Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
“Do you ever fill this room with people or is your office just this big to make a point?” Hope stared directly at Angelica as she sat at her desk in her home office in Los Angeles, head bent and reading glasses perched on her nose.
Angelica glanced up at Hope and hummed, her lips pursing before she answered. “Both.”
Hope’s lips quirked up to the side. They had exactly one hour before they were supposed to leave for the airport and head to Tucson for the week, but Angelica had needed to get some work done before they left. Hope hadn’t even stepped foot in her house since they’d arrived.
She’d been immersed in Angelica and nothing else, and the reprieve from filming and family life had been exactly what she’d needed.
Except now Angelica was distracted by work, and Hope still wanted to be living into the oasis they’d created over the last two nights where it was just the two of them.
Well, them and the investors that they’d wined and dined.
They’d done the work they were there to do, and then Hope had gladly taken full advantage of having a king-sized bed and Angelica naked in it, and no time constraints so she could fall asleep with Angelica and wake up with her.
Dawn’s first light against Angelica’s skin had looked like heaven.
Hope hadn’t been able to resist tracing her fingers up and down every inch of skin she could reach.
“How many meetings do you actually have in here?” Hope looked from the giant conference table on the other side of the room with a partition where Angelica could close her office if she wanted to make it even smaller.
But each time that Hope had been in there, the partition had been wide open.
Yet Angelica’s office wasn’t small, there was enough room for a large desk and two chairs opposite, where Hope sat now, and then a small table and two chairs in the corner next to the window.
“Several times a month when I’m in town,” Angelica murmured as she continued to type on her computer and work on whatever she was doing.
Hope breathed slowly. She also had things she needed to get done for her restaurants, but just being in Angelica’s presence was enough to distract her from that.
She didn’t want to be nose deep in numbers and schedules and menus.
She wanted to be wrapped up with Angelica again, not just literally but also figuratively.
The more she got to know about her, the more she was enjoying the woman underneath all the ice that she showed everyone.
“Have you talked with Tatum?” Hope asked, her voice carrying around the room.
“Tatum and I have weekly calls,” Angelica answered, clicking on something on the computer.
“Oh.” Hope clenched her jaw. She hadn’t realized that, but it did make sense. If Angelica was still managing Mountain View, then she’d have to be apprised of the situation up there and keeping Tatum up to date with everything. “Is he doing okay?”
“He’s fine.” Angelica sighed heavily, looking at Hope over the rim of her glasses, an annoyed flicker crossing her features. “Are you bored?”
Hope’s lips quirked up into a smile, and she stood up, moving quickly to the other side of the desk, in between Angelica and the keyboard. “Do you know how sexy you are when you look at me like that with your readers on?”
Angelica snorted out a laugh, immediately reaching up to pull the glasses off. “If you want to know how Tatum is doing, ask him. I’m sure he’d like to hear from you.”
Hope traced her finger down Angelica’s cheek and across her lips before leaning in and kissing her quickly. “I might just do that.”
“Good.” Angelica raised an eyebrow at her. “I have thirty minutes to get this done before we leave.”
“Fine, fine. I hear you.” Hope laughed again, stole yet another kiss, and then went back to her chair.
Angelica looked at her for another second before focusing back on her computer.
Hope pulled her phone out of her pocket and started to play with it.
Angelica was right, she was bored to tears sitting here and waiting for the car to come pick them up.
Hope pulled up her Instagram and scrolled through it, checking on a few of her friends’ posts before meandering over to Angelica’s profile.
The posts Lyric had put up recently were getting better than ever.
Not just the photos that she was taking and sharing, but the way she was writing the captions.
It sounded more like Angelica than it ever had.
Not that other people would be aware of that, but Hope would be.
She looked up at Angelica and snapped a photo of her.
She thought about texting it to Lyric for social media but stopped herself. This was their moment, and she didn’t want to share it with anyone else. She was just about to go back to Instagram when her phone rang. She furrowed her brow at it but then lifted it to her ear and answered.
“Hey, Rach.”
Angelica looked up from her computer and locked her eyes on Hope. Hope pointed toward the door and left so she wouldn’t disturb her girlfriend from her work.
“Hey!” Rachel’s voice was bright and bubbly like it always was.
Hope loved talking to her sister, but everyone knew she was knee deep in filming which meant that they shouldn’t really be trying to call her unless it was an emergency. They’d grown closer in the last few years, and Hope never wanted to give that up.
“Where are you?” Rachel’s question sent a shot of worry through Hope’s chest.
“Los Angeles. Why?”
“Because I just got a call to confirm my travel arrangements and sign contracts and it made me think of you.”
“Arrangements for what?” Hope furrowed her brow.
“To film with you in San Diego.”
“Oh.” Hope’s heart stuttered. She’d nearly forgotten. This season the producers had invited some of their family to come and film with them to try and make them more relatable to the audience. Hope hadn’t exactly been happy about it, but Rachel would be fine. “Right.”
“Did you forget?”
“I’ve just been neck deep in filming.” And knuckle deep in Angelica. Hope didn’t say that last part, but the thought definitely ran through her head. She glanced over her shoulder, as if she could still see Angelica’s office, but she couldn’t.
