Page 25 of Culinary Chaos
“He may have been my point of contact,” Hope started, holding her position, “but he’s not the reason I got the contract.”
“Then tell me, Mrs. Lawrence. What makes you so special?” Angelica had to stop herself from leaning in any closer. Shecould already smell the soap on Hope’s hands, the scents of the kitchen following her after she’d long left it.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” Hope snagged a piece of paper off the table and started reading it. “But it looks like you’re working on a different budget.”
“Production budget.” Angelica crossed her arms. “Do you want to tackle that one?”
“Did you know…” Hope leaned in closer, her voice lowering like she was about to tell Angelica a secret “…that I majored in accounting in college?”
“Really?”
“Guess you didn’t find that in all your research, did you?”
“Can’t say I did.” Angelica would have to dig even deeper. Not tonight, but perhaps when they were traveling to New Orleans for the second round of this hell she’d willingly plopped herself in.
“So, if you want me to look at budgeting, I can do that. And I actually enjoy it, to an extent.”
“Then budget away.” Angelica waved her hand in front of her, indicating Hope should continue. Without saying anything else, she picked up another piece of cheese and went back to work. Perhaps Hope had been right.
Everyone needed help.
Chapter
Nine
“Ididn’t realize just how much work there is in being a producer.” Hope sent a smile in her husband’s direction as he set out the platter of food she’d made up earlier that day.
“Are you interested in becoming a producer?” he asked with a furrowed brow.
“No.” Hope laughed loudly. “Never.” She busied herself with work. They’d spent the evening before shooting the final scene for the episode, and this morning doing some final wrap-up moments. She was ready for a break from being in front of the camera, and so glad that the mic pack wasn’t strapped to her body anymore.
Rex slid a hand along her arm. “If you wanted to produce, I wouldn’t tell you no.”
“I know you wouldn’t.” Hope winked at him. “But I have no desire to do it. At least not at this point. Definitely not producing a show that I’m starring in. That’d be way too much. Maybe when Eva is out of the house.”
“Out of the house? Jesus, Hope, she’s six.”
“Yeah?” Hope shook her head at him. “I didn’t mean tomorrow, but I do want to have a life when she’s grown up andliving her own life. I told you from the beginning that I never wanted to make my life all about our kids.”
“Kid,” he corrected.
Were they going down that argument road again? They’d agreed to only have one kid. Granted, Hope was the one who really pushed that conversation, but still, it was something they’d both agreed to.
“Yeah,kid.” Hope looked at him directly. “And I love her no matter what. I just said that I don’t want to sacrifice any more time with her. Having her here while filming has been amazing. I get to put her to bed every night and wake up with her nearby every morning.”
“You still wake up too early and don’t stay in bed when I need to snuggle.”
Oh, Rex was pulling out all the stops today, wasn’t he? Hope put down the platter of food and moved closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him into a hug. She leaned up on her toes and kissed him soundly. “I love you.”
“I know you do.”
“Good.” She smiled and kissed him again. “Don’t you forget it, either.” She stepped away from him, startled when she turned to find Angelica standing in the doorway of the floor at the restaurant. The party wasn’t for another hour, so why was she there? Surely she didn’t have any more work for the two of them, did she?
Hope just wanted to focus on cooking and eating for once. Not on management. Not on the next episode. Not on what they had to fix. They’d done good work here, and that was something they should celebrate.
Eva skirted around Angelica, bursting into the room with a squeal as she ran straight for Rex. Angelica watched with rapt attention as Eva moved and hugged him. Hope kept their eyes locked, saying nothing. Her curiosity was piqued for sure.
“She couldn’t find you,” Angelica finally said quietly.
