Annika felt her face flame as she realized June was standing there, staring at the two of them, her eyebrows as high as they could go. Shit.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Annika jerked backward and stalked back into her office.

“See you Thursday!” Hudson called through the glass door.

June came in, still staring as Annika sank onto the settee. “You … you and Hudson?” Her voice approached dog whistle– level pitches. “Why didn’t you tell me? I can’t believe you’d keep something like that from me!”

Annika massaged her temples. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. It was an impulsive mistake in Vegas, and … it should’ve never happened. You were on that Maui vacation when I got back and then a couple of months later the industry started buzzing about his app and I was too embarrassed to admit I’d slept with someone like him. Someone who had sex with me and then stole my idea, hoping I’d be too infatuated to notice.” Just saying it out loud felt horrible, the worst blow to her pride. “I was hoping it would never come up, but then he moved in next door and he obviously has no plans to let me forget it.”

June sat and put an arm around her. “I’m sorry. That’s … awful. I had no idea you’d hooked up at the conference.”

Annika didn’t correct her. It had felt like so much more than a hookup to her back then, but it was obvious that that was exactly what it had been for Hudson. “Yeah. Not my smartest move.”

June squeezed her shoulder. “We’ve all been there, babe.” After a pause, she asked, “Was he … good?”

Annika glared at her best friend. “June.”

“What? It’s a valid question. I mean, his personality’s crap, but his physique is mm-mmm.” She closed her eyes to demonstrate her appreciation. “But what’s his skill level?”

“Can we not talk about this?”

June raised a shapely eyebrow. “That good, huh?”

Annika groaned and walked to her computer. “I’m going to get to work now. Don’t you have that aggression algorithm to fix?”

“You know what you need?” June said from the settee, as if Annika hadn’t spoken. “A date. A really nice, handsome, funny guy to take you out and make you feel special. How long has it been since you’ve had sex, anyway? Has there been anyone since Hudson?”

Glaring at her friend, Annika put in her earbuds and turned her music as loud as she could stand it.

chapter five