Chapter Text
The annual office Labor Day outdoor party was filled with laughter, barely edible canapes that never filled anyone up, and drunken naughtiness in dark corners. It was Friday afternoon before the big weekend. The company made holiday decorations and it made most of its revenues between Labor Day and Christmas.
Katniss Everdeen always skipped out on these social rituals. This year however she could not. Her boss, Haymitch Abernathy demanded she attend. Apparently the owner of the company, Coriolanus Snow, wanted everyone to show up for some grand announcement. The one thing Katniss hated about these parties and hated about her job, in particular, was that upstart show off Peeta Mellark.
He was schmoozing with the assortment of models dressed as pumpkins, elves, and turkeys. He was just too perfect. Perfect height, natural ashen blond hair, straight white teeth, and an ass that was slap worthy. Katniss closed her eyes. As much as she loathed Peeta, she was also wildly attracted to him. She wanted to strip that stupid smile off of his face all the while living la Vida Loca on a springy bed. Oh, she wanted him so much she'd taken to carrying an extra pair of underwear, his voice did things to her during meetings. She could just envision what he would sound like in the bedroom.
The canape she held in her hand crumbled and she came back to the present. This weakness is why she loathed Peeta Sexy-Ass Mellark so much. No man should be that freaking sexy. No man should make her crazy by just looking at her. Turning around, she stomped away to the drinks bar; the only way to survive this was to get buzzed.
The bartender was handing a drink to the person next to her. When they finished Katniss said, "Excuse me…"
The bartender ignored her and moved to the person next to her.
Katniss shook her head. She often found herself in this position. She waited for the bartender to finish. She wasn't that tall, and naturally, people looked right over her head at the taller person standing behind her or next to her. She waited patiently and listened as the DJ's switched two songs.
"Evergreen."
Katniss grimaced when she heard Peeta's voice. He always mispronounced her name. Peeta Mellark did this to annoy her. He knew everyone's name, he knew birthdays and anniversaries but her name he always butchered, and somehow always forgot her birthday. She turned to face him. His eyes were dripping with frost, and she reciprocated the look. "Mellark."
His frosty exterior melted the moment the bartender appeared. He turned into the Prince of charm and finesse. "Hello, may I have a suffering bastard."
The bartender smiled and winked, "Sure."
Katniss fumed; she'd been waiting for ten minutes. "REALLY!"
"What's the matter Everdeen, making enemies with the bartender?"
"NO! I've been waiting for ten minutes for a drink and you come up and of course they serve you first."
He raised an eyebrow as if amused by her story.
These were the things that annoyed her about him."UGH!"
"It's just you don't look like the type of person who drinks." His lips formed that mocking smile, that made her want to smack him. "You also don't look old enough to drink."
"I am old enough to drink, and when I do I like strawberry daiquiris."
"Strawberry daiquiris?" He sounded amused.
"Well, it's better than your, what are you drinking, a suffering…?" Katniss stopped as she realized what she was going to say.
"You can't even say it, can you?"
His amusement at her inability to say the 'b' word frustrated her even further. "I can too."
"Go ahead," Peeta mocked.
Spurred by his dare she opened her mouth, but small choking sounds came out. She couldn't curse, everyone in the company knew she had a problem with vulgar words. It was the fault of her 9th Grade English teacher Miss Trinket who would fail students for using vulgarities and incorrect diction.
He chuckled dryly. "You're so pure."
His words were a backhanded compliment and it set her on fire. Katniss was a Pollyanna from a backwater town, called the Seam and he hailed from Capitol City, and it meant that she was simple and unsophisticated. It also meant inexperienced. And while some of it was true, he didn't know what she thought, or how tempted she was to push him into a dark corner and have her way with him.
Her problem was she did not have the words to communicate with him. Words weren't her thing, she was more of a doer. It's why she made a great account manager for the business development managers. They sold and she was able to get the order shipped out on time for them.
