Page 34 of No Holds Barred

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - THE GODFREY

Chapter

Twelve

“Hi, I’m Hope.” She held her hand out and clasped the hand of the young woman across the reception desk from her.

“Hi. I’m Ashlee, I’m the owner of this hotel.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, as if her nerves were taking hold of her too quickly to make it to her lips.

“It’s so good to meet you.” Hope tried to put on her best face to ease Ashlee’s discomfort, but honestly it was for herself. Everything about this felt off. Angelica wasn’t even in the building yet. The only other time that they started without her had been in Las Vegas, and they hadn’t actually filmed scenes without her. They’d just done prep and set up.

But now Hope was going to film for two days before Angelica was supposed to arrive. Everything rested on her shoulders this time.

“I think I have a meeting scheduled with you soon, right? To discuss how things are going to work as we film.”

Ashlee nodded and bit her lip. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Good. I’m just going to get settled and then I’ll meet with you, okay?”

Hope feverishly looked around for Rex or anyone else who could distract her from this awkward encounter. She wasn’t usually this bad at talking with people, so why was it so hard this time around? Not to mention, even if she did find someone from the crew to work with, then she was going to have to figure out how to talk to them. Because so far, no one really wanted to talk with her. She was the pariah of the show now.

She saw Rex standing in the hallway and walked toward him. Her shoulders were tense as she went, but he would at least know where they were setting up for now.

“Hey,” she said with a huge sigh.

“Hey.” He nodded at her. “We’re in there.”

“I was just going to ask. Thanks.” She hated that they were so awkward about everything. They never really managed to find that easy calm conversational level yet. But Hope was still determined to get there eventually.

“Hope?” Rex touched her shoulder slightly to stop her from walking away, before pulling back like he’d been burned.

She frowned slightly but looked up at him. “Yeah?”

“How is Ange? I haven’t heard anything…”

Hope shook her head slowly and shrugged. “I, uh… I don’t know.”

Her lips tingled from the kiss they’d shared, the intensity of it. Angelica had been right to stop it. Hope hadn’t been kissing her because of love but because of relief. She was so damn happy that Angelica wasn’t dead, that she was okay, that the worst part was over. Because it had to be, right? Hope swallowed the lump that came up in her throat instantly.

“She hasn’t really been answering any calls or texts or emails.” Hope shrugged again. “I think she’s actually been trying to rest and heal.”

“Ange?” Rex raised a surprised eyebrow at her. “Well, that’d be a change.”

“Yeah. It would.” Hope brushed her fingers across her lips, still feeling Ange against them if she thought about it. Everything about that kiss had felt right and perfect except the fact that they hadn’t talked. They hadn’t digested what either one of them was feeling or still felt for each other. It was pure impulse on Hope’s part, and once again, she’d fallen flat into the accusations that Angelica had lobbed at her time and time again.

“Oh, um… Josef hired someone to help out while Ange is recovering. I think she’s in waiting for you.”

“He did?” Hope furrowed her brow. “He didn’t mention anything to me.”

“Yeah, well, it’s Josef. Do you honestly expect him to at this point?”

Hope sighed heavily. She really wanted him to leave. Because he was ninety-nine percent of the problems that they had on set, and half the time she was fairly certain that he was causing them on purpose just to get a reaction out of people.

“I wish he wouldn’t be on location anymore,” Hope murmured under her breath.

“I think Logan’s working on that, actually.”

“Oh, well, that’d be a nice change.” Hope squared her shoulders and faced the room Rex had pointed at. “Guess I better get to work.”