A/N ARRGGGHHH! I feel like lobbing this laptop out of the bloody window right now! Why, you ask? Because there I was, typing out this chapter when, all of a sudden, my laptop decides to delete all of the work I've just put into it, leaving me with nothing but the blank page. I was really pleased with how it was going, as well, and then - BAM! - all my hard work is deleted. I know this sounds childish, but I just want to scream and throw a tantrum! I AM SOOO ANNOYED!

Anyhoo, after my little rant there, I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone who is reading this story, I mean, 8 followers, 3 favourites and 108 views on just the first chapter (at time of writing)?! Thanks, guys, it really means a lot to me that people are liking my story, so, carry on reading and reviewing, and I'll carry on writing! So, as a thanks from me to you (this really feels like de ja vu, stupid computer), here is chapter 2! (hey, that rhymes! I'm a poet and I didn't even know it! Oh there I go again haha... :D)

READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM AND PLEASE REVIEW/PM ME YOUR IDEAS, THEY ARE WELCOMED AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT PEOPLE THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN!

Disclaimer: If I owned The Hunger Games, I wouldn't be writing this.. then again, if I owned The Hunger Games, I'd be rich... like that's ever going to happen... :(

Chapter 2

I step into the meeting room and all eyes are on me. I look up at the clock. 9.10. I decide to explain the reason that I am late.

"Hi, guys, sorry I'm late, I had to stop off at reception, and you know how Effie gets," I say with a weak smile. Everyone knows how much Effie loves to gossip.

As if reading my thoughts, Beetee says, "That's alright, Miss Everdeen, we all know how much Effie loves to talk."

I smile gratefully at him before I begin. "Now, before we get to the meeting, I'm sure you all know that this is Mr Wright's last week with us before he goes to retire, and I would like to say a word of thanks for being a good friend and assistant manager, as well as for helping the company to get back on its feet when Cinna, um, left us, and I give you my best wishes for a happy retirement." As if on cue, everyone starts clapping, and I'm sure I see Beetee wipe a tear from his eye. Once the clapping has subsided, I continue, "So, for the majority of this week, I will be working very hard to find a suitable replacement for Mr Wright as assistant manager, doing interviews and the like. I will also be working very closely with our employment and sales officer, Mr Odair," I lock my grey eyes with Finnick's green eyes, which have a mischevious glint in them, and he grins at me, "most of this week to make sure the person we employ in Mr Wright's position is fit for the job. As a result of this, I won't be as available to help with your issues, so I expect you to either sort them out between yourselves or to have the patience to wait for a moment where I am free. This week, we will be continuing to work on designing and, eventually, making the items in our new range, Fire. Any questions, either ask me after the meeting or, as I said earlier wait for a moment where I am free. And on that note, I will hand over to Mr Odair, who will inform us on how our sales are looking." Finnick stands up, and grins at me as he passes me. I roll my eyes.

The rest of the meeting goes by quickly, and before I even know it, it has finished. The time is 11.10, the time of our normal morning break, so I dismiss everyone, saying they can have their normal break, but must be back to work by 11.30. After most people have left, I head to the staff room, and grab a cake from the table and pour myself a coffee. I turn around and see Finnick, Gale and Jo talking so I decide to head over to them. I am stopped by an all too familiar voice that startles me.

"You know, Miss Everdeen, they say that too much cake is bad for you, with all the sugar and stuff." I whirl around and come face-to-face with the icy blue eyes that I have come to love. I say face-to-face, what I mean is, face-to-chest. Man, he is tall. Instead of seeing love in the eyes, however, I see a hatred. He is good at putting a mask over his feelings, but then again, so am I.

I scowl. "Well, maybe they should realise that a person is allowed to indulge themselves in cake once in a while," I counter. On the inside, I am grinning at how we are able to easily how hatred to each other when we feel the opposite, but on the outside, and to anyone observing us, I am looking at him with hatred so deep even satan himself can't reach it.

He smirks. "Is someone grumpy because they didn't get enough sleep last night?" he asks, putting a fake sad face on, that I think looks really cute, but I don't show it. I note the code for Are we still on for tonight? in the question he just asked.

