Page 88 of Under the Table

“Lame.”

Angelica shook her head, but there was a lightness to it that Hope loved seeing. “No, practical.”

“Well you are practically perfect in every way.”

Angelica barked out a laugh and shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Sometimes.” Hope was going to enjoy every minute they had left together, just the two of them, before they splashed back into filming. This was their time, and no one else’s. She took one finger and traced a line up the inside of Angelica’s leg. “You are too.”

“Sometimes,” Angelica agreed with a smile. “But not as often as you.”

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

“Hey there,” Hope said as soon as Angelica entered the makeup room.

Angelica nodded at Hope and slid into the chair Ansel had saved for her. They’d managed to get all of the introductions filmed yesterday when they’d arrived, and Angelica had stayed up late to finish the schedules for San Diego and start working on the press tour. Hope had distracted her thoroughly in the short time they’d been back in Los Angeles for the visit.

But it had been nice.

Just the two of them.

“We should do dinner tonight,” Hope said, leaning over the arm of her chair and talking directly to Angelica.

“Dinner?” Angelica raised her eyebrows in Hope’s direction. They hadn’t gotten a meal together since season 1, not like this. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to start doing that now, not with the crew and Josef around to watch their every move.

“Yeah.” Hope grinned broadly, her eyes crinkling in the corners. “You need to eat, and I need to eat, so why not?”

They had a tight filming schedule because they’d taken the extra day to go back home. Which meant they’d likely be filminglate tonight. But tomorrow they might have a little bit more wiggle room.

Ansel handed her a cup of coffee, which Angelica gladly accepted. She took a long sip before shooting Hope a glance and shook her head. “I’m not sure that’s going to work out.”

“Why not?”

“Because we’re filming.” She waited until Ansel stepped far enough away before she leaned in and whispered, “And because no one can see us, remember?”

“We’re two coworkers going out to dinner. We’ve done it before,” Hope hissed back.

But circumstances were different now, and they both knew that. And Josef always had his eye turned on her. She didn’t want to push her luck with what she was doing with Hope. Angelica shook her head and sipped her coffee again. “We can talk about this later.”

Ansel had the perfect timing and showed back up. He started to work on Angelica’s hair and makeup while she continued to sip her coffee. Hope had already finished. They had a meeting with Rex and Josef in thirty minutes so they could discuss what was going on that day and what drama they needed to kick up, although Angelica was fairly certain they wouldn’t need any help in that department this time around.

She listened to Ansel and Hope chatter on while he worked to get Angelica camera ready. When she’d been given the okay, she stood up, stepped out into the hallway, and walked toward the front of the hotel. Hope was right next to her until Eva saw her from across the room and raced in their direction.

Angelica sidestepped that and froze as her eyes landed on the front reception desk. Cold rushed through her. She immediately started toward it.

“Dad? Christian?” Her voice rose up in a question as she approached her father and brother.

“Ange!” Her father called, putting his hands out for a hug.

She walked directly into his arms and hugged him lightly, kissing his cheek. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I told you she’d forget,” Christian mumbled under his breath.

“What did I forget?” Angelica asked, looking directly at her dad.

“We’re here to be on your show!” Her father gave her a big grin and put his hands out to his sides. “We get to be stars like you.”