Page 57 of Culinary Chaos (Hotel Bombshell #1)

Chapter

Forty-Four

“ I need to talk with Josef a minute,” Angelica said, nodding in Josef’s direction. “Thanks for the conversation.” She bowed her head slightly and walked away.

She didn’t exactly want to talk to Josef, but she needed to escape whatever awkwardness was happening between Rex and Hope. It was so uncomfortable, and Angelica had no desire to be there for it.

“Welcome to the party,” Angelica said, drinking her beer as soon as she stepped next to Josef.

“Some party.” He looked around judgmentally.

“People seem to be enjoying themselves, and that was the purpose. I think Kyle put together a video for tonight.” She waved toward the projector that had been set up in the corner of the room by his request. “He’s set to do it in about thirty minutes.”

“That’ll be good.” Josef knocked back another drink.

This wrap party was so unlike the ones at each of the hotels.

This was solely for them, and the feel was different.

Angelica could see the friendships that had been created in the last few months and how they’d blossomed.

It was amazing to witness, and yet, she was one of the few that didn’t seem to have those.

“We got notes back from the second test group.” Josef snagged another drink from a waiter.

“And?” Angelica sipped her beer, letting the flavor linger on her tongue.

“It’s not looking good. We won’t get renewed.”

She’d feared that would be the answer, but she hadn’t wanted to fully give up hope either.

She didn’t have anything to say to that either because she knew he would blame her and her lack of following his direction.

She finished her second beer of the evening and held the bottle tightly in her fingers.

“I told you that you should amp up the tension more.”

There it was. Exactly where Angelica had thought it’d land. “I’m not willing to sacrifice someone’s well-being to make a show. And you shouldn’t be either.”

“Because you like her.” He shifted a look at her, one that was so accusatory. “I see the way you two look at each other, Ange, and anyone with eyes can see there’s more going on between you.”

“There’s nothing going on.” Angelica pursed her lips. “How many times do I need to tell you that?”

“Until it’s true.” Josef rolled his eyes now. “I know you have a type, and she fits right into it. Young, innocent, an employee.”

Angelica breathed slowly, keeping herself as calm as possible because she didn’t want to ruin a good night for everyone else.

“Seems you won’t have to worry about it anymore, will you?

” She stared at him hard, firm, and she wasn’t going to give a damn inch on this one.

She stared so long that she could see Josef wiggling in discomfort from it, which made her smirk.

“I wish you wouldn’t be so emotional about it.”

“Really?” Angelica raised her eyebrows at him.

“What happened to you in the last year? This isn’t the Josef I remember working with from years ago.

This Josef is bitter, full of ego, full of hate and deprivation.

This isn’t you. Or maybe it is, and I’m just finally getting the full window into who you are. ”

“I haven’t changed.” Josef glowered. “But you have. You went from a calm, confident bitch to someone who keeps getting her panties in a wad over the littlest of criticisms.”

“Me?” Angelica shook her head and lowered her voice. “No, not me. Perhaps you.”

“I’ve never worked with someone so stubborn before.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Angelica sighed heavily, looking around the room. She needed to make a fast exit. This was a mistake. “I need to check on catering.”

“I thought Hope did that!”

Angelica didn’t respond. She just walked away.

She exchanged her empty beer bottle for a fresh one and immediately left the room.

She couldn’t stand to be in there anymore.

Drinking the beer as she walked, she made her way down to her office.

The crew’s voices echoed down the hallway and slowly got quieter.

Slipping into her office, Angelica shut the door and immediately sighed in relief.

It was a good thing the show was cancelled.

She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to work with Josef again after this experience.

And it was a good thing because she wouldn’t have to see Hope again after tonight.

She’d rearrange all of the press that they were still required to do, but if they honestly thought it wouldn’t be renewed then the amount of press would be severely diminished.

Angelica sat down in the chair near the window and stared out at the LA skyline.

She let the cold beer chill her body while it heated her cheeks.

Not seeing Hope again would be a good thing.

No matter how hard she had to convince herself of that.

The temptation would be gone. The desire would eventually vanish into the ether.

Though Hope had been a good distraction from the pain that was Leanne, and finding out that she wasn’t working that far away either, it’d been tempting to go down and see her, talk with her, maybe smooth out a few of the bumps that were still there.

But then again, she was convinced that would only happen with the dreadful understanding of time.

Angelica was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Once again, love thwarted for nothing more than a career, a step up from where someone else once was.

All she wanted was to be loved in the same way she loved, even if it only was just a little in return.

But every time she thought she was so close to making that step, something happened, someone pulled the rug out from under her, and it took forever for her to find her footing again.

Tipping the bottle back, Angelica finished most of it in a few swift swigs. She closed her eyes, breathing in the world around her. Everything would get back to normal soon. No more filming. No more Hope. No more drama.

“Why did you leave?”

Angelica startled. Hope stood in the doorway, a flush in her cheeks, her lips parted, and anger in her gaze. Angelica’s heart fluttered, her lips parted in surprise. She wasn’t even sure where to go or what to do next.

“We planned this party, Angelica. Why did you just leave it?” Hope stared at her, her body rigid as annoyance ebbed off her in waves. “What did Josef say to you?”

Angelica blinked back a sudden flood of tears and stood up, setting her beer on the small table. Her knees felt like jelly as she walked closer, her eyes glued on Hope’s face, on the pain and hurt she saw there.

“Nothing he hasn’t said before,” Angelica said, licking her lips to try and keep her mouth from drying out.

“What did he say?”