She currently worked with Caesar Flickerman. He was flamboyant and sweet, but he was demanding when it came to excellence. Looking at Peeta she was trying to formulate the words to insult him when the microphone screeched letting them know their attention was needed at the stage.
Katniss took that moment to slip away from Peeta. She stood toward the back of the crowd where she was sure no one could bother her.
Their boss, Corilianus Snow took the stage. He began speaking about the company's long history and Katniss wished she had her daiquiri. She hated these long drawn out speeches. On the other hand, after the big announcement, she could quietly slip out. Katniss focused on Snow's words.
"As an effort to bring our company forward into this new era, we will be instituting new initiatives," Snow said. "We will be offering a prize of a profitable cash bonus at Christmastime and two extra days of paid time off." Everyone applauded.
The money would be amazing. The days off though were the biggest prize. Katniss didn't have many days left, and two extra days meant she could possibly spend Christmas with her family. Katniss hadn't spent a holiday with them in so long. She missed her sister and her mother.
Snow put his hands out to quiet the crowd before continuing, "In the spirit of competition and to bring new dynamics to the sales force we will be shaking things up internally by switching Account Managers and Business Development Managers. So if you go to that table where our lovely assistants are located you will find an envelope with your name on it and inside it will contain the name of the person you will be working with until December 23rd."
The announcement took everyone out of their comfort zone, but the necessity to know who they were being paired with drove the staff to the tables like brides descending on Kleinfeld's semi-annual sale. It was chaotic and it overwhelmed Katniss; she hung back.
There were gladdened faces and faces that reflected the horror of the new partnership. Katniss looked around frightened by the prospect of having to work with someone new. She walked to the table and picked up her envelope.
When she opened it her vision went dark.
"Looks like we're stuck with each other."
Peeta's voice contained the grim foreboding sentiment she felt.
She tried to smile but she was sure she looked deranged.
"Stop smiling, you're scaring people."
Katniss wasn't sure how to best show that this didn't bother her. Of all of the people in the company, she had to be stuck together with none other than Peeta-I-want-to-scratch-your-eyes-out-yet-ride-you-into-oblivion-Mellark. Life was not fair.
"Everyone please enjoy the food, the open bar, and enjoy a turn on the dance floor..." Snow said over the microphone.
The music started and Finnick and Annie who were secretly dating made their way to the dance floor. Katniss and Annie sat together during lunch at times and she had covered for Annie when she met Finnick in secret. Several others who saw the way Snow tipped his glass toward Finnick went to the dance floor too. It was all a game to show Snow they were not affected by the changes. The music was upbeat and definitely not Katniss' style.
"Come on, dance with me."
"What?" She hissed.
"We need to show them we're a team."
"NO," Katniss didn't want to dance with him. She didn't like to be touched.
"Snow is watching us, and we need to make a good impression. I have a feeling this is going to be more than just about numbers," he whispered.
Katniss took a look at Corilanius Snow, who stood off to the side in his white suit inspecting everyone. The one thing Katniss knew for sure about Snow was he had keen eyes and he was able to perceive things about people just by observation.
"Fine," she said.
The band struck up a slow song. Peeta led her not to the center but off to the side which gave her some relief.
"I'm not good at this," she whispered as his one hand found purchase on the small of her back and the other cradled her hand as if it was the most delicate flower.
Her heart rate increased as blood flowed south, as all at once she was surrounded by his heat and scent. He smelled warm and spicy like one of her mother's medicinal teas. She had fantasized what it would be like to be held close in his arms, and it was better than her imagination. Peeta was fit, his shirt was cut close to his physique, her underwear was going to get ruined. His arms were solid and she involuntarily pushed herself closer.
"Just follow my lead," he said quietly.
Katniss nodded. She noticed the slight flecks of gold in his blue eyes. Katniss committed them to memory as he moved. Their bodies fit together perfectly and she was thankful for his graceful movements because she wasn't sure of her steps. Dancing wasn't something she participated in regularly. The last time she committed herself to a slow dance was back in middle school, and it ended up with her partner having a broken toe.
