Page 14 of Culinary Chaos (Hotel Bombshell #1)
“Yeah.” Angelica’s shoulders were rock solid again. She just wanted to escape back to her room, finish packing up her things, and prepare to fly out tomorrow.
“Alone,” Hope added. But this time she wasn’t looking at Angelica, she was staring directly at Rex. He threw his hands up into the air and shook his head as he walked out.
Was he actually offended by that?
What had Angelica missed in that exchange?
When the door was shut, Hope stepped around the table, sitting on the edge of it as she faced Angelica, arms folded together and a look of…
something…on her face. Angelica was about to ask what was going on to get the conversation moving, but something in her said to give Hope the time to figure it out herself.
Stepping closer and sliding the iPad onto the table, Angelica stood right next to Hope, far closer than she typically would with anyone else, and that fact wasn’t lost on her.
“I don’t like this,” Hope said, her voice gentle and soft.
“Like what?” Angelica asked, breathing deeply and keeping all of her own opinions to herself.
“The drama. The flair. The let’s make it messy to keep people’s attention .” Hope threw her hands up in the air before settling them down on the tops of her thighs.
Angelica’s gaze was glued to the way Hope’s fingers moved, to the short nails that were perfectly cleaned, and the rounded fingertips.
She’d never quite noticed Hope’s hands before, the way the fingers were strong and short.
Someone might call them stubby, but they looked perfect for a chef whose fingers and hands were her entire livelihood.
“What do you think?” Hope asked.
Coming back to herself, Angelica shook her head, her hair falling gently over her shoulder. “I think this is a reality show, and we both knew what we were getting into when we signed the contract.”
Hope frowned. “Is that all this is to you? A job?”
“What else would it be?” Angelica asked, her voice cracking on the question.
It wasn’t just a job. If that’s all this was, then she never would have done it.
This was a massive risk, and she wasn’t going to get a whole lot of return on her investment if it wasn’t successful.
This wasn’t just taking on a new hotel and adding it to her repertoire.
This was putting her entire career and reputation on the line, and it was costly—not just financially but emotionally.
She hadn’t been prepared for the second part of that.
“You’re not impermeable, you know.” Hope set her palm onto the table and leaned in closer to Angelica, looking at her directly. “You can’t stay secluded in an office and not get involved in the lives of those you’re working with, in the lives of those we’re meeting along the way, in my life…”
Those last three words were whispered.
Was that what this was all about?
Angelica pursed her lips, mulling over that statement. This wasn’t about others and Angelica. It was about Hope and Angelica and just what the two of them were going to do and how they were going to handle the situations they were being thrown into.
“I don’t want a repeat of what happened,” Hope said, stronger this time. “That didn’t feel good.”
No, it hadn’t. Angelica agreed on that. She’d hated that day, and she’d hated the fact that the cameras had already been rolling and present when Hope had barged in there to berate her.
“But if we plan it, then it won’t feel the same, will it?”
“No,” Angelica finally spoke, but she wasn’t entirely sure that she believed her answer either. “No, it won’t, because we’ll know it’s coming.”
“Yeah.” Hope frowned, and Angelica immediately regretted the entire conversation. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen this woman frown. “Maybe I can believe that too—eventually.”
“Hope,” Angelica said on a sigh, her eyes closing as her tone softened. “If we don’t agree to it, they’re just going to throw us into situations to try and provoke it. It’s better for us to be on board now so we can have some control instead of ignoring it and having no say whatsoever.”
Shaking her head, Hope stood up. “You really think they’ll do that?”
“I know they will.” Angelica stayed exactly where she was, Hope standing only inches from her. Except now she had to look up to meet Hope’s gaze instead of down. They were finally on some sort of equal footing. “I’ve seen them do it before.”
“All right.” Hope nodded slowly. She held out her hand, waiting for Angelica to take it.
Angelica slowly relaxed, sliding her fingers against Hope’s very much like that first time they met. The warmth of Hope’s skin against hers was stark and comforting all at the same time. Hope tightened her grasp, holding onto Angelica firmly.
“Then to more arguments and future episodes.”
“And a second season,” Angelica added.
“And a second season,” Hope repeated, her lips finally curling back up into that stunning smile that belonged only to her. “But let’s just start with episode two.”
Angelica laughed, her voice ringing through the air with a lightness she hadn’t experienced in years as she tightened her grasp on Hope’s hand in response and shook firmly. “Deal.”