Zack walked Celeste down the hallway where she stalled in front of the bathroom. He looked back and she motioned with her head that she wanted to go in. Zack sighed and walked back a few paces.
"Go ahead" he said quietly.
"I want to take a shower" said Celeste quietly.
Zack raked his hand over his face and wondered if the sound of running water would wake anyone.
"Just come in with me, so if anything happens you can just say you're in the shower" said Celeste. "Please, I haven't been able to shower and I feel disgusting."
"Fine, but you have to hurry" said Zack.
The water was taking forever to warm up to Celeste's liking. Zack kept telling her to get in but the water was still too cold for her to stand under. Finally Zack pulled the sweatshirt over her head and all but pushed her under the spray. Taking off her now wet bra and underwear she quickly got use to the tepid water. Soaping her body she hurried to get every nook and cranny clean before moving on to washing her hair. Her choice of shampoo was limited to some two in one and she hoped her hair wouldn't suffer too much from one use. Zack was counting the minutes until Celeste would turn off the water. His heart was pounding so hard he didn't hear the knock on the door until the second knock.
"Yeah, I'm in here" said Zack moving towards the door.
"Zack, didn't you already take a shower?" said his father through the door. "Anyway finish up I need to talk to you."
"Roger" said Zack, stripping off his clothes and flipping off the light.
He pulled the curtain back from Celeste and got in with her. She looked as if she was about to say something when Zack quickly put his hand over her mouth.
"My dad is outside, he thinks I'm taking a shower" he whispered into her ear.
She nodded and finished rinsing the soap from her hair. Then they both heard the door handle turn. Celeste gracelessly dropped to the floor of the shower and moved into the corner of the cubicle. She hoped that the darkness of the room and the shower spray would make her look like a strange shadow.
"Zack, you're taking for fucking ever" said Bill coming in to the dark bathroom. "Why is it so fucking dark in here."
"Sorry dad, I have a headache" said Zack, using his best tired voice. "The light was bothering my eyes."
"Oh, maybe it's a migraine" suggested Bill.
"Yeah, probably" agreed Zack. "What did you need?"
Zack's head was popped out of the side of the shower, Bill stood in the doorway.
"Anyway, I wanted to teach you a few things about some of the sensors in the engine room, but it can wait until after the next string. Take some time to rest up" said Bill.
"Ok, thanks" said Zack.
Bill smiled and backed out of the bathroom closing to door behind him.
Zack let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and turned off the water. Getting out of the shower he grabbed a towel and quickly dried himself off before passing the same towel to Celeste. She took it gratefully and tried very hard to get her teeth to stop chattering. Once she was as dry as she was going to get she moved to put on her bra and underwear but they were still wet. Instead she just slipped the sweatshirt over her head and handed her under things to Zack.
"Can you please wash these?" she asked quietly.
Zack looked down at the small bra and panties in his hand and sighed, then nodded.
Celeste smiled and then slanted her eyes towards the door. Zack picked up the now soaked towel and wrapped her lingerie in it before opening the door and checking to see if the coast was clear. Confirming it was, the duo walked quickly into to the stateroom and closed the door.
Once inside the stateroom Celeste let out of breath she'd been basically holding since Bill knocked on the door. She flopped down on the bed on her back letting the stress of the last few minutes out in a series of muffled giggles.
"Oh my God" she said between fits of laughter. "That was the scariest five minutes of my life."
"Your life" said Zack, starting to laugh. "I think I just lost a few years off my life expectancy."
"Sorry" said Celeste. "All I wanted to do was take a fucking shower."
She moved forward and gave Zack a hug. Her cheek rubbed against his soft chest hair and she realized he'd only put on his sweats.
"God, your freezing" said Zack, putting her at arms length.
"Yes, well while you were chatting with your dad I was trying not to freeze to death when the water got cold" said Celeste, reaching her hands out to touch his exposed skin.
Zack felt her fingertips graze his chest sending shivers, that he wasn't sure was just from the cold, up his spine.
"Here, I'll warm you up" he said collecting her in his arms.
Celeste settled her head against his chest and listened to his hammering heart.
"Lets get under the blankets, I don't think you're getting any warmer said Zack. "I think I'm just getting colder."
"Sounds good to me" said Celeste.
She climbed into Zack's upper bunk, flashing Zack a quick peak at her butt. Zack climbed in after her and settled next to her. She slipped her leg in between his allowing herself the most contact with his warmth. Zack pulled her close draping an arm over her and trying not to think about the fact that only his sweats were separating him from her nakedness. Moving his other hand he rubbed up and down her outer thigh, it was still cold.
"You're still freezing" said Zack conversationally.
"If you think that is cold, feel my butt" said Celeste.
Taking the suggestion Zack slid his hand up her thigh and over her bottom. It was freezing, just as she'd suggested but it was also incredibly soft. He stroked her bottom for a few minutes before suggesting she turn so it would be closer to him and not so cold. Celeste acquiesced and turned around so that she was facing the wall, Zack snuggled behind her pulling her butt flush with his groin. His hands went around her waist and they both fell into a fitful sleep.
