The drive over feels like it takes hours, as he hits every red light possible. There was only one light he might have been able to make, had the person in front of him not slammed on their brakes the second it turned yellow. He mentally curses them out, then forces himself to loosen his grip on the steering wheel and take a few deep breaths. The last thing he needs tonight is to lose control. It would make for a terrible scene for both of them, and Mal might not give him another chance if he blows it.

The rest of the drive passes without incident, and when Rowan finally pushes through the familiar double doors and approaches the front desk to check in, Camilla is once again stationed behind it. Tonight she’s in what looks like a black jumpsuit that’s unzipped nearly down to her navel, showing off her cleavage. Her eye makeup is strikingly gold and sparkling, accenting her wavy icy blond hair.

Her face lights up when she sees him. “Heeeeyyy!” she calls, voice lilting.

“Hi, Camilla.”

She wastes zero time in interrogating Rowan.

“Sooo, looks like you and Malcolm hit it off last time.” There’s a knowing smile playing on her face that makes Rowan’s cheeks flush.

“Yeah, kinda.” He rubs at the back of his neck.

“Are you gonna be his new Dom, then?”

“Unless it turns out I suck at it, yeah.”

Her smile widens to a full-on Cheshire cat grin, eyebrows raised nearly to her hairline in excitement.

But to his surprise, she doesn’t say You’ll be great, or something optimistic along those lines. Instead she says, “If you do, he’ll let you know.”

Somehow that makes him feel better. Because the truth is, he could very well suck at it, or not be what Mal wants at all. Camilla clearly knows that, and she also apparently knows that Mal would be honest with Rowan about it if that were the case. And something about that blunt truth is significantly more comforting than any reassurance she could have given him.

She types something quickly on her laptop. “You’re all set. Malcolm reserved the Gold Room for you two tonight. Fourth floor, as I’m sure you could’ve guessed. He isn’t here yet, but he can show you to it when he gets here.”

“Thanks,” he says, fighting to keep his own smile at a normal level and not match her excitement.

“Nooo problem!”

He heads toward the elevator and can’t help but feel like he was being tested. Sized up, maybe. Idly, he wonders how close she and Mal are, and if he told her anything about their time together last week, or if she intuited it from seeing them walk out together.

On the fourth floor, the lighthearted teasing continues from Jeremiah at the bar.

“Back for more, stud?”