Chapter One-Hundred; Pleasantries
(Stephanie's POV)
He was still there.
He was in the main room regaling an engrossed Isa, Bright, Lashes, Silver, Tess, El, Mirr and Alba – since they had returned with a frazzled Frenkin not so long ago – with a fabricated tale of how he and Stephanie met, while Frenkin sat unnoticed in one chair fighting the urge to nod off.
It was hard to decipher Ficen's reaction to the whole thing. She remained to hear to the tale, listening intently but there was a blatantly sceptical glint to her eyes.
Stephanie, as soon as she reasonably could, darted into the kitchen and immediately Haymitch had seized her wrist and tugged her over to him.
They remained hushed for a brief moment listening to a loud gale of laughter from the other room, his rising above the others.
His rich baritone rose high again, "Well my darling Stephanie and I…."
Stephanie rolled her eyes as she gritted her teeth at the lilting tone before she refocused her attention on Haymitch, her gaze expectant.
"He is Flickerman's brother – Dan," Haymitch immediately clarified and Stephanie's eyes widened in alarm and then confusion.
"What is he doing here?" Stephanie hissed.
"I think it's obvious what he is doing here sweetheart," Haymitch whispered under his breath.
Stephanie ground her teeth together before she nodded resolutely, looking to Haymitch like she always had for guidance.
Haymitch heaved a breath, running a hand agitatedly through his hair as he glanced towards the main room where the little party was still listening in rapt attention to Flickerman's brother, Dan.
He snapped his gaze back to Stephanie and was heartened slightly that in place of the crippling sickness that had been reflected in her eyes at Dan's impromptu identification as her Capitol Lover, there was now a resolute firmness there, even though she was still pale and haggard looking.
Haymitch sighed once more before he added. "Play along. We don't know who he is working for and so we don't know who we would be going against."
Stephanie grimaced at the thought of having to go along with this whole ridiculous farce, but made no protest.
"As soon as I get the chance to leave unnoticed, I'll get to the bottom of this," Haymitch added in grim fierceness.
Stephanie narrowed her eyes, protests already on her lips about the danger he would be putting himself in, when Haymitch swiftly silenced her with a lingering kiss.
…
"That is so romantic!"
Bright leaned against Lashes with a dreamy sigh, her hands clasped in front of her as she looked to Dan.
Dan chuckled, flashing the swooning ladies a dazzlingly smile before he draped a casual arm around Stephanie's shoulders, pulling her tight for a moment as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
Stephanie managed to suppress the grimace in time, catching Haymitch gulp deeply from the glass of alcohol that was clutched tightly in his hand.
"And you fell in love with her – just like that?" Ficen suddenly cut in sharply, violet eyes narrowed.
Dan barely even blinked under the fierce scrutiny as he smiled charmingly. "I couldn't resist her," Dan answered easily, looking to Stephanie with warm eyes.
But despite the warmth in his green eyes when his gaze fell on Stephanie she felt as though he were looking right through her. A perfect actor, like his brother, Stephanie thought, remembering only too clearly her disastrous interview with Flickerman.
Who sent you? Stephanie looked into the unfamiliar, sea green eyes, forcing herself to smile rather than grind her teeth together any more than she already was.
The cloying scent of some sickeningly sweet flower, like roses emanated from the young man in waves and Stephanie found herself almost choking on it.
After a long few hours finally the stylists were practically forced from the penthouse, speaking in less than hushed tones at how someone like Stephanie had managed to "ensnare such a beautiful man as Dan".
Stephanie fought the urge to roll her eyes for the hundredth time since Dan had arrived, as he made to leave with the still giddy stylists.
"Oh! Let's grant the young lovebirds some privacy!" Isa gushed, already latching onto Haymitch's arm and ushering Frenkin from the room.
Stephanie felt her throat tighten as she looked towards a less than willing Haymitch who begrudgingly after a tense moment gave her a terse nod.
The room cleared swiftly, Isa with one last obvious wink and non-too subtle encouragements finally leaving last.
"Well darling…"
"Don't darling me!" Stephanie immediately snapped, the mask of polite civility she had been wearing slipping.
Dan smiled at her then; a charmingly perfect smile of pearl white teeth, eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. But there was something else in his smile that made Stephanie frown sharply, as though he were smiling kindly at a hopelessly dim child.
"Who sent you here?" Stephanie demanded, straightening her spine and setting her shoulders. I am no naïve child! She thought fiercely.
His smile never faltered for a second. "I'm not at liberty to say."
Stephanie crossed her arms. "And why not? Let me guess – blackmail?" Stephanie spat out. The maliciousness and backstabbing of the Capitol was becoming all too disturbingly familiar, Stephanie thought uneasily, pushing the thought back to worry over later.
Dan sighed lightly. "No darling – "
Stephanie interjected with an eye roll and Dan amended after flashing her a smile, "No Stephanie, just know I'm a friend."
Stephanie stared at him deadpan. Is that it? She thought. Maybe Dan wasn't up to the Capitol standards of deceit, or maybe he truly thought she really was a naïve, little girl. Did he seriously expect her just to trust him like that? Her time in the Capitol had taught her better than that.
"Really and why should I believe you?" Stephanie said frostily.
"Come on now lovebirds! There will be plenty of time tomorrow!" Isa practically danced into the room as she pretended to scold them, linking arms companionably with Dan. Her green eyes flitted between the two of them as she fought against her wide grin.
Dan was the portrait of composure and Stephanie feeling a little self-conscious, dropped her defensively folded arms and managed a slightly awkward smile in return.
"Yes, you're of course right Isa – plenty of time tomorrow," Dan agreed pleasantly as Stephanie quirked a brow.