“I was just trying to figure out what to do with the kids while I’m there.”
Hope hummed. “I can speak with our nanny and see if she wouldn’t mind adding a few kids to her watch list that week. We’ll just have to pay her rate increase for it.”
“Sure. I think we can swing that.”
Hope knew she’d cover the cost. She didn’t need her sister to be worrying about finances when she was essentially doing her a favor.
She’d shown up on her daytime cooking show several times, but they’d never let the kids be on it.
At least not yet. Just Eva. Hope ran her fingers through her hair and found a bench to sit on so they could talk.
“I haven’t really looked into San Diego to see why we’re headed there.”
“Oh, they’re trying to make it family friendly.”
Hope stilled. “Wait, so are you filming with the kids?”
“Sometimes, yeah. That’s part of the deal. Didn’t they tell you?”
“No.” Hope pressed her lips into a thin line. “You’re okay with that?”
“Yeah. Lars and I discussed it before we signed all the paperwork.”
“I would hope so.” She wrinkled her nose. If they were filming, then she had an idea that they were going to want to include Eva in it as well. Which she’d need to talk to Rex about. Or perhaps he’d already decided that and Hope had missed that part of the conversation somewhere along the way.
“Well, it’ll be nice to see you again. I miss you.”
“Miss you too.” Rachel laughed a little. “What are you doing in Los Angeles?”
“Angelica and I were trying to sway an investor for Hotel Bombshell and so we were tag teaming that dinner.”
“Are you liking working with her better this season?”
Hope’s cheeks heated instantly. She hadn’t updated her sister on that at all, had she?
She’d managed to keep it all under wraps aside from how difficult filming last season had been and that she and Rex were having issues over the break.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Hope said the only thing she could think of.
“Yeah, we’re getting along really well this season. ”
“Good. Oh shit, I need to get Lana to the doctor. I almost forgot.”
“I’ll see you soon,” Hope said. “Love you.”
“Love you!” Rachel shouted before hanging up.
Hope pressed her lips together hard before calling Rex. They needed to talk about this because it could be throwing a wrench into the calm they’d finally found. And she needed to talk to him about Eva.
But he didn’t answer. Frowning, Hope walked back to Angelica’s office.
Angelica was cleaning up her desk and turning her computer off. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” Hope answered, watching with curiosity as Angelica worked efficiently. “You done?”
“Car’s outside. I’ll have to finish up later.” Angelica pulled her jacket off the back of the chair and slid her arms into it, buttoning it in the front.
Hope walked over to their rollaboards and grabbed the handles, walking toward the door as she waited for Angelica to finish getting ready.
They walked together toward the front of the hotel where the car waited for them.
Hope was a bit disappointed it wasn’t Lyric, but they’d left her in Vegas when they’d flown home and were meeting up with her in Tucson.
Still, Hope missed the woman’s bright energy as they pulled away from the curb.
But this also meant that she could touch Angelica just a little bit longer. Reaching over, she rested her hand on Angelica’s leg and sighed contentedly. “What are we walking into?”
“Didn’t you do your research?” Angelica tossed back at her.
“I did, but remind me.” Hope didn’t really care what Angelica said so long as she started talking. She could listen to Angelica read financial reports any day of the week so long as her voice was filling the space between them. It calmed Hope’s soul.
“The hotel is family owned and run, literally. Mom and Dad own it while the daughter manages—or attempts to.” Angelica’s tone told Hope exactly what she thought of that situation. “I don’t understand why so many people go into business with family and expect it to be easy and clear cut.”
“What about the Beck family? With Mountain View.” Hope looked at Angelica directly. “There’s nothing wrong with how they run the hotel.”
“No, there isn’t.” Angelica pursed her lips, her cheeks tinging a slight pink. “But they’re the exception to the rule. Family makes too many exceptions and doesn’t hold standards when they should.”
“You and standards.” Hope laughed. “No, you and rules.”
“Rules are there for a reason, Hope.” Angelica dropped her hand on top of Hope’s and gave her a tight squeeze.
“They’re there to be broken.” Hope laughed and leaned in a little closer, catching a whiff of Angelica’s perfume. She’d been surrounded by Angelica’s scent for the last two days, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
They’d needed this. Two days away where it was just them, where they didn’t have to fight for attention or time. Hope had loved every second of it.
“Question,” Hope stated.
“Yes?” Angelica looked at her.
Hope lowered her voice to a whisper, making sure that the driver couldn’t hear them. “Have you ever joined the mile high club?”
“Absolutely not.” Angelica sighed heavily. “Well, yes, I have, but I’m not with you.”
“Why not?” Hope put a hand over her heart, feigning offense.
“Because I’m fifty-five-years-old. And it’s just not comfortable anymore.” Angelica pulled her phone out of her purse and opened it up. “Besides, I don’t need to do that anymore. There are alternatives.”
Hope was intrigued by that, curious now more than ever as to what Angelica was referring to. She leaned in closer, sliding her hand a little more to the inside of Angelica’s thigh. “Alternatives?”
“Yes.” Angelica flicked her hair over her shoulder and looked at Hope directly. She dropped her voice, barely whispering. “Like horizontal and in a bed.”
“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.”