Page 15 of Culinary Chaos

“Yes.” Angelica nodded, picking at the cheese on the pizza before sliding it between her lips. “I started with consulting ten years ago.”

“Oh.” That old feeling of inadequacy was rearing its ugly head again, and Hope wanted it gone. “I’ve never come into a restaurant with the specific purpose to fix it.”

“And you’ve never worked in a hotel before.”

“How did you…” Hope trailed off, stunned.

“I do my research, Mrs. Lawrence. You should too.” Angelica popped a morsel of cheese into her mouth, her tongue dashing out to lick off the sauce that stayed on her lips.

“And if I were to do my research, what would I find?”

“About me?” Angelica leaned forward to drop the half of a slice she hadn’t eaten back into the box.

“Yes.” Hope reached the crust and immediately devoured it. She hadn’t realized how critically hungry she actually was.

“Well, I’m not very nice.” Angelica folded her hands in front of her, eyeing Hope seriously. “And I’ll piss you off more times than I’ll make you happy.”

“Said as a boss or a friend?”

“We’re not friends.” Angelica’s voice took on a raspy quality, one that was full of honesty. “And we won’t be. Not as long as I’m a producer and you’re on my show.”

“Right.” Hope finished the slice of pizza, and as much as she wanted to reach for a second one, she hesitated. Something about this moment warranted giving her full attention to Angelica. “Is that just because you don’t care about the people who work for you? Or is it because you refuse to admit that you do?”

Angelica’s lips parted in surprise. The silence between them was so loud. Hope had overstepped. She knew it in a second. She’d taken it too far, and Angelica was going to retaliate in an instant, and Hope would have to face the consequences for a long time to come.

“It’s because we have a professional relationship, Mrs. Lawrence. We’re not here to make friends. We’re here to do our jobs and to do them to the best of our abilities.”

“I don’t disagree with you there.” Hope cocked her head to the side. “But working together doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

“Oh, it absolutely does.” Angelica crossed her arms, her stare fierce.

What wasn’t Angelica saying?

Hope held Angelica’s look for a second longer before breaking it and grabbing the second slice of pizza she’d been craving. “I guess we’ll just have to find out.”

“No, we won’t,” Angelica retorted.

“Hope?” Rex’s tenor tones reached Hope’s ears, the door to the conference room opening.

“Hey!” Hope softened, glad when Rex came over to lean down and press his lips against hers. “What are you doing here?”

“Eva was asking for you.” Rex flicked his gaze to Angelica and then back to Hope. “If you’re done for the night, I know she’d love it if you could tuck her in.”

“Oh.” Hope looked directly at Angelica. “Are we done?”

Angelica waved her hand slightly, focusing back on something on the table. Hope wished she could see what it was, because it didn’t look like something she’d been studying before. In fact, Hope wasn’t convinced that Angelica was actually reading the paper at all.

“I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” Hope said as she pushed herself to stand up.

“We have several meetings with the owners, managers and staff tomorrow. Together and separate. Don’t be late.”

“I won’t.” Hope folded her hand into Rex’s. “Just email me the schedule and I’ll be there.” And she’d wake up three hours early to start in on the research she’d been called out for not doing.

As soon as they were in the hall with her luggage being dragged behind Rex, Hope relaxed. “Eva’s really still awake?”

“No,” Rex answered. “I just didn’t want to leave you with the Ice Fairy for too long. Can’t have her freezing you out before the shoot gets started.”

Hope laughed lightly, her lips curling upward into a smile. “I don’t think she’s as frigid as you all make her out to seem.”