“It’s done. It’s over.” Angelica shrugged a little. “We won’t get renewed.”

“What?” Hope’s jaw dropped. “I mean Rex said something, but I didn’t believe…” Hope stopped, her eyes locking on Angelica’s. “So we’re done working together.”

“It would seem so.” Angelica swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t want this to be the last, but she couldn’t stop the world from happening around them, from being forced out of each other’s spheres.

“What are you going to do?” Hope stepped in closer, finally coming into the center of the room and meeting Angelica there.

“I don’t know,” Angelica murmured, shaking her head. Why was her body so hot? Why couldn’t she stop thinking about the one fucking thing she really needed to not think about? She breathed slowly, her heart racing, and she said the only words that came to mind. “I’m scared.”

“Scared?” Hope asked, her voice taking on the tender quality that wrapped Angelica in a warm hug every single time.

Angelica shifted even closer, the shuffle so slight that she wasn’t even sure Hope noticed.

She tried to steady her breathing, tried to make the world stop spinning off kilter, but she wasn’t sure she could.

And it wasn’t because of the beer. This was because everything she’d worked so hard on in the last year was coming to a swift damnable end.

“Of what?” Hope whispered with concern.

Of everything , Angelica wanted to say. Of what I’m feeling.

But she couldn’t make the words form. She couldn’t give them voice.

Hell, if there was no second season, what did it matter anyway?

All the threats from Josef, all the tension, all the times she’d thought about this and held back because Hope was married, because Hope was her coworker, her employee, because Hope…

Angelica stopped.

She dropped her gaze down to Hope’s mouth, keeping it there.

Her entire body warmed, her breath evened out.

She found that center, the stillness. Reaching up, Angelica slid her hand against the side of Hope’s neck, cupping her gently.

She blinked twice before she leaned in quickly and pressed their mouths together.

Heat.

Warmth.

Pleasure.

She pulled back, closing her eyes, not daring to look at Hope.

Not yet. Not until she had a real, full taste.

She moved in again, parting her lips and closing them against Hope’s.

It was a quick touch of their mouths, but the heat remained.

She brushed her thumb against Hope’s cheek, the softness of her skin and the ever-so-slight movement of Hope’s mouth spurring her on to try it just one more time.

Angelica looked at Hope directly for one brief second before she moved in again, lips parted, breath mingling, her heart still hammering so loud she knew Hope could hear it this time.

Her entire body tingled when their mouths touched this time.

When she felt the warmth and wetness of Hope’s open lips against hers, the gentle and hesitant push of her lips into a reciprocated kiss.

Dropping her hand, Angelica pulled away. She couldn’t look away. No guilt ate at her. No sense of shame or fear curled its way through her body. This had felt absolutely right and beautiful and like something they had been building to all season.

“Of that,” Angelica whispered, licking her lips to catch just one last bit of Hope’s flavor. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have done that.”

Before she could say anything else, Hope’s mouth was against hers.

Angelica breathed in deeply, tilting her head up to meet Hope’s eager lips.

She reached up, cupping Hope’s neck again as Hope slid a hand behind her neck and against the small of her back.

Their chests pressed together with each rapid breath.

Hope parted her lips, dipping her tongue out and sliding it along Angelica’s, just daring her to part them.

So she did. She hummed a sigh as Hope dove in deeper, sliding her tongue inside Angelica’s mouth and against her tongue.

Her full lips were so soft, so warm and welcoming.

Angelica melted into her touch, into her hold.

Pushing forward on her toes, Angelica moved in even closer.

She pressed her fingertips deeper into Hope’s hair and held onto her tightly.

Hope stumbled a step forward, and Angelica barely caught herself, but that didn’t stop them.

Their breathing quickened, the sounds of their kisses became more feverish by the second, and Angelica didn’t want to stop.

God, she never wanted to stop.

She pulled back slightly, afraid that it would tip Hope off to what they were doing and that she’d stop them, but she nipped at Hope’s lower lip and smiled before diving back in for another wild kiss.

Their tongues tangled again, the taste of wine and beer mingling in the recesses of Angelica’s mind as she refused to stop. Not yet.

Not just yet.

Hope whimpered, and she pulled away, breathing heavily. It took her a few more seconds before she moved her hands from Angelica’s body, putting space and air between them. But the air was electric. Angelica’s entire body was on fire from just one damn kiss.

Fuck, that was a kiss.

“That’s what a first kiss should feel like,” she said, belatedly realizing she’d actually spoken out loud.

Hope’s cheeks turned bright red, her lips parted, her eyes wide.

Angelica wanted to reach forward, to touch her again, to grab her hand and soothe the discomfort she knew Hope was feeling right now, but she couldn’t.

This wasn’t something she could help with.

It wasn’t something she could stop from happening.

She was just about to speak when Hope shook her head and took a step back.

Her eyes moved wildly around the room and then settled on Angelica, firmly and confidently raking her gaze all over Angelica’s body from her lips to her crotch and back up again.

It sent a new wave of arousal through Angelica, one that Angelica would gladly remember night after night.

“Hope…” Angelica said.

But Hope stepped back again. In silence, she turned around and fled, shutting the door firmly.

Angelica sighed heavily, rolling up onto her toes as she dropped her head and just breathed.

Breathed in the lingering scent of lilacs after the rain.

Breathed out unrequited arousal. Breathed in the taste of Hope on her lips, the heady blend of wine and something so unique to Hope that she couldn’t describe it.

Breathed out the memory of a first true kiss.

She didn’t regret it.

Not for one damn second.