CHAPTER 4
THAT SMILE

BEX had always done her best to dodge people at these parties, but her efforts were little to no avail, especially with Phoenix at her side. She was content in staying with him all night, sharing a few drinks and maybe even some of the fancy cakes, but she had a job to do tonight, and just about all of her team knew it. They just didn't like to speak of it much.

After an hour of avoiding his wandering stare, Phoenix introduced Bex to the man with blue hair and sparkling eyes. He said his name was Atlas, and he cupped her hands as if they held the world. His teeth were so bright and perfect. Bex was pretty sure he had one of the best smiles she'd ever seen. Phoenix walked off as Atlas pulled out a chair for her to sit, a worried look in his stare, though he knew any efforts were useless. Bex needed to do what was asked of her.

"I've been wanting to get to know you for what seems like ages," Atlas purred, hands still wrapped around her own. Bex felt her cheeks heat up and her fingers get sweaty, but his grip remained soft as he set their hands on the table. "The Flower Girl of District Seven. It's truly an honor."

She beamed in his direction. "Just call me Bex."

"Bex," he hummed, like her name was a song. "Is that short for something?"

She hated this kind of small talk, as if the night wasn't going to the end the way it would, as if something could bloom over this own interaction. Nothing was going to happen. They wouldn't pursue a relationship. It was a one-time thing and clients accepted that. She just hated the pretending. Honestly, Bex would rather them both leave for the hotel right now and get this night over with.

But they wouldn't – she couldn't. There was a process to these things, and as Bex turned her head for a short moment to see Finnick still gazing fondly at that pink-haired girl, she realized he was an expert in it.

Finally, Bex replied, "No, just Bex. But I was slightly named after my mother, Rebekah. My brother was named after my father, but he never liked to add the Jr. at the end."

Atlas chuckled, "Your parents sound like very beautiful people."

They were, she thought, but kept her mouth in a tight line.

"Why have you been wanting to meet me, Atlas?" She asked, changing the subject as quickly as she could.

"Why doesn't anyone want to meet you? You're one of the Capitol's darlings, one of our favorite Victors." He squeezed her hand, and Bex caught sight of the glittering blue polish on his nails. "I remember watching your Games all those years ago. I was only five years older than you, but you, Bex Nassar, you showed true strength. You stuck it out until the end; you showed those Careers what District Seven was made of and I respected that. But when you won and finally visited the Capitol once again, I saw you." He wagged a finger in her direction. "I really saw you."

She was getting bored with this conversation. "And what did you see?"

Atlas sat back in his chair, studying her like she was a painting. His hands released her own and she slid them under the table to wipe off the sweat. Bex tilted her chin higher, fixed her posture – anything to keep his eyes on her so they could leave this party already.

"Beauty," he murmured. "The heart of District Seven."

Eventually, Bex found their conversation drifting and she got the courage to ask him to visit her room. The party was winding down and even the President had left hours ago. There was nothing left of night but this one last part. Atlas, of course, obliged and hailed a car to take them back to the Starmorning Hotel, situated right in the center of the Capitol. Phoenix met Bex's stare as she exited the party with Atlas, and he made sure to follow them back to the hotel, hidden in the shadows for safety.

The Starmorning Hotel was where more Victors tended to stay when they were visiting the Capitol. It was one of the most luxurious around and it was in the heart of the entire city. Most of Bex's transactions happened here, as well as other Victors that were wrapped in Snow's debt. She always rathered they come back to her place, where she had the power and authority, and the clients usually left by morning. Anywhere else was a recipe for disaster and made her feel unsafe.

She took the elevator with Atlas to the tenth floor. As they went up and up, he stumbled right in front of her, brushing a soft kiss to her lips, which gave her an inkling to how this night was going to go. Luckily for her, he wasn't going to be one of those rough patrons that liked to pin her down and have their way. When Bex looked into his dark brown eyes, she saw delicate lips and soft hands and tenderness.

They made their way to her room, hand-in-hand, as Bex fished for the room key in her bag. As they approached the door, she struggled to find it and unlaced their hands. Atlas took this as an opportunity to push her hair off her shoulder. Her neck was fully exposed and he attached his lips to her skin gently, taking in the scent of her perfume that still lingered. Laughter echoed down the hall as she finally yanked the key out of the bottom of her purse. Bex glanced up and swallowed hard.

Just down the hall, lips interlocked with someone else's, was Finnick Odair. He had one arm latched around the pink-haired woman from the party, and Bex could see her magenta lipstick getting all over his mouth. His key was stuck in the lock too, and as he found the ability to pull away from her, he turned it. She giggled against his lips and told him how good of a kisser he was, how everyone was right about him.

And then, their eyes locked, and Bex could've sworn the hallway was now silent. Shoving the room door open, the woman staggered her way inside, giggling as if it was her job. With eyes still fixated on her, Finnick allowed his lips to curl into a smile as he raised one finger in a shushing gesture.

Bex narrowed her stare at him before taking Atlas into her own room.