"Tomorrow?" she prompted cautiously, with a poorly concealed glare towards Dan.
"Yes, on our date," Dan clarified and then he shook his head fondly with a small chuckle. "You are as forgetful as ever I see darling. I told you before, don't you remember?"
Isa sighed making some whimsical comment on how patient Dan was with Stephanie and even adding in another less than subtle check to Stephanie, to show a little more appreciation.
"No sorry dear. It must have slipped my mind," Stephanie ground out.
Dan's smile softened into one of gentle understanding. "Of course, darling. You have other matters on your mind far more important than a silly little date with me."
Isa was in danger of swooning all over again, while Stephanie had to resist the urge to physically remove the patient, understanding expression from Dan's face with a nicely placed fist.
"Of course she'll have time for you Dan, don't worry!" Isa reassured him painfully earnest as she nodded resolutely, directing a slightly disapproving look to Stephanie.
Stephanie nearly bit her tongue off in restraining herself.
"Thank-you – until tomorrow then my darling."
Stephanie couldn't help her lips lifting in a sarcastic imitation of Dan's ever-pleasant smile as she nodded her less than enthusiastic consent.
The stylists were still waiting patiently by the lift for Dan, when Isa with an encouraging shove pushed Stephanie to leave Dan to lift; in case he got lost during the few metres journey.
Stephanie couldn't help but notice how Dan greeted the stylists like an adoring crowd – that they resembled – and with it, she couldn't help but draw the comparisons between Dan and his brother Caesar.
Stephanie sighed heavily as she considered the information once more and she caught Dan's eyes flit over to her for a split second, keen and watching.
Caesar Flickerman's brother; the resemblance was a little uncanny if she thought about it, Stephanie realised, though Dan was taller and younger than his brother.
However the resemblance wasn't so much in appearance but rather in small gestures; a winning smile, eyes that could portray such sympathy but in the same second harden to sharp points.
Dan was Caesar Flickerman's brother… Stephanie worried her bottom lip against her teeth, her brow furrowed. What on earth was going on now?
Isa mistaking Stephanie's furrowed brow for concern patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry dear – you'll see him tomorrow," she soothed, the last of her disapproving looks at Stephanie's indifference to Dan melting away.
Stephanie cast her a fleeting smile. It was all she could manage.
Of course Isa and every other stylist – even Ficen, Stephanie was more than surprised to see – insisted on seeing Dan out; in case he once more got lost in the lift.
Stephanie wasn't complaining though, as she returned Isa's frantic waving and Dan's raised hand in goodbye with a slight acknowledgement of her own.
Just as the lift doors were closing she felt Haymitch appear at her shoulder and when she turned she met his stormy, grey gaze.
"He says we have a date tomorrow," Stephanie muttered.
Haymitch said nothing for a moment before finally replying, "Yeah – I suspected as much."
Stephanie's gaze fell over Haymitch's shoulder for a moment and she made a conscious effort to let the worry drop from her expression as Haymitch followed her gaze.
Frenkin was looking particularly exhausted. His honey hair was almost as messy as Haymitch's could be and his glasses were perched crookedly on his nose. He offered them a shy smile before he disappeared with a strangled yawn into the main room and Stephanie gazed after him with a fond look.
"Go," Haymitch whispered quietly, his fingers entwining with hers for a moment. "I'll be back before dinner," he assured her.
Stephanie nodded briskly, feeling an unexplainable lump rise in her throat and then feeling ridiculous for feeling it at all – Haymitch would come back to her. He always did.
But still…she had only allowed herself to begin hoping she could survive hours before, when…Stephanie breathed deeply. She had to believe, to hope that one day this would all be over and she will have married Haymitch.
That was why as Haymitch made to pass her, his fingers slipping from hers, she clutched his hand tighter for a moment. He looked to her curiously and Stephanie raised her eyes to his.
Wordlessly he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss and then with one final squeeze of her fingers still clutching his, he had brushed past her and into the waiting lift.
Stephanie hauled in a shaky breath as she started down the hallway towards the main room.
Frenkin blushed slightly and raised a small hand to straighten his glasses as Stephanie entered the main room and approached him, before she wrapped him in a welcoming embrace.
Frenkin returned it even as Stephanie's gaze drifted over his honey hair to the empty glasses abandoned on the coffee table from earlier.
There was little about Dan she could do at the moment Stephanie conceded frustrated.
She knew not why or for whom he was doing this for? Or whether he had made the decision of his own free will? Stephanie's thoughts lingered for a moment back to her interview with Flickerman – he's been bought.
Haymitch's words sent a chill up her spine as she remembered them, just as they had done the first time she heard them, and she released Frenkin from her arms with a somewhat distracted smile.
"You look tired?" Stephanie commented.
Frenkin gave her a half-smile, a pink blush stealing across his cheeks as he raised a self-conscious hand to his hair in an attempt to smooth away the messy locks.
Stephanie felt a fond smile tug at her lips despite the circumstances as she deliberately ruffled Frenkin's hair and they both chuckled slightly. "Tough day, huh?"
"Alba was under a lot of pressure," Frenkin told her sincerely and Stephanie frowned slightly; wanting to tell Frenkin that he shouldn't care whether or not someone like Alba was under pressure, but she knew that trying to convince Frenkin to hate someone was short of impossible.
"How about a snack then?" she proposed instead. Frenkin grinned up at her and she back at him in understanding as looping a companionable arm around his shoulders she directed him towards the kitchen.
After all she knew only too well what stylists were like. They simply didn't realise that standing for hours was pretty much famishing work.