“Okay,” June said, shrugging. “I get it. But, um, if you’re not going to date him … Ziggy told me about this guy he knows, this Greek dude named Alesandro. He’s really successful, he has his own bakery, and—”

Annika held up a hand. “I’m gonna stop you right there and say no.”

June pulled a pillow onto her lap and squeezed it just as her phone pinged with a text. She glanced at the screen, set the phone aside, and made a face. “Ew. Hedge Fund Harry. He’s been trying to set up another date.” She turned back to Annika. “But seriously, Alesandro could be so great! I’ll see Ziggy for a bit, you’ll date Alesandro, we’ll go on double dates together…”

Annika put a sticker on the lion’s snout and raised an eyebrow at her best friend’s very convenient selective memory. “Are you serious? I’ve been on two blind dates in my entire life, and they were both ginormous disasters.”

“Come on. What are the chances Alesandro’s hair will catch on fire? Or that he’ll get hit by a bike messenger while you take a romantic walk in the city?” Picking up her mug, she waved it around, not noticing the tiny splash of coffee that sloshed onto the carpet.

Annika sighed and grabbed another sticker from the sticker book, slightly ripping a corner in her agitation. “I don’t know, but with my luck, probably a hundred percent.”

June grabbed her phone off the side table. “Okay, but just look at his picture. Doesn’t he look like the sweetest man? Plus, you wouldn’t have to worry about the universe combusting if you dated him. Y’all have a lot in common.” June held her phone out to Annika.

Alesandro was an olive-skinned man in his late twenties, with brown eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled. He was dressed decently, too, in a button-down shirt with an open collar and dark jeans. His hair was thinning, but that wasn’t a big deal. He did look like a nice guy. It had been a long time since Annika had gone out with a nice guy.

She sighed, and June’s smile got bigger, as if she could sense weakness. But she sat quietly.