1 Chapter 1: It Only Takes One Match

“Nikita Simon Set to Expand Business Empire from your hair to your home?

Nikita Simon is reportedly set to expand her business empire by branching out into “Home and Lifestyle” products. “For her, it’s the next logical step when she thinks about expanding her businesses,” a source exclusively shared with Page Nine.

Another source tells us that the Beauty entrepreneur wants to “help people feel good in their homes and in their bodies.” This is an interesting move by the notoriously private Simon. It’s not yet clear how she intends to tie this in with her existing businesses.

There’s no word yet on just when she’ll make an announcement but we’re confident it’ll be sometime this Spring.

Can this hair guru become a homemaker?

Only time will tell what she has in store for us. Perhaps she’ll be announcing a lifestyle blog (à la Boop and Goosh). Perhaps this will finally give the public an insight into her mysterious personal life –”

“Please stop,” Gemma groaned from her seat on the couch, without looking up from her tablet. Nikita turned her attention from her computer screen and pinned her with an indignant frown.

Gemma could feel the waves of displeasure that were coming from the other end of the spacious office. She looked away from her tablet and admired the New York skyline over Nikita’s shoulder.

“Who are these ‘sources’ and how do they know about my next business?” Nikita demanded angrily before running her eyes over the article again with a furrowed brow.

“Probably someone who still reads Page Nine?” Gemma suggested flippantly as she studied her nails.

“Gemma! Say something helpful.” Nikita barked in frustration before rubbing her temples. She inhaled deeply and tried to regain her composure.

Gemma sighed and turned her attention to her client. Nikita Simon was a striking woman who regularly struck fear in those around her. Today, her hair was a wavy lob cut, colored in honey hues. It was a sexy look that contrasted nicely with her dark skin.

Her piercing chocolate-brown gaze could render anyone speechless, as could her typically sharp tongue. Her plump lips were painted a glossy brown and set in a hard, displeased line.

“I didn’t tell you about that garbage so you could have a meltdown over it,” Gemma stated matter-of-factly as she strolled over to the desk. She sat in front of Nikita and gently closed her laptop lid before leaning forward. “I want to talk about something related to the article.”

Nikita blew out a breath and glared at the exasperating redhead. She could see a hint of nerves in Gemma’s green eyes as she stared back with a blank expression.

“You’re lucky you’re good at your job,” Nikita scowled but gestured for Gemma to proceed.

“The article is unimportant right now, it’s the response you should be worried about,” Gemma informed her with a slight frown.

Nikita furrowed her brow in confusion. “What do you mean? What’s more worrisome than a leak?”

“A potential threat to this new venture before we’ve even launched,” Gemma explained, “I’ll spare you the screenshots, but my team sifted through the online response to the article.”

“And?” Nikita gestured.

“The gist of it is, they love your existing products but wouldn’t be interested in buying anything home or lifestyle-related,” Gemma said with a grimace.

Nikita resisted the urge to curse out loud, dropping her head back into her headrest with a thud and closing her eyes, her mind racing. “That doesn’t make any sense! The client base is there, why wouldn’t they buy something else from us?”

Gemma sighed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “There’s no easy way to say this but the general public perceives you as kind of…aloof.”

Nikita snorted and leaned forward to pin Gemma with an amused look. “Aloof? What does that even mean?”

“Basically, everyone thinks you’re a cold b*tch.” Gemma deadpanned.

The room descended into silence for a beat before Nikita burst into loud laughter, causing Gemma to smirk. Considering that she couldn’t think of anyone else brave enough to call her a b*tch - to her face - she could see Gemma’s point.

“I suppose that’s because I don’t blast my life on social media for all to see,” Nikita said with an eye roll.

Gemma shrugged and began listing off other reasons, “You haven’t formed a parasocial relationship with the public, you don’t have a fan base –”

“That’s not true!” Nikita interjected, “I have a pretty good girl boss fandom.”

Gemma rolled her eyes before continuing, “You don’t have a solid fan base, you’re rarely spotted out or with anyone, and you give one interview every three years…shall I go on?”

“Jesus,” Nikita groaned, “When did selling great products become about social media and parasocial relationships?”

“Like it or not girly, that’s just the way people do it these days,” Gemma retorted with a cheeky grin.

“Okay, Ms. Knowledgeable,” Nikita said sarcastically. “What’s the game plan?”

Gemma averted her eyes for the first time since she’d entered the room, causing Nikita’s hackles to rise.