"You need to relax your shoulders, you're too stiff," he said.
His words ruined the moment for her. "I told you I don't do this."
"Just close your eyes,"he said.
Katniss stared at him.
"If we're going to work together you have to learn to trust me."
His words were a gauntlet thrust in her face. How dare he talk about trust when he didn't even know her. She shot back, "Then you're going to have to earn it...trust and respect are earned. And you don't trust me either and you certainly don't respect me."
"Look Evergreen," Peeta said.
"FIrst off, it's not Evergreen. It's Ever-deen," Katniss hissed. She knew this was a mistake.
He raised that infernal eyebrow of his.
"If we are going to be working together you need to at least learn my name."
"Where's the fun in that?"
His voice was beginning to grate on her nerves.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Katniss needed to get away, to compose herself before she did something stupid. Thankfully the slow music stopped.
Peeta let go of her. She walked away and sat down on a bench near the bathrooms.
She heard women laughing. One of the women's voices she recognized was Clove, the other she didn't know, but this woman's voice sounded breathy like a phone sex operator.
"Did you see who Peeta Mellark was paired with?" The woman with the breathy voice asked.
They were just around the corner from where Katniss was sitting. They didn't know she was listening.
"She's the one person in this entire company who's not a team player," Clove snickered. "No one wanted to work with her and poor Caesar was stuck with her when Claudius retired. He tried to make her likable in front of everyone, by saying she was a hard worker. All she ever does is scowl at anyone and everyone who approaches her cubicle. There's a reason Peeta calls her Evergreen."
"Doesn't his nickname mean Evermean?"
Both laughed.
"He's so gorgeous. I heard from Glimmer that he's good in bed."
"I hate that bitch," Clove said.
"I also heard he's been spending time with the freelance consultant Cressida."
"Really," Clove replied. "I heard she shot down Cato."
"She's so exotic, I think she was once a model."
"Well at least we know he'll never touch Everdeen, he's too busy going after Cressida now that she's no longer with the company."
Clove's words hurt because she wasn't a likable person, even Haymitch said so, but she was a hard worker and she put her heart and soul into everything she did. She also knew the chances of someone like Peeta Mellark liking someone like her were slim to none. Getting up, she quickly walked away, not wanting to let them see her dilemma.
She walked right into Peeta. His arms went around her shoulder to keep her from falling.
"I was looking for you, come on," he tugged her hand, dragging her back to the dance floor. "We need to keep up appearances."
Katniss relented and walked with him to the dance floor. She wanted to escape and seek shelter from the ugliness of the world. He pulled her close and slowly they danced.
"Just one more dance and then we can go home."
Katniss looked away.
"I see the scowl is back."
Her face hardened, she didn't want him to see the hurt in her eyes. Clove's words were in her head, she was unlikeable. And now she was stuck with Peeta, a man she loathed but at the same time lusted after. A man whom she learned made fun of her last name. Nothing good would come out of this partnership.
"Come on Evergreen," Peeta whispered.
Katniss's eyes narrowed.
"Maybe if you smiled more…"
Saddened and angered by his actions and Clove's words she lashed out, "Smile more, you mean like one of the empty-headed bimbos that you frequent Sae's with?"
"Have you been following me?"
"What, no?"
"Do you have a crush on me? Is that why you're stalking me?" he taunted.
Katniss spotted Glimmer making moon eyes at him. "No, but your little friend over there would love a second round of Peeta's greatest hits," she hissed. She then spotted Cressida standing by Finnick and Annie. "Oh look, another one of your little fan club."
He looked amused when he spun them around so that he could see who she meant. He chuckled, "You're jealous."
"You're an idiot to think every woman wants to drop their drawers because you cast a look at them."
"You're pretty when your eyes flash, they look like daggers."
Frustrated she looked at him and said, "You disgust me." And she stomped her foot down on his before marching away.
Even as she left she felt bad for striking his foot. He could go to HR because of that and she could be fired.