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She woke up the next morning to rain pattering against the glass window. Bex rubbed at her eyes, doing her best to drown out the storm so she could get more sleep, but it was utterly useless. A chill ran through her and she pulled the sheet up on her bare body. The clock on her bedside table produced a hologram of the time: ten thirty-seven AM. This was the first time she slept-in in a while, and she tried not to make herself feel bad about it as she picked at the sleep still in her eyes.

Reaching out, Bex slid over a stack of cash that was left on the table. She fumbled through the money and counted it: the exact amount she told Atlas to leave last night. She sighed and placed the stack back on the table. A soreness pulsed between her thighs. The clock flashed the time again: ten forty AM.

One day she wouldn't have to do this. One day she could be a person again. If she was lucky.

As she sat up slightly, Bex peered over and realized a note had been left right beside the cash. She plucked the paper off the table, noticing that it was written on a hotel notepad. The writing was like chicken scratch, but she could still just make out the words:

Let's get together again soon, Flower Girl.
–Atlas

Bex chuckled, whispering to herself, "Yeah, right." She really hoped Atlas wasn't going to be one of those clients that thought something was going to happen, that there was a future for them beyond last night. Bex knew the rules to her agreement, but some Capitol-folk didn't, and it was always awkward to put them down with that wad of cash weighing down their pockets. (Call her greedy, but Bex grew up with hardly enough food to last through the week.)

Sometimes, she got flashes to her first client, and how awkward she was, and how she almost refused to accept payment. And then, she thought about Snow – his beady eyes – and she wondered if her parents screamed for her when she didn't first agree to the President's terms. Thinking of other things made the first time not hurt as much. The Capitol man had taken her innocence and he left, and that was how this agreement was supposed to go. The routine was practically burned into her brain.

Out of nowhere, the door to her bedroom burst open, and in came Phoenix, already dressed to impress. He was wearing a neon green suit that just about blinded Bex as he walked in. She immediately clutched the sheets around her, pulling them over her chest, as Phoenix did a small dance and snapped his fingers in her direction. "Good morning, miss. You –" He twirled and snapped again. "– Did great last night."

"Thanks," Bex murmured, burying her face back into the pillows. "Is my reward you letting me lie here forever?"

"Afraid not," he sighed before taking a seat on the side of the mattress. His hand patted her shoulder.

Bex slowly met his eyes. She tried to send him a smile, but failed. "Are we going home today?"

"Tomorrow," he replied. "Today ... we have more pressing matters. You're going to have a visitor."

She arched a brow.

"President Snow will be coming by in an hour. He wants to meet with you for tea."

Iliana finally revealed herself at the door, showing off the pale green dress in her hands. "It's showtime."

"What?" Bex sat up against the headboard, tugging the sheets along with her. "I just saw him yesterday. Why must I see him again?"

Both of her team members fell silent. She could see the discomfort on their faces.

"Fine," she sighed, gesturing to the door with her chin. "Phoenix, out. Iliana, in."

Iliana danced happily in the doorway as Phoenix exited. He gave the two females a salute before the door was shut in his face. Iliana hustled to get Bex ready in time. After a much-needed shower, the stylist began to fight with her green dress to get it to zip up. Bex was still a bit bloated from the night before, which did not help when she needed to be wearing a curve-hugging dress. Iliana sat her down on the bed and opened up her makeup case. The Victor looked down at the numerous supplies with worry. "Do we have enough time?"

"No one's going to see you, besides President Snow," she explained. "We want natural. We want the essence of District Seven."

He wants to see the blood still hiding beneath those nails, Bex thought, but dared not to say out loud.

Iliana stayed true to her word. She gave Bex a completely natural look, which only took twenty minutes. "I could've done it in fifteen," she said, "but I'm just a perfectionist." Iliana wiped a thin coat of mascara on her eyes before placing a good amount of peach blush on her cheeks. She topped it off with sparkly lip gloss that tasted like fresh berries when Bex ran her tongue over it. Her hair was still a bit tousled and wet, so Iliana did the best she could in the short time they had: she blow-dried it, then threw it up into a ponytail, tugging loose strands to frame her face. For good measure, she placed a single white rose behind her ear.

"Perfect," Iliana muttered, admiring her work, "as usual."

Bex quickly got to her feet, slipping a pair of white heels on, as she heard a commotion on the other side of the door. Walking out into the foyer of the hotel room, she spotted Phoenix allowing President Snow inside and shaking his hand. Iliana stood at her back and placed a soft hand on her shoulder. "Breathe," she reminded. "You've done this before."

Iliana was right. She had met with Snow before – many times. But every time those piercing, blue eyes ran down her, she couldn't help but think of her parents: where they were, if they were alive or dead. She thought of the way the President touched her leg when she opted into their agreement, how he promised her, "Everything would be okay, as long as you abide by the rules."