"I'll have you know, I slept perfectly well last night, I actually slept until about six o'clock," I say, scowling. His eyes show he understands the code for Yeah, I'll see you at my place, about six, but he just raises and eyebrow. In a sickly sweet voice, I say, "Can I go talk to my friends now?"

He steps aside and, in an equally sickly sweet voice, he says, "Sure. Be my guest." I start to walk over to the others, but he grabs my arm and then whispers in my ear "Oh, and happy birthday." I glare at him and he walks off laughing. I turn around again and head toward Finnick, Gale and Jo. Finnick's face breaks out into a grin when he sees me, and the other two turn around when they see him grin. They break out into grins as well.

Finnick bounds over to me and engulfs me in a hug, saying "Happy birthday, Kitty-kat!"

"Happy birthday, Catnip!" I hear before I am engulfed in another hug, this one by Gale.

Jo ambles over and playfully punches me in the arm, saying "Happy birthday, Brainless!"

I grin at their nickname for me. So many nicknames for one person, right? Finnick grins back at me, but then his face grows serious, and I know what's coming. "What did Cato talk to you about?" he asks me. He's been protective towards me in matters concerning Cato ever since I told him about our history. But protective like an older brother that I never had.

I turn to look at Gale, because I know what will follow from him as well. "What?" he practically screams in my ear. He's protective of me, too, but much more than Finnick. He moved to New York with me, and got a job in this company as well, saying that he's doing it to help me with Sophia. It's true to some extent, but I think there's something deeper to it as well, but I never push the matter.

"Well, he just saw me eating cake, said about how the sugar content in cakes is bad. I then got angry with him and he made a snide comment about me being grumpy because I didn't get enough sleep last night. I then turned to go and he whispered 'oh, and happy birthday' in my ear. No biggie, guys, don't worry about it," I say, hoping it was enough to get them off of my back.

"Ok, but how did he know it was your birthday today? That is what I'm now concerned about," Gale says.

I roll my eyes and open my mouth to answer, but Jo beats me to it, "Come on, Windy, think a little," I laugh at Jo's nickname for Gale, Windy. Gale shoots me a glare and I instantly stop my laughing. Jo continues, looking at me, "If I have got your history with Cato right, you went out with him for what, like two years?" I just nod, not trusting myself to speak. She turns back to Gale. "So, if they were going out for two years, they're gonna know when each other's birthday is, ok? Example: Brainless, when's Cato's birthday?"

"June twenty-seventh," I say, not even stopping to think.

Jo continues, "Exactly. Now, the one thing I am suprised at is that he remembered after what, like almost ten years since you broke up? Sure, you remembered, Brainless, but that's 'caus you're a girl. Girls remember things like that. Boys don't," she says this so matter-of-factly, it's hard not to believe her.

Finnick jumps in. "Maybe he still has feelings for you, Kitty-kat!"

I roll my eyes. "I doubt it. He was the one that cheated on me, remember? Not the other way around."

"Yeah, have you seen the amount of hatred in his eyes when he looks at her?" Gale asks. So, our masks of hatred really do work on everyone, I think. I glance up at the clock. 11.32. The room only has the four of us in it at the moment.

"Guys, it's past half eleven. We need to get back to work!" I remind them. They all look up at the clock and then nod.

"I'm gonna go talk to Cato about it." Gale says. Of course, he shares an office with the guy, I think.

"No, Gale, you don't need to. It's alright," I say, pleading with my eyes.

He nods. "Ok, if you don't want me to say anything, then I won't."

"Good. Now, off to work, both of you!" I say, shooing them away. I turn to Finnick. "Alright, Finn, we need to get ready and start looking at applications, so we can go to my office, ok?"

He nods, his bronze hair flopping in his eyes. He pushes it out of the way. "Ok, I just need to get the stuff from my office, so I'll meet you there!"

"Ok, Finn, just be quick!" I say, watching him run off towards his office. I head to the lift, and wait for the doors to open. While I'm waiting, I feel someone's presence behind me, and I turn around. For the second time today, I am met with his icy blue eyes, but this time, he smiles.