Celeste listened intently as the guys worked on deck. The banging of pots along the side of the boat and the yelling of the captain over the speakers told her the crab fishing machine was in full swing. She'd woken up when Zack had gotten up but had promised to stay in the room until everyone was out on deck pulling pots. Nick had asked her how her adventure out of the stateroom had been and both she and Zack had laughed hysterically for a few minutes before telling him the whole story. Nick was shocked that Celeste's presence was still a secret after two close calls in one night.
"Ok, ready or not here I come" said Celeste to herself before opening the stateroom door.
She checked the hallway and found it to be blissfully empty. She padded into the bathroom and quickly peed, washed her face and brushed her teeth. Careful to check the hallway, she walked to the galley in search of something to eat. On the counter there was a muffin on a napkin. She snagged the muffin and grabbed herself a cup of coffee. The coffee pot was now basically empty and she knew that she couldn't leave it that way. So, she made a quick work of starting another pot. She started to take her breakfast down to the room when footsteps on the stairs made her freeze. She looked around for a quick place to hide and deciding that whoever it was wouldn't be down there for very long, slid under the table. She made herself as small as possible in the corner against the bench seat. The first thing she saw was a pair of plaid pajama pants and suede slippers walk past the table.
"Who the fuck ate the last muffin" said Wild Bill. "I swear to God, the crew this trip is just cruising for a fucking bruising."
Celeste looked down at the muffing she'd already taken a bite out of and grimaced. She quickly ate the rest of the evidence washing it down with the scalding hot coffee. The burn of the coffee in her throat made her eyes water but she managed to finish her breakfast without Wild Bill noticing her. Now she just needed to make it back to the stateroom.
"Well at least whoever ate it had the decency to make more coffee" said Bill.
Celeste smiled from her hiding place, glad she'd thought to refill the coffee pot. Her happy musings were interrupted by a body sliding into the end seat. Slippered feet settled under the table and stretched out. If the owner of those feet decided to move them a foot to the right Celeste would be found out.
"God, please let there be some crab in these pots" said Bill to himself. "I just want to get dialed in and get this first trip done before the weather gets crazy."
"Hey Bill" said a voice from the wheelhouse. "You're getting a call on the radio."
"Back to the grind" said Bill with a sigh.
Celeste waited until she was positive he wasn't going to come down again and made a mad dash to the stateroom. Once inside she realized she left her coffee cup under the table. Deciding it wasn't worth it to risk another trip out, she gave herself a mental reminder to tell Nick or Zack about it.
Eight hours later the guys trudge in from the deck, wet and exhausted. The string yielded enough crab that they set the pots back, which meant working double time to get them back in the water before the next one was on the bow. Myles picked up the laundry as he walked into the galley. Spreading it on the table the guys began to pick out which pieces were theirs. Zack looked off into middle distance wondering if he could just lay down for a minute before starting dinner. He was snapped out of his daydreaming by a hoot.
"Where did these come from?" asked Myles, holding up a pair of pink panties.
Zack looked down at the table and blanched. This was the exact moment that Wild Bill came down to the galley to tell the guys they'd done good today.
"Who's underwear?" he asked with a smirk. "If you're keeping them as a souvenir you're doing it wrong, you're not suppose to wash them."
"They're Zack's" said Nick suddenly. "He lost a bet so I made him wear them for a string."
Zack turned a horrified look towards Nick, who just shrugged in return.
"That sounds like a wicked bet to lose" said Myles, passing the underwear to Zack.
"It was awful" said Zack.
"Put those in a safe place dude, just in case their needed again" said Nick with a big smile.
"Nick volunteered to make dinner tonight" said Zack as he turned towards the stateroom.
Nick just nodded, a huge smile plastered on his face.
Zack opened the door to the stateroom and noticed Celeste curled in the corner of Nick's bunk. If he didn't know he was looking for her, she would be almost impossible to see. He tapped her on the back and she unfurled herself from her ball.
"I've got something for you" he said dangling her panties by one finger.
Celeste reached out to get them and gave them a tentative sniff. She smiled as her nose was filled with the sweet smell of fabric softener.
"We do know how to do laundry" commented Zack.
"Yeah, but they were mixed in with all the fish guts on your clothes" said Celeste. "Where's the bra?"
"Ugh" said Zack, realizing he was going to get a whole new ragging about the bra.
Celeste gave Zack a quizzical look and then stood up to slip on her underpants. She had one foot in it when the door handle turned. Moving like a cat she jumped behind the door just as it opened.
"Zacky, I found the other part of your sexy ensemble" said Wild Bill as he swung open the door.
Zack felt his heart explode in an uneven rhythm. The door stopped inches in front of Celeste.
"Oh, yeah" said Zack, his voice tinged with insanity. "The second half of the torture. Thanks."
"I can't even believe this thing would fit you" said Bill conversationally. "You seem much bigger than a 32C."
"What? You can tell a bra size by looking at it?" said Zack with a combination of confusion and awe.
"Yes, when I read the label" said Bill.
"Label, right" said Zack. "Well thanks for stopping by to drop it off. I'm going to try to catch a couple of zzs before dinner."
"Yeah, it was nice of Nick to take over for tonight" said Bill.
"Ha ha, yeah really nice" said Zack.
"He probably feels bad since we're all going to call you pink panties from now on" said Bill.
"Great" said Zack, "can't wait.
"Where are they anyway, from my quick glimpse I didn't see what kind they were" said Bill.
"Oh they're around here somewhere" said Zack glancing around.
Bill began to walk farther into the