What's next?

Planning

By the time Grant gets into the kitchen, the women are chattering and laughing amongst themselves as they put the finishing touches on what seems to be a large platter of sandwiches. "Ah, there you are," Mary says cheerily when he enters. "Right on time, too." She steps up next to him to murmur in his ear, as the others start taking the food to the dining room, "I hope that those two were...a good source of stress relief?" Grant swallows and nods. "Perfect! Oh, that's great. I'm glad you're finally settling into the new world. You'll have to tell me all about it later." She gives Grant a little wink and laughs as he blushes, turning to lead him toward the dining room.

The table is just big enough to hold all seven of them. Grant, of course, is placed at the head of the table, and awkwardly tolerates Jaz and Mel fussing over him as he settles in - Jaz offering him first choice of the sandwiches, Mel eagerly laying a cloth napkin over his lap. As he tucks in, though, the women settle into their seats and begin chatting amongst themselves with what seems like a surprisingly easy rapport. Amanda and Olivia still aren't quite warm with one another, but they're more than courteous and seem to have developed a measure of genuine respect; Mel, meanwhile, is chatting and laughing with Jaz, who's apparently just a few years older than her. Mary keeps conversation going between Olivia and Amanda for a bit while they all eat. Only Abby, at the far end of the table, remains withdrawn and wary, eating her sandwich slowly and watching the rest of the women like she's convinced they're going to jump her at any moment.

As everyone finishes, Mary clears her throat. "Well, thank you for that delicious meal, Jaz and Abby. And Mel," she adds with a smile. "But now that we're done with that, we have to decide on our next steps."

"Like what?" Grant asks cautiously.

"I've made a list," Mary says with a chuckle. She pulls out a piece of paper and passes it to Grant. In her neat, precise writing, Grant reads:

Secure apartment
Secure exit
Secure building
Food supplies
Defense
Women

Next to that, she's written "Command/Discipline?" Grant frowns. "What's...this bit?"

"Well," Mary says calmly. "I've been thinking. You are, obviously, in charge of all of us. We'll follow your commands without hesitation. But you won't always be here...and, given how chaotic the world is right now, I think that it would be best if you had a deputy when you weren't here. Someone who's in charge of the apartment, of your little kingdom, when you're away. Especially if anything gets...hairy...it'll be important to have a clear chain of command, as it were."

Grant nods slowly. "And would you all...agree to that?" he asks, looking around.

"If it's what you want, of course!" Mel exclaims eagerly. The others seem slightly more reticent, but there are nods all around. Except from Abby.

"If that's what you want, sure," Olivia says. Amanda nods slowly. Jaz shrugs, frowning.

"It would be relatively limited, of course," Mary says. "After all, none of us feel compelled to keep each other happy, except to the extent that doing so pleases you...but still, if you told me to obey any woman here, I'd do it pretty willingly." This time, the nods are firmer.

"All right. And...who did you have in mind?" Grant asks dryly, pretty confident in the answer.

"I was thinking me," Mary admits. "But it is, of course, your decision."

"How do you all feel about that idea?" Grant asks the table. Jaz shrugs, still looking wary of the whole thing. Mel just nods, eager to please. Olivia shrugs too, lips twisted in a half-smile.

"I mean, Mary was your first claimed woman, and she's definitely been kind of steering the ship. I trust her as much as...any of these people who are strangers," she says with a chuckle. "Other than you, of course, Grant. There are some things I've done for you that she hasn't...as far as I know...but I don't know that that's the best, you know, deciding factor." Abby flushes and Mel bites her lip, blushing slightly and looking away from Olivia.

Amanda clears her throat. "With all due respect to Mary, I'd put my own name forward as a possibility as well," she says. "I don't know any of you well, but I am older than the rest of you, and this is my house. I know the most about where things are and how things work...I'd be comfortable being in charge here."

"It's your call, of course, Grant," Mary says. "Entirely your decision - whether to even do this or not, let alone who's in charge."