Page 126 of Culinary Chaos

“I mean like do you actuallyeateat.” Hope smirked at her. “Unless I’ve brought you food, I’ve never seen you eat anything other than coffee.”

“Coffee is the key to life.” Angelica grinned at her. “Don’t you think?”

“I think coffee might be the key to life, but food is the way to anyone’s heart.” Hope brushed her fingers down Angelica’s arm. “Everything we made tonight you can eat, by the way. I didn’t want you to have to pick through whatever was served for something.”

“What?” Angelica looked at her sharply, shocked. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” Hope smiled softly at her. “You don’t tell many people about your allergy, do you?”

“No. No one unless I have to.”

“Because people stare at you like you’re crazy.”

Angelica grinned. “Most of them, yes.”

She’d never had someone take so much care in preparing food for her either. Leanne certainly never had, but again, Angelica hadn’t told her. She’d just eaten what she could and went from there, and they didn’t often share meals together either. Their relationship was more… physical. Which shouldhave been a tip off that it wouldn’t ever go further than that, now that she thought about it.

“Thank you,” Angelica said, her voice breaking slightly.

“Anytime.” Hope finished her drink and held her hand out for Angelica’s. “Another one?”

She hadn’t even realized she’d finished it, or that she was actually semi-enjoying herself this time. She should have stuck closer to Hope during all the last of the parties, but she hadn’t felt comfortable doing that.

“Sure.” Angelica nodded and watched as Hope walked off.

“It is nice to see the two of you get along.”

Angelica tensed. She looked to her other side to find Josef staring after Hope. “Did you want us at each other’s throats?”

“No, not at all.” He sipped his drink, keeping his gaze on Hope. “But I don’t want you to screw this up either, and I’m still watching. You’re different with her. You can’t deny that.”

“She’s a woman in a male-dominated field. Don’t you think that gives us some semblance of commonality?” Angelica raised her chin at him, keeping the rest of her body calm. He really didn’t need to know how much he got under her skin.

“Perhaps.” He turned on her. “Just watch yourself.”

Hope came back, eyeing him and handing Angelica not only a glass of champagne but a small plate of food. “Josef.”

“Hope.” He nodded at her and then walked away.

Hope instantly focused on Angelica. “What did he want this time?”

“Shop talk.” Angelica frowned down at the plate. He’d completely ruined her mood. She’d never get away from her past, would she? And she’d never not be the center of suspicion when it came to her relationship with women. She hated that she wanted to leave already.

“You all right?”

“Fine,” Angelica mumbled, taking a long sip of her drink. She’d stay just to spite him, and she’d stick close to Hope, again to prove a point.

Nothing was going on between them.

Post-Season

Chapter

Forty-One

Everything felt off.

The house felt empty, and Hope was lost on how to fill it up again. She spent hours deep cleaning Eva’s room after taking her to and from her activities and tutoring now that they were home and re-establishing the routine they’d once had.