She needed to remember to breathe, but it was hard, especially with those eyes that seemed to stare into the depths of her soul.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

"President Snow," she greeted, walking forward to meeting him. Phoenix placed a hand on her back as she shot out to meet the President's welcoming hand. Iliana also appeared at her side. "It's good to see you."

"You as well," he said, a smile not quite reaching those eyes. "You're looking radiant this morning."

Bex smiled. Hers didn't reach the eyes either.

Snow shook her teams' hands and thanked them for their work. "Now," he said, gesturing to the door, where a guard now stood, "if you two don't mind, I'd like some alone time with our legendary Victor here."

"Certainly, President Snow," Phoenix answered, tugging on Iliana's hand. Panic shot right through Bex's body, but she wouldn't let it show. Her team quickly made their way to the door and walked out, but not before Phoenix could send her a confident beam.

The door clicked shut and the guard resumed his position in front of it.

Snow cleared his throat. Bex blinked and met his eyes. She plastered the best smile she could as anxiety tried climbing up her throat. Gesturing to the small sitting area in the foyer, Bex asked, "Would you sit with me? Phoenix prepared some tea for us."

The President nodded slowly. They took their places in between the coffee table, where a tea set was arranged with two steaming cups. Bex smoothed out the lines in her dress as Snow took the seat in front of her, grabbing one of the tiny cups in his big, wrinkled hand. "Hmm," he murmured, "what tea is this?"

Bex searched for an answer. "Um –"

He tasted it then. "Oh, jasmine. I love jasmine tea."

"Yes, jasmine," she blurted. "It's – um – definitely jasmine. My favorite too."

Snow paused to stare at her blankly. Bex continued to grin like her life depended on it, and maybe it did. She could never be too sure with him.

The President began to fill his tea with lots of cream and sugar. Bex sipped at her cup gingerly, and she was reminded that she hated jasmine tea.

"How did you enjoy the party last night, Miss Nassar?"

His question caught her off guard. They had been silent for a few minutes and she didn't expect him to speak again. After clearing her throat, she said, "It was a lot of fun. I hope your granddaughter had a great birthday."

"Oh, she did," he said, setting his spoon on a side plate. "She was quite excited to see you. You're one of her favorites. She didn't get the chance to say hello, though. Far too busy, that child."

Bex flashed him her pearly whites and placed her cup on the table. While folding her hands together on her lap, she quipped, "A pity."

Snow had his lips on the edge of the cup, allowing the steam to run up his nostrils, and he hesitated at her response. Bex swallowed down the scream rising in her throat. After a beat of silence, he said, "I saw that you were speaking to all my dear friends last night. Atlas Pacuri took quite a liking to you."

"He was a gentleman," she muttered, scratching at her nose. "I ... enjoyed his presence and our conversation. Very funny, too. Especially, when he told me about –"

"I also ... saw that you spoke to Finnick Odair last night, my golden boy from Four." He sent her a tight-lipped grin.

Bex paused, unable to form a coherent sentence. Her whole body felt frozen from just his statement. She blinked and laced her hands tighter, the knuckles turning a ghostly white. "Briefly, yes," she finally answered. "He's – well – he's ..."

The President chuckled loudly and set his cup on the table. With a shake of his head, he said, "Best not to get too caught up with him." He studied her for a quick moment and pointed a finger in her direction. "I have my own queries about that boy. But the Capitol is very smitten with him, and I'd hate for you to get caught in the crossfire with his adoring lovers. You are one of my favorites."

She was utterly silent. Bex didn't know what to do or think. How could she respond to something like that? He didn't want her to get caught in Finnick Odair's crossfire, but who's to say she wanted to in the first place? She didn't. She'd rather stay as far away as she could, and had been successful at it for quite some time. Normally, she didn't speak to Finnick at Capitol functions. But Bex couldn't help but wonder ... Why did the President care so much?

"Um –" She shook her head, staring at her hands as Snow stood from his seat. "Adoring lovers –?"

The President placed a veiny hand on her shoulder, and Bex had to fight the urge to recoil away. She looked up at his sadistic smile. How many times did he practice that in the mirror each day? Did he dream about all the kids he sent off to be murdered? Did he count the days, desperately waiting for the next Reaping Day? Did he even care about what his competition and his agreement and his obligations were doing to Victors like her? Did he think about how he had sold her purity to the first available buyer? Could he see the evident trauma in her eyes?

That smile was the only answer she needed.

"Please, come back soon, dear," he beamed softly. "I know Atlas and a few other of my friends would love to make your acquaintance."

Bex couldn't help but shiver.

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A/N: president snow can suck my toes 🦶🏼🤬

we've now finally met atlas pacuri! he's going to be kind of a big player in some parts of act i and show more insight on bex's agreement with snow, and also how snow treats his friends (more on that to come 😑). even more new characters are coming in the next chapter that'll impact bex's life and the events of act ii, which will be all about the quarter quell.

I hope y'all are excited because I definitely am! I've been on a roll with updating this story and I can't stop myself from writing it constantly??? idk but I'm in a groove and I'm super amped 🥳