Chapter 8: Life's Joys

Kit lit up and smiled gratefully as Gemma walked into her office, two coffees in hand. She snatched the coffee off her desk the minute Gemma put it down, causing Gemma to shoot Kit an amused look as she sat down.

Kit ignored Gemma and slurped her coffee with a happy groan. She savored the warmth with her eyes closed for a minute before opening them and giving Gemma her attention.

"Late night?" Gemma asked with a knowing twinkle in her eye.

Kit rolled her eyes and flipped Gemma off while sipping her coffee with her other hand. "I went back to my place, alone, at a decent hour. I'm just feeling a little groggy after all the wine I had."

Gemma perked up with interest. "You were drinking wine while discussing starting a charity?"

Kit groaned internally, dreading Gemma's reaction to the news that they'd kind of had a date.

"Actually, he suggested we get to know each other better. So we hung out and talked a little," Kit explained in a nonchalant tone. Hoping that Gemma would match her energy about the situation.

Gemma giggled with glee, "Oh, so you guys had a real date night. That's cute and smart. What did you talk about?"

Kit rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Nothing too deep or personal. A little bit about work, a little bit personal stuff and I told him about the night in Vegas."

Gemma nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, good. It sounds like you guys are on the right track."

Kit sighed and sipped her coffee again. "Are the public buying it though?"

Gemma nodded eagerly. "The response is exactly what we wanted. You two have been a trending topic since the first photos dropped. The fact that Luca's been laying low really has tongues wagging."

Kit laughed incredulously, "Tongues wagging how? What does that even mean?"

Gemma rolled her eyes, "They're taking it as a sign that he's changing for you - that your relationship is serious. On top of that, we've seen a little boost in your following. It's still early days but we're off to a good start."

Kit smiled in relief. "Thank goodness I'm not doing all of this for nothing!"

Gemma looked at her curiously. "Is it really that bad being with Luca? You don't think you could at least be friends?"

Kit set her mug down and wrapped both of her hands around it in thought. She knew the answer to the first question but wasn't sure of the second one.

"Luca and I have made progress but I'm not sure about friendship just yet," Kit said finally. "Actually…he's supposed to be coming over soon."

Gemma's mouth dropped open in shock. "Why is he coming here? Breakfast date maybe?"

Kit snorted and finished the last of her coffee. "Well, he and James are set to launch their new business venture soon."

Gemma looked mildly surprised. "I wouldn't have pegged Luca as an entrepreneur but okay, continue."

Kit's lips quirked slightly in amusement. "Luca confided in me that he's not really sure what to do, so I invited him here to help him a little."

Gemma smirked and sipped her coffee causing Kit to roll her eyes. "No, no. Don't make that face. This is an exchange of information, he's going to help me with the charity and I'll help him with this."

"Whatever you say, honey," Gemma responded with a cheeky smile. "It just seems like you two are finding reasons to spend time together."

Kit narrowed her eyes at Gemma and was about to say something snarky when there was a firm knock at the door. Gemma made an excited sound that could be classified as a squeal before covering her mouth.

Kit rolled her eyes and called out, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Luca with a bouquet and a brown bag in one hand. He smiled at both women warmly as he closed the door behind him.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," he said with an apologetic look.

"Not at all!" Gemma assured him. "What's in the bag?"

"Oh," Luca exclaimed before handing the bouquet to Kit. "These are for you and there are bagels in the bag."

Gemma turned to Kit with a wide smile. "He brought food and flowers. Anything you want to say?"

"Shut up Gemma," Kit snapped. "Get out now, we have business to attend to."

Gemma laughed and made a show of zipping her mouth shut before she picked up her bag and moved toward the door.

"You're so annoying!" Kit called out after Gemma as she scampered out of the door, leaving her alone with Luca.

"What was that about?" Luca asked curiously as he walked up to the desk and set the bag down.

Kit rolled her eyes and put the flowers down on the desk too. "Ignore her. Thank you for the flowers and the bagels."

Luca smiled graciously. "It's the least I could do. You have a great office and an even better view. Got to say I'm pretty jealous."

Kit smiled smugly. "Most people who come here are."

Luca chuckled and opened the bag, reaching inside and pulling out a bagel for Kit. She accepted it gratefully and immediately bit into it with a moan. Luca smiled with a calm he didn't feel.

"I'm guessing you really like bagels?" he asked as he worked to slow his heart. He turned his gaze away from Kit, opting to take in her office instead.

"Coffee and a bagel are my go-tos," Kit admitted with a sheepish laugh. "What do you think of my office?"

Luca looked around the office and mulled over the question. The room was decorated and painted in warm earthy tones. There were a few interesting paintings hung on the wall but no personal photos.

"It feels really warm and homey," he answered. "No family photos?"

Kit shook her head frantically. "No one needs to see those pictures. All my favorites are the really embarrassing ones."

She threw the remains of her bagel in the trash and redirected the conversation toward a folder on her desk. "Let's get into it."

Luca nodded and took a seat before flipping the folder open. He quietly sifted through the various pictures and documents it contained before looking up at Kit.

His brow was furrowed in worry. "This is a lot more than I expected to go into a launch. We might be a little out of our depth here."

Kit smiled at him sympathetically, "I know it can seem overwhelming but that's why you hire people to make it easier."

Luca nodded in obvious relief. "You're right, we can always hire people! There's a lot of stuff in here, what are you actually launching?"

Kit smiled enigmatically. "Basically everything. Do you know what I currently sell?"

Luca nodded hesitantly. "You sell hair products and makeup right?"

"Hair products for black people, and makeup and skincare for people of color," she corrected with a smile. "Now I'm wanting to branch into other things, the concept is all about self-care and things that make you feel good."

Luca nodded along as Kit continued, "So it's a mix of things, candles, bath candles, scents, skincare, bath products and it goes on."

Luca let out a low whistle, "This is a really huge launch. You literally are making everything."

Kit gave him a small smile. "Well…not exactly everything."

"What do you mean?" Luca asked curiously, causing Kit to sigh and bite her lip softly. Luca's eyes were immediately drawn to her mouth before he yanked his eyes away.

"There's an idea I've been playing with - I wasn't sure about it," Kit confessed. "After talking to you yesterday, I thought f*ck it! Why not?"

Luca barked out a surprised laugh and nodded his head in approval. "I'm liking the attitude. What's the idea?"

Kit smiled at him saucily, "It's actually the other reason I invited you here. I wanted to get a male perspective."

"Okay," Luca smiled curiously. "You have my attention. What's the idea?"

Kit winked at Luca before pulling another folder out of her desk drawer and handing it to him.

"Sex toys," she stated bluntly. Luca immediately looked up at her in shock to find her already watching him with laughing eyes and a slightly taunting smile.

"When I think of feeling good - well, a sex toy is always a good idea," Kit continued with a chuckle.

Luca fingered the folder and met Kit's gaze. "So what do you need a male perspective on?"

"Well…I have a few ideas but I'm not sure what toys men would really like," Kit explained laughingly.

Luca opened the file suspiciously and quickly snapped it shut again with a groan. Kit pulled a pen and paper toward her and looked at Luca expectantly.

"Which one made you make that sound?" she asked.