Page 59 of No Holds Barred

“Everyone set!” Cadence backed away, keeping her gaze locked on Angelica as if double checking that she was okay.

Angelica nodded at her slightly. She felt unsteady on only one foot and the stool, but Hope was right there if she needed to grab hold of her. Hell, Leanne was too, not that she wanted to do that.

“Action!”

“I’m Angelica Shields.”

“And I’m Chef Hope Lawrence.”

Angelica looked to Hope and grinned brightly at her. “And we’re in Boston this week, at The Godfrey, an upscale hotel that has been slowly withering into the abyss for the last year since owner Ashlee Trapp took over.”

Hope jumped into the conversation. “Not only are there problems with room service and guest relations?—”

“But there are problems with effective management and communication,” Angelica finished for Hope. “In fact, there are so many small issues that we had to bring in help for the week.”

Angelica’s heart clenched at that line. She’d wanted to cut it the moment she’d read the script, but Josef had refused and Rex had convinced her that it’d be a good idea to not antagonize him in that way.

“I’m Leanne Coates, and for five years, I was Angelica’s right-hand woman.”

Angelica’s stomach churned. She flicked her gaze to Hope, wondering if that made as much of an impact on her. Because the implication there was egregious, and Josef knew it when he’d handed the script over.

“I know the ins and outs of how she works, and together, we’re going to tackle this problem hotel and turn this disaster into a masterpiece.” Leanne finished with a stunning grin.

“Maybe not a masterpiece,” Angelica said, the line she’d memorized earlier that morning rolling off her tongue with no effort at all. “But at least a well-oiled machine, so that guests will know exactly what they’re getting when they arrive for their stay.”

“We’re here for one week.” Hope put her hands out in front of her, focusing her gaze on the camera. “And we don’t plan on leaving until the work is done.”

That was a lie, and they all knew it. While they’d done what they could in a week and resolved some of the issues, the bigger problem was still Ashlee. She wasn’t prepared for them to leave, and she wouldn’t be. She needed more training than anyone could give her in a week. Though Angelica had recognized a bit of promise in the meek girl. Perhaps she wasn’t completely inept when it came to management.

“Cut!” Cadence called.

Angelica’s knee released, and her entire body jerked. Hope’s hands were at her back and on her arm in an instant, helping her to turn around and sit on the stool instead of kneeling on it. Leanne looked Angelica over and shook her head with a sigh.

“This is probably the most boring part of filming so far,” Leanne said.

Angelica hummed, and while she agreed, she wasn’t going to say it out loud. The introduction to the location and the exit sequences were some of the most important parts of the show. Even if they were the most scripted. She squeezed Hope’s handto let her know that she was all right and then rested on the stool. She might be able to put weight on her foot next week, but she had no doubt that just walking was going to exhaust her. She’d probably have to bring the damn knee scooter with her for the next couple of weeks until she had her strength back.

Once again, Hope was pressing her coffee mug into her hand. Angelica sipped it.

Angelica caught sight of Ashlee standing in the background with her arms crossed as she observed everything happening. Angelica waved her closer as soon as she caught Ashlee’s attention. Ashlee came closer, squatting down so that they were closer to eye level.

“I wanted to make you a proposal,” Angelica said, bringing her mug to her lips again. “And I wanted to do it with cameras off and give you the option if you wanted to film it or not.”

“Okay?” Ashlee’s brow furrowed in curiosity.

“I’m willing to provide oversight here for three months with your assistance while you spend three months in Los Angeles training with my hotel manager there. Matthias has been working with me for almost two years and is well-versed in methods and practices. You’ll still have to do the bulk of the work here, but he can be a resource to help you.”

“Leanne can’t train me?” Ashlee frowned.

“Leanne doesn’t work for my hotels anymore.” And for good reason, beyond their breakup, Leanne needed to move on. They’d both known that. “I can’t tell her what to do or what not to do when it comes to training, and this is outside of the show. I won’t pay you a salary while I train you, but I will make sure that when you’re done with the three months, you know exactly what you’re doing and have the resources to lead.”

Ashlee’s lips parted like she was going to answer, but Angelica interrupted her.

“Think about it and get back to me by the end of the day, all right?”

“I don’t have to think about it.” Ashlee bit her lip, looking at Leanne. “She said that you wouldn’t help me, but you are. I almost can’t believe it.”

“Leanne said that?”