Chapter: 1, Joe Sean

"Can I have the honors of a dance, my lady?" Lily turned around to see a gentleman drooped in a bow, offering his hand.

"I guess." She smiled nervously and slipped her tiny hand through his.

He leaded her to the floor and they started to float along the wispy slow music, arms around each other.

"You are a wonderful dancer." He complimented her. Lily tilted her head upwards to look at him. His face was half hidden behind a mask. She could still see his lips and she felt tempted by them. She could see his eyes, which were dark and reminded her of a dragon…

"I said, you are a wonderful dancer, ma'am."

"Thank you." She smiled nervously, blushing. She thanked God her face was also hidden behind the mask she was wearing.

"You have a beautiful smile as well."

"Oh. So, you flatter women?"

"You think I am flattering?" he replied with a grin.

Lily smiled at him.

"I am Lily. Lily Evans."

"Everyone knows who you are, of course. The famous, Miss Lily Evans. The beauty beyond imagination."

Lily smiled, "are you flirting with me?"

At that, he laughed, "Ma'am, when ever I have flirted with someone, no one has ever asked me whether I am flirting."

Lily laughed.

"And no ma'am. I am not flirting with you." He smiled, "My status does not come even close to yours. You are an internationally appreciated model, where as I…"

"You are?"

"A private advisor."

"Status is not judged by the job we do, Mr.?"

"Joe. Joe Sean." He smiled and left her standing there in shock, staring after him.

He was 'The' private advisor of the president of the United Kingdom.

"It's quite a party, darling, isn't it?" Elizabeth Evans smiled at her daughter in pride.

"yes mother. Everything is quite well."

"And I think you have found yourself another beau." She smiled slyly as if she had a secret.

Elizabeth Evans had been great beauty in her times. When she was eighteen, she was the only girl known to have a waist size eighteen. She was the only girl known after whom men of all ages were fanatic. Men wanted her, women envied her. She was, overall, the most popular girl.

Lily forced a smiled at her mother, "Who?"

"That young man you were dancing with, he is quite charming, isn't he?"

"Yes mother."

"Do you know who he is, dear?" she asked, taking a sip of champagne from her glass and gazing at the man standing far away, talking to another masked man.

"No mother." Lily lied firmly, aware of the consequences of the truth.

"well, you have got to find that out, don't you darling?"

"yes, Mother." Lily smiled nervously.

"Hmm. He seems quite eligible." Elizabeth smiled shrewdly.

"Yes mother." Lily glanced at her mother in disbelief. Her mother was forty five years old, and seeing her talking about a boy of her age like made her feel weird.

"Lizzie, dear." Came a voice from behind and Elizabeth turned to greet the short plump man standing behind her.

"Oh Hello, Casper." Elizabeth smiled and offered her his hand for a kiss.

"You look astonishing. God is making you more beautiful day by day." He said, smiling at her widely.

"Why, thank you." Elizabeth gave a high pitched almost girlish laugh.

Elizabeth was wearing a long flowing champagne colored dress which was strapless and showed off every inch of her firm, slim and "stimulating" body. It was true that even at the age of forty five, she had a body which was envied. She had hair which was of the darkest shade of red, pulled back from her heart shaped face ad tied up in a firm bun. She had almond shaped grey eyes which were always made up heavily. She had permanent dimples in her cheeks which were more enticing than adorable. She was, indeed, the reason why Lily was so beautiful.

"And this is my daughter, Lily, of course."

"My. My. Beautiful. Beautiful." He gave her a full survey with his eyes, something which Lily reviled, "I never knew your daughter was even more beautiful in person, Lizzie."

"Why, thank you." Elizabeth smiled, fondly at Lily, who plastered a forced smile on her face.

"II should be going." Lily smiled at her mother, "nice meeting you, Mr. Montana." Gave the short sweaty man in a blue mask a glance and left them.

