“Very good, very good,” her dad said thoughtfully. “You know, I don’t know if Annika’s told you, but she comes over for dinner every Saturday. Is there any chance you could use a home-cooked meal this weekend?” Wait. What? “I make far too much food and it goes to waste anyway. How about it?” He looked at June and Ziggy. “You’re both invited, too, of course!”

Ah, right. He was implementing his “keep your enemies close” strategy. Dammit. Now Annika wished she’d told him she hated the idea. She tried to laugh. “I don’t know, Dad. I’m sure they’re all very busy. Plus, it’s kind of a long drive—”

“It’s not that long a drive,” he countered.

“I’d love to come,” Hudson answered, catching Annika’s eye. He looked completely serious; this wasn’t one of his games. Annika wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “I assume that’s okay with you? I’d love to see where you grew up … maybe even a few baby pictures.” He grinned suddenly and brightly, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth.

Her dad had just waved the white flag. She knew very well that if she was rude and told Hudson that he couldn’t come, her dad would be hurt. So what if she had to endure one evening with this new Hudson, the one who left her feeling unsettled and confused? At least it’d be on her turf. And June and Ziggy would be there, too. She could just spend the entire evening talking to them. Annika pasted on a smile. “Of course it is.”

“I wish we could,” June said, the absolute traitor, “but Ziggy and I have a wedding to attend in San Diego this weekend.”

Shit—that was right. She’d totally forgotten June had agreed to be Ziggy’s plus-one at a wedding. Another first for her.

“Well, then, it’s decided,” Annika’s dad said. “Hudson, I’ll see you and Annika next weekend.”

“I can’t wait.” Hudson nodded at Ziggy. “We should take off. We’ve got a meeting we don’t want to be late for.”

After they were gone, Annika turned to her dad, her hands on her hips. “Don’t you think a homemade dinner is taking things a little too far?”

Her dad frowned. “Annika, this is a good thing for you and for Make Up. Hudson obviously gets invited to lots of prestigious things. This is an opportunity for you both to bury the hatchet and get to know each other a bit more. Business is ten percent business, ninety percent networking.”

Annika and June exchanged glances and then Annika sighed. “Okay, fine. It’s just one meal, anyway. But I think we need to get back to work on this pitch—”