“Can we get on with the business at hand?” Kiera said sharply.
“Ruben uses his love machine,” Deidre says. “It’s an SUV. All the seats go down, and he throws an air mattress in it. It feels like a waterbed.”
“You should know,” Doris said, smiling.
“Like you don’t?”
Doris laughed.
“In any case, he’d be better if it was going to be a straight-out date, don’t you think?” Deidre asked. Everyone nodded, and she turned his picture over.
“It’s between Boyd and Ricky, and we know how you feel about Ricky already,” Marcia said.
“Ricky’s usually the most gentle,” Doris added.
“I prefer Boyd,” Margot said.
“It’s not your initiation.
It’s hers,” Doris told her.
“Boyd is more professional about it. He spends more time on foreplay,” Margot insisted.
“I think this should be a secret ballot,” Kiera announced. “There’s a little too much personal business going on here.”
“Whatever,” Margot said.
Deidre produced a sticky pad and handed each girl a sheet.
“I don’t have a pen,” Margot said.
“Use your lipstick,” Doris told her.
“Then everyone will know it’s my vote. That’s not a secret ballot.”
“I’m just kidding, stupid.”
Deidre got up, walked out, and returned with pens for those who didn’t have any.
“Just an R or a B is all that’s necessary,” Kiera said.
I watched as they spread out to vote. It wasn’t until they all handed their folded papers to Kiera that the full realization of what they were deciding for me hit me. I had sworn their oath, and I had gotten the tattoo, but I wasn’t confident that I could go through with the rest of it, especially if they had chosen Boyd. Kiera didn’t announce the votes. She opened each slip and put it on the right. She put none on the left.
“It’s settled,” she said. “Unanimous. Ricky.”
“When?” Margot asked immediately.
“As it happens, we’re all going on Ricky’s boat tomorrow,” Kiera said. “I didn’t say anything until I knew for sure and knew this would be the vote for sure. I mean, Boyd will be there, too, but Ricky’s the one.”
“And you can make it dangerous, too,” Margot said, “if it happens on the boat.”
“No, that wouldn’t count as dangerous,” Kiera said. “It’s only us. Besides, you wanted real privacy the first time, as I recall. I heard Tony almost had to use a sheet with a hole.”
“That’s not true!” she cried.
Everyone laughed.
“Let’s have some music,” Deidre declared, “and order some Chinese.”