While I enjoyed the museum art, I found myself surreptitiously watching the people who would glance back at me and Zofi. Hanging out with Sam and Naimh, I was used to guys’ jaws dropping at the sight of my sex-bomb companions, but the attention Zofi attracted was quite different. There was less of an 'I wanna tap that' Look on their faces and more of a ‘She's what I always wanted but never knew’. Even other women seemed to appreciate Zofi's soft, feminine beauty.

Dinner was at the Cliff House with a spectacular view of the sun setting across the Pacific Ocean. At one point, Zofi stared out the window, the orange and red hues of the sky casting her face in similar colors, and I found myself feeling the same feeling. I was sad it had taken me this long to finally discover more about the girl who had always been nearby and yet so unknown. And now that I was getting to know her better, in another few months she would be taken away, most likely off to Princeton or some other Ivy League school.

I found myself distracted throughout dinner, not keeping up my end of the conversation as well as I should have. Fortunately, the need to eat filled in some of the gaps. But towards the end of the meal, Zofi placed her hand on top of mine and asked, “Hey, aren't I supposed to be the nervous one?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

She gave me a look and explained, “Or maybe it's not nervousness.

You're distracted.”

I furrowed my eyebrows and flipped my hand over so I could hold hers.

“I was just thinking how much I'm going to miss you."

She looked at me sadly, popped her eyebrows, and said, “I haven't gone anywhere yet. For all you know, the seven of us could still be together next year."

I smiled and nodded. "Who knows?"

Eventually, I paid the check and we got up to return to the minivan.

Holding me close, Zofi leaned up to peck my cheek as we walked outside.

The air had turned quite chilly, and I escorted her straight to the passenger door, opening it for her. But instead of hopping in immediately, Zofi leaned in, kissed me quickly, and said the words I'd been waiting a long time for.

“I'm ready, darling.”

It was still a relatively long drive back. We drove in silence, my mind still occupied by the specter of our unknown future. Zofi tried to break the tension a couple of times, but I wasn't a very good conversation partner and the topics died quickly, thus leaving long stretches of silence between us as I concentrated on the road in front of me illuminated by my headlights.

We arrived back at her empty house. The gods of serendipity had sent

Zofi's parents on their anniversary trip for the weekend. I shut off the engine and turned to my soon-to-be lover, finding that the once elegant, graceful woman who had accompanied me all day had disappeared, replaced by a trembling teenage girl.

I cursed my selfishness. Here I was concerned about Losing my friends and I'd abandoned one of them to get lost in her own head just before what was a major milestone in her life - a milestone she'd spent months working up to being emotionally prepared for. The progress of our romantic date had been reversed by my inattention to her needs. I thought of offering to call the whole thing off then and there, and at that moment, she very well might have sent me home.

But no, she was nervous and I'd been unforgivably negligent of her needs, but I was still confident that this was what Zofi wanted. She trusted me, and sometimes trust means that you have faith that the other person has your best interests at heart when they push you.

I reached over and brushed a strand of hair out of her eye before leaning in for a brief kiss. Pulling back, I told her gently, “Please wait," and exited the vehicle. Walking around to open the passenger door for her, I helped her down and took her by the elbow as I escorted her to her home. Zofi struggled with her keys for a moment, her hand trembling, but let us into the house and we silently walked up the stairs to her bedroom.

By now, her nervousness was threatening to dissolve into panic, the steps taking on more of gallows' air. I don't know what she thought would happen, perhaps that I would strip her down and take the shivering girl's innocence with little care. But we had all night and if she needed a guide more than a Lothario for these first steps, I wanted to be that man for her.

So, entering her childhood bedroom with her, I let go of her elbow. She looked down as we turned to each other, but I tilted her chin up gently so she would look me in the eye. I tried to convey with my eyes that she was safe - that we'd get through this together - but when I went to caress her upper arm, she drew back.

The action surprised Zofi and jolted her out of her near-panic state as she realized that she'd just rejected my touch. I don't know exactly what was going through her head at that very moment, likely some concern for what I might think of her. She'd invited me into her home with the express promise of sex, and now she wouldn't let me touch her.

Even strong, confident Zofi, the member of the BTC who I'd come to realize felt most at home in her body and secure in not allowing pressure from the other girls to accelerate her timeline for when she would be ready, would feel like a cock tease if she didn't perform tonight.

Obligation wasn't the right frame of mind I wanted her in either, so when she began her humiliated apology with, "Matty, I--," I put a finger to her Lips and kissed the top of her head, pulling her into me for a hug.