Chapter 2: How To Act When You Meet Her Again
Haymitch waited and counted and waited.
It took Katniss and Peeta two days to barge through his door, demanding that he explain his disgraceful behaviour. He was also dignified with a phone call from Finnick on the very same afternoon.
"She was distraught," Peeta informed him. "We feel terrible about it. We were the one to - "
"That'll teach you to stay the fuck out of my business," he pointed out, a little smug now that he knew his plan worked. "Told you already, didn't I? I ain't good at dating," he spat the word as if it was poison.
The exasperated glance Peeta exchanged with Katniss made his lips twitched in amusement. If the girl was known to be stubborn, Peeta's determination was unshakeable.
"I've seen you charm people and talk your way out of trouble," Peeta said carefully, wary of prodding him into a state of agitation. "You are good with words and you can be charming which means you are definitely capable of making it a pleasant evening for Effie if you truly wanted to."
"So maybe I don't want to," Haymitch said pointedly.
"If it's true what you say that you are not good at this, that's all the reason you need to get back out there. Practice," Peeta glanced behind his shoulder at Katniss, silently seeking her support.
"Leave it, boy," he glowered. "It's done and let that be a lesson to you both not to try anythin' else. She doesn't want to see me again."
"How do you feel about that?" Peeta prodded.
"How do I - " Haymitch snorted. "I don't even fuckin' know the woman. It's no loss to me."
Peeta shook his head.
"Talk to him, Katniss," he said which earned him a glare to the back of his head as he left Haymitch's house.
"I know you're sarcastic and rude but from what Finnick told me of what happened… That was… Come on, Haymitch, that was overboard. It sounded outrageous even coming from you. Did you do it on purpose?"
Haymitch shrugged as a response and that was all the answer Katniss needed.
"Whatever," Katniss said. "It's your life. We were only trying to help. Peeta's upset about it because he vouched for you and Finnick did too, so don't mess things up again especially during Finn's party. No need to get under Finnick's skin even more on his son's birthday."
"When's that?" he feigned ignorance even if he was very well aware of when Finn was born.
Katniss glared at him.
"Try to remember," she gritted her teeth in annoyance before storming out.
Kids, he chuckled, they're so easy to drive up the wall.
It wasn't always that Haymitch made an effort to watch the amount of alcohol he consumed but when the weekend of Finn's birthday party rolled around, he rationed his drinking. A few months had passed but he remembered what Katniss had told him and something tugged at his heartstrings knowing that Peeta and Finnick had vouched for him. He didn't know what the kids saw in him to speak up on his behalf but it was not something Haymitch wanted to take for granted so the least he could do was not to ruin another event.
By the time Friday evening rolled around, Haymitch was waiting at his front porch, his bag on his feet.
Katniss' eyes widened in surprise when she exited from her house to see him ready and that neither she nor Peeta needed to drag him out from his stupor for the trip.
The trip to Finnick's beach house was long overdue. He might have been passed out drunk on Finn's first birthday but he wouldn't miss him turning two.
They arrived on Saturday morning and Annie was busy decorating the house for that afternoon's party. Haymitch lounged on the chair and when called upon, dragged his feet to help hang the 'Happy Birthday!' banner up on the wall. The entire setting was cringe worthy to him but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
He was on a self-declared break when she walked into the house. He truly did not know what he thought was going to happen but he should have known that she would be there. It had been nearly three months since the disastrous date and it had slipped his mind that Finnick was a mutual friend. In fact, he was starting to suspect that this could have been the kids' or Finnick's intention all along.
When she walked into the room, he couldn't help but stare. She was as gorgeous as he remembered her to be, graceful and elegant. Her presence itself commanded people's attention. She lifted the huge hat on her head as she greeted Annie with a warm smile, and her eyes searched the room, taking in the surroundings.
"This is wonderful!" she praised as her hand made a sweeping gesture towards the decorated living room.
Before she could notice that he was in the room, Haymitch ducked and slipped out of the back door.
It was best to avoid her. There was no need to force themselves into having an awkward conversation and to maintain some sort of civility in the presence of other people.
Except, of course, as fate would have it, that did not work out so well.
He was outside the house, roaming around endlessly, wishing he could have a drink when he collided with something small and solid just as he rounded the corner.
"Oh," someone squeaked. "Please watch – Haymitch!"
His hand was holding her steady and he nodded by way of greeting, "Effie."
"I – I was not expecting to cross paths with you here. Were you invited to Finn's birthday party, too?"
