Chapter 8
I think you're going to like this one…
"This is really good," Katniss offers. "Thank you for bringing me."
"Duke wanted eggs. He told me that you wanted a hamburger. And of course—"
"You had to listen to him." She scratches the resting dog under the table at their feet with her sock covered toes. She peeks under the table, and says, "Thank you, Duke." Peeta gingerly touches the table in front of him. "What are you looking for?"
"The check? I thought he brought it."
She pushes it over to him and he picks it up. Then lifting up his sun glasses, he brings it close, really close. "Is that, right? 23.45?"
"I think so? And that's pounds, not dollars."
He puts the ticket down, and reaches for his wallet. She wants to offer to help, but he is so sure of these little movements, she can't help but to feel more than a little proud of him.
Thump-thump-flip.
He pulls out a card, and feels it. When he runs his thumb over it. She's not sure what he is feeling for, but when he sets it down on top of the check, he must have found it.
"Thank you," she says.
"It's the least I could do after all your help. After all, I couldn't have made it."
"Really, Peeta. You don't have to thank me all the time—"
He reaches for her hands, and she lets him take them. "You don't understand. Before I was this big, bad Marine. I was going to go over and kick some ass and finish this war. I was just promoted to an E-7. That's a Gunnery Sergeant before you ask. A roadside bomb had other ideas. It killed everyone but me."
Tears spring to her eyes. Katniss finally gives in to everything she's feeling and stands up. He leans back startled, but visibly relaxes when he feels the bench seat move beside him. She doesn't hesitate when she wraps her arm around his shoulder. More tears when he leans into her. She isn't sure how long she holds him, but her whisper, "It's ok that you lived," comes out of nowhere.
Her heart breaks a little when he stiffens. When he moves away from her, it feels like it's going to fall apart. She wants to pull him back, but instead, somehow, she holds herself still.
Peeta, her brave and strong Peeta, drags his hands through his curls. He rips the glasses off his face and turns towards her. Tears run out of his eyes that can only see bright lights and dark shadows- "It's not," he grinds out through his teeth. "Every night it all blows up again and again. I hear their screams before everything goes blurry, then dark. It took months for me to be able to see shadows in the light again." His voice cracks, "I would give anything to be able to see you—" his breath is ragged as he inhales. "Last night, those couple of hours on the plane, when I was in your arms—" his exhale pulls everything out of her when he says, "that was the first peaceful sleep I've had in what seems like forever." Her arms tighten, and he continues, "Call Sam. I gotta go, we gotta go—"
"Shhh—" she says as she picks up the phone the driver gave them. After pushing his name, she waits for him. "Sam? It's Katniss. Yes, we are. See you outside." She sets down the phone. "I'm going to go pay the bill. Get Duke ready, ok?"
She waits long enough for him to nod, then quickly goes to find their waiter. It only takes him a minute to accept the card, and hand her back the receipt. When Katniss gets back to their table, Peeta is standing, ready, with Duke's harness in his hand.
She hesitates for a long moment—just get his hand—you can think about what all this means later—he reaches out for her—
Thump-thump-flip.
Taking his hand, she leads them out of the restaurant to where Sam dropped them off. As promised, he's there waiting. "Sam's right there, just about ten feet ahead."
"We are in England now, shouldn't you be telling me in meters?"
"Ha-ha, Sawyer." She smiles at Sam. "Thank you, Sam. Get in the car, Peeta."
"She sure is bossy," Peeta says. She scowls anyway making Sam chuckle.
"I don't believe I can say anything about that, Mr. Mellark," Sam replies.
Peeta pauses before he gets in. "Is she mad, Sam?"
"I think we are making all of London mad by the way they are glaring at us," Katniss answers. "We're blocking the sidewalk. Get in Peeta."
He gets in, with Duke following. She climbs in after them, and Sam shuts the door. Instead of watching the other cars drive by, she watches Duke get comfortable. Before he can lay down, Sam is stopping again. Meeting his eyes in his rear-view mirror, he says, "Now, we are at The Ritz."
"Oh wow," she whispers as the antique hotel comes into view. "That's amazing."
"It is impressive," Peeta agrees.
"When were you here to visit?" Sam asks.
"A lifetime ago," he admits. "When I was in high school, we came over for a field trip. We didn't stay here, of course. But we did walk by here and have tea."
"Tea?" She whispers. "It's a dress-up thing, isn't it?"
"Tea is very important here," Sam adds. "And yes, there is a dress code in certain parts of the hotel."
"All I have are jeans," she mutters. "I had no idea—"
This time, It's Peeta's turn to hush her. "We'll find Effie. She'll have something—or know someone—"
"It's ok, Peeta. Let's just find out why I'm here, and we'll go from there," she tries not to sound discouraged. Not when she's here with him. But all she can think about is how there is just a couple of hundred dollars in her checking account. And by looking at the outside of the fancy hotel, she is sure that her meager dollars won't cover even one night.
I wonder if Sam could take me to a cheaper hotel? Don't they have hostels over here? Maybe I can afford—and fit in there.
Sam exits, and opens the door for her. She doesn't want Peeta to get out with all that traffic beside him, so she exits too. Standing beside Sam, she watches as Duke clambers out but she murmurs to Sam, "Can you take me somewhere else?"
He blinks at her, surprise making his mouth drop open slightly. "Whatever for?"
