Chapter 8
Wednesday
The hummer limo is just as tacky as everything else assosiated with the wedding so far. The seats are pink leather and the roof is decorated with twinkling lights that change colour when music is playing. There is a large vat of champagne on ice at one end of the limo and Glimmer immediately cracks open a bottle toasting herself and her wonderful wedding.
For once I don't judge her for acting this way. After my realisation that I have no more feelings for Gale I feel like I want to celebrate. I eagerly accept the glass she gives me, throw back its contents in one go and immediately search for another one. Madge looks on at me amused.
"What's got into you?" she asks with a smirk.
"Just that I no longer care about what Gale says and does. I am totally over that guy!" I announce.
Madge raises her eyebrows and smiles clearly pleased.
"Has this got anything to do with that kiss Peeta gave you just before we left? Which by the way I really don't want to have to see," Madge asks.
I nod my head in confirmation.
"I don't really want to know, but I am so happy for you! That asshole has had too much of a hold on you for years," Madge responds and she flings her arms around me in a tight hug.
"This is a life changing moment! Help me celebrate!" I reply handing her a glass of champagne.
Madge takes it and we clink our glasses together before I down yet another glass all at once.
"We are doing shots when we get to the bar," I declare.
Madge smiles wickedly.
"Welcome back!" she announces. "I feel I have finally got my friend back these last few weeks. You don't spend all your time working and actually remember how to have a good time!"
I smile. She is right. I have spent too much time immersed in work these last few years as I have tried to forget about Gale. However since I got the promotion I have begun to socialise again. Peeta has been a big part of this. All the fake dates we went on made me put myself out there again. I suddenly realise what a rubbish friend I have been the last few years, living my life like a hermit. I plan to make up for some of it tonight. I only wish Johanna and Delly were here tonight.
Glimmer has booked a room in her favourite club in town, The Capitol. It is too pretentious for me. All of Panem's elite frequent here and the drinks are vastly overpriced. At least Uncle Haymitch is paying for everything we consume tonight. I fear open bar is going to be dangerous for me.
Glimmer has also ensured that the room has been decorated to fit our needs tonight. The room has been filled with pink and black balloons, Playboy bunny silhouettes on the walls and bottles of pink champagne with extravagant sparklers on top. There are also a couple of glittery platforms with poles attached and I wonder how long it will take before Glimmer gets on one. A shirtless waiter comes through carrying one of the bottlse of champagne with a fiery sparkler alight. Glimmer squeals in delight as he comes through and thanks him generously as he places the bottle on the table. She whoops again after ensuring everyone has a glass and gestures for us all to take a sip. I must have had more alcohol than I realised because I find I am the first one to join in with her shrieking when she does.
As I predicated Glimmer is the first person to get on one of the poles. Somewhere along the limo journey she has acquired a cheap veil and tiara and she struggles to twirl on the pole without the accessories falling off. She spends most of the time with one hand on the pole and the other clutching the garments on top of her head.
"It's seems those pole dancing lessons have paid off," Prim says as she comes up beside me handing me some pink cocktail. I take the glass gratefully and take a sip as I watch Glimmer drop down the pole.
"Uncle Haymitch would be so proud," I say with a grin. Prim grins too.
"You seem so much more relaxed today," Prim says. "Has this got anything to do with Peeta?"
She looks at me with a smirk.
"You don't need a man to make you happy," I reply nudging her in the ribs but my mind goes to the image of Peeta in his fireman's costume earlier.
Prim shrugs her shoulders.
"Whatever," she replies clearly not believing me. "It won't be long before we are at your bachelorette party."
Thankfully I am saved from facing the guilt of lying to her, as a man who looks like a Greek god with bronze hair and emerald eyes appears. He is wearing a loose fitting white shirt, sailor hat and what looks like a fisherman's net covering his bottom half. He is clearly the stripper for tonight.
"I'm out fishing. Looks like I have caught some bunnies?" he purrs and then mimes throwing a rod and reeling someone in.
Glimmer and Cashmere shriek and jump up and down as he catches sight of Glimmer and winks seductively at her. I can only laugh at the scenario. He reels Glimmer in and sits her down so she has front row of the show. Some cheesy song starts to play and the stripper begins shredding items of clothing. Nudity still makes me feel uncomfortable and I spend most of the routine with my hand covering my eyes.
Much to my disgust, Prim seems to be enjoying this too much. I am like a protective parent over her and had hoped she would wait until she was at least 40 until she started having sex. Unfortunately for me she shares way more than I care to know about her sex life. I really don't want to know about the latest sex toys she has bought.