I smile back. "Hey," I say.

"Hey," he replies, "happy birthday, babe." I smile again and wrap my arms around his waist. Almost immediately, I feel his arms wrap around my body and he kisses the top of my head. I soon realise something and lift my head to look at him.

"You already said 'happy birthday' to me."

He smirks. "Yeah, I know, but that was for show in front of your friends. This time it was real." I grin at him and reach up on my toes and peck him on the lips. I pull away from the hug, aware that if we stand like that much longer, someone might come along and spot us.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Shouldn't you be working?"

"Yeah, but Gale walked into the office and glared at me, so I knew that you had told them about our little... encounter earlier. The tension was getting too much, so I decided to go for a little walk to let him cool off, and I found you at the lifts."

"Fair enough," I say.

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Shouldn't you be working?" he turns my question back at me.

I shrug. "Yeah, I was just waiting for the lift to arrive. Finnick and I have some stuff to sort out regarding applications for the position of assistant manager."

He nods. I notice that the lift doors have opened behind me, so I step backwards into it, pressing the number 1, the floor where my office is located. "See you later," I say seductively, "and go back to work!" I manage to add as the lift doors close.

Finally, the doors re-open and I walk to my office and unlock it, waving at Beetee, who is sat at the assistant manager's desk outside my office. I close the door behind me and turn my computer on. I unlock the filing cabinet and get out a design for a dress. More specifically, a wedding dress. The dress is strapless, and is tight fitting on the upper body, with the dress flowing to the floor from the waist down. The dress itself is white, but lower down, it has yellow and orange 'flames' curling up fron the bottom. The whole thing has a few gems spattered across it, that twinkle in the light to give the impression that the dress is 'alight'. The dress was designed by none other than Cinna himself, it was his last completed design. With it, he wrote a note that said 'To my girl on fire, this dress has been designed for your big day, to make it even more special than it will already be. Love, Cinna'. The nickname 'girl on fire' came from Cinna, saying that he could 'see the desire to do well in my work burning like a fire'. With the note, he had written the details about a company that could make the dress for me, and they could make it very quickly, as a last favour to Cinna. I am so engrossed in looking at the design, I don't notice anyone in my office until they clear their throat.

I look up, alarmed, but see that it is only Finnick. He glances at my desk and sees the design. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were designing this wedding dress. But this doesn't look like the designs that you draw, yet it seems so familiar in stlye. Where have I seen a design like this before?" he asks, deep in thought. I hand him the letter that came with the design and he reads it, confused at first, but then his eyes widen when he reads the end. "Wha-? This is-? Oh my God! I can't believe this is Cinna's design! How-?" he stutters.

I smile, Finnick was never one who normally stuttered. "He gave it to me the day before he... passed. It was his last completed design, and it was for my special day. I never really planned on getting married, but now I almost feel as if I have to, to be able to show Cinna's last design."

"That makes sense. I guess you'll just have to wait to find the right guy though, huh?" I nod my head, thinking, if only you knew Finnick, if only you knew. "Anyway, we better get on with work, we have our first interview at one." he says, attempting to get to business.

"Ok," I say, "Wait, what?"

He grins. "Yeah, I scheduled an interview for today, the guy said he could only do today, and he seemed like a really good applicant, so I arranged it to be at one. All via email. That ok?" He grins sheepishly, he's always been proud of himself when he uses emails to communicate.

I nod. "Yeah, that's ok. A bit more notice in the future would be helpful, though!"

"Ok, well we have another interview tomorrow at ten, and -"

"Not now, Finnick. We need to prepare for today's interview first, ok?"

"Oh, right, of course."

We do all of the necessary preparations for the interview later, and I glance up at the clock. 12.30. Half an hour before the first interview for the role of assistant manager. I feel my stomach rumble. I sigh.

"Hey, um, Finn?" I ask.

He looks up. "Yeah?"

"I think I'm gonna go to Starbucks across the road to get some lunch before the interview, I'm starving!"

"Oh, ok Kitty-kat. Be quick, we want this interview to start on time, ok? Unlike this morning's meeting," he says mischeviously.