"Yeah, was invited last year. Missed the kid turning one so makin' up for lost time," he shrugged. "I assume you're here for the party, yeah?"
"Yes, yes, I'm here for his party, too. I was invited last year just like you were but I had an important meeting I couldn't get away from."
Effie gave him a small smile but he could see the wariness in her eyes when she spoke to him. He supposed a part of her was expecting him to be rude and insulting towards her again.
"If you are making up for lost time," she glanced towards him, "shouldn't you be inside where Finn is instead of following me to the beach?"
He glanced behind him at the house.
"He's got enough attention at the moment. Shouldn't you be inside? The beach can wait, it's still gonna be there in the morning."
Instead of a verbal answer, Effie lifted her hand with a guilty grin and he caught sight of the cigarette wedged between two fingers. He nodded in understanding.
"This," she took a puff, "and I was actually planning on clearing some work-related emails on my phone out here until I met you."
From that, he gleaned that she was probably someone important, someone who was busy with her career all the time.
"Looks like I'm destined to ruin your plan yet again," he winked. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he walked next to her before saying, "I'll leave you to your work. See you back at the party."
He turned to walk back to the house only to realise that she had caught up with him, the cigarette no longer wedged between her fingers. Haymitch watched as she placed a mint paper strip on her tongue, finding the entire act strangely enticing.
"You didn't ruin my plan," she assured. "The connection out here is not that great anyway for me to access my email. Are you staying the night?"
Haymitch gave a disgruntled answer. "Yeah, had no choice. The next train won't be until tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh, I know, which is why I chose to drive," Effie grinned, proud of her hindsight. "But I will be here a few days in any case. A long overdue vacation, so to speak. I love it here. It's peaceful and calming."
"Hmmm."
"Where are you staying?" Effie asked.
"Motel – right down the end of the street. Let me guess... Some fancy resort?" He mocked. "You look the kind."
"You do like to assume, don't' you?" she teased. "As a matter of fact, I will be staying at the house. Annie has set up a guest bedroom for me. I prefer it here. Does that surprise you?"
"Yeah," he admitted. "Thought you were more of the royal treatment – fancy spa, having someone on your beck and call."
Instead of being insulted by his impression of her, Effie laughed – something else that surprised him.
"Their house... It's homely. I don't get that back in my apartment. I don't get that in a resort, even if it's five stars."
She's lonely.
That was what he got from her.
It was no wonder the kids had set them up on a date. Two lonely people... He wanted to scoff at the kids' logic.
"With Johanna?" He frowned. "She's always around, right?"
"Yes," Effie laughed in amusement. "This might be difficult to believe considering how different Johanna and I are but I have strangely formed an odd friendship with her."
"Right," he snorted. "I got to see it to – Damn it," he cursed as he staggered a step back to bear Finn's weight. "Careful!"
Finn had caught sight of them approaching the house and had come running at full speed, as fast as his tiny legs could carry him, and jumped on Haymitch. He clung on Haymitch's front shirt which forced the older man to stoop down before his shirt could tear and haul the boy up, settling him on his hip.
He was rewarded with a grin.
"What do you want?" Haymitch asked with a frown even if his voice had softened considerably as he spoke to Finn. "Tired of makin' the others chase after you?"
He started pointing to the beach, insistently leaning forward and putting much of his weight on it. Haymitch held him fast.
"Not now," he grumbled. "It ain't time to strip down to your birthday suit just yet."
The laugh coming from his right startled him.
"You should listen to Haymitch, darling," Effie agreed, brushing Finn's hair back neatly into place with her fingers. "Look at you – you're so handsome today. Let's not get sand all over your clothes until we've cut your cake, yes?"
"Listen, I got somethin' for you but we gotta go inside," Haymitch tried to pacify him. "You wanna see it or what?"
Lacking the appropriate words to communicate properly at his age, Finn pouted when he realised that Haymitch was carrying him away from the beach. The pout disappeared and in its place was a curious grin when Haymitch grabbed a hastily wrapped package and gave it a little shake to grab Finn's attention.
"Present," he declared unnecessarily.
Haymitch placed Finn down on the sofa and took his seat. With clumsy fingers, Finn tried to tear open the wrapper and Haymitch let him. At least that would occupy his attention for a while.
"Oh, will you help him?" Effie urged in exasperation. "He's tearing the wrapper into pieces and making a mess."