Glimmer sequels throughout, rubbing baby oil on the guy and stuffing dollar bills into his underwear. About half way through he spots me hiding behind my hands and decides he is going to torture me. He struts his way sultrily towards me, swaying his hips and stopping in front of me so my face is in line with his crotch.
"Are you not impressed with my fishing rod?" he asks thrusting his dick in my face.
The look on my face must be amusing because all the other girls burst out laughing as he begins gyrating around me.
I don't know where to look. He surrounds me. I shoot a pleading look to both Madge and Prim but they both shake their heads at me and stuff some money into his underwear, tapping him on the ass to urge him on. I hate them in this moment. The guy continues to dance around me enjoying the reaction he is getting out of me. I keep my eyes on my shoes the entire time.
Eventually Glimmer gets bored and beckons him to come back over to her. He gives me one last wink before he leaves and I sag back in my chair in relief now that his attentions have turned to someone else. I give Prim and Madge an evil glare but both still find the whole situation hilarious.
After a lot more baby oil and glitter the man finally finishes and many of the girls, including Prim, stand chatting to him and twirling their hair as he packs up. I shake my head at them. Guys like that do nothing for me. I think it is something to do with them being so readily available.
He comes over to me before he leaves.
"I hope you enjoyed my little dance for you," he says cheekily. "I only get it out for the truly special people."
I blush and pull my eyes down to the floor. Can't this guy just leave?
"She's just a prude," Prim replies for me as she follows him over, still twirling her damn hair. "She won't even tell me how big her boyfriend's dick is!"
"Prim!" I yell deeply embarrassed.
The stripper laughs.
"Must be pretty small if she not telling," he says leaning down to Prim with a cheeky grin.
"Don't you have another party to go to?" I ask, hating this conversation and desperate for it to end.
"Just a bunch of hairdressers on a work night out," he replies with a shrug. "It was nice meeting you lovely ladies."
He gives me another stupid wink and smirk before hauling up his bag and leaving. All the rest of the girls watch him go out dreamily.
Thank god that's over. I grab a shot of tequila to stop my skin from crawling as a result of that encounter.
With the stripper out the way I begin to relax and really enjoy myself. For once I don't care about how much I am drinking and the effect it is going to have on me tomorrow morning. You only live once, right?
As the night wears on I begin to fully appreciate what I have been missing out on while I have been so busy working. I laugh and dance and sing. I realise going out doesn't have to always be about getting hit on by creeps or dragging an asshole home. You can just let go and be a little silly. I get a bit angry at myself that I let Gale keep myself locked away. I have wasted so much of my life hurting over that guy. He was not worth it. He's an asshole who only thinks about himself. I pity Leevy for being with him. He clearly doesn't care for her as much as he says. Kissing someone other than your pregnant wife is indespicable.
He even has the nerve to text me throughout the evening. I delete them straight away no longer caring what he has to say. I carry on throwing back the drinks and look forward to a life where he doesn't have an effect on me.
Much to my delight Peeta also texts.
Peeta: Didn't realise Cato had a Jessica Rabbit fantasy. The stripper was a dead ringer of her!
Peeta: I think I have found a bigger light weight than you! Marvel is passed out in the restroom!
Peeta: You look great tonight. Don't be embarrassed. You are the most beautiful girl there.
Each time his name appears on my screen my heart jumps a little and I get a big smile on my face. We joke about how each of our evenings are going and our spelling getting worse as the night wears on. I check my phone every couple of minutes to see if he has replied. I laugh at a picture he sends me of him eating a massive hamburger. It must be the size of his head. I suddenly wish he was here.
But I am not allowed to text Peeta all night as Glimmer confiscates my phone declaring that there is a group ban on contacting spouses. Tonight is about us girls. I scowl at her, unhappy that she is interrupting my conversation with Peeta.
All the alcohol is helping me tolerate Glimmer though and later I find myself bonding with her at the bar. We both sit on high stools, our eyes a little glazed and a cocktail in one hand.
"I'm sorry I've been a bitch about Peeta," she slurs. "Didn't think you could actually do it. Particularly with Peeta Mellark! He's hot!"
I smile placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay. It was a bit of a surprise," I say accepting her drunk apology.
Glimmer places her hand over my one on her shoulder and sighs.
"I admire you for wanting it all. The job and the family. I couldn't do that," she sighs.
"Of course you can!" I say nodding my head fiercely. "You're a lot smarter than people give you credit for."
That is defiantly the alcohol talking. I am not normally this complimentary to her.
"Thank you! You know you have always been my favourite cousin!" she announces.
"Shh!" I giggle. "Prim might hear!"
We both fall into a fit of giggles as the full effects of the alcohol become evident.
