foot off the ground and kicked it forward flashing the slipper at Peeta.
"Well, I think you look spiffy. Maybe we should both pick out bathrobes and settle in for the night."
Is he making fun of me? Peeta's voice had a light tone to it, but Katniss wasn't sure.
Why do you care what he thinks about you? This isn't a date.
But as she considered the time they'd already spent together; it did resemble a first date. Dinner and lots of conversation about themselves and their families. The only difference was that it had taken place in a department store in which they were both trapped.
I'd look more put-together wearing the heels, but it's probably for the best he sees the real me.
"Did you find anything you liked?" she asked changing the subject.
"I did," Peeta said. "Rye is getting married in a couple of months and I'm an usher. I'll need to get something fomal to wear with my suit."
He'd look good in a suit. Gray with a red tie would be best, like his overcoat and scarf.
"That's your brother who went skiing?"
Peeta nodded. "He got engaged last month. Once he's married, I'll be the last bachelor in the family. What about you? Do you have any married siblings?"
"No. It's just Prim and me." Katniss pulled her coat tighter around her. "I think the heat's gone off."
"I would have expected they'd leave the heat on so the pipes wouldn't burst, but yeah, it is does seem a bit colder. We should probably go back to the third floor. Heat rises so it should be warmest up there."
Go back to the third floor where rats live. She gave him a half-hearted smile. "Okay, then."
As they walked back to the escalator, Katniss caught sight of the large clock that hung over the doors at the entrance of the store. 5:30 p.m.
It's still early. This is going to be a long night.
She followed Peeta up the escalator steps. Before they reached the second floor, she heard a loud "ho, ho, ho."
Peeta froze in place and turned back to her and whispered. "Did you hear that? There's someone in here with us."
Katniss heart raced. Why didn't we run into that person sooner? We've been all over this store.
Peeta hurried up the remaining steps. "Who's there?" he called out. "Are you locked in here, too?"
Katniss caught up to Peeta who was walking in the direction the sound had come from – the toy section and Santa's throne. But when they reached the chair, it was empty. They looked up and down the aisles of shelves, but no one was there.
"He must be hiding in the stockroom in back," Katniss said.
"But why would someone hide? That doesn't make any sense."
"We should look in the back," Katniss insisted.
"Okay," Peeta said. But he picked up a wooden baseball bat and carried it with him as they made their way through the curtained area that led to the toy stock room. A desk, some boxes and a wall of shelves greeted them. But the room was empty.
"Where did he go?" Peeta asked as they left the stockroom. "You heard the voice, didn't you?"
"I did."
"Let's go to the third floor." Peeta kept the bat with him as they walked back to the escalator. The sight of him carrying it both unnerved her and relieved her. An evening that had started out frustrating, then became pleasant, was turning downright scary. Like something out of a novel by Stephen King.
Katniss shivered. "Before we go upstairs, let's grab a couple of blankets from the bedding department for later. I don't want to go to this floor again."
"Good idea."
Katniss pulled a flowered comforter and blanket off a display rack. Carrying a briefcase in one hand and blankets draped over her other arm while shuffling along in fuzzy pink bedroom slippers, she knew she looked ridiculous. But then Peeta was carrying a baseball bat, swinging it at his side to protect them.
They climbed the escalator to the third floor. At the top was a sofa facing outward. Atop the sofa was a cat. Both Katniss and Peeta froze in place.
"How did a cat get in here?" Peeta blurted out.
Katniss stared at the creature. It was smaller than usual. Its fur was mustard-colored. Suddenly it hit Katniss. I'm an idiot. "That's the animal I saw running into the tearoom, the rodent you said was a mouse.
"It's far too big to be a mouse."
"Well, I thought it was a rat, but I didn't want to frighten you," Katniss explained.
Peeta snorted. "I wouldn't be frightened of a rat." He paused and then repeated his question. "But how did a cat get in the store?"
"Maybe it belongs to Santa," she mumbled. It couldn't have been a cat that said `Ho, ho, ho.'
Katniss moved slowly forward intending to pet the feline. But as she got closer, the animal jumped off the couch and ran across the floor in the direction of the tearoom.
"Maybe the cat lives here to keep away mice," she speculated. "The employees could feed him."
