Page 119 of Under the Table

“What you were about to do in there?”

“You didn’t need to know.” It was more than that, though. She’d gone to Los Angeles to meet with the studio in person to report on what Josef had done with Annalise and the golf cart, and his intentional negligence of a child. They’d been shocked, but she also wasn’t convinced that they’d take any action beyond a slap on the wrist. Because Josef was the show runner, because he was the one pulling the strings, and they alllovedhim andhatedher. All thanks to Josef and his loud mouth.

“You should have told me. Just like you should tell me what you did to Hope this week.”

“Excuse me?” Angelica’s shoulders tightened.

“She’s not been herself, and it’s showing on camera. She’s our star, and as a producer, you have a duty to make sure that she’s catered to.”

Angelica’s lips parted in surprise. “What makes you think I did anything?”

“Because it’s always you.” Josef scoffed and then turned back toward the office. “What happened in there proves it. You’re always the one poking holes and taking the hard line. And you’realways the one who misses opportunities for appreciation. Sometimes people just need a little bit of love in their lives to make them feel good.”

How fucking ironic coming from him?

Angelica hardened. All she wanted was exactly what he was espousing, and yet she’d been the last one to ever be on his list to receive it. Did she need it from him? Hell no. But would it go a long way toward repairing their fractured relationship? Maybe. But beyond that, it was all she’d wanted from Hope.

And in the end, she’d have to be the one to point that out, wouldn’t she?

Saying nothing, Angelica started back toward the office. “Time’s up!” she called over her shoulder at Josef. “Let’s see what Daniel has to say.”

She slid into the seat and crossed her legs and arms, giving Daniel a hard stare. “So?”

Daniel’s lower lip quivered. “I thought I was helping him out.”

Angelica didn’t say anything. She held her ground on this one. It wasn’t something she’d screw around with ever, and if she had to be the hard-ass because no one else was willing to step up, then she would be.

“I’ll talk to him when he gets in.”

“And tell him what exactly?” Angelica looked Daniel over.

“That he doesn’t work here anymore.”

She pursed her lips, satisfied that she’d at least gotten her way on one thing today. She breathed slowly, launching into her second line of attack. “You need to re-up everyone’s background checks. Those who work directly with the children—lifeguards, babysitters, event staff—they all need regular and routine background checks.”

Daniel nodded.

“Are you willing to work on that? Immediately?”

“Yes,” Daniel answered.

“Good.” Angelica sighed heavily and relaxed her stance. “Then let’s get to work, because we have a lot more of it now than we did before.”

Chapter

Forty

Hope sat heavily at the patio table with a beer in her hand after a long day of filming. Rachel was sitting next to her but said nothing. Not that Hope expected her to at this point. If she had to, she’d sit there in silence for as long as it took to get Rachel to end this silent treatment.

The kids ran around on the grass directly in front of the suite that Rachel had, playing together. Well, Eva, Annalise, and Jenna did. Mandy was locked away on the couch on her Nintendo Switch and ignoring the world. She was just on the cusp between being too old to want to be with family and still needing to be close.

Hope really needed to work on spending more time with them when she could, especially Mandy. She’d need another outlet other than her mother when she went from preteen to teen soon. Hope ran her fingers through her hair and propped her foot up on the edge of the seat.

“I’m ready for this season to be wrapped,” she said, not able to withstand the silence any longer. If she was Angelica, she probably could have made it more than five minutes. Hope, on the other hand, hated silence and always had. She needed to fill it.

Rachel shot her a glance, one filled with mirth, but she did answer. “Why?”

“Because it’s exhausting.” Hope sighed heavily, sinking into her seat more. “I want to spend more time with family and Eva. I feel like she’s always left out when both Rex and I are on location at the same time.”