Page 77 of Culinary Chaos

“It’s drama,” Rex said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. “Just not drama between you and Ange. Which honestly is a good thing. I was getting worried about you two.”

“Oh? What for?” Hope frowned at him. “I thought we were getting along well.”

“You were until you weren’t. It was very…” he pursed his lips and rubbed them together as he thought about what word he wanted to use “…hot and cold.”

“Ah.” Hope could understand that. She’d felt the same way, though she’d definitely labeled it more as whiplash than anything else. One minute Angelica was sweet with her and then next she was fighting tooth and nail over something that Hope thought was ridiculous.

“Do you think you figured out how to work with her?” Rex asked.

“Maybe.” Hope didn’t really want to say more on that. She didn’t want to stray into territory that would reveal anything else that had happened, because she just didn’t know how to tell him about that. Or what it meant. If it meant anything at all.

“You might just be the only one.”

“Why is everyone so harsh on her? Really.” Hope bit her lip and shook her head. “I mean, all I’ve heard when she’s being discussed is how awful a person she is. If she’s that bad, then why is she here? Why hire her to work on the show? Why even put up with her behavior?”

“Because she’s damn good at her job.” Rex stared directly at her. “You’ve seen that. She knows what she’s doing, she’s a hard worker, and she gets shit done.”

“Yeah, but other people can do that, too.”

“She’s got the looks, Hope. She can make heads turn, and she knows how to use that to her advantage.”

“So now this is about looks? Jesus, Rex. Sexist much? Actually no, let’s move that directly into harassment.”

“I know. I know.” He frowned. “Just remember, I don’t make the decisions on this. I’m just the assistant director. And I’m telling you why Josef fought so hard for her to be the lead, not just a producer or a consultant like she’s been on his otherproductions. It’s because she can do the job, and he doesn’t have to deal with any of that stuff, and because she’s pretty.”

“Fuck…” Hope muttered, flicking her gaze to wherever Eva was to make sure she hadn’t overheard. “That’s…”

“Ridiculous?” Rex supplied.

“Disgusting,” Hope corrected.

“You’re not wrong.” Rex squeezed her. “But it’s also why you get shows, and I don’t mind being married to a beautiful woman.”

While she understood what Rex was doing, the compliment fell flat this time. She couldn’t stand it. Angelica deserved better than that. She deserved not to just be something pretty to put on the ad for a new show. At least they hadn’t told her to dumb herself down in the process. Guess that was a silver lining if Hope had to find one—though it wasn’t much of one.

This world was vastly different than the show business she was used to. And she didn’t feel adequately prepared for it. Eva came over again, grinning ear to ear. Rex picked her up and slid her into his lap.

“What’d you learn today?” he asked.

Eva went on and on about all the things she’d learned with her tutor and all the places her nanny had taken her that day. At least someone was getting out to visit the towns they were in, even if it was a six-year-old who couldn’t quite appreciate it. As much as Hope tried to focus on the conversation at hand, she couldn’t help but wonder about Angelica.

Not only what she thought about the entire situation, but also how she was going to rectify it.

Because if anything was certain, she would do that.

Angelica didn’t seem like someone who would let anyone walk all over her.

Not now.

Not ever.

“Hope?” Rex asked, getting her attention. He was standing up, Eva clinging to his side as he carried her. “You coming?”

“Uh… yeah.” Though she had no idea what she was agreeing to. She must have zoned out way more than she’d thought she had, because she hadn’t caught anything that Rex had said to her in the last few minutes.

“To get the princess ready for bed,” he supplied. “She wants you to read to her, maybe finish the book.”

“Right.” Hope gave Eva a sweet smile. “I can do that.”