Chapter 8

"You have to take me up there, Haymitch," she insisted, touching his arm as they stopped just in front of the hotel's entrance.

Effie Trinket, he learnt quite quickly, was a tactile person.

"It's just a pool, Effs," he rolled his eyes, not quite understanding her fascination with it.

She looked at him with an amused smile, her blue eyes glinting from the light's bright reflection in the hotel lobby.

"I like that," she grinned. "No one has used that before. Effs," she tested it on her tongue. "It is definitely better than sweetheart. But, I digress! It is not just a pool, is it? It is the infinity pool. I have seen photos of it on Beautiful Destinations on Instagram. I do not have the access card to it, but you do! You're a guest in this hotel."

In the end, it was easier to bring her to the highest floor of his hotel where the Infinity Pool was. He presented his guest card to the pool's roof top reception and was allowed in without a fuss.

At first glance, it seems as though there was no boundary to the pool that held the water in place. The pool stretched from one end of the roof top to the other.

"It will be amazing to watch the sunset here," she remarked. Effie plucked a flute of champagne from a waiter and wandered closer. "I've always wanted to see this for myself. I never had a chance."

"All you need to do is to book a room here, sweetheart. They'll allow you up here then. It's not that difficult."

"Up so high, the stars are on our shoulders," she hummed

The city sprawled beneath them, the lights from the skyscrapers glittered in the dark and the lights illuminating the roads snaked on and on.

"Listen, you ain't going to strip down and get into the pool, are you?"

Haymitch eyed her sceptically since he doubted that she had any plans to be up here when they crossed paths earlier and would not have any appropriate swim wear on her.

"Can you honestly say that you would be opposed to that?" she teased, her eyes glittering with mischief.

There it was again. She was definitely flirting with him, and as much as it pleased him and boosted his ego, he wasn't sure he liked it. She wasn't just a woman, she was his mark.

On any other circumstances, he would probably engage in the banter himself, flirt with her and made her feel comfortable. He would have taken her back to his room and by morning, they would be done but this time, he ignored it.

"Ready to go?" he asked instead. "Place will be closed in an hour anyway."

Haymitch could tell that his behaviour puzzled her.

"You are eager to get rid of me," she huffed, as if insulted. "Tell me, what do you want from me?"

When he said nothing except to level his gaze with hers, she placed her glass down and assessed him.

"I kept waiting for you to make a move but you have been honourably distant."

He scoffed. Honourable was an inappropriate word to describe him, he felt.

"Why do you spend your day with me if you're not trying to take me to bed?"

That was forward of her but he expected nothing less. Nothing surprised him nowadays and from what he knew of her, she was stubborn and self-assured but it still did not stop him from rounding up on her.

"What do you take me for?"

"I'm sorry," she raised both hands and took a step back to put some distance between them. Her gaze flitted to their surroundings but no one was paying them any attention. "I thought you were like all other men - you're here looking for some fun while on a business trip. So, it looks like you're not. I just wanted to get that out of the way. At the very least, I figured you would be interested in me."

"I'm not like other men," he scowled.

"Yes," she nodded and then admitted the next part with an acerbic laugh at herself. "You are attractive, Haymitch. I will just… I will not apologise for being attracted to you but I do apologise for assuming and putting us in this position. Today was… Don't get me wrong, whether or not you had an ulterior motive, I did have a good time with you"

He sighed. He was a master at messing things up.

"You ain't all that bad. I mean… Look at you, you're hot, sweetheart," he told her seriously. "It's not that I'm not – You've only just met me. Let's not run before we can walk."

Effie stared at him as if he had grown two heads.

"I'm not looking for an attachment," she frowned. "You are only here for a short while and I am used to my lovers coming and going, sometimes only lasting for a night. I have no desire to risk myself by having a – but oh, that's inconsequential."

Something clicked in him then and he understood it clear as day. Having left home once and then again when Seneca Crane went after, she had learnt not to form personal attachments, especially the romantic kind, just in case she needed to leave. It was easier that way. It was self-preservation and he knew a thing or two about that. In fact, he had not heard her mention any friends that she had made here. Whenever she mentioned someone in passing, which happened once or twice during dinner, it was always an acquaintance she met through her line of work.

An attachment was not one of her top priorities. She was more interested in spreading her wings and building a name for herself through her shop.

It was a lonely life, he thought.

He had been through that once before the kids – that was how he measured his life lately, before the kids and after the kids – and he couldn't imagine life without daily visits to Peeta's bakery or having Katniss walking in and out of his house like she owned it.

"Why would you tell a man you intend to sleep with and never meet again in the morning 'bout your life?" Haymitch asked, genuinely puzzled. "Don't seem smart."

She gasped.

"You made me talk!" Effie sputtered. "You, with your ridiculous, intense grey eyes and your willingness to just listen and … You made me want to share what I have been keeping to myself. This is grossly unfair. You're ridiculous."