"That would be a wonderful story," Peeta said.
Katniss heard the sarcasm in his tone. He's mocking me.
Peeta came forward and sat down on the sofa that faced the escalator so he could keep watch in case anyone climbed the stairs. Katniss followed and sat down on the other end of the couch.
"Did you ever hear the legend about animals talking on Christmas Eve?" Peeta asked. "My grandmother swore by it. She said they talk at midnight."
Katniss looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "And you're making fun of me because I said a cat might live in the store. Well, it obviously does live here because we both saw him. Do you have another explanation?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to poke fun at you. I guess I'm ill-at-ease because we're clearly not the only ones in here. Unless that cat can talk."
They both stared at each other. Katniss was the first to look away. "I've thought of another explanation. Maybe the cat knocked a talking toy off the shelf. Maybe that was the voice we heard."
Peeta relaxed his grip on the bat. "You know that could be possible. They did have a lot of talking toys."
Katniss had walked up and down the toy aisles. She didn't remember seeing any Santas that could talk. But maybe I missed it.
"You know what would be nice," Peeta said. "A cup of hot chocolate. I saw chocolate powder in the kitchen cupboard and there's cream in the refrigerator."
"Okay." A warm drink would be nice.
Peeta stood up and Katniss followed him across the floor to the tearoom and through the swinging doors into the kitchen.
The cat was nowhere to be seen. Katniss leaned against the metal counter as she watched Peeta prepare the hot drink.
He really knows his way around a kitchen. Most guys don't.
In a couple of minutes, they each had a mug of chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream on top. They made their way back to a different sofa, one with a coffee table in front of it. Katniss set her drink on the table and then walked back to their previous location to retrieve her briefcase and the blankets. She sat down and placed her slippered feet onto the coffee table. Then she leaned back into the cushions to drink her beverage.
Peeta chuckled at the sight. But he did the same, setting the baseball bat onto the couch between them and putting his feet up as well.
"Ah this is the life," he said as he took a sip of chocolate.
Katniss found herself giggling. "It sure it."
They were both quiet for a few minutes. "When do you think we'll get out of here?" Katniss finally asked.
"The doors open early on the 26th for day after Christmas sales," Peeta pointed out.
I hope we're not going to be stuck in here for a day and a half.
"But I imagine someone will notice the signs we taped to the door before then," he added, before yawning.
"Are you tired?" she asked.
"A little. I've been up since 3 a.m."
"So early?"
"I start work before four. We need fresh baked good ready to sell when the shop opens at 7:30 a.m."
Katniss frowned at the idea of rising so early. "That seems like a hard work schedule."
"I'm used to it. But it makes it difficult to have a social life."
They fell into a comfortable silence as they sipped at their drink. Eventually, Peeta set his empty cup mug on the table. He laid his head back onto the couch and his eyes closed. Katniss continued to sip at her drink and think.
Peeta's just like me. I don't a social life either. It's hard making friends in a new place. Her weekends were spent cleaning her tiny apartment, doing her laundry, and taking long walks by alone in the nearest park.
Despite the warm drink, the store seemed colder. Katniss set her empty mug onto the table. She glanced at Peeta. His breathing had changed, and it was clear that he had fallen asleep.
It can't be later than 7 p.m. I guess we're settling in for a long winter's nap.
She removed the bobby pins from her bun which caused her hair to cascade down her back. She massaged the back of her head, and then finger combed her hair and braided it in a single plait that fell over one shoulder.
Then, she stood up and draped the blanket over Peeta. She kicked off the slippers and curled herself up into her corner of the couch wrapping herself in the comforter. Closing her eyes, Katniss quickly dozed off.
Her eyes flew open when she heard the voice.
"Follow me. Follow me. Follow me."
Cautiously, she lifted the comforter that covered her face and peeked out.
The mustard-colored cat was sitting on the coffee table staring at her. His lips were moving. "Follow me, follow me, follow me."
I'm dreaming. Peeta mentioned animals talking on Christmas Eve and I'm dreaming about it.
She glanced over at Peeta. He was still asleep. She could see his chest rising and falling with every breath.
"Wake him up and follow me," the cat instructed her.
