Dear Peeta,
This is goodbye. You might ask why in a time were you need me the most I would decide to leave you. I have two words for you, Bonnie and Lavinia. I have to admit I was clueless. I believed you when you said you had changed your womanizing ways. Just so you know I wasn't snooping but your father bought you a new phone and had your number transfer over. I saw their text messages popping up and I had a nice little chat with both of them.
You were the most important person in my life but it seems I wasn't that important to you. I gave you everything, my time, my body and most of all my heart but in the end it meant nothing. I would have stood by your side through your recovery but I realized I'm worth more than this. It's time I take my life back and since I wasted so much of it on you and a relationship that wasn't real, this end now.
Karma's a bitch Peeta. I hope that you will get treated the way you have treated me just once so you'll know how it feels.
Delly
He folds up Delly's , Dear John letter and put it back into his desk drawer. He kept it as a reminder of what he lost. She's married, white picket fence and 2.5 kids. He wonders if she'd be happy to know she got her wish, almost. He was never in love with any of his wives but being cheated on does suck.
She called him a womanizer. Ok, yeah that's true. He was hooked ever since he lost his virginity at 16 to Cressida. She was his oldest brother's friend from college and 20 at the time. After that he had several lovers none of them were virgins nor younger than 20.
Thinking back on it now that could have been the beginning of his problems, after some time Cressida passed him along to her other friends and being a horny teenage boy he was more than willing and eager to oblige. Older women, younger man, a fantasy come true. He learned a lot from those earlier experiences. They had a mutual understanding, it was only physical and no getting attached, that's all he knew. So while his high school buddy's were trying to cop a feel of their girlfriends he was out banging college chicks. He even thought he was the shit by taking one to his high school prom he can't even remember her name. Finally in college he had a couple steady girlfriends but he never remained faithful for long.
And look at him now, at 33 all alone and the weirdest thing is he has never cheated on any of his wives nor has he had more than one sugar baby at a time. Sex is not the same anymore; sure it was always fun but meaningless. Just two bodies chasing after that sweet release. Maybe it was losing Delly or his brush with death that broke him somehow or fixed him, it could go either way depending on how you look at it. But whatever it was he no longer felt the need to bed every woman he met, he wanted to make a connection.
It took him over a year to recover from his accident. He had several skin graft surgeries and then he had to learn how to use his prosthetic leg. In between surgeries and therapy he continued working for the company. He was up to his elbows in reports, budgets and research, missing the traveling he used to do in search for new and profitable locations.
Afterward he tried dating again and he was determined to be a better man and start treating women the right way. His brothers would set him up on blind dates and he also joined those match making websites. He didn't have any luck. Maybe his scars and leg through them off, he wasn't really sure nor did he care. He was not embarrassed of his damaged body. He always let them know up front, didn't want them to waste their time if it was going to be an issue. He wore his scars like a badge of honor. He was a survivor.
Finally a friend of his, Castor recommended the mail order cupid website, he figured why not. He wanted companionship more than anything. To have someone to come home to and snuggle with on the couch as they watched Netflix and ate pizza. He had that for a while with Cashmere.
Cashmere didn't cheat on him but she did leave him and that hurt. They had been married for 4 months and she was bored out of her mind at home. So one day when he was heading to one of the restaurants for an inspection he asked her to go with him. That's where she met Brutus and according to her it was love at first sight. Within the week she asked him for a divorce and who was he to get in the way of true love. They ended on friendly terms and follow each other on social media. She's happily married for almost 7 years now. They have a son and a new baby on the way. He wanted that.
A few days later, after the elation of choosing Katniss had died down, his initial reaction on her age hits him like a ton of bricks. Damn, she's too young, he's never been with anybody that age before and a virgin to boot. What if he hurts her, he feels like a pervert, 15 years her senior. Putting his head in his hands he groans. "What have I done" and It's too late to cancel he already received her approved confirmation 30 minutes ago. She could have easily rejected him like others have done before, after they received his profile. So now she chose him too.
Once the groom makes a selection, he has to upload a few pictures and a detail description of himself. He always includes one of him in just his workout shorts. That way they can see his prosthetic and burn scars. The website will run a background check and make sure there is no criminal record on file specifically for domestic violence. Then the website will pass on the potential grooms to the brides for their approval. Once they meet they'll spend time together to get to know each other and if they decide to give it a try, they get married. Since Katniss is born to an American mother, she and her sister have dual citizenship and acquiring a passport, assuming they don't already have one, should be easy.
He pulls up her picture on his phone. Yeah, he saved a copy to his picture folder. That's another thing the more he looks at it the more he sees that she's not plain at all. She's actually quite pretty and he's sure if she had been all made up like the others she'd be just as exotic. That's no good, so he came up with a plan he'll go see her and pretend there's no chemistry, that'll work, right? Oh hell who is he trying to fool, he's dying to meet her and the possibility of spending several years together are a big part of it.
