Katniss

I carefully curl my hair and apply soft but subtle makeup, enjoying how my dark lashes look with the black eyeliner. It makes the dark ring on the outside of my iris so much more noticeable. I laugh at the girl in the mirror, wearing nothing but a towel.

The Katniss that lost her band would be happy to go out to a bar all night in sweatpants and an old T-shirt and get wasted, maybe even end up taking her top off. That's one of the reasons my band did quit on me. I was self destructive. I kept attacking my reputation and while I could party, my band didn't really get my approval if they wanted to.

But now, I'm actually going to try to stay presentable. I'm trying to look nice for my night out with Peeta. I don't really know what sparked this. But when I heard him sing today, I don't know why, but it took my breath away. It's like our voices mold together perfectly. He's become my best friend in the matter of a few weeks. His smile, it just makes me feel so safe, so secure. I like the feeling I get singing with him.

I go to my closet and look through the clothing my stylist designed for when I go out in public. I search through the dresses when I find a knee length orange sundress. I put on some underwear and slip the dress on and look at myself in the mirror. I find myself adjusting my breasts so they are more noticeable but then slide most of my hair over my shoulders, hiding them anyway. I give myself a once over again in the mirror before slipping on my cowboy boots and sliding my wallet and phone in them.

I walk to the bar that is just around the corner from my apartment. and see Peeta waiting for me.

"I didn't know you lived right over there," he comments.

"Well, I picked this place for a reason," I say. "If I get drunk, it's just a football field of a drunken stumble to my apartment." He just laughs and opens the door for me. I walk right up to the bar and order myself a shot of whiskey. The bartender just smiles as she hands me the glass. Peeta sits down next to me and orders the same. We try to talk, but people keep saying hi to me. I just ignore them eventually.

"You're popular," Peeta says.

"Yeah, half of them have seen my bra," I say. "I was quite the party girl before we met. I lost my T-shirt every other night."

"Wow," he says. "That doesn't sound like you."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," I reply.

"Like what?" he asks.

"How about we play two truths, one lie," I say. "I'll tell you three things about myself and one of them will be a lie. I bet you ten bucks you won't figure it out." I reach into my wallet and pull out a ten, slapping it on the bar. Peeta pulls out his own ten dollar bill and lays it beside mine.

"I'd take that bet," he says. I smirk and think for a moment and then open my mouth.

"One: I didn't get my growth spurt until I turned eighteen. Two: I used to work here, singing and dancing on the bar. Three: These," I say grabbing my amble rack. "Are fake." Peeta laughs and rolls his eyes.

"I'm thinking one," he says. "No girl shows her moneymakers off the way you do unless they're fake and you've already admitted to being a party girl." I smack his arm and grab my twenty bucks off the bar.

"You really think I'm the kind of girl who would waste her money on fake tits?" I ask. He just blushes.

"Well not really but," he starts and then cuts himself off, looking very embarrassed.

"But what?" I ask.

"They just look a little too perfect to be real," he says and I laugh.

"Have you been checking out my rack Mellark?" I ask him and he just looks at his drink. I laugh again. "Awww! Did I embarrass you?"

"Katniss," he says. "It's not funny."

"You're acting like it's weird," I say. "You're I guy and I'm not blind. I've caught those glances a time or two. You aren't the only one who looks at me." He just shakes his head and looks at me.

"You really didn't hit a growth spirt until you were eighteen?" He asks. I nod, throwing back the second shot the bartender brought me.

"At my graduation, I was 5'2". Now, I'm about 5'10"-5'11"," I admit.

"Wow, I didn't think you were quite that tall," he says.

"Yeah," I say. "I don't know how, but one day, I woke up and I had grown up. I had went to bed with this dumpy body I used to hide under baggy clothes and woke up with the body of a woman. I didn't really know what to do with it and I guess I couldn't handle it. That's when I became a party girl. Lots of underage drinking. I even smoked pot a time or two. My band leaving was a real wake up call. Guess you kinda sobered me up." I laugh but in reality, I've never told anyone that. No one really knows what happened after I ran away from home accept me. And now, Peeta.

