Angelica focused back on Johnny and Robin.
“I don’t appreciate you coming in here and screaming at my chef. We’re here to help you, nothing else. And Chef Lawrence deserves your respect and time.”
Johnny looked like he was about to shit a brick. When was the last time someone had spoken to him like that?
Hope pushed her fingers into Angelica’s back lightly as she leaned in over Angelica’s shoulder. “We’re not trying to take out everything that makes this hotel yours. What we’re trying to do is put in systems and measures where you can be successful and then everyone can experience what you have to offer.”
Hope was much better at doing the soothing and smoothing than Angelica was. At least on this front. When it came to investors, Angelica always had that in hand. She could schmooze anyone she needed to.
“Don’t touch the menu,” Robin doubled down.
Angelica’s heart sank. She hadn’t been wrong in her assessment. These two were the ones who were going to take this place down, not because they didn’t have the passion or the love of it, but because they couldn’t simply let go of the past long enough to glimpse the future.
“The menu is going to be dealt with.” Angelica put her hand out in front of them, leaning back slightly into Hope’s touch. That line of connection between them was so strong. Angelica hadn’t realized just how easy it was to rely on that, to allow herself to be put in the position that this would keep them together and help them to strive forward. “But first we should have a candid conversation about how much you’re holding back.”
“Holding back?” Robin shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re holding yourselves back from the potential that this place has. Look, Chef Lawrence and I handpick all of the hotels we visit—” that wasn’t quite the truth, but they didn’t need to know that “—and we picked this one, because we saw potential here. We saw the possibilities here. And you need to let those possibilities flourish and stop plucking out their feathers just before they take flight.”
Now the two men looked even more concerned than before. Angelica breathed slowly, wishing that Hope would take over this portion of the conversation.
“We need you to trust us, because if you don’t, then when we leave, everything is going to go back the way it was, and you won’t find a future here. Ever.”
Johnny sighed heavily, and it took Robin a bit longer to also relax.
“We’re not trying to be the enemy, so please don’t make us out to be that.” Angelica leaned back again, glad to find Hope’s hand still there. “The menu needs to change, and that’s not a reflection on whether the food is good or bad. It’s simply a reflection on the fact that times have changed and no one wants everything under the sun. They go to restaurants for a special meal, something they don’t have to spend an hour perusing the menu to find.”
That might have taken it too far, but at least she caught herself before pushing the point even more.
“Hope likes to play this game.” Angelica turned and looked directly at Hope.
Hope’s gaze dropped from her eyes down to her lips in an instant before flicking back up. Angelica took in a shuddering breath. That was the problem they were going to have to work on. If anyone had seen that, they would suspect. Way more than the drama social media was already making over it all, and way more than Rex’s heart and head could probably handle.
“We’re not here to play games,” Johnny mumbled.
“No, we’re not,” Angelica agreed, turning back to him and thankful for the distraction. She really couldn’t look over her shoulder at Hope again. That would be bad news for everyone. “But Hope likes to play this game to test out new recipes. Perhaps… it might be good to try it out.”
Hope tensed next to her.
Angelica prayed she hadn’t overstepped her boundary a bit, but she couldn’t stand there and listen to the two of them berate her any longer and she really needed to wrap up this conversation quickly.
“It’ll be a taste testing of sorts, and then Hope can explain how and why she’s building the menu. We’ll relaunch the restaurant with Hope’s menu at the end of the week as planned.” What she didn’t add was if they scrapped every single one of those ideas later on, then the failure would be on them and not on Hope and Angelica. But she thought it. Multiple times over.
“When will we do thisgame?” The disdain in Robin’s voice told Angelica everything she needed to know. Then again, she’d had the same thoughts a few times when Hope had tried it before, but Hope had won her over on the method eventually.
She just needed to call it something other than a game.
“Tonight,” Hope jumped in. “Just before dinner service.”
“Fine.” Robin crossed his arms and glared at Hope and then at Angelica.
No one said anything for a few more tense seconds before both Robin and Johnny turned and left the kitchen. Angelica held her breath for a few more seconds before she let it go and shook her head. She turned, fully facing Hope. But Hope’s hand didn’t leave her back. Instead, her fingers glided across Angelica’s side, her waist, to her hip. Then Hope dropped it, the cameras finally able to look between them.
“Leave it to you to piss them off before lunch,” Angelica mumbled.
Hope snorted and then laughed. “Easier said than done.”
“I think you have a full afternoon ahead of you now.” Angelica crossed her arms and popped her hip out slightly. She dared to lower her gaze from Hope’s crystalline eyes to her fully pink painted lips. Hmm, perhaps they weren’t only trying to sex her up for the season. Maybe Hope was also getting the oh-so-special treatment.