"He's a kid. Kids make a mess out of everythin'. Sit down, sweetheart, and relax. Loosen your corset and have a drink, or something."
All he got for that was a glare.
When Finn finally managed to completely unwrapped his present, he eagerly pawed at the plastic sheet protecting the blanket in the shape of a shark which admittedly, Haymitch had bought at the very last minute from a souvenir house by the beach.
That was not information that the boy knew and even if he did, it was inconsequential. His excitement grew by leaps and bounds when Haymitch rolled the blanket out from him and he wriggled himself into the jaws of the shark.
Effie, on the other hand, was quite aware of where he had obtained his gift. She tossed him a knowing smile.
"It's adorable," she granted him that at least. "You are sweet on him, I noticed. You must have a soft spot for children."
"Don't know about that," he muttered. "Don't spend my time much around them."
He resolutely tried to ignore her and the heat rising in his cheek from knowing that she had witnessed the whole exchange or that perhaps, she of all people was the one to see that he had a softer side after all.
It wasn't long before Finn lost interest in the blanket. He ran off, leaving the blanket on Haymitch's lap and him alone with Effie once more.
"You are very different," Effie said as she took a seat next to him. "With him, I mean."
"He's done nothin' wrong against me for me to act like an asshole with him. Kid's innocent."
"I was, too, but you were still…" she exhaled and let the sentence trailed.
He could fill in the blanks himself.
"Don't take it personally, sweetheart, I had nothin' against you that night. I was just tryin' to make a point and I'm sorry, alright?"
"You've already apologised," she waved him away. "I just couldn't help but think that if you… If Finnick or Peeta had not meddled and if you had asked me out because no one made you do it, I wonder if you would still truly be terrible at it as you claim to be."
"Wouldn't know," he shrugged. "I don't do dates. Probably still be a mess. Don't worry, Effie, I'm sure it's not you."
"For what it's worth," she started after considering what he said, "it was a memorable date. Nobody had been as insulting and as condescending as you were, so truly lacking in manners. It is definitely something that I will not forget so easily so there's that. Congratulations, I supposed, for sticking out as compared to the others"
"An honour," he said in jest. "Had many of those after me?"
"Oh no, just a handful," she answered. "I do not remember much from it. I assumed your plan worked and they stopped trying to set you up altogether?" she teased.
"Yeah," he chuckled, "flawlessly. Thanks, sweetheart, for that very detailed report to Finnick. He called and talked my ears off."
"I did my best," she grinned, "to save other unfortunate women from you."
He nodded with a smile. They watched from their place on the sofa as Finnick talked to his son into sitting still as the cake was brought out.
"We should join them. It won't do to sit here by the side as Finn cuts his cake," Effie said.
There was the obligatory birthday song which Effie sung enthusiastically together with the rest and shot him a disapproving look when he did not join in. There were candles to be blown out and photos to be taken. Haymitch made the slip when everyone was busy taking turns to have their photo with the child of the hour.
"Haymitch! Haymitch, wait."
He turned and groaned quietly to himself when he saw Effie hurrying after him.
"Go back inside," he growled.
"Where are you going?" she demanded. "We took a group photo and I realised you were not there!"
"Party's nearly over so I'm headin' out," he informed her. "Need something stronger than just fruit punch. See you around… or maybe never."
"How rude," she huffed. "There is a Seafood Shack down the corner with excellent margarita. We could head there."
"What? No. You're not invited," he shot her down. "I am heading out. You're going back inside. Take the hint."
"Don't presume to tell me what to do and what not to do. I'm dying for some shrimp cocktail. I was planning on getting some tonight and since you're going off with no clear direction, why not come along with me?"
"No, no, no," Haymitch shook his head. "We are not going anywhere together. I'm gonna go look for a bar on my own."
"Very well, if you are so adverse to spending time with me alone, I can always invite Johanna. After all, the more the merrier."
"Oh, fuck no," Haymitch spat. "Not Jo. She thinks it's fuckin' funny to openly hit on me lately only to tell me that if I don't want her to flirt, I should find myself a woman. It's all one big fuckin' conspiracy with those four inside. If you want to get away from the house so damn bad, you come alone."
"I'm not trying to get away from the house," she argued. "I have cravings and I – "
"You want to go or not?" he demanded.
She glared and marched towards the direction of the Seafood Shack.
"Are you coming?"
He rolled his eyes at her bossy tone but followed her, nonetheless.
What do you think of them meeting each other again? How will Seafood Shack turn out for them?
