Page 27 of Culinary Chaos

“Yeah. Of course I do. I think getting together to converse and learn and celebrate is always needed. We should do more of it.”

Angelica just hummed a short response before looking out at the people again. “While I do think celebrating is important, I have work that needs to be done.”

“What work could be more important than celebrating?”

“Hiring a new hotel manager. My last one resigned, and her last day is today.” Angelica stared down into her own glass of champagne.

Hope would dare to bet that the look crossing her face was one of pain. She could definitely detect the notes of it in her voice. “Was she good at her job?”

“One of the best,” Angelica answered, raising her chin back up as if she finally had herself under control.

“Then why is she leaving?” Hope canted her head to the side, making eye contact with Angelica. For some reason, she just couldn’t stop looking at her, couldn’t stop wanting to be in this woman’s presence. At least when she was acting like this.

“Believe it or not, Hope, I’m not the easiest person to work for.”

Hope nodded, sipping her drink. “So you’re the reason she’s leaving.”

“Yes,” Angelica answered on a whisper, and there was that pain again, right back where Hope had discovered it before.

Pursing her lips into a tight little O, Hope blew out slowly. “That’s hard.”

Angelica didn’t answer. But she did cross her arms and close in on herself even more. Hope bumped her again, this time more obviously. “Come on, we should play the dutiful hosts of this party.”

“Are we?”

“The hosts?” Hope asked, confused more than ever now. “Of course.”

“I didn’t realize.” Angelica blinked slowly, holding Hope’s gaze. “I thought this was your idea.”

“No. Not at all. Josef asked me to make some food for it.”

“So it was his idea?” Angelica asked.

“Beats me.” Hope couldn’t tear her gaze away. Someone was laughing loudly on the other side of the room, but even that couldn’t pull her attention. Just what was Angelica thinking? What was she feeling? Because this was so vastly different than anything Hope had seen in her before. It was as if she was vulnerable here, as if the curtain obscuring who she actually was and what she actually thought was so sheer that Hope might actually be able to see underneath all her bravado and control. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Angelica forced her lips to move into a smile. Their gazes locked, time seemed to stop. Hope felt the pull again, the desire to lean in and do something radical and different. Angelica’s voice snapped that tension. “Of course.”

“I don’t buy that.” Hope put her hand on Angelica’s wrist, her fingers circling the thin bones under the silver chain bracelet that Angelica had worn every day they’d filmed. The metal was warm under her touch, but the look in Angelica’s eyes was anything but. Hope wanted to approach this with as much compassion as she possibly could. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Angelica shook her head. “I’m here to do my job, Mrs. Lawrence. Nothing else.”

“Right. No friends, no comrades in arms, no bonding time. I get it.” Hope dropped Angelica’s wrist and shoved her hand against her body as she crossed her arms. That had been the scolding she needed in order to remember who they were to each other. They were thrown into this show to work together, and that was it. They had no other reason for being here. Hope would do well to remember that, because if she got distracted by holding a torch to what they could potentially find in each other, she would be disappointed.

Wouldn’t she?

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Angelica said, stepping away and setting her half-drunk glass of champagne down on a tray.

She said nothing else as she walked out of the dining area and back into the main part of the hotel. What had that been about? Hope wanted to follow her to find out, but she stayed still, frozen on the spot as she continued to stare at the empty space where Angelica had once been. Angelica had retreated, and oftentimes following someone who retreated wasn’t the way to come out unscathed.

Though Hope had doubts she’d come out unscathed anyway.

Something about the way Angelica pushed against her said that they were going to face battles together. Against each other for sure, but maybe they could find a few that they could fight alongside one another.

“Something wrong?” Rex asked, coming up next to her.

“Uh, no.” Hope immediately shifted from her curiosity about Angelica to focusing on the family and friends she did have here. This was what she needed, nothing else. And if Angelica was going to hold herself completely separate from the rest of them, then that was her choice. She’d be lonelier for it, but it wasn’t Hope’s job to humanize her for everyone else.

But still…