I don't think I'd like that."

Mari frowned. "How would we even organize that? Like, take turns? Make a schedule?"

“No, no, not happening," Sam insisted.

“Not during the school week at the very least. Don't we all enjoy studying together as a group as often as we do? And like Alice said, one-on-ones would cut into that.”

“I think it's best if we keep everything as normal as possible," Belle suggested.

“Weekdays we can study together like usual, but then we can open up a Little flexibility on the weekends if someone wants, Like you asking the rest of us if it would be okay to have him escort you to the wedding."

“Isn't that what we basically agreed to before the wedding anyway?"

Zofi asked. "That one of us could borrow him to act as our boyfriend at some function or another?"

“I don't have any functions to go to," Naimh complained. "I just want to have him all to myself for a little while with nobody else around.

Don't get me wrong, I love sharing him with my friends, but--"

“But you want to corner him in a room with none of the rest of us watching," Alice interrupted with a chuckle, “so you can finally seduce him the way you've always dreamed.”

Naimh sighed and deflated a little. She took a moment to look each of the other girls in the eyes, and then with a sad shake of her head she stated sincerely, "Yes I've been horny for Matty forever; that's no secret. But I won't be the one to betray the BTC. I won't be that bitch. You're my friends. You took me in when I was brand new to

America and scared shitless. And as much as I obviously want him, this group means more to me than sex."

Chagrined, Alice mumbled, "I retract my comment."

Naimh Laughed and shook her head.

“Don't worry about it. You're one of my best friends here, but we have totally opposite views about how far we want to go with him. You've told me many times you're not ready for sex, not even with Matty. But at the same time, if the rest of us started fucking him, you'd feel a lot of pressure to... How did you say it?... You'd feel obligated to ‘let him have you too'."

I was at a red light, so I shifted my head so I could see Alice in the rear-view mirror. Her expression was rather forlorn, and a moment Later she glanced up to meet my eyes in the mirror.

“No matter what happens," I began in a serious voice, loud enough to carry through the entire van, "none of you should EVER feel obligated to do anything with me you don't want to. I love all of you, and I would NEVER treat you like that."

“None of us is worried about YOU," Mari spoke up shyly.

“That's why we love you so much. We feel safe with you."

“Yeah not you, Matty," Alice agreed. "It's the rest of these bitches who keep escalating everything that worry me. I already know that one day, someone's gonna pop his cherry, and that'll be the beginning of the end of the BTC."

“Won't be me," Naimh said, raising her right hand. "I promise."

Alice raised her hand.

“Won't be me. No surprise there, though.”

Mari raised her hand shyly.