Lily walked through the crowd of people. She knew she was making head turns, she knew she was the main attraction of the party. She knew she was probably, and indeed, the most beautiful girl there. She knew all that, which was why she wanted to run away. She wanted to hide from everyone. This was not who she was, she was Lily, Lily Evans, the bright young student of Hogwarts, not some international model.

She turned in a fury, her emerald princess gown swaying around her, making heads turns again. She knew she was wearing one of the most expensive gowns in the party. It had real emeralds attached to its bodice and it was made of the finest silk and had the most delicate embroidery on it. Her dark red hair was opened, which fell in long loose waves around her, framing her oval shaped face beautifully. Her bright emerald almond shaped eyes and her high cheekbones were hidden behind the mask she wore. Her lips however were visible. They were carved in a most unusually delicate and graceful way. A magazine once complemented on them saying, "God was in his most romantic mood when he decided to design Lily Evans's lips. He took days and months and carved them carefully until he was satisfied."

She had a young enticing body, which she concealed by clothing. She had declared to her mother the very first day she had been forced to model, that she was going to put an exhibit of clothes, not her body.

Another magazine once complemented, "Clothes and jewels do not decorate Lily Evans. Lily Evans decorates clothes and jewels."

"Do you want to dance, miss?" a drunk, impressively dressed, fat, short man came in front of her.

"No sir." She gave him a cold glare.

"Come on"

"Is there a problem?" interrupted, Lily recognized his voice, Joe Sean from behind.

"Who are you?" The fat man stared at him through his piggy little eyes.

"I am her guard. I will repeat, is there a problem?"

"No. ah, Fuck you all…" he left them mumbling and growling all to himself.

"Are you okay, Ma'am?" he asked her, most politely.

"Yes, I am fine." She replied.

"Do you want to walk outside for a while? The orchids outside are most impressing." He smiled and added pointedly, "and refreshing."

Lily gave him a smile, her either cheeks illuminating the dimples which made her so adorable.

"I would like that." She took his hand and left the hall, unaware of the sly grin on her mother's face.

"So, ma'am, are you enjoying the party?"

"I am." She replied with a sigh, resigned.

"You seem, kind of, fed up. Can I know why ma'am, if I am not intruding?" he flashed a smile at her.

"First of all, Mr. Joe Sean, do not call me ma'am please. Just call me Lily."

"Sure Ma'am, I mean Lily, and you can call me Jay, all my friends do." He smiled at her politely.

"All right. Jay. So, what it is being like, the private advisor of the president?" she asked him.

"Pretty cool." He grinned broadly, "But, why are you fed up, you did not answer my question."

"Let's just say the wrong person is in the wrong place." She smiled.

"And what would that mean?" he asked her, seriously.

"Actually, Jay, I do not enjoy parties and dances and everything, you know…"

"You mean, you do not enjoy people hawking at you. You do not enjoy fame."

"You are clever." Lily gave him a bright smile.

"You are beautiful." He returned smoothly, at which Lily's smile widened.

"So, what do you do, apart from 'Presidentiary' advising?"

Jay laughed heartily at her new word and said, "I swim, I ride, I dance, I read. I do everything."

"Hmm."

"What about you?"

"I just I do not have a lot of free time, you know with school and everything. When ever I am free, I like to read."

"interesting, and what do you like to read?"

"Romance." She smiled at him.

"I didn't quite get the hint you are a romantic." He teased her.

Lily ignored his comment, "So, what do you like to read?"

"Adventures, mysteries, big stuff, you know." He grinned.

"How old are you, by the way."

"Twenty three."

"And already the advisor of the president? You must be really intelligent."

He shrugged moodily.

Lily turned her head around suddenly and spotted her mother following them at a distance with Casper Montana.

Frustrated, Lily turned to Jay, "I gotta go, thanks for helping me, see you."

With that she caught hold of her dress and started to run ahead, away from everyone, away from the party, away from her mother.