Page 34 of Culinary Chaos (Hotel Bombshell #1)

Chapter

Twenty-Five

“ L ook, we’ve released the first episode for early viewers, and it’s not looking great.”

Hope slowed her steps, Eva’s hand buried in her own. That was Josef. His voice was distinct anywhere. But what the hell was he talking about?

“If we don’t make some changes, we’re not going to get the viewers we need, and then we won’t be renewed for a season two.” He sounded worried now.

“I thought we were working on that.”

Angelica.

Who else was at this illustrious meeting that Hope hadn’t been invited to? Rex? Is that why he’d left her to finish up some stuff that night? But why were they having this conversation in the middle of the hallway? Where anyone could stumble upon them? Any of the crew who was loitering around?

Hope searched to see if anyone else was listening in, but she didn’t find them.

“We’re working on that, but you’re not giving us enough conflict,” Josef hissed at her.

Angelica scoffed. “Conflict? You want Hope and me to fight. Then you want us to get along. And now you want us to fight again? Which is it? Because I can’t keep going back and forth on this.”

“You’re an actor now, Ange. Get used to it.”

“I’m not an actor.” Angelica’s voice was low.

Hope’s stomach dropped. How much had Angelica been fighting on this while she’d been completely in the dark about the fact that these conversations were even happening? How much had she been left out of the loop?

“Neither is Hope,” Angelica finished sharply.

Hope’s lips twitched upward at that. But Eva tugged on her hand. “I wanna go outside, Mommy.”

“Yeah, in a minute, just hold on.” Hope kept her voice quiet as she stood still, focusing back on the conversation she shouldn’t be listening in on.

“We’re here to do our jobs. Your job is to make sure the show is a success with the viewers.” Angelica again.

Hope would hate to be on the other end of this conversation.

“Mommy!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Hope’s cheeks burned, and she nodded down at her little mini-me. “Yeah, we’ll go.”

“If we don’t get renewed, it’ll be your fault,” Josef said, his voice getting quieter as Hope walked away.

It wouldn’t be Angelica’s fault. Josef might have said that out of anger, but Hope knew better.

A show was a success because of everyone who worked on it, and if they truly were floundering, then it was everyone’s fault.

She pushed open the door to the small garden outside.

It’d become her oasis, a place she felt safe and comfortable.

They had a few more hours of daylight to kill, and she wanted to make sure that she used them wisely.

She sat down on the log bench. The same one she’d shared with Angelica days before, when they’d had probably the deepest conversation they’d shared since they’d met.

Hope had looked back on that night with awe.

She’d never thought that Angelica would be someone who would share so openly.

Eva ran through the garden like she owned the place, doing cartwheels and leaps that she’d learned at gymnastics last summer.

She’d never gotten over it, and Hope had wanted to sign her up for another class, but her work schedule and Rex’s had never allowed it to happen.

Maybe if Hotel Bombshell got cancelled, then she would finally have time to enroll Eva in something she wanted.

Sliding her phone out of her pocket, Hope made a call to her agent. She didn’t want to, but she also didn’t want to wallow in a show that wasn’t going to succeed either. She needed the income, and she needed the recognition in order to grow her restaurant chains. And this was all part of that plan.

“Hope?”

“Hey.” Hope smiled just hearing Mary’s voice.

“What’s wrong?”

How the hell did she always manage to cut to the chase like that? Hope laughed nervously. “Nothing exactly, just a feeling.”

“Talk to me.”

Hope sighed, watching Eva play. Maybe she could play this off as she just wanted to be closer to home, stationary again. For her daughter. For stability. Mary would buy that, right? “Much to everyone’s surprise, Angelica Shields and I are getting along—for the most part.”

“Oh?” Mary seemed surprised by that. “She’s behaving then?”

Hope frowned. What exactly did Mary mean by that?

She wasn’t sure that she wanted to dive into that any more than she already was.

“We’re getting along.” She wasn’t going to mention her stupid kiss.

