“All right, let’s head back. We’ll deal with this all when we get back to California. I don’t have the capacity to figure out what to do with you before then, especially when we’re two days out from wrapping.” Logan took a step toward Claridges.
“Logan,” Angelica stopped him with just his name. “Are you going to tell anyone?”
“Not while we’re here.”
“I—I’d like to talk to Rex first. I think he probably suspects, but I want him to hear it from me or Hope.” Angelica worried her lower lip.
“That’s fair. But we’ll strategize about Josef.”
Angelica grinned then. “I’d welcome it.”
They started back toward Claridges, Angelica keeping her jacket tightly around her to ward off the cold. She missed California’s balmy weather. Hell, she missed Colorado’s chill. Anything was better than this. She wasn’t built for the chill the wind brought with it.
When they stepped back into the hotel, Hope was there with a plate of food and a concerned look on her face.
“Is that for me?” Angelica asked.
“Yes?” Hope said it like a question, though they both knew the question had nothing to do with the food and everything to do with what Angelica had been talking to Logan about.
“Thank you.” Angelica’s eyes crinkled when she smiled at Hope, the warmth filling her heart not just from the heat in the building but from the very fact that Hope was still here. She didn’t know what the future held for them, but they’d figure it out. If Angelica had to leaveHotel Bombshell, then she would. She had to believe that it’d be worth it in the end.
She took the plate, popped one of the small pieces of cracker, meat, and cheese between her lips, and took a bite. She was so used to eating on the go lately that it didn’t even bother her this time around.
“Mmm, it’s good.” Angelica took another bite.
Hope still looked at her suspiciously.
“Eva?”
“Eating with Rex in the dining room.” Hope put her hands on her hips and flicked her gaze to Logan. “Did you still need to talk to me?”
“No, I think I have it handled for now.” He nodded at her and skirted around to walk away, leaving them alone.
Angelica relaxed as she took another bite of the food.
“I call these adult Lunchables,” Hope said, pointing to the food.
“They’re good.” Angelica swallowed and then licked her lips. “I told Logan.”
Hope stilled. Then she reached to her back and clicked off her microphone. Angelica’s stomach plummeted. Had she remembered to do that? Or had she just confessed everything into an open microphone? Reaching to her side, she pulled the microphone over and sighed in relief. It was off.
“What did you tell him?”
“You know what,” Angelica responded. “We needed someone on our side, and he’s the obvious choice.”
“But you said?—”
“I know what I said. But sometimes plans have to change. We can talk later.” Angelica nodded toward Mark and Alexis, intrigued by the fact that Alexis actually had a smile on her face. “What’s going on with those two?”
“I don’t know. We sat down to interview a chef today, and I swear they were flirting with each other. It was odd. They’ve been at each other’s throats for a whole week, nearly coming to blows, and now they’re acting like teenagers again.”
Angelica hummed and pursed her lips. “I wonder if they finally figured out what at least one of their problems with each other is.”
“That, or they both got lucky last night.” Hope shifted her gaze toward Angelica. “That could have done it too.”
“Yes, but that’s also likely a short-term solution, and not one that we want them to choose.” Angelica took another morsel of food. “When we get back to Los Angeles, I would like to sit down with you and have a conversation.”
“Just one?” Hope winked at her and ran her fingers down the lapel of Angelica’s jacket.
