Hollywood Hills 1 Read Free

face. I knew, though she hadn’t wanted to admit it, how much the thought of moving to a nursing home frightened her.
    I looked over at Mom now, sitting with her feet up, happily humming along while Jimmy Cagney sang about a grand old flag. It was ironic that this house brought her so much joy. Because it was also the source of all my troubles .

Chapter 3
     
     
    It was Friday morning. And I was daydreaming.
    I stood on a fire escape, looking down on the alley of my Hell’s Kitchen apartment building. The moon’s beams gleamed off the asphalt, caressing a man with a five o’clock shadow and the grace of a jungle cat.
    I knew it was wrong, of course. I knew that neither of our families would ever approve of the two of us being together. But the illicit nature of our love only made it more exciting. More breathtaking . Maybe—just maybe—the force our love would override every objection thrown our way. Of course it would, because love was the most powerful force in the universe.
    He climbed the stairs to where I waited for him, and together we sang about how wonderful life was now that we had found each other. So what if his gang and my brother’s gang didn’t get along? So what if it was clear to anyone with half a brain that our romance was doomed? When I stared into those ocean blue eyes, nothing else mattered.
    He came close to me, his face inches from mine. He smiled at me, and the dimple I had swooned over when we met appeared again. Yes, he would always be my Tony, and I would always be his Maria… I leaned in for our first kiss…
    “Josie!” A jarring sensation brought me out of my fantasy, my shoulder colliding with someone as I rounded a corner. Strong hands caught me and kept me from tumbling to the floor. “Are you all right?”
    My brain was still foggy; reality and the daydream blurring together. “Tony?” I asked, blinking stupidly. His face was still close to mine. It would be so easy to stretch up for a-
    “Archer!” I said, head snapping back with the return of reality. “Oh no, I’m so sorry!” I blushed a deep shade of crimson . I’d almost kissed him!
    The beginnings of a dimple showed on his cheek. “It’s not often I have beautiful women throw themselves at me so energetically. Are you okay?”
    I nodded, glancing down. His arms were still around my waist. “I’m such a clutz!” I exclaimed, heart thumping.
    “If I let go, are you going fall over, or maybe run into me again?”
    I shook my head, stepping back quickly. “No. I swear I’ll be more careful in the future.”
    Now a grin did slip briefly across his features. “That’s a shame.”
    I fled, walking as fast as dignity allowed down the hall to my office. When I got inside I closed the door and leaned against it with my eyes closed. Freaking hell I was such an idiot. Too busy with my little West Side Story fantasy to even look where I was going. Who just ran into their boss and then tried to kiss him? It had felt good in his arms though. Oddly romantic—the way he caught me before I fell, and held on to me long after he needed to. I could almost feel his hands on my skin; so strong, but gentle. It had felt right to have them there.
    Stop it Josie! He wasn’t my Tony, and I wasn’t his Maria.
    It wasn’t the first time I’d had daydreams this week. Though it was the first time he’d—literally—caught me. Yesterday we’d been Heathcliff and Cathy. Last night, in my dreams, he’d carried me up a set of stairs like Rhett did to Scarlett.
    But he wouldn’t be so charming when he knew what I was really here for. I had to keep reminding myself of that. I couldn’t let myself get distracted—no matter how gorgeous, fabulously wealthy, kind or wonderful he might actually be. I had a job to do .
    I sat down at my desk, miserable now that I remembered the real purpose of my employment with the studio. Funny how easily I forgot that aspect of our relationship—it was almost as if I didn’t want to do it