To Boldly No Where No No Has Gone Before

I've started seeing this wonderful guy. There's no official commitment yet, but I have no interest in anyone else, including the two guys I was casually seeing from time to time. When they text me to try to hook up, I won't respond or I'll say I'm busy, but they don't seem to be getting the message. Admittedly, in the past, I've said "no more" and then caved when I've gotten lonely or had a few glasses of wine. Also, how do you say "beat it" without being mean?

--Go Away Already!

There's little that tempers a man's enthusiasm for a late-night shag like responding to his "want 2 hook up?" by texting back, "YES! i'm ovulating & dying 2 have a baby!" But it shouldn't have to come to this -- that is, if you start by actually saying no instead of starting a game of "Guess why I'm not returning your texts!" An ambiguous no -- not responding or saying "I'm busy" -- is not a no. This is especially true of your ambiguous no, which, in the past, has translated to, "I'm not drunk/lonely enough. Try me later." Because of this, you may need to repeat even a firm "I'm no longer interested" a few times for these guys to get that you aren't just confused about what you want or playing hard to get. But in general, the unevasive no eliminates the need to make your point repeatedly, in turn curbing the likelihood of your getting mean on the phone (or worse, hiding under the bed when you hear the ladder being leaned against your upstairs window).