“That was my turnoff,” Camilla said as she pointed a finger at the window. “You just missed it.”
Ben shook his head and glanced over at Quinten. This was the moment. Quinten nodded and tilted the vent so that it pointed directly at her. “You can come out to our place and get cleaned up and then you can call Grace from there and let her know you’re okay. Stay with us and we’ll see about your car in the morning.”
“I don’t want to put you out like that. I can call a tow truck.”
Ben shook his head. “Sugar, you’re probably not going to be able to get a tow truck out on a nonemergency call in weather like this. The car is safe where you left it. We can take care of it for you. Right now, you need to get warmed up.”
Quinten was all kinds of happy that the work on the house had just been completed because now she’d be able to make use of the amenities. Just wait until she gets a look at that tub. Bless you, Grace Warner. Thanks to her, the newly renovated house no longer looked like a frat house. She’d even gone shopping with them and helped decorate the place. He sincerely hoped Camilla liked it.
She looked from one to the other of them. “I’m curious about something.”
“What’s that, sugar?” Ben asked as they continued down the road.
“You’re Quinten’s boss, right? How does living together work when you’re also employer-employee?”
Ben shrugged. “We’ve been friends a while, just a little longer than I’ve known you. We get along well together, and Ethan and I have never had any sort of problem dealing with Quinten. He works hard, just like you do. Quinten approached us a year ago about investing in The Pony. At that point we opted to make him a silent partner.”
“Oh, I never knew that. Wow.”
Quinten adjusted the heat as the truck cab grew warmer. “I didn’t think it was something that needed to be bandied about. I like what I do, and didn’t feel the need for a different job title, so we kept it between the three of us.”
Ben said, “He still serves as head bartender, but I see him more as partner.”
“You know, looking back, I can see that the relationship between the three of you is more as equals. I’m sorry, Quinten. I hope you don’t think I’m questioning your position.”
“Not at all, baby. Sometimes an atypical relationship is better for everyone.”
“You really don’t treat me like an employee either, do you?” she asked. “Even when you’re griping about my choice of work attire, you’re doing it as…territorial males.”
She didn’t say another word as Ben drove down the long driveway.
* * * *
Camilla’s hand trembled from the chill deep inside her as she held Ben’s phone to her ear. Her gaze returned to her surroundings, the master bathroom of Ben’s big ranch house, as Grace replied to her question.
“What would I do if I were in your shoes? How long have you known me, Cami?” Her soft chuckle told Camilla that Grace’s choice wouldn’t be to duck and run. “I’m just glad nothing worse happened to you.”
“I c–could have one of them b–bring me over r–real quick.”
“Listen to you, Camilla. Your teeth are chattering. You probably have mild hypothermia. Get warmed up. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“W–We’d fall into bed together.” Is that really the worst thing? Say it all you like, but you want that in the worst way possible. The worst-case scenario was them finding out that she wanted—loved—them both and then rejecting her.
Grace had clued in to Camilla’s attraction to Ben and Quinten the year before. Camilla knew the woman had serious matchmaking radar but hadn’t said much, respecting Camilla’s self-imposed rule.
“Worst case—they wouldn’t want a washed-up ex–exotic dancer for a girlfriend much less anything permanent. We could wind up ruining a perfectly wonderful employer-employee relationship.” She reached into the big tile shower enclosure and turned on one of three showerheads. The thought that there were three flickered as odd in the back of her mind.
“You’re really selling yourself short if you believe that.”
“Honestly, I just can’t take the risk. I need peace at my job. I want to own my own club and I need a clean relationship with them. The entanglements would just complicate everything. I’ve been down that road before.”
“True,” Grace said reasonably, “but you know there’s a big difference between being involved with an embezzling dickhead and being in love with Ben and Quinten. I believe there’s something there between you worth taking a chance on.”