“I think it’s in part due to the design of the show, with so much moving around, and so much change every week. But I also strongly suspect that a huge part of it is because of Josef. And I mean that honestly. I don’t think it’s because of your personality and mine clashing in the beginning.”
“And then not clashing,” Angelica teased, her eyes lighting up with the comment. They were relaxing and this was exactly how she wanted filming to be.
“Yes, and then clashing again,” Hope pointed out.
Angelica would take that. It was true. “We haven’t had an easy go of it.”
“We haven’t.” Hope sent her a sad smile. “Mostly because of our own choices and mistakes.”
“Fair.”
“But in all the shows I’ve been on, there is a time that it takes to find a rhythm, and we haven’t actually found one yet. I think we might, with FloRo.”
“You do?” Angelica was surprised by that. Because all she’d seen so far was Florence pushing buttons in ways that Angelica didn’t enjoy or think was necessary at all. Even Hope had run into that, and now she was defending her? That’s what Angelica didn’t understand.
“I do.” Hope sighed heavily. “But you have to give her a chance.”
“I have to…” Angelica hardened at that. “I don’t have to do anything that I don’t want to.”
“True.” Hope frowned. “But if you don’t give her a chance, then you’ll never know, and you’ll give up before you can find out if this is something that you might really enjoy. Based on how the conversation with Logan went last night, do you really think that she’s out to get you? That she’s trying to hurt you and this show? Or do you think she’s trying to find the best compromise that she can in order to make this show a success?”
Angelica hated to admit it, but she was pretty sure that Hope was right. Still, she wasn’t sure if she had the energy to wait out those adjustments anymore. Not with the ones she was already going to have to face when she went back to Los Angeles and the sale of the Kartalis’ franchise.
“I’ll give her the rest of this season.”
“Fair,” Hope said with a smile.
“One more thing before Frannie and Daph come in here…”
“What’s that?”
“You should know that Eva proposed we get married.” Angelica held her breath.
“What?” Hope squeaked.
The door to the office opened. “You ready?” Rex asked.
“Yes, we are,” Angelica answered, shifting in her seat so that they could start the next scene they had to film. At the very least, they could get this done for the day. Though she knew without a doubt that Hope was reeling from that bomb she’d dropped. And she’d hear all about it later.
Once everyone was seated, and microphones had been turned back on and checked, Angelica waited for the signal to start. Hope was right. Thus far, during this episode, everything did seem to be going smoothly. Then again, she could think of a time or two in the last few seasons when she’d been lulled into that false sense of security as well.
“Daph, Frannie, you have a lovely hotel here. I’ve never seen a town quite like this one,” Angelica started, trying to ease from small talk into the hard work that needed to be done quickly.
“We are unique,” Daph answered, the dimples on the sides of her cheeks showing up.
“But how is this hotel unique from the rest of Helen?” Angelica threw that question out there as quickly as she could. She didn’t want to pussyfoot around and wait until she had to drag the answers out of them. She wanted to get into the details of the job and get everything moving.
“Helen, Georgia, is unique,” Frannie answered.
“I get that,” Angelica started again. She was going to have to rephrase the question to get an actual answer, wasn’t she? “But how is Mondial any different from any of the other hotels in town?”
“I’m not sure I understand.” Daph shook her head, the soft curls of hair brushing at her cheeks. “We’re unique just because we’re here.”
“Yes, you are,” Angelica agreed. Perhaps the softer approach really wasn’t going to work on this one. She shot Hope a glance, begging for her to step in and help a little.
“Take the restaurant for example. The food you serve here is the same food you can get anywhere else. It’s the classic Oktoberfest German cuisine. It’s no different.” Hope put her hand in one place on the table and then moved it. “You could go here and get the exact same thing.”
“That’s just how it is in Helen,” Frannie defended.
