“You’re right. Everything in this town looks like it’s cookie cutter and just like the next thing on the block.” Hope trailed her finger over Angelica’s folded hands.
Angelica shivered at the touch. Normally she’d pull away, but she didn’t this time. She was enjoying the physical connection, and again, what was the point of trying to hide it? Angelica dashed her tongue against her lips and looked at Hope again.
“Any ideas on how to make this place stand out? Because I’m pretty sure they’re struggling because they just don’t have a niche within their niche.” Angelica looked around. “The inside isgorgeous, everything is stunning and fresh and new and clean. But there’s something missing, something?—”
“Pizzaz,” Hope said, her eyes lighting up. “They’re missing a flair, a sparkle.”
Angelica’s lips pulled upward in a half smile. “Yeah, that. How do we get that? Because Helen, Georgia, isn’t a place that was ever on my map before now, and I can see why. This isn’t someplace that I’d think of visiting despite my Germanic roots.”
“You’re German?” Hope’s eyes widened. “How did I not know that?”
“It’s never come up in conversation before.” Angelica stood back up, once again looking around. “I don’t think changing the aesthetic in here is the way to go, but we do have to figure out how to make it unique, or at least how to draw people here when there isn’t a huge draw at all.”
“What are you thinking? I can see those wheels turning.” Hope put her hands on her hips and surveyed the lobby with Angelica, but she already knew where the conversation was going. They’d discussed and planned and plotted everything out already.
“What if we set up our own event for them? Something that could be an annual event and draw people in, make a spectacle of everything, hit the media and socials hard.” Saying the wordsocialsfelt so foreign to her vocabulary, but it was the easiest way to explain it, and the majority of their audience would know what she meant by it.
“Like a spring Oktoberfest?” Hope asked, chiming in right when she was supposed to.
“Yes.” Angelica leaned in, excited. They hadn’t scripted any of this out, but the conversation was working so smoothly.
“But what will it be?” Hope asked.
And this was where they’d fallen down. Because they hadn’t quite figured out how to make any of this unique yet. Angelicahummed, biting her lip and shaking her head. “I don’t know yet. I was hoping you’d have some idea on that.”
“I don’t.” Hope sighed heavily, her shoulders rolling forward in disappointment.
“Let’s see if Daph and Frannie have any ideas, shall we?” Angelica didn’t really want to bring anyone else into this conversation. She was quite enjoying the banter with Hope more than she’d expected. This was what they’d missed all season, and they needed to bring it back into every episode going forward.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“And cut!” Rex shouted the word.
Instantly, Angelica relaxed but she didn’t move away from Hope, because she still wanted to maintain that closeness. She reached behind her and turned her microphone off and then looked toward Hope. “Got a minute?”
“Sure?” Hope furrowed her brow in confusion. “Is this a serious conversation?”
“A bit.” Angelica waited for Hope to turn her microphone off and then nodded toward the back office. They’d find a place to have a conversation there, one that wouldn’t have prying eyes or ears. Angelica slid into one of the seats and waited for Hope to mimic her pose. “If more days go like today—and maybe yesterday—then I can actually see myself doing this next season.”
Hope’s smile faltered.
A pit formed in Angelica’s stomach, and for the first time since she’d started this conversation, she wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted to have it again. She’d started it before, but they’d never finished it, because Angelica didn’t have an answer then. And she still didn’t really have one now.
“That was fun,” Hope said, tentatively.
“It was.” Angelica nodded. “But without that, I’m not sure I’m cut out for this. Harassment, politics, navigating filming and people and expectations…”
“It’s a lot,” Hope agreed. She canted her head at Angelica. “But it’s not anything you’re not already used to dealing with.”
“It’s a completely different environment.” Angelica would take that one to her grave if she had to. “And it’s been four years, Hope, and I’m still not used to it.”
“I’m not sure if we can count the first three, honestly.” Hope tapped her fingers on the top of the table. “Look, I don’t want to persuade you one way or the other, but I do want to say this one thing, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” Angelica waved Hope on to continue. She was genuinely curious, and Hope had loads more experience in this type of business than she did.
“I’ve been around this business for a while, nearly fifteen years now. God, I can’t believe it’s been that long.” Hope folded her hands together, brushing one thumb over the next. “I’ve done three shows total now, and this one has been the hardest to find a rhythm and routine in.”
Angelica swallowed that thought down.