"Cato is a good guy," I tell her after we have finally stopped giggling. "You've done well."
"And I have you to thank for it! I would have never have met him if it wasn't for you!" she screeches.
I had forgotten about that. Glimmer had met Cato while on lunch with Prim and I. It was a year after I had graduated from college and Gale and Cato had been at the same restaurant. This being Gale, he had came over to boast about his life to me. Cato had spent the whole time just staring at Glimmer mesmerised. They claim it was love at first sight and he phoned to ask her out the next day. I guess I am an unintentional match maker.
Just then Cashmere comes up to us shaking a pink sequined box in our faces.
"Time for the next game!" she shrieks. "The Box of Truth!"
Glimmer claps her hands and jumps up excitedly. She pulls me off my stool and drags me back through to the other girls. I groan. I had forgotten about this game. It essentially involves a garishly decorated box full of personal questions; who did you lose your virginity to, who's your weird crush and other revealing questions like that. Yet another game that is going to make me feel uncomfortable.
Glimmer pulls me down to sit beside her as I have suddenly become her new best friend. Everyone has had a lot to drink by now and many sway in their seats.
"I'll start!" Glimmer shrieks as she shoves a hand into the box.
"Where is the strangest place you have had sex?" she reads aloud after she has unfolded the bit of shiny pink paper.
"That's easy. In his dad's office while he was in a meeting down the hall!" she announces.
"You did not!" one of her bridesmaids says shocked.
"I did! There were letters that he sent out that probably wouldn't have looked good under a UV light!"
I scrunch my nose in disgust. The most exciting place I ever had sex was in a tent in the middle of nowhere. It was in a pretty remote area so there was no danger of anyone coming across us. I would have been too scared I would have got caught if I did what Glimmer did.
The other girls continue to discuss how scandalous this was and some share some of the unusual places they have also had sex in.
I sit quietly as the box goes round. I am kind of shocked at how many scandalous stories there are. I am not a complete prude. I have heard Johanna talk like this much too often, but all these girls convey the girl next door look. I am shocked they are so naughty behind close doors. My sex life is very vanilla compared to theirs.
The box makes it way round to me and I dread what I will have to divulge. I stick my hand gingerly in and search about for a scrap of paper. My fingers catch hold of a bit and I slowly pull it out. I open it carefully and take a moment to focus in on the words on the paper.
"Describe your boyfriend as a lover," I read out.
Internally I groan. They will expect me to describe Peeta. Somehow I have to describe a sex life that I don't have. They all look at me eagerly. Apparently this is something they have all wanted to know. I take a deep breath and try to think. The image of Peeta's half-naked body from earlier surfaces in my mind and I begin talking before I realise it.
"He likes to take me by surprise," I say as I imagine Peeta kissing me unexpectedly as I walk past him in the kitchen. "He likes to be spontaneous and just pounce on me as if he doesn't take me now he will burst. He likes to run his hands in my hair, taking control of the kiss. Sometimes it is hot and fast and other times he likes to take his time. He teases me as he kisses every inch of my body and moves inside me slow but purposefully."
The rest of the room has gone silent. All the girls stare at me with drool hanging from their mouths. Apparently I have said the right thing.
I don't know where that came from. Suddenly I am imagining him doing all those things to me. I become desperate to know exactly what he hides behind those well fitting jeans. I can't get the image of him moving above me and driving in and out of me out of my head. There is a dampness in my underwear that has not been there for a while. I become hot and flustered. In that moment I realise two things:
I am attracted to Peeta Mellark.
And I want to have sex with him.
This realisation shocks me to the core but it is now the only thing that I can concentrate on. I am vaguely aware of the other girls asking more probing follow up questions but I am so lost in my own fantasies of Peeta taking me against the kitchen table that I can't answer. I smile politely at them and excuse myself as I become desperate for air.
The cool breeze is a welcome feeling to my flushed body as I burst outside. I move to lean against a rail, which looks out over the street, as I try to figure out what has just happened. These thoughts are totally unexpected. How am I going to look at him when I get back after having now imagined him naked? I groan in sexual frustration.
I don't get time to think much longer as Madge opens the door behind me and comes up beside me.
"That was really disturbing in there. I think you have every girl in there wanting to sleep with my brother," she states.
I blush not letting on that I am one of those girls too.
"Where did that even come from?" she asks looking at me questioningly.
I can't tell her the truth. The whole thing is too weird.
"I just described how I would like to be treated," I say leaving out that it is only her brother that I want to take me that way.
"You need to get laid," she replies. "And can you please not talk about sex with my brother, even if it is fake. I don't need to hear it."