“What’s the game plan?” she asked again.

“You’re not going to like it but it’s basically the second oldest profession in the world,” Gemma rushed out.

Nikita’s eyebrows shot up incredulously and she repeated herself, “What. Is. The. Game. Plan?”

Gemma sighed before walking back to the couch and retrieving three files from her bag. She sat in front of Nikita with a somber expression, still holding onto the files.

“We need to do a little image overhaul quickly,” she said in a serious tone. “So, we’re going with an old favorite. A PR relationship!”

Nikita looked unimpressed and felt annoyance start to build. “A fake relationship? Absolutely not.”

“It’s the quickest way to get the social traction that you need in time for the launch,” Gemma explained patiently. “If you have a public relationship with someone the public loves or can learn to love, you can literally trend every day until D-Day. It’ll help build hype and guarantee another success.”

“This is completely ridiculous,” Nikita muttered as she shook her head.

Gemma shrugged and offered a small smile. “Celebrities do it all the time.”

“But I’m not a celebrity!” Nikita huffed in exasperation, “I’m a successful businesswoman.”

“You basically have to be one to be the other these days and you know that,” Gemma retorted. “Look, I’ve thought it through. This is the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to do this.”

Nikita grunted unimpressed before standing from her desk and walking toward the bar cart in the far corner of the office. Her long, denim-clad legs covered the distance in a few short steps.

She walked gracefully and easily despite the fact that she was wearing heeled boots. The gold bangles on her wrists clinked together softly, in time with her step and the swing of her hips.

Nikita immediately reached for a glass as she reached the cart; her ringed fingers clinking against the glass. She gestured for Gemma to keep speaking without turning around as she started mixing herself a strong gin and tonic.

Gemma took a deep breath, “Okay. So you’d have to date for a few weeks, maybe six weeks. Go out, get spotted together, go to a few events, and give the press great sound bites and quotes.”

Nikita shuddered as she returned to her seat and placed two drinks on the desk. “Sounds like a nightmare already.”

Gemma gave her an unimpressed look but continued, “A few weeks after the launch, you’ll have a mutual and amicable break-up.”

“And that’s it?” Nikita asked over the rim of her glass with a suspicious look.

“Well...” Gemma paused with a wince, “There’s one more thing.”

“There always is with you,” Nikita grumbled with an expectant look.

“We only get one shot at this, so we need to pick the perfect person. The right person,” Gemma explained, “So I went to a matchmaker, the best one on the East Coast.”

“A matchmaker?” Nikita spluttered before gulping her gin.

“She gave me three really good candidates, all in the market for the same thing for their own reasons,” Gemma continued, ignoring Nikita’s outburst.

Nikita realized the files in Gemma’s hand contained the three candidates and reached her hand out for them. Gemma remained in place, causing Nikita to questioningly arch her perfectly shaped eyebrow.

Gemma sighed, “Don’t cause a scene but I already have one in mind. You’re not going to like the idea but he’s really the best one and you’ll agree once you look at all three.”

Nikita simply put her hand out for the file without a word, accepting the one that Gemma placed in her hand with a curious tilt of her head. She flipped open the file and immediately pinned Gemma with a heated glare.

“No.”

“Hear me out!” Gemma coaxed in a calming tone.

“Absolutely not,” Nikita declared flatly before slamming the file on the desk. “He’s going to tank my brand if anything.”

“I know you hate his guts but the public loves him! He’s more popular than you are, with a broader audience,” Gemma rushed out.

“Pick one of the other two. I don’t care who,” Nikita insisted stubbornly, her shoulders tight with tension.

“Kit,” Gemma said softly, “When have I ever led you astray?”

Nikita studied Gemma’s soft and sincere expression for a minute before relaxing completely. She took another sip of her drink and offered Gemma a rueful smile.

“What about that time you said you knew how to take out braids and accidentally cut my hair?” Nikita asked dryly.

Gemma snorted with laughter. “When are you going to drop that? It was 8 years ago!”

“When you stop forcing my hand!” Nikita answered with her own snort. The two giggled for a few minutes before subsiding into a comfortable silence. Nikita sighed and picked up the file again.

“This is why you shouldn’t hire your friends,” she muttered as she actually read the file.

“Which is why you hired your BEST friend,” Gemma emphasized smugly before taking a healthy swig of her gin.

She immediately choked and spluttered, “Jesus Kit! Where’s the tonic?”