Chapter 1

"This ball is ridiculous!" Darla exclaimed, "I can't believe father put this all together for me!" she finished looking at her new blue dress, complete with corset. The blue dress was Darla's favorite ever since she saw it in the window of a famous designer's store. She let the blue silk material run through her fingers and hit the floor. It was elegant, hugged her curves and fell to the floor in a small trail at her feet.

"Nina would you help me?" she asked looking at her best friend in the hopes of salvation. Nina stood, her brown curls falling to their rightful place behind her back. Her chair was abandoned and held her burgundy dress hanging off the side. She walked gracefully over to Darla and zipped the dress together, flattening out the creases. She then backed away and stood next to the mirror at which Darla was standing at.

"Nina, you really should get ready." She said nonchalant. She always had to push Nina to get ready. The party would start in 20 minutes and Nina had yet to finish getting ready. Nina walked to her dress and slipped it on, the dress was a dark burgundy with black ribbon tying it together in the back. Darla tied it so it stayed in place. The dress was perfect, silky and light, just the way it should be. The girls finished and stood together at the mirror. After a few moments they glanced at each other and smiled before putting their earrings and shoes on. Darla was first out the door and Nina stood at the bedroom window looking down at the arriving guests. 'They all look so prime and proper; they have no idea what I do.' She sighed lightly and was about to turn away when a black car rolled up and a peculiar man in a black tux got out. He stood for a moment and helped an older woman out of the car and then sighed. Looking up he saw her standing in the window, they locked eyes and she felt such a strong connection was forced to look away. Nina had never done anything like that before, looking away when a man stared, yet somehow his blue eyes bore into her. Unsettled, she went out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She walked to the grand staircase and stood at the top where she could see the entering quests. Just then one of the security guards and fellow hit man motioned to her. His name was Ricky and he loved Darla, of course he couldn't have her yet somehow he tried to find a way into her heart. Nina walked to him and he bowed while saying, "You look beautiful Nina. That dress suits you, but did you see Decadent Darla! She has quite the name doesn't she? " He sighed with a puppy love grin plaguing his face. Nina turned and walked away disgusted with him, she seemed always to be. She hadn't trusted men in years; they seemed to be everywhere and would always be talking about Darla. She never minded it, yet somehow tonight it hit her. She walked gracefully towards the ballroom where the party was to be held, when the man from outside stepped in front of her. She scowled at him and said, "Do you mind? It's not a proper thing to jump in front of a woman when she is walking." He smiled and said in a very Irish accent, "I am sorry milady but I just wanted to catch you before I lost you again. It seems you can disappear without a trace but I find that difficult to believe."

"Well I know my way around this place better than you do I imagine but I do not see why you would be looking for me. I am not Darla; she is in the other room with the blue dress, very hard not to see."

"Are you not the woman in the window that I saw?" he asked intrigued but with a hint of sarcasm. He knew it was her but yet he found himself asking.

"Yes" was her simple answer as she turned and walked out of the room. Jack smiled and went back to his parents knowing that he would catch her sometime.