She looked back to the cat. "He's tired. Can't you see."
"Wake him up now," the cat said in a louder voice.
I'm not waking him up. Katniss pulled the comforter back over her head.
Now," the cat roared as if he could read her mind. Katniss startled in place. It sounded as if the ugly cat had morphed into a lion who sat less than a foot away.
It's probably a dream anyway so why not wake up Peeta? She pulled the comforter off her head and glared at the cat. The she leaned forward and tapped Peeta on the shoulder.
"Peeta, wake up."
His eyes flew open. Immediately, he pulled his legs off the table and set his feet on the floor. "What, huh, what?"
He turned to look at her, sleepy-eyed and dazed. Katniss couldn't help but think that he looked like a little boy. She had this sudden urge to wrap her arms around him to comfort him.
Where did that come from?
"You must think I'm a lout for nodding off like that," Peeta mumbled, rubbing at his eyes.
"No, you're fine. I was taking a nap as well, see," she raised the comforter.
"Your hair looks nice like that," Peeta said. "It's so long. Is someone here to rescue us?"
Katniss shook her head, pointing at the table. "Nope, but that cat is talking."
Peeta raised his eyebrows in disbelief, but his eyes followed Katniss' hand.
"My name is Buttercup," the cat said. "You must both follow me."
"You can talk." Peeta's eyes grew big.
"Follow me, follow me," the cat intoned.
"But how can it talk?" Peeta questioned. He looked to Katniss.
"You were the one who said animals could speak on Christmas Eve," she said as she pulled the comforter off, and stood up, slipping her feet into the fuzzy slippers. She reached for her briefcase. "Aren't you coming, Peeta?" she asked.
He stood up beside her reaching for the bat. "Okay, lead the way," he said to the cat.
The creature leapt off the table and pranced ahead of them in a stately manner.
"This is a dream, right?" Peeta asked Katniss.
"I thought it was at first, but I can't seem to wake myself up. Could there have been something in the chocolate?"
"I doubt Capitol's is drugging its customers, but how we can we both be experiencing the same dream?" He thought for a moment. "Maybe the cat is a talking toy."
Katniss giggled at the absurdity of a talking and walking toy cat, but she continued to follow Peeta who followed the animal toward a wooden door next to the office area.
Strange I never noticed it before. It looks like the front door of a house.
The cat stopped before it, and then stood up on his haunches to scratch at the wood. A few seconds later, the door opened. An older woman in her fifties stood before them. She was dressed in a long red dress. Her bouffant hairstyle was slightly askew, and Katniss suspected she was wearing a wig.
The women bent down and ran her hand along the cat's back. "Ah, you brought them here, Buttercup. Good kitty. Come inside, I put a saucer of milk out for you."
The cat pranced inside and disappeared.
The woman turned to Katniss and Peeta. "Hello Katniss and Peeta. I'm Effie. We've been waiting for you."
How does she know our names?
Peeta raised his baseball bat slightly. He looked to Katniss as if he was silently asking her opinion of the matter.
"How could you have been waiting for us?" Katniss blurted out. "We're not even supposed to be here. We got locked in the store."
"I know, that was very clever of us, don't you think?"
A sense of foreboding swept over Katniss. She looked at Peeta. Do something.
"Who's `we'?" Peeta asked.
"That would be me son." A man walked up behind Effie. He wore a dark suit. "I'm Haymitch Abernathy. I'm the owner of Capitol's. You've already met my better half. Now why don't you two come inside. We need to talk."
The owner? Katniss glanced down at the slippers on her feet. She remembered the food they'd eaten. Are we in trouble?
Katniss threw Peeta a nervous glance, before stepping inside the doorway. Peeta followed her.
They both followed Effie down a short hallway that opened into a large living room. The furniture was antique in fashion – a long sofa with velvet cushions and curved wooden arm rests, ornate side tables, and high-back upholstered chairs. Overhead was a chandelier with dangling glass crystals. A player piano sat on the wall. Next to it was a Christmas tree lit by candles. Beyond the furniture, heavy drapes were pulled back to reveal a view of the street. The snow was still falling.
"I always loved evenings like this," Effie said as approached the window. "It makes the world seem so restful and welcoming."