I give her a weak smile.
"Sorry. I know how it weirds me out when Prim talks about sex. I still remember when she had pig tails and played with barbies. She shouldn't be having sex," I reply.
Madge smiles.
"I am just glad it is fake. The thought of you and Peeta actually having sex makes my skin crawl. I mean you are like another sister to him," she says.
I give her a fake smile. She must never know the thoughts running through my head right now.
She leaves me to it a few moments later and I try to compose myself.
But Peeta continues to linger in my mind.
Deciding this is not the time to think about it, I go back inside and drink more instead.
By the time we get back to the house it is 3am and I am still buzzing from all the alcohol. I stumble up to my room and almost fall through the door as I open it.
"Ouch!" I squeal as I stub my toe on the dresser. I unsteadily bend down to rub the pain away.
"You're back!" Peeta declares cheerily waving a bottle of what looks like Jack Daniels in one hand. I am glad to see he is still minus a shirt.
I see the bottle and immediately perk up at the sight. Any awkwardness I thought would occur when I saw Peeta evaporates. I am too drunk to let my embarrassment of my fantasies bother me. I am happy, relaxed and in no mood to go to bed now. More alcohol is the right way to go.
"Did you have fun?" Peeta asks as he sways slightly on his feet. He's obviously had a lot to drink as well.
"Surprisingly yes, but I think we're about to have more fun now!" I say playfully as I stalk towards him and grab the bottle out his hand. I take a swig while staring at him challenging. He smirks back at me.
"I like your thinking Miss Everdeen. Let's get some beats on!" he replies taking the bottle back off me and bounding to the ipod docking system in the corner. I admire his pert behind as he makes his way over. He fiddles with the ipod for a few moments, uttering a few swear words as he struggles to find the right song. I take off my bunny ears and massage my scalp where the band has dug in. Eventually he finds the song he is looking for and *NSYNC begins to blare out.
"You have got to be kidding me. What are we 12?" I ask.
Peeta just grins at me.
"Come on. This is a classic! I made no secret of my love for them in school," he says with a grin.
"It's a good thing you were popular and attractive or people would have bullied the hell out of you," I reply.
Peeta raises his eyebrows at me.
"You think I am attractive?" he asks with a smirk.
"Well…I didn't mean… I… oh shut up. Let's just dance," I declare.
Why did I say that? I hope he is too drunk to remember I said that tomorrow. Peeta doesn't push it and shrugs his shoulders.
"Your wish is my command," he says jokingly thrusting the bottle in front of me. I sigh, relieved I have got away with it for now and take another swig. After I have finished he sweeps me in his arms and begins twirling me about the room. As I stare at his naked chest I think maybe I should have just kissed him instead.
Peeta starts dancing and singing badly along to the tunes that come out the system. I join him and dance goofily along to the 90's boyband.
We move closer to each other as the track list moves on, both of us there to catch each other if we stumble. After Peeta catches me for the third time I think how easy it would be to reach up kiss him and then maybe experience some of the things I was fantasying about earlier. But I am not bold enough to take that final step and instead just go back to shaking my bottom around.
The dancing gets sloppier and we get gigglier. Peeta spins me out of his arms and I go crashing onto the bed. I stretch out onto it as I let another round of laughter over take me. Peeta apologises chuckling and falls down on the bed beside me. I turn on my side to face him, my hand under my cheek.
"I suppose this is good practice for tomorrow," I chuckle as I move closer to him. Tomorrow we have dance rehearsals for the wedding. Yet another thing to not look forward to.
Peeta turns his head towards me.
"We don't need to practice. We are awesome!" he declares with a grin.
I smile back at him and find myself moving even closer to him and placing my head on his chest. His arms immediately go around me to pull me closer. I trace a lazy pattern just above his heart and enjoy the feel of his skin underneath my finger tips. We don't say anything and I relish the warmth he gives off.
I snuggle closer to him. His hand strokes the top of my head. I realise how content I feel in his arms. He taps lightly on top of head to get me to look up at him. I readily comply and am a little shocked at the intensity in his blue eyes. It feels magnetic as I find myself being drawn closer to his lips. My mind has lost all coherent thought and I don't try to second guess my actions. He goes to say something when I am suddenly overcome with a wave of tiredness and I find it difficult to keep my eyes open. I think he says something before sleep drags me under.
A/N: So Katniss has come to a mini-revelation about her feelings towards Peeta! I know it is slow going, but bear with me. Things will start to pick up in the next few chapters. I hope you all enjoyed the bachelorette party and Katniss letting loose a little.
My thanks again to everyone who reviews and supports this story. I love hearing from you.