“Let’s start with an easy one,” Emily said, smiling. Her canines were very, very pointy, Annika noticed. “Both of your businesses deal with relationships in very different ways, and yet both of you rely on pretty innovative app technology to provide customers what they want. Can you speak to why you wanted to marry—pun intended—technology and a time-honored tradition like courtship?”

Annika began speaking before she’d fully articulated an answer in her head. She was going to say her piece, and she wasn’t going to apologize for it. “Technology is the perfect vehicle for love,” she found herself saying. Yes! Pull quote potential! “Intertwining the old with the new, the fairy tale with science, is exactly what Make Up is all about.” She’d practiced that with June, and it flowed out of her seamlessly now. “Why not give customers every advantage we can while still preserving the magic of love and second chances?”

Emily looked impressed. “I see. Hudson, do you agree?”

Hudson chuckled and rubbed his square jaw in that insouciant, confident way he had. “Not at all, Emily. It should come as no surprise that I don’t believe in fairy tales or happy endings for most people. The cold, hard truth is, people are busy. Technology makes our lives easier in almost every arena. So why should relationships be any different? We have apps that make it easier for people to find others to hook up with, date, marry, whatever. There was a gap when it came to breakups, and that’s what we’re here to fill.”

Ugh. Robot. Total robot. Did he think people’s lives were widgets to be fixed?

“Interesting,” Emily said, studying Annika’s expression. “Annika, what do you think of Hudson’s summarization?”

“Frankly, Emily, it baffles me,” Annika said, shaking her head. “How can someone sit there and be so dispassionate about bringing heartache to hundreds of thousands of people around the country? I go to work every day feeling optimistic and happy about what I’m putting out into the universe. I know Hudson can’t say the same.”

Emily looked like all her Christmases were coming early. “Really!” She turned to him. “And what are your thoughts, Hudson?”

Hudson’s green eyes were narrowed; he was staring at Annika as if Emily hadn’t spoken at all. “Our app has been downloaded over a million times,” he said. “What about yours?”

“It’s not all about downloads and money and popularity!” Annika said, throwing her hands up. “Right there is exactly why this would never work!”

Hudson froze. Emily, on the other hand, looked thoroughly confused. “What would never work?” she asked, checking her notes as if the answer might be there. “A … collaboration between your businesses?”