Chapter Twenty-Four; Things Amiss
(Stephanie's POV)
Due to each tribute having their own 'dinner' to attend, Frenkin and Stephanie had to travel in separate cars.
She gave Frenkin a brief hug, giving him a light peck on the cheek for luck, though she was sure she was the one who needed the most of it.
After receiving a reprimanding look from Alba, Frenkin's stylist, for apparently 'destroying the perfect symmetry of Frenkin's blazer' with her 'manhandling' of him, Stephanie sighed and got into the car.
Before the door closed she caught sight of Haymitch's tight expression. He gave her a brief smile though she could see it in his eyes that he most certainly didn't feel like smiling at that moment.
The car door shut with an affirmative thud and the sound of it being locked and then they were on their way.
Stephanie felt incredibly small and cold in the car that seemed so empty with just her in it.
…
(Haymitch's POV)
Haymitch watched the car pull away, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in his chest.
Dess? Of all the people! She had ended up with that damn scum.
At least seeing as the dinners were being recorded there was no chance of Dess trying anything.
And of course Stephanie would be more aware this time of the 'effects' of drinking.
He sighed deeply, able to steady himself just in time as Isa latched onto his arm.
"Oh our little pets are off to dinner," Isa babbled, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
Haymitch merely threw her a dubious glance. After ten years working with Isa it was pretty hard to be surprised with anything that she said anymore.
Along with the gnawing anticipation, somewhere distantly Haymitch felt a slight twinge of jealousy but he scoffed at it.
The circumstances came crashing down around Haymitch making themselves painfully clear.
Stephanie was a tribute for the Hunger Games and he was her mentor. What they were doing potentially put her life at risk. If Seneca knew then he would make sure that Stephanie would die in the most painful way just so he could watch it.
Haymitch knew he couldn't bear it to have Stephanie's death on his hands, knowing that it was his fault personally, not the Capitol and the Hunger Games, but his.
He swallowed hard as Isa talked on about how she thought the dinners would go. Haymitch concluded that he would have to have another 'chat' with Stephanie when she returned.
…
(Stephanie's POV)
By the time the car had slid silently to a stop, Stephanie was shaking, a cold sweat breaking out all over and this time there was no Haymitch to reassure her.
The door opened abruptly and Stephanie knew that the guards would not wait on her. She gave in and exited the car on shaky legs. Two guards were waiting to escort her into the building.
She could barely look up at it, instead glancing around almost desperately to try and catch a glimpse of Frenkin, knowing that just the sight of the boy that had grown so familiar to her would settle her nerves enough. But there was no such luck.
She was ushered along impatiently and brought into a lift. She stumbled twice and the second time the guard didn't remove his hold around her upper arm after stopping her from falling, holding it slightly raised so that she almost had to walk on her tip-toes.
When the guard released his hold on Stephanie in the lift, she dried her palms on the front of her dress, plastering on a wide smile as the lift doors opened silently.
The sight that greeted Stephanie unsettled her greatly. The room was wide and low lit, with many white clothed tables set up. The décor of the room was varying shades of reds and someone clearly didn't know the saying that 'less is more' from the looks of the amount of white roses everywhere.
She saw Dess sitting at one of the tables a few feet away by the window, smiling smugly at her.
But it wasn't that which unsettled her.
The place was empty. There was no one else here except for Dess sitting at the table set for two.
Dess motioned for the two guards to leave and they complied.
Stephanie swallowed hard. Where were the camera crews? How had this happened?
What am I meant to do now? Stephanie thought frantically.
"Stephanie, do please sit," Dess motioned to the other seat as he stood.
Sporting a confident smile Stephanie attempted to still her knocking knees and glide over to the table.
"May I say that you look absolutely stunning," Dess said, placing a less than chaste kiss on her knuckles that lingered for a bit longer than Stephanie liked.
Stephanie would have blushed furiously if someone had of made that remark to her, but the fact that Dess was looking at her as if she were a joint of meat he was about to eat, lessened the effect greatly.
She was able to smile sweetly back and thank him, taking her seat as he pushed it in for her and then taking his own.
Stephanie fixed the napkin the way Isa had shown her, busying herself with anything and everything to escape having to look at Dess.
She was about to ask about the camera crew or rather lack of, when Dess beat her to it.
"I bet you are wondering why we have been left all alone," he said.
Stephanie glanced up at him. He was leaned towards her, elbows on the table, fingers laced together underneath his chin, looking at her with a self-indulgent smirk.
She feigned ignorance, looking about her casually as if she hadn't noticed.
"Have they not arrived yet?" Stephanie cursed silently when her voice wavered a little.
"They won't be arriving for another long while, say a few hours at least," he answered, the smirk growing wider.
Stephanie began to wring the napkin between her hands nervously.
"Oh?" was all she could muster in response. She restrained herself from dealing Dess a kick under the table, because for once her fear was greater than her anger. Never before had she been in a situation like this.
"Yes it was all arranged in advance. It cost a lot of money to pay off all the necessary people. You know to convince to arrive a little later…"
Stephanie was silent as the colour drained from her face.
Dess leaned back suddenly, just as Stephanie thought she couldn't take any more of his smirking and would smack him.
Dess stood and began to don his coat and gloves that had been on his chair all along, unnoticed by Stephanie. Stephanie looked up at him in confusion.
"A lot more money than I could afford. But don't worry we will have our dinner later on," Dess said, finishing buttoning up his coat.
Stephanie was close to outright panic. "What do you mean?" she demanded and was for once pleased that her voice sounded as angry as she felt.
Dess looked at her disapprovingly, already making to walk away.
"I couldn't afford to arrange all this Miss Trindlesworth," Dess said and with that turned on his heel making for the lift.
Stephanie gulped hard. Someone had paid off all those who were meant to be here right now, including Dess, convincing them to come later.
Stephanie was lost in the panicked haze of her own thoughts glancing up just as Dess disappeared behind the lift doors.
"Well, what shall you have dear?"
Stephanie whipped around in her chair to be met with Seneca Crane's clear, blue eyes as he stared at her amused over his menu.