I stick my tongue out at him. "Oh shush Finn. I should be back in like, fifteen minutes max, ok?" He nods. "Good. See you soon!" I say, and with that, I step out of my office and head to the lift. Once inside, I hit the ground floor button and wait for the short, one-floor ride. The doors open and as I walk out of the building, I give Effie a smile, who smiles back. I cross the road and head into Starbucks. I pick up the last meatball and mozzerella panini and head over to the till. The girl on the till smiles at me, I've seen her a few times when I've come in here for a coffee, or some lunch. Delly, I think her name is.

"Hi, Miss Everdeen, how are you today?" she asks politely. What is with people and calling me Miss Everdeen? Sure, it's good in a workplace but in public it's quite disturbing, I think.

"Please call me Katniss, Delly, is it?"

She nods. "Oh, ok Katniss. And yes, my name is Delly." she smiles again. There's something about this girl that makes me want to smile, too.

"I'm doing fine, thanks, Delly. And yourself?"

"Yeah I'm good. Well, as good as you can be when you work in a coffee shop!" she says, shrugging.

I smile back. "Well, you could always try get a job in my company, we're still looking for another receptionist to help Effie with all her workload, and you're definitely enough of a people's person to be good for a receptionist!"

She widens her eyes. "Really?" I nod. "Oh my God, thank you! I'll drop by after my shift and get an application form for a receptionist! Thank you so much!"

I shrug. "It's no problem, Delly. We're always looking for more help, after all, many hands make light work, isn't that what they say?"

She nods enthusiastically. "Yeah, I think so! Now would you like me to cook that panini for you?" I nod and hand her the panini. She puts it under the grill, comes back over and puts it into the till. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, can I have a medium latte and a cookie? Oh, and a chocolate muffin as well, for my friend, Finnick? All to go, please."

She smiles. "Sure." She inputs it all into the till and goes to make my latte. She brings it back in a paper cup, and puts the cookie and muffin into a bag. The timer for the panini goes off and she slips it into another bag. I pay for the food with my card and hurry out the door, waving a goodbye to Delly, who had started to serve another customer, anyway. I head back over the road and into the company building. I look up at the clock. 12.42. I decide to head over to Effie and inform her that Delly will be visiting later.

"Good afternoon, Miss Everdeen." She smile her over-enthusiastic smile. "How can I help you?"

"Oh, nothing too important, thank you Effie, as I'm just headed up to my office and then to the interview room, but I need to inform you that a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes called Delly will be arriving later, asking for a receptionist application form." She frowns at this. "Now, Effie, I'm not going to fire you, I just thought it looked like you could use the extra help."

She nods. "Yes, the extra help would be appreciated, it's just not in my nature to ask for someone to help me, bad manners, see?" I nod. "Yes, I will welcome the extra help with open arms."

I smile. "Good, I'm glad you agree. I'm sure you'll love Delly, she's bright and bubbly, just like you. Anyway, I really do need to get going, there's an interview in fifteen minutes."

"Yes. Well, thank you for informing me, Miss Everdeen, I would have been very concerned by her appearance had you not told me. So thank you for your good manners!"

"No problem, Effie. Goodbye!" I say, turning to leave.

"Goodbye, Miss Everdeen! Enjoy the interview!" I smlie as I walk away. I call the lift and it opens immediately. I press the number one, still juggling my coffee cup and the two bags in my hands. The lift opens and I head into my office, smiling at Beetee. When I enter, Finnick is still sat there, but looking at the design of the wedding dress, nibbling on a sandwich and obviously deep in thought. I close the door loudly, but not slamming it, making him jump.

"The design has piqued your interest, has it then Finnick?" I ask.

He turns around. "Yeah, it's just so... beautiful. I could imagine you wearing that dress, Kitty."

I drop into my chair. "Yeah, well, it will be a while before I'm wearing it, if at all," I say, taking a bite out of my panini, "and Finn, you must promise me not to mention anything about this design or this dress to anyone, understand? I want this to remain secret for the moment." He nods. I can feel anger rising up inside of me. "Dammit, Finnick, I need to hear the words 'I promise' come out of your fucking mouth, not just a nod!"

