Shine

Part 1

Karlie Underwood grew up the youngest of 6, her mental instability was noticeable by the time she was four but being the youngest her mom and dad never noticed. She started hearing voices and hallucinating by puberty, she would also go through stages where she makes really irrational decisions then go through huge depressive stages. She would talk to herself and go days where she doesn't remember what she did. Karlie quickly became aware her siblings where different, she learned to hide her symptoms very quickly she didn't want anyone to know she wasn't like her siblings that and with the fear of losing what little love she experienced she found it safer to hide what she could. She had also seen the movies where they lock up the people who talk about doing some of the things she does, she didn't want to lose her freedom. She knew her parents couldn't afford much at all, so the probability of just going in to state run care was more likely than getting the actual therapy's and support she needed .

Braden Underwood grew up with an absent father and a single mother who worked hard for everything they had, with the pressures of not wanting to let his mother down and her unwavering support he became a straight A student and graduated with honors. His mother couldn't have been more proud, soon he was off to the university where he started pursuing his Business Degree. His dreams where to travel and to build a multi-million dollar enterprise so one day he can pay his mom back for all the support over the years and to just take care of her like she has him all of his life, also to make sure he wont ever be that little kid who constantly worried about if they would have enough for the things they desperately needed.

Karlie was 24 and working at one of the most successful corporation's in her town, as a office assistant. She has always been a hard worker, growing up poor she had to be or she wouldn't eat or be able to help keep the lights on. The first time she met Braden she felt something she had never felt before, his red hair and kind blue eyes drew her to him. He was visiting the corporation on business with his internship for the university he was attending, the first time he seen her he also was immediately drawn to her.

He walked in to the front office, his eyes landed on Karlie who had yet to see him. Whatever he was talking about with his boss became background noise, her beautiful curls hung down framing her face lightly brushing the keyboard in front of her as she leaned over to put a file in a filing cabinet next to her. Her eyes found his and his heart jumped they where beautiful and blue like his own, she smiled and her face warmed the moment she seen him she couldn't help the butterflies she had truly never felt before, she felt nervous and hot in more ways than one.

"excuse me, we are here to see Geoffrey" Braden's boss said as he approached Karlie

she looked down at the appointment list to see if there where any current appointments

"we are his 5:11" he told her

"yes, he is ready to see you" she said finding the appointment time on the list

"go down the hall and its the double doors on the left" she told him smiling

Braden's eyes didn't leave her since he came in the door, his gaze made her squirm in her chair a little. She had never felt this attracted to someone that she had just met. Braden's boss muttered a thanks and headed down the hall, but he didn't want to  leave without talking to the beautiful woman in front of him.

"I'm Braden" Braden said moving closer to her

"My name is Karlie" she tells him smiling widely at him. Her smile made him feel weak, Karlie? he thought her name was just as beautiful as she was.

"this may be a little forward but I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" he asked

her face warmed again and she smiled nervously  "sure, how does 8 at the restaurant down the street sound?" she asked