And she certainly wasn’t going to mention the softness that she’d experienced in the last few days.

“I was wondering if there’s anything that I might be interested in or that might be interested in me? Something closer to home perhaps?”

Mary paused. The silence was deafening. Hope held the phone tightly in her hand, keeping it pressed to her ear. The last thing she needed was for Eva to overhear any part of this conversation that she might actually understand.

“Closer to home…” Mary repeated, as if that was the part of this conversation that didn’t make sense.

Which Hope could understand. Because when she’d originally agreed to do this show, she’d made it abundantly clear that traveling wasn’t going to be a problem, and that she loved to travel, and Eva would be fine.

And well… that really wasn’t the issue.

“Yes,” Hope doubled down. “Closer to home.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

Fuck. Mary knew her too well.

“What’s really going on?”

“I just want to keep my options open. Especially if this doesn’t get renewed.” Hope rubbed her fingers together nervously. “And I don’t want Angelica to know.”

“Of course you don’t. That’d piss her off right to the moon and back.”

Moon.

The other night had been so clear that Hope had been completely taken. It’d been moon magic or something. There had to be some kind of fairytale like that, right? She’d have to ask Eva when she was done counting to one hundred cartwheels which story that was from. She’d remember.

“I can keep my ear out, if you really want me to.”

“I do,” Hope replied. “Thanks. And can you look into how iron-clad the three-season contract is?”

“Sure.” Mary seemed dubious now.

“Thanks.” Hope smiled at Eva as she came closer. “I appreciate it.”

“Mm-hmm. Are you going to tell me what all of this is about?”

“Not yet. Not when I can be overheard.”

“Ah. Got it.”

Hope cringed, though. She was pretty sure that she’d just implied something she shouldn’t have, but it had at least gotten Mary to stop asking questions. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“You better!” Mary said as she hung up.

“There you are!” Rex said, causing Hope to jump. “I’ve been looking for you two.”

Hope turned to smile at him as he slid onto the bench with her. Eva ran up to give him a huge hug. “Daddy, watch this!” She went back to her cartwheels. “I’ve done one hundred and sixteen!”

“Wow!” Rex’s eyes widened the appropriate amount, and he gave Eva the appropriate amount of attention for what was happening. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Hope answered, lowering her voice.

“I know you better than that, at least give me some credit.”

Hope sighed. “Were you in on that meeting with Angelica and Josef?”

“What meeting?”

Well, that was at least one question answered. Rex was as much in the dark as everyone else was supposed to be.

“Kyle said he had a meeting with them.”

“Right.” Hope frowned. “They were talking about the fact they don’t think we’ll get renewed.”

“Ah, so the test view results came back.”

“I guess.” Hope sighed heavily and slumped her shoulders a bit. “What do we do if we’re both out of a job?”

“We figure it out.” Rex put his arm over her shoulders and tugged her in slightly. “It’s always a possibility, and we knew that going into this.”

“You know I don’t plan that far in advance.”

He chuckled. “Right, I do know that. Except you do sometimes.”

Hope had to agree with him on that, kind of.

She was a big picture kind of person, not a detail person.

Which was why she’d never succeeded in accounting.

She just couldn’t focus long enough to wade through the microdetails to get to the big picture.

She wanted to be where the fun and creativity was happening every second of the day.

“It’ll be fine, Hope. Try not to worry about it.”

But that fear and worry were already settling into her chest, and she couldn’t stop them from growing. She wanted to, but she couldn’t help but wonder if this was only the start of the chaos and upheaval that she was facing.

He kissed her cheek and then the side of her head. “We’ll be fine.”

“We always are,” she said, echoing the response they often gave each other any time something sounded or felt hard. She slowed her breathing and relaxed into his arms. This was where she needed to be more often. She always found her center in him, and she would do well to remember that.

“I think the shots of you and Ange figuring out the bookkeeper problem will serve us well.”

“Not really drama.” Hope rolled her eyes, but she was sure Rex didn’t see it.

“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 other productions.

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.”