But can he handle another Glimmer. He took so much of her crap because he felt partly to blame, since he was the one who brought her here in the first place. Towards the end he had offered to send her back home but she refused and now she's a sugar baby. It seems unlikely that Katniss would be anything like Glimmer because of her sister. The fact that she obviously feels responsible for her shows a curtain level of maturity.
As he continues studying her picture, Madge calls "Hello" he answers.
"Peeta, I just wanted to apologize for having to cancel the other day and wanted to make it up to you" she purrs.
That's a first; she never calls to make up any cancelled dates. She always waits for him to call and request one. Which he wasn't planned on doing from the moment he decided to look for a new wife.
"Actually no, I won't be needing your services anymore Madge, thank you for everything" and as he goes to hang up.
"Peeta wait" she practically screams. "Look I was thinking about what you had offered a few months ago, to be exclusive and I think I'd like to try, if you still want too." Something must have happened between her and Gale. Huh, it could be a good back up plan, if the meeting with Katniss in person doesn't work out. But even if they tried he knows that if Gale called again she'd drop him in a heartbeat, so no he wants a wife, if not Katniss, it'll be someone else.
"Sorry Madge but no" he said. There's a long pause and he's sure she wants to ask why.
"Well if you change your mind give me a call, bye Peeta"
"Bye" he doesn't plan on ever calling.
—
She just stares at her bank account. No matter how hard she works it's not enough to keep them going for much longer. They also can't keep living off of their uncle or how his wife Flora likes to calls it 'tirando vantagem' taking advantage of their uncle Haymitch. He's not really their uncle. He was her father's best friend that took her and Prim in once their parents died.
She's waiting on a Skype call from her friend Maura. Maura was her 25 year old neighbor who had been raised by her grandmother. After her grandmother passed away Maura had found a flyer in the market place advertising the Mail Order Cupid website. With no family nor prospects she signed up. She seems happy enough with her husband John Boggs. He was a retired military vet and rather older then she was but it works for them.
Her tablet rings and she quickly answers. Maura's face pops up 'Ola amiga como vai voce' say Katniss.
"English please" Maura said with a heavy accent. "I need the practice"
"Bem" her friend scowls at her. "Fine, how are you?"
"We are doing ok and you? How is Prim" Maura asks.
"We're hanging in there"
"Flora on your case again"
"Yes" I say with a sigh.
"You are 18 now why don't you sign up for the website like I did. John is a wonderful man."
"I did" she said "The website sent me 4 grooms that are interested"
"Go for an older one" she recommends "They are lonely and will treat you right"
"I'm worried about Prim." John's face appears next to Maura and kisses her cheek.
"Oi, Katniss" he says. "I have some connections I can do a more thorough background check for you"
"Oi, John that would be great. How long will it take?"
"A couple of days to check them all."
"I just need one, Peeta Mellark"
"Email the info to Maura; I should have it by the end of today" she forwards the information to Maura on her phone.
'Muito obrigada"
"You're welcome"
They spend the next 20 minute gossiping about Flora and her dislike for everything. She's such a bitter woman.
True to his word she received and email from him with more detailed information than the website had provided on Mr. Mellark. A few scandals that explain the many wives he's had. Being CEO of a well known restaurant doesn't give him much privacy. Attached are some pictures taken at charity events all with a different beautiful woman hanging off his arm. She's not stupid she knows she's pretty and all fixed up she turns many heads. But she didn't want that. That's why she uploaded the most plain ass pictures she could find and probably why she only received 4 offers. When Maura signed up she got all sexed up and had 20 potential grooms.
Maybe she should have had him check the others. She goes back through the profiles. A 70 year old Coriolanus Snow who looks like he has one foot in the ground already, a 40 year old Romulus Thread that has a no nonsense look about him. He might crack the whip if you step out of line. And a 30 year old Seneca Crane, he's actually very good looking aside for the weird beard but there's something about the eyes that she doesn't like, cold and calculating. Nope Peeta Mellark it is. She submits her approval and now she just needs to wait. She goes through his pictures again.
His eyes looked soft, kind and a little tortured which pulled at her heartstrings. But the one where he's only in a pair of shorts pull directly at her core and it makes her rub her legs together. She could clearly see his prostatic leg and burn scars that went up one side of his body.
He must've just worked out because his ashy blond hair looked all sweaty as did the rest of his body. It showed his broad shoulders and well defined naked chest. Did he seriously do this on purpose? Because the shorts hung slightly off the hips and showed his v cut abs, which she would love to run her hands all over.
God what was wrong with her, she never reacted like this before, that's why she's still a virgin. Not because she's holding onto it for marriage but because she never care for sex, not really. No one ever interested her enough to getting all worked up over, until now.
She would be seeing him soon and she can't be more excited.