It is cozy in here.
"We were lucky to be able to come back here," Haymitch said from behind them. "Sit down, make yourselves comfortable."
Katniss sat on the velvet sofa, setting her briefcase on the floor next to her. Peeta sat down beside her. He lay the bat across his lap.
"Would you like some eggnog?" Effie asked, as she turned away from the window. "Haymitch has the perfect recipe. It warms you up but doesn't leave you tipsy."
"I'd like to know what's going on," Peeta said. His hands tightened around the bat.
"It's like this son," Haymitch said. "Have you ever heard of `a match made in heaven'?"
Peeta eyebrows rose.
"I have," Katniss said. "It's not real."
Haymitch looked to Katniss. "Well, that's where you're wrong sweetheart. You and Peeta, here, have been set up by the highest authority - Heaven itself. That's why we locked both of you in the store tonight. It was the last chance for your lives to intersect."
Katniss' cheeks burned as she thought about what Haymitch had said.She side eyed Peeta who was sitting beside her to get his reaction. To her astonishment, he was blushing, too.
"That doesn't make any sense," Katniss argued. "We both live in Dandelion City. If we're meant to be together, why couldn't we meet in some other way?"
"Oh, sweetie, you were supposed to take a train trip tomorrow morning," Effie explained.
Were they listening in on my conversation with Peeta?
"Let's just say this unexpected snow has shut down the railroad," Effie continued. "Lives will be saved."
Katniss eyes grew big. "There was going to be a train accident?"
"Not anymore," Effie said. "But don't think about it."
"Who are you two?" Peeta blurted out. "You said you own Capitol's, but you talk as if you're divine messengers or…"
"We're not angels, son, by any means," Haymitch answered.
"Angels are other beings entirely," Effie explained. "No, we're simply blessed souls fortunate enough to be allowed to return to our old stomping grounds to be sure that a heavenly match is completed. It's a great honor we were granted. Now how about some eggnog?"
xxxxxxxxxxx
Effie's right. This stuff is delicious. Katniss put the china mug to her lips and sipped the sweet liquid, that contained just a touch of alcohol. Enough to make me warm and toasty all over. They had all moved to the table to eat after Haymitch's explanation as to why she and Peeta were locked in the store.
Of course, the story is ridiculous. The owners of Capitol's are obviously lonely and eccentric. They've trapped us here because they didn't want to celebrate Christmas alone.
But a part of her wished that what they'd said was true. How wonderful it would be to be sure about love. To know that you'd never be thrown over because you said the wrong thing, or weren't the prettiest girl in the room, or because you had morals.
It would be so freeing to be accepted for myself instead of having to play a game.
Katniss took a second slice of fruitcake from the platter of treats that sat in the middle of the table. She'd already eaten a sugar cookie, a gingerbread square, and three chocolate truffles.
But it's almost Christmas. Who's counting?
As she ate and drank, Katniss listened to Effie talk. She certainly is a chatterbox.
Effie told them a story about when she and Haymitch first met. "Haymitch was just starting out. He was a clerk in a small shop on 451 Panem Street."
"Hey, I know that place…" Peeta interrupted, but Effie shook her head and kept talking.
"I came in to buy some gloves, but they didn't have what I was looking for. Haymitch went out of his way to help me find them at another shop. I could tell he was real salesman, and so handsome, too."
Katniss looked over at Haymitch. He doesn't look so handsome to me. Not like Peeta, my match made in heaven. She took another bite of fruitcake to stop from giggling.
I think Effie is wrong about the eggnog. It's going to my head.
She stifled a yawn as Effie continued, a dreamy look on her face. "Unfortunately, the owner found out and fired him. But that didn't matter. Haymitch had big ideas. He wanted to open a store that offered every conceivable item to customers. My father helped him find some investors and that's how Capitol's began."
"But this store has been around forever," Peeta pointed out. "My grandparents shopped here. You'd have to be over a hundred years old…"
"Never question a lady about her age," Haymitch broke in.
Peeta gave Katniss a curious glance. Katniss shook her head at him, as if to say, let them talk. They're just lonely.
