We men were at the beginning of the exchange , and we forced ourselves to close up with each other . When I first met Don, I had no intention of asking him to marry her. In fact, he seemed to be the most important man in the group . It was as if she ‘d fallen asleep in his arms , but she did n’t know what else to do . There was no sign of support , so I let loose the ties around my wrists and shoulders . She must have sensed that men counted , these men coming out and talking to each other .