"I'm ridiculous?" he chuckled at the accusation.

"Do not pretend to be surprised. You are – you are ridiculous. Lulling me into such a state..." She rambled.

"Hold on right there, sweetheart. You can't turn this around and … my eyes?!" He shook his head. "What am I? Charles Xavier? I didn't make you do anything."

She waved his words away.

"I do not see anything wrong with telling you what I went through. It is not that different than sharing information with a therapist, is it?"

"I'm not a therapist," he stated.

"Of course, you're not. I am just saying that we can draw parallels from there. A therapist is a stranger, as are you. Besides, everyone have problems with their family. I am not ashamed of my story. In fact," she jutted her chin out a little, "I am rather proud of what I have achieved and accomplished, thank you very much."

Her confidence was alluring. It was sexy and couple that with the offer she just made... Haymitch took a deep breath to strengthen his resolve.

I will not sleep with her, he vowed.

"What you just did there..." he gestured, half-distracted, "that is very sexy."

She stared and blinked, and then a slow, satisfied smile bloomed on her face.

"Shit," he cursed, "I fucking said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yes."

"Sweetheart," he sighed. "I can't. I have an early day tomorrow and - "

He fell silent. He could almost hear Chaff's voice in his head – 'that's a fucking lame excuse, buddy.'

"This is just embarrassing for both of us," Effie shook her head slightly. "I've made a fool of myself with you and … Please accept my apologies for putting us in this position."

"You... don't have to apologise for something that you want," he muttered as if that would make the situation better.

He plunged his hand into the pocket of his jacket, feeling the familiar flask against his palm.

Effie held herself remarkably well with her chins up and plastered a bright smile on her face. She stepped forward, breaching his personal space and kissed his cheek lightly.

"I meant what I said. I really did have a good time," she told him. "It was nice meeting you and thank you for bringing me up here. I can, at least, cross infinity pool out of my list."

Haymitch grabbed her elbow and held her in place. His action made her tilt her head in puzzlement. They were standing so close that he could smell the champagne on her breath and feel the warmth from her body.

He turned this scenario in his mind. Sleeping with her would complicate things but yet, he couldn't let her leave, not after finding her.

"Do you have anything else on this list of yours?"

She wasn't stupid enough to fall for that but she also never noticed that he had slipped a small, round device he had bought previously from Sim Lim Square into her open handbag. He would never lose track of her now, provided she bring the same bag all the time.

In their proximity, her voice was soft and quiet when she spoke next, but it still weighed heavily on him.

"You need to make up your mind."

She was leaving it up to him and he wanted this. He wanted to run his hand over her soft skin. He wanted to taste the champagne on her lips. He made the mistake of lowering his gaze to the small space between them, down the v-shaped of her dress and his breath hitched at the sight of her cleavage.

Perhaps somewhere out there, someone had a stronger resolve than him to walk away but he knew he wasn't one of those men.

"Is this out of some misguided notion that you and I have a connection or some shit because of the things you just shared?" He asked, keeping his voice low. "If you think you want to sleep with me because all I did was to listen... I don't want to be accused of exploiting you."

"I am many things, Haymitch, but misguided is not one of them. You would not be taking advantage of me if that is what you are worried about. We are both consenting adults after all."

Her hand fluttered to his shoulder and it rested there, light and gentle, but he was acutely aware of her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt. Somehow, he didn't think being coy was her style. Still, he couldn't help but to lean in a little closer.

His nose gently brushed against the side of her jaw, barely touching, and when he inhaled the smell of her perfume, the fingers on his collar moved to stroke the back of his neck.

"I believe," she brought her mouth to his ear, her voice honeyed and husky, "I made it clear that I want you."

His stomach coiled in anticipation and he felt the need to tame something feral growing inside him.

It was so simple for her. She knew what she wanted and she stated it without being afraid of going after it. Haymitch, who often repressed his own desires unless it was for alcohol, found that to be irresistible.

Haymitch relocated his hand from her elbow down to her waist.

"What do you want, Haymitch?" she asked. "You shouldn't deny yourself anything."

The stroke of her fingers on the nape of his neck was distracting and he couldn't think straight. She was a flirt and he was toeing the line between keeping his wits and letting himself go.

"You're a hedonist," he breathed into her skin, "and a minx."

Goosepimples erupted on her skin and without thinking about it he kissed the spot just on the side of her neck. Haymitch heard the tinkle of her laughter as he gave in to it.

"Come with me."

He held out his hand to her and when she placed her hand in his, Haymitch tugged her towards the elevator that would take them down to his room.

I've been quite excited to let you read this chapter because I really enjoyed writing it! You get the chapter early this week because I'll be flying off to Malaysia in a few hours and won't be in Singapore for the weekend. So let a review, let me know your thoughts - if Haymitch is making a good decision or what you think will happen. I'd like to come home to some reviews so don't let me down :)