When Effie completed her story, Haymitch took on a business tone. "Look, I don't mean to rush things, but we've done our duty, Effie, we should unlock the door and let these two go on their way."
Effie frowned. "I suppose you're right, Haymitch. We've done our good deed for the year bringing them together."
Haymitch stood up. "I'll go unlock the front door now."
Peeta stood up as well. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "What do we owe you for the food we ate in the kitchen?"
"No bother. It's our treat." Haymitch looked to Katniss. "Keep the slippers, too."
Katniss wanted to ask if it was possible for Haymitch to retrieve the microscope for Prim, but she didn't bother. With the trains not running because of the snow, I'll never get home tomorrow anyway. I'll retrieve it when the store opens. Maybe I can travel home for New Year's.
She thanked Effie for the treats, and everyone left the apartment. Haymitch headed toward the escalator, while Katniss sat down on the sofa where she and Peeta had previously napped to take off her slippers and put her heels back on.
"Effie, would you like me to put these blankets away?" she questioned. "They're from a display on the second floor."
"Don't worry about it dear," Effie said.
Peeta had sat down on the sofa as well. He yawned, his hand coming up immediately to cover his open mouth.
"Poor dears, we've kept you up past your bedtime," Effie said.
xxxxxxxx
Katniss turned over. She had a delicious feeling of happiness. She stretched out her legs and hit a body. What was that?
As she opened her eyes and pulled the comforter off her head the memories of the previous evening came rushing back to her. I'm locked inside Capitol's.
Peeta was leaning back on the other end of the sofa as if he'd nodded off watching a sporting event on television. A blanket covered him.
Wait there's more. She remembered the store owners fed them eggnog and fruitcake and other goodies in their apartment last night.
They said Peeta and I were a match made in heaven. What a crazy, wonderful dream. She glanced over at the handsome man beside her. If only it was real.
At that moment, Peeta blinked and opened his eyes, startling Katniss. "I had the oddest dream." His voice was husky with sleep.
The hairs on her arms stood up. "What was your dream?"
"We met the store's owners, and they fed us in their apartment which was on this same floor."
Her cheeks grew warm."Was there a talking cat in your dream?"
Peeta's forehead scrunched up as he thought. "Now that you mention it, there was. I think the cat's name was Buttercup. He was sitting on the coffee table."
They both turned toward the table in front of them. Peeta was the first to speak. "Hey what's this?"
There were two wrapped gifts sitting on it. The gift in front of Katniss had a tag on it addressed to Prim. The wrapped box in front of Peeta had a tag labeled, "Mom."
"It must be Prim's microscope," Katniss said.
"And the purse for my mother," Peeta added.
Katniss took in a deep breath. "It wasn't a dream, Peeta; I remember it, too. I ate a lot of fruitcake."
Does he remember the part where we're a match made in heaven? She was too embarrassed to ask.
Peeta stood up, tossing the blanket onto the couch. "You know, I'd like to check this out for myself."
Katniss nodded. She pulled the heels from her briefcase and put them on.
She and Peeta walked over to the place where the door had stood the previous evening when they'd followed the cat. But there was no door there. Just a wall of photographs of old men. The first photo was familiar, though. It was Haymitch in his prime. He was years younger than he'd been last night, but still recognizable. Underneath his image was a caption.
Haymitch Abernathy founded Capitol's department store. Abernathy was born in 1850 and died in 1930. He and his wife lived in a private apartment at the top of the store for more than 50 years.
"We spent Christmas Eve with ghosts," Katniss exclaimed.
She looked toward Peeta who had a thoughtful look on his face. "The ghosts of Christmas yet to be," he whispered.
"Wasn't Haymitch going to unlock the door for us?" Katniss remembered.
"He was," Peeta said. "The last thing I remember was sitting on the couch for a moment while you were taking off those pink slippers to put on your shoes so we could leave."
They returned to the coffee table and gathered up the gifts. Katniss carried her briefcase, and both gifts while Peeta carried the blankets and the bat. They returned the borrowed items to their rightful spots on the second floor. Then, they made their way down to the first floor toward the line of doors. The overhead clock read 8 a.m. There was almost a foot of snow on the sidewalk. Both buttoned up their coats and Peeta wrapped the scarf around his neck. Then he pushed open the door he'd used to enter the store.