"I... I promise, Kitty." His voice is small, apparently I'm scary when I get worked up.

I narrow my eyes. "You promise what?" I take another bite out of my panini.

"I promise not to mention anything about the design or dress to anyone."

I nod in satisfaction and nudge the bag containing the cookie and muffin towards him. "Good. I bought you something from Starbucks, just 'caus I'm a nice person. Sometimes." I pause. "Watch the 'sometimes'!"

He grins at me, then looks inside the bag. "You bought a muffin for me? On your birthday?"

I nod. "Refer to previous comment," I say, as he takes a huge bite out of the muffin. I roll my eyes and finish my panini and grab the bag with the cookie inside it. "Come on, Finn, we need to go. It's like five to one!"

He nods and says "Moohkhhay, barrt mmnneeefffeer ovvv uzz nozzz annnyfffmming abbhhout hhhiimmmm, rhhhiiittttt." His mouth was obvously still full of muffin.

"What?"

He swallows. "I said 'ok, but neither of us knows anything about him, right?" he says, "Well, other than that he's a 'he'." I nod. It's company protocol that when someone has applied for a job in this company, the only personal information that is given is their gender, so people can't give biased opinions on whether or not the person gets an interview. It's all based on their previous job performances and CV.

"So, what's this guy like, Finn? Job-wise, I mean," I ask as we head out of my office, holding my coffee and eating my cookie.

"Well, he worked in a bakery for most of his childhood, as his parents owned a bakery. He did pictures for the menus and decorated a lot of the cakes," he begins, reading off of the job application, "He then went on to university at California, taking concept design... hey, I went to California Uni! I wonder if I'll know him... Wait a minute, this sounds familiar..." At the word California, I narrow my eyes. California is where I grew up, and also happens to be where the 'bad patch' in my life happened, before I moved to New York and joined the company.

"Wait, you mean you haven't looked at the application properly yet, Finn?" He grins sheepishly. "Finn!"

"Sorry! It's just he emailed me and practically begged me to let him have an interview. He gave me his application number, as well!" I sigh. "Can I go on?" I nod. We're almost at the interview floor. "Ok, after he left uni, he moved to New York and has had various jobs here and there, all involving artwork of some kind, and even a short managerial position! If this is who I think it is, then we're in for a treat, and we might have even found THE guy for you, Katniss!"

"Hmm, I doubt it, Finn," I say, as the lift doors open. I take a sip out of my drink, which is still hot. "I guess all that's left now is to meet him. Did Effie bring him up?"

He checks his phone. "Yep, Effie says he's sat at the table 'anticipating our arrival'." He air quotes with his fingers on that last part. "Whatever that means."

I laugh as we reach the room. Finnick opens the door for me, saying "Ladies first". I grin at him and glance at the guy sat in the chair opposite ours. His head is hung, almost like he's a criminal, and his blonde hair is hanging in his face, curling slightly at the ends. Finnick closes the door and, as he does, the man sat before us lifts his head. The first thing I notice is his eyes. They are the most beautiful shade of blue and they draw me to him. I glance quickly at Finnick and, judging by the grin on his face, it is the guy that he thought it was. I turn back to the guy sat in front of us, and realisation dawns on me. I freeze.

The boy from my dream with blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes is sat right in front of me... how did this happen?

Well there it is, chapter 2! I know some of you have been looking forward to it, so here! Ok, I have a few questions for you to answer, just so I can get your ideas on what you think will happen later on in the story...

1. Who do you think the guy with the blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes is?

2. Do you think he has anything to do with Katniss' past? If so, what?

3. What do you think Katniss' 'bad patch' in her life was?

4. What's your favourite part/character of the story so far?

All answers to these questions will be answered later in the story (except the last one; I just want to know who and what you like about this story), so please review and tell me your answers!

Also, I am aware that everyone is a little OOC in my story, but that's just how I want to write them in this particular story. I will try to update as much as I can over the next week, as I have no exams, but I can't guarantee how often that will be, if my laptop keeps deciding to delete massive chunks of each chapter.

See ya next time!

Ruth xx