"Which is why you used to dance and sing up on that bar?" He asks and I laugh.

"Used to?" I ask him. "Yeah, it used to be my job, but make no mistake, I will get up on this bar right now and show you I'm still woman enough. You can't tame me that easy."

"Yeah," he says. "Sure you will." I slip off my boots and shove them in his hands. He has a shocked look on his face and I walk over to the jukebox and put in a quarter, picking out my favorite bar dancing song.

As it starts the whole bar cheers. Hop up on the bar and move with the music, the strutting, slutty dance I have been doing for three years like second nature to me. The lyrics start and I can't help but sing along.

"Yes, she blew through the door like TNT,
Put her hand on her hip, pointed a finger at me." I point at Peeta smiling as he blushes.
Said: "I'm a whiskey drinkin', cowboy chasin', helluva time.
"I like Kenny, Keith, Allan and Patsy Cline.
"I'm a full grown Queen Bee lookin' for honey.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, aw, play somethin' country."

"Yeah, the band took a break,
The DJ played P Diddy.
She said: "I didn't come here to hear,
"Somethin' thumpin' from the city."
Said: "I, I shaved my legs, I paid my money.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, play somethin' country.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, aw, play somethin' country."

The whole bar sings the chorus and I grab the pole at the end of the bar, starting to swing from it. Peeta's eyes get really wide and I wink at him.
"Crank up the band, play the steel guitar.
Hank it up a little, let's rock this bar.
Threw back a shot; yelled: "I'm a George Strait junkie.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, play somethin' country.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, aw, play somethin' country."

"Yeah, the bartender yelled: "Y'all, it's closin' time."
She got this wild look on her face,
An' said: "Your truck or mine,
"I know a place down the road,
"It's kinda funky.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, all out in the country.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, now, play somethin' country."

"Crank up the band, play the steel guitar.
Hank it up a little, let's rock this bar.
Threw back a shot; yelled: "I'm a George Strait junkie.
"Ah-ooh-hoo, play somethin' country.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, now, play somethin' country."

I strut across the bar, weaving between glasses and stopping in front of Peeta. He looks up at me as I kneel in front of him and take his beer from him, taking a long drink of it. I smile at him and get back up on my feet to finish the dance.

"Crank up the band, play the steel guitar.
Hank it up a little, let's rock this bar.
Threw back a shot; yelled: "I'm a George Strait junkie.
"Ah-ooh-hoo, play somethin' country.
"Ha-ooh-hoo, play somethin' country.""

I hop down beside Peeta and cross my legs. I take my boots back from him and slide them on my feet. He has this deer in the headlights look on his face yet and I laugh.

"I leave you speechless don't I, Darling," I say.

"Yeah," he says, "Just a little."

"Well there's more where that came from," I say. Another song starts playing on the jukebox, a slower one this time and I smile. I wait a second, but he doesn't do anything so I just smile and order another shot before turning to him. "So, you gonna ask me to dance or what?"

"What?" He asks.

"I was wondering if you were going to ask me to dance," I say. "We're celebrating a great day of recording and if you want to, I'll dance with you."

"You want to dance?" He asks and I nod.

"Yes," I say. "I want to dance with my best friend." His face falls for a minute and then nods. He gets up and takes my hand. He leads me onto the dance floor. I lay my hands on his shoulder and his set on my waist. We dance slowly and I smile at him. He smiles back.

"I'm really happy we got to work together, Katniss," he says. "We're gonna be an unstoppable team you and I."

"Yes," I say. "I suppose we are. We both caught the bug. Now we can go nowhere but up." He smirks at me. The song ends and he sighs.

"I think I should go now," he says.

"Why?" I ask. "We were having fun."

"I know," he says. "But I've got to get up early tomorrow." He leans down and kisses my cheek. "See you tomorrow Katniss."

And with that, he leaves me there, standing there with questions on my lips and his kiss tingling on my cheek.