Page 37 of Culinary Chaos

As the hot air entered her lungs, Angelica thought good thoughts. As the hot air left her body, she expelled all the bad things.

In—Hope, dreams, strength, energy.

Out—Leanne, pain, loneliness, broken dreams.

Her muscles burned as she continued to run, her feet pounding into the pavement. She pushed aside as many of the work thoughts as she could. This wasn’t the place for them. She continued to run, checking her watch to make sure she would be able to turn around and shower before she had to step into the meeting with everyone that afternoon.

Her watch buzzed sharply, pulling her from her thoughts.

Leanne.

With a steadying breath, Angelica slowed her steps until she stopped. She pulled out her phone, reading the text message.

Leanne: I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to work with you and learn.

Angelica held her breath. There was more. There had to be more than just that. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard, as she debated whether or not to type something back, or to ask if this was actually a text of gratitude or if Leanne was just trying to rub it in her face.

Leanne: Please don’t ever talk to me again.

Cold washed through her. Tears welled in her eyes. She clenched her jaw tight and barely managed to keep her breath steady. She hadn’t expected that—the pain to rush through her so quickly, consuming everything she’d been trying to bring into her life in the last few miles of her run. She should have known better.

Leanne wasn’t leaving because she’d found another job. She’d found another job because she couldn’t stand to work for the woman who had her heart broken by the fact that Leanne wouldn’t resign to be with her. Normally Angelica was the one who would have chosen work over relationship, but this time it was the opposite. She’d been willing to sacrifice for Leanne. But Leanne had told her no.

Flat out.

No wavering.

Locking her phone and pocketing it, Angelica started the long walk back to Chateau Orleans. She let the tears slide down her cheeks, the sobs rack through her until her ribs hurt. But she knew that as soon as she walked back inside the doors to that hotel, she’d be the perfect hotel manager and no one would be able to tell what had happened.

That’s the way it needed to be.

Brushing the salty demons from her cheeks, Angelica picked up her pace so she wouldn’t be late. When she reached the hotel, she stepped into the air-conditioned building and bolstered herself, putting her managerial mask firmly in place. She rode the elevator up to her floor and stopped as soon as the doors opened.

Hope stood on the other side of them, Eva’s hand in hers. Angelica’s lips parted in surprise. She thought she’d have twenty more minutes before she had to see anyone. She dropped her chin and moved to step aside, but Hope’s hand darted out and touched her arm lightly.

“What’s wrong?” Hope asked.

“N-nothing.” Angelica bit the inside of her cheek, raising her gaze to meet Hope’s. Could she see the red lining her eyes? Could she see the swollenness of her face? Or was it just an overwhelming sadness that Hope could magically detect?

Hope dropped her voice to just above a whisper, her fingers clinging onto Angelica’s arm. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. I just need to get cleaned up.” Angelica blinked at her and then flicked her gaze down to Eva. “I’ll see you soon.”

Shuddering, Angelica pried herself away from Hope.

What the hell power did Hope have over her?

And how did Angelica break that hold?

Chapter

Thirteen

Hope froze.

She turned around, looking at Bowen, her eyes wide with shock. Had he really just said what she thought he said?

“Come again?” she asked, seeking more information and using a tactic that had worked with Eva many times over the years.