She pulled her laptop closer and began typing up her vision furiously, barely hearing June when she said, “Someone’s going down the rabbit hole.”

When Annika emerged from the rabbit hole three hours later, Hudson was knocking on their door and letting himself in.

She sat up straighter and pushed her chair back, even though there was barely any room to maneuver in her office with him taking up so much space. She blinked, feeling dazed from all the ideas that had been tumbling through her mind only moments before. “Oh.”

June’s desk was empty. She hadn’t even heard her leave. Annika blinked and rolled her neck, coming slowly back to the present. Right. Hudson was here. Her discomfort surged at the memory of how they’d ended their last encounter. “What, um—what are you doing here?”

He smiled lazily, as if he could read her mind. “It’s time for the tech forum. Thought we could all go together. Ziggy, Blaire, and June are by the elevators.”

“What, already? What time is it?” She went to get her bag in the storage closet.

“Around noon.”

Right on cue, Annika’s stomach grumbled. She realized she hadn’t had her midmorning snack.

“You should feed whatever’s in there,” Hudson joked.

Annika tossed him a dirty look as she started toward the door. Was he just going to pretend everything was fine between them? That his whole rejection thing had never happened? Or that they were friends now, or something? “Some of us actually work hard for a living, and that means forgoing the occasional meal.” Even if it was an accident.

He didn’t seem fazed by her rudeness. “Oh, I ran into Seetha in the parking garage on the way into work today. She said you missed yoga Friday, so I said I’d stop by and say hi.” He paused and leaned against the doorjamb, his arms crossed. He was wearing a green button-down today, which perfectly matched his eyes. “Hi.”

Annika glanced at him as she walked into the hallway, her chin up. “Hi.”

After a pause, he trailed after her. “You nervous? About having to talk to people at the same time I’m talking to them?”

Annika rolled her eyes. She could hear June and Ziggy down the hallway, just around the bend. She was so close to freedom, to not having one-on-one Hudson attention. “Yeah, I’m so nervous about how great I’m going to look after they spend two seconds listening to your arrogant ass.”

No response. Annika turned around to see Hudson cocking his head as he watched her. “You’re mad because I didn’t kiss you,” he said finally, giving her a smug, lopsided grin. “I can remedy that right now, you know. You haven’t had anything to drink today, have you?”