Allison's POV
I knew I messed up, I could see the hurt in his big green eyes. Kaden Everdeen may think he is an impenetrable force that does not show emotion, but I can see it. I was texting back and forth with my best friend Shandra, who always refers to Kaden as Mr. Doom and Gloom. Out of all the days, today was the one day that I responded back to her with that phrase. I don't even know what I was thinking. As I sit here mentally face-palming myself, I don't know what to say, so I say nothing as he instructs me to purchase our plane tickets and take the rest of the day off to pack. While I am happy to know I can keep my job, I think. I am way too upset to argue about having four hours off to pack. Damn, I hope I didn't just fuck everything up in one text.
I have been in love with Kaden since I saw his picture in the newspaper five years ago. He was featured for taking over his families company at such a young age while completing both high school and college, at the same time! I remember reading the article and staring at his picture, I even cut his picture out of the paper and hung it in my room. I could tell he was tall in the photo, but I didn't realize my dream boat fantasy man was easily 6'3. Even though he worked a lot, he worked out and stayed in shape. He was a very well-built man, the way his tailored dress shirt hugged his muscles and abs would make a nun cry. I accidentally walked in on him once while he was changing. I am not positive, but I'm sure he has an eight-pack. Pair his height, and build with his sandy blond hair and green eyes, you have a drool-worthy man right there. Damn, I am getting turned on just thinking about him.
He probably does not remember, but I interviewed him once when I was on the school newspaper team in high school. He was the youngest man ever to take over a Fortune 500 company or so I spun the story to my teacher, I had to get the interview. I wanted to meet him and I knew Mr. Marshall was putty in my hands. Kaden was very focused and intense during the interview. Now that I think back, it was probably the thought of being interview by someone his own age. I wanted to steal him away and show him there is more to life than running a business and working all the time. I am a year younger than he is, I cannot imagine having that kind of responsibility at 17. I knew I wanted him the moment I met him, but my father owned his rival company and I knew if Kaden ever found out I would never have a chance to get to know him, and I wanted to know every inch of him.
I have been working for Kaden since I was 19, my brother Matt took over PWICK Corp from my dad that year. I begged Matt to stop trying to take over Everdeen Development. Even though Matt did not understand what I saw in Kaden he agreed to leave him alone for the time being. He would give me until my 22nd birthday to convince Kaden to marry me. If he did not I would have to come back to PWICK Corp and he would decide what to do then. I changed my last name and applied to Everdeen Development as Mr. Everdeen's assistant, and thanks to my brother's assistance with my resume I was hired.
I have worked for Kaden a little over two years and my time is running out. I turn 22 in December and it is already August. At the time, I thought I would be able to waltz right in and have Kaden wrapped around my finger in a couple of months. I was wrong, very wrong. The first six months of my working for Kaden were rough. He worked nonstop, it did not matter the time; we were working. He would call me at 3 A.M. to look up files or find information. It took me six months to just be able to keep up with the man! I do not know how he kept going, he was like that bunny with the battery. He just kept going, and going it was exhausting. Things finally settled down, or maybe I just got used to the flow. Maybe both? Either way, I was finally able to keep up with him, but then I couldn't just say hey Kaden I'm in love with you, will you marry me? I should have come in with a plan, but my dumb ass thought I was so hot he would fall for me at first sight. Arrogant I know, but I had guys hitting on me all the time. I thought he would be the same.
Let's just say that Kaden is a force unto himself. His self-discipline and focus are off the charts. I do not think Kaden knows what it is like to have fun. He certainly cannot tell when women are flirting with him! And I know it's not just me either! I have watched time, and time again while the daughters of his business partners try and fail. This man has blinders on his blinders and women are just not on the same game board as he is. When I first started working for Kaden it took him three months to remember my name started with an A. He would call me anything from Anna to Amanda, it was awful and I almost quit. If it had not been for James his best friend I would have quit. James is a great guy and Kaden's best friend. He knows I love Kaden, but Kaden doesn't know I love him. James tries to open Kaden's eyes, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm starting to doubt it will.
I leave the office and head towards my penthouse apartment. My brothers may have "let" me move out to find the man of my dreams, but he was certainly not going to let me "go without" as he puts it. Insert big eye roll here. I would have been fine with a basic apartment, but Matt, Shawn, and Garrett would not hear of it. Our company makes more money than we know what to do with. I could buy all the penthouses in Seattle and not have to look at my bank account to know I could spend Millions more. Matt the eldest at 30 took over PWIK Corp from my father Richard when he retired. Shawn at 28 is Matt's right-hand man and in charge of anything Matt doesn't want to do. As for Garrett, at 25 he is still in college finishing up his medical degree. As my two older brothers put it, Garrett marches to his own drum and wants nothing to do with father's company. He has always dreamed of being a doctor, he's extremely smart and is at the top of all his classes. He will make a great doctor one day. While I love my brothers, they dote way to much on me.