A blast of cold air flew in. Katniss winced. I'm not dressed for this.
Peeta held the door open for Katniss. She stepped out onto the snowy sidewalk. Even with heels, the snow was up to the middle of her calf. She shuffled forward as Peeta followed her out. The door closed behind them.
"Maybe we should have taken some snow boots from the shoe section," he muttered. He turned around and tried to push the door open, but it didn't budge. "It must lock automatically."
It suddenly struck Katniss that she and Peeta must now say good-bye. No matter what Haymitch and Effie had told them, once out of the store they would each go their separate ways.
How could it be otherwise? We hardly knew each other.
She glanced at Peeta. His brow was furrowed. "You're never going to be able to walk in the snow in those shoes. Let me give you a lift."
"How?' Katniss asked.
"Piggy bag." He turned his back to her. "Climb aboard."
She began to giggle at Peeta's silly offer. Here she was dressed in business attire, and he wanted to carry her on his back to heaven knew where.
"No one's around to notice," he said.
He's right. The street was completely empty, as were the sidewalks. "But the nearest subway station is blocks away," she argued. "I'm too heavy for you."
Peeta turned around and snorted. "You can't weigh much more than a bag of flour. I lift them every day."
His comment caused her to giggle even more. But when she saw the look on his face, the disappointment that flashed across it for a brief moment, she stopped.
He's kind. He wants to help me. Don't push him away. "Okay."
He turned around and bent over. She hitched up her long coat and fell upon his back, reaching for his neck with both hands, her briefcase banging against his side as he stood up.
"Here goes," he said as he trudged down the street holding both gifts in his hands and Katniss on his back.
Peeta didn't walk far, though, just to the end of the block and then he turned the corner. This isn't the way to the subway, she was ready to say, but he'd already stopped in front of a doorway and straightened up, indicating she was to let go. She slid off his back and onto the snowy pavement.
As Katniss got her bearings, she realized that they were at the glass door of a bakery with a "closed" sign in the window. The number 451 appeared above the door in gold letters.
"Is this Panem Street?" she asked.
"Yes. This is the shop Effie was talking about last night. It used to be a clothing store before my grandparent's opened this bakery."
Even in the cold, Katniss could feel a shiver go down her spine. It really happened.
Peeta handed her the gifts to hold. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a key ring, and after locating a particular key he put it into the lock.
"Welcome to one of my family's bake shops," he said as he opened the door. "This is the one I manage."
Katniss was enveloped in warmth as she stepped onto a black and white hexagon-tiled floor. She scanned the room taking in the empty display cases, two small tables with chairs along one wall and a decorated Christmas tree pushed up against the counter close to the black cash register.
When Peeta closed the door behind them, the aroma of cinnamon, and sugar, mixed with pine needles from the tree settled over her. Katniss set the gifts and her briefcase onto one of the tables. She turned to face Peeta as her stomach growled fiercely.
He spoke immediately. "Let's go into the kitchen, I'll make some tea, and bake a batch of cheese buns for our breakfast. When we're done eating, maybe you'd like to help me decorate a gingerbread house, unless you'd rather I carry you to the subway station now."
No! She shook her head.
He took a step closer, giving her a shy smile. "I'd like to bring you to my family's Christmas dinner today, if you'll allow it."
Katniss nodded, as her heart fluttered wildly. She searched his face. She found it difficult to choke out the question she longed to ask. It seemed too fantastic, too forward to assume that Peeta believed that Heaven was in the matchmaking business. That special messengers had been sent down to earth to tell them that they are meant for each other. I've never considered that Heaven would care about me so much. It's all so astonishing, yet strangely comforting.
Gathering her courage, she strung together some words. "Do you believe Haymitch and Effie were telling us the truth about…."
Before she could even finish her question, Peeta swooped in to answer. "Not only do I believe, it's the best Christmas gift I've ever received. You have no idea."
Katniss took off her soggy high heels and replaced them with the dry, comfortable slippers. Then she followed Peeta into the kitchen to talk about the rest of their lives.
The End
Merry Christmas dear readers. I hope you enjoyed this gift written especially for you. Wishing you and yours a Happy 2023!