She opens her mouth, but before she can say anything, a young blonde woman comes hustling out the rotating doors. "Where have you been Sam? Ms. Trinket has been waiting for them!" He doesn't say anything, but instead nods at Katniss and Peeta. Duke gives a low, 'woof.' The young lady's face turns beet red, and she stammers, "Mr. Mellark! Ms. Everdeen! Welcome to London. My name is Cashmere Jones. I'm Ms. Trinket's assistant. Sam will bring your bags. Will you please follow me?"
Peeta's hand wraps around hers before she can ask or say anything. Her eyes meet Sam's, and he says, "Go with Cashmere. If you still need me after meeting Ms. Trinket, Cashmere will help you find me."
Cashmere stops mid-step, and shoots Sam a scowl. He gives her a sharp shake of his head before he glances at Katniss. Not sure what is going on, she tugs on Peeta's hand and grunts, "Let's go find out what in the hell is going on."
Not at all sure where she is going, she heads for the revolving doors. Before she can ask any of the doormen waiting, one of them opens a side door for them. "Oh, good, that would be easier," she murmurs to Peeta, then says, "Thank you, so much," she says as they enter.
Cashmere follows them and once they are inside, Katniss has to stop for a moment. Growing up in the south, she's been to a couple of fancy places, the Biltmore and the Swan house being the more memorable. But this—is so much more. Peeta tugs on her hand, and she lets Duke lead them both around a perfect glass top table.
She can hear Peeta and Cashmere talking, but she is too awed to pay attention to anything but the room around her. From the antique red rugs to sweet little trees still dressed up in their Christmas finery, to the people looking their best as they rush around them, she remembers why she can't stay.
She doesn't belong to this world.
They stop in front of a closed door, and Cashmere knocks softly. Katniss hears a muffled, "Come in." The young assistant turns the knob and steps into the room. She motions for Katniss to follow.
She does, never letting go of Peeta.
"Peeta! You made it!" A soft—is her hair pink- exclaims as she stands. She walks around a low, crowded table, laden down with everything from a delicate cup of what could only be tea, to scattered papers with sketches of the hotel and lots of red arrows.
"Effie! I had an idea this was all your doing," he greets her, letting go of Katniss so he can give the newcomer a hug. A pressure comes to sit on her chest at the familiarity in which Ms. Trinket hugs Peeta.
She has to swallow hard against the urge to run.
"This is Katniss Everdeen. She's the one who trained Duke."
She tries to smile as Effie turns her attention her way, but she doesn't need a mirror to tell her that it's more of a scowl, just like she doesn't need one to tell her that her hair is a mess along with the dog hair on her hoodie.
"I'm so very glad that you were able to come," Effie gushes, seemingly oblivious to Katniss' state. "I have so many wonderful things planned—"
"Why am I here?" The words burst out before she can stop them, but she can't wait any longer.
Effie blinks, then smiles. "Come and sit. I know the jet lag is hell." She looks over Katniss' shoulder at her assistant. "Cashmere—go ring for some fresh tea. And can you see if there is anything for Duke to eat? I'm sure the dear is hungry too."
"We stopped at the diner to eat," Peeta interjects. "He should be fine."
"Just tea then," Effie answers. The women watch Duke as he leads Peeta to a side chair that looks like it's worth more that everything Katniss owns. She wants to help him like she's been allowed, but something holds her back. When he sinks down into the delicate chair, her and Effie's eyes meet. Effie nods, and Katniss goes to the chair across from Grant. Effie claims her couch, and they all sit.
"I know I should have told you something, but you might not have showed up if I did." Katniss opens her mouth to say something, anything, but Effie continues, "The two of you have been invited to the New Year's Eve ball, here tomorrow night. Some very generous donations have come in earmarked for something just like this."
"But I have nothing to wear—" Katniss says standing back up. "I knew I shouldn't have come." She turns on her heel, tears coming at the red-hot shame trying to swallow her up. Peeta says something behind her, but the urge to bolt is so much stronger—
Gentle, but firm hands grab her shoulders and stop her. "Katniss—wait." Peeta's friend lets her go when it's clear that she's not going anywhere. "I apologize from the bottom of my heart. My intention was not to bring you all the way over here to embarrass you. And look, that's what I've done. Come back and sit. Let me finish explaining?"
Katniss looks down at her worn shoes, not sure how she should feel. It's not until she hears him say, "Katniss is leaving?"
"No Peeta," she answers as she turns looking for him. "I'm right here." Even with his glasses on, she can still see the panic that is now fading away. Why did they have to come? Why didn't they meet up again back home? She gives Effie a weak smile. "Now what?"
There is a knock behind Katniss, and a muffled voice offers, "Tea service, Mum."
Katniss moves back into the antique furnished room, and reclaims her seat. She ignores what everyone else is doing, choosing instead to watch Peeta. His face isn't quite as relaxed as it was, and he's touching Duke who has a paw up in his lap.
She knows that move well. It was her who taught all the others to teach it to the dogs when their handlers were almost ready to have a panic attack. Effie crosses in between them distracting Katniss. When Effie is seated again, she begins, "I'm so very sorry, Katniss. What I was going to say is, after talking to Peeta again, I knew that I had to do something for the organization who helped him." Effie leans forward until she can look into Katniss' eyes. "Please, let me pamper you and give you a dress for the ball." She chuckles, a warm light thing that fills the room. "Let me be your Fairy Godmother?"
She watches Peeta, as a big, easy smile appears. "Say yes, Katniss." He scratches Duke behind the ear. "Duke wants you to."
She shrugs. The panic is gone only to be replaced with dread. "I guess-?"
Effie grins. Peeta smirks. Duke thumps his tail against the antique rug and she groans.