So Far Away (California Dreamers #2) Read Online Free Page A

slowly open he squints. “Sadie?”
    “I’m Maddie. Maddie Malone. Your new assistant.”
    He rubs his eyes. “What happened to Sadie?”
    “I don’t know. Did you fire her?”
    He tilts his head like he’s giving this some thought. “Maybe I did.”
    “You can’t remember?”
    He shakes his head then places his palm to his temple. “Shit. How much did I drink last night?”
    Ever so slowly he rises to a seated position on the couch. Staring straight at the whiskey bottle he says, “I put a good dent in it.”
    A half of a bottle by himself is more than a dent , but I don’t say anything.
    “How did you get here?” he asks.
    “I drove down from LA.”
    “No, I mean how did you get inside my house?”
    I gulp. “I rang the doorbell and I knocked. I didn’t have your phone number.”
    I bat my long lashes at him and try to look as innocent as possible so he won’t fire me. Or call the cops for breaking into his house.
    Although I didn’t actually break in ; I just walked in . I think that’s still illegal though.
    “Your door was unlocked,” I add.
    He shakes his head. “I don’t answer my phone anyway.” As he rises from the couch he wobbles a little. “What did you say your name is?”
    “Maddie,” I repeat. “Maddie Malone.”
    He rubs his temple. “I hate alliteration, especially in names. I can’t stand when authors do that. Why the hell would anyone do that to their child?”
    “My mom’s name is Margo Malone. I guess you could say alliteration runs in our family.” I laugh at my attempt at literary humor, but it doesn’t seem to faze him a bit. He just stares at me.
    Jackson’s fifty-six years look like they were hard won. His graying hair is a bit too long and shaggy. Like it was styled nicely at one time, but is long overgrown. His forehead is creased with lines as thick as the crow’s feet which circle his dull hazel eyes.
    His rumpled t-shirt and jeans look liked they’ve been slept in for more than a few days. And if I’m being perfectly honest he reeks of alcohol and sweat.
    If you were to pass by Jackson on a street corner instead of him standing in this mansion you might mistake him for a bum.
    “My head feels like it’s going to split open.” He massages his forehead.
    “Maybe a shower?” I suggest.
    He looks me up and down as if he’s actually noticing me for the first time. “How old are you?”
    “Twenty-six.”
    He frowns. “Why do you want to work for me?”
    I swallow. I’m not one to hold back, or be dishonest. “Because I can’t get a job anywhere else.”
    He laughs. “That’s as good a reason as any I suppose. What’s wrong with you?”
    I decide to lead with some of my qualifications, sparse as they may be. “I have two Master’s degrees from Yale.”
    He throws up a hand to stop me. “I didn’t ask you about your education, as fine and pretentious as it may be.”
    He looks directly into my eyes for the first time and it gives me a chill. The man is definitely fighting some demons. There’s no doubt about that.
    “I want to know why you can’t get a job anywhere else.” He stares at me expectantly.
    My chest tightens and my heart begins to race. Is he going to fire me before I even have a chance to start?
    “I was working as a nanny for Dannabelle.”
    He furrows his brow. “What the hell is a Dannabelle ? 
    “The actors Daniel Robinson and Annabelle Miller,” I clarify.
    I’m glad when he gives a nod of recognition. I would be really worried if he had never heard of them. They were an even bigger celebrity couple than Bennifer, Tomkat or Brangelina.
    “There was a bit of a scandal. The press called the ordeal Nannygate. I got fired when Annabelle accused me of having an affair with her husband.”
    He raises an eyebrow then winces in pain. “Did you screw him?”
    I shake my head. “Of course not. I would never do anything like that. Annabelle wanted to divorce Daniel and she used me as a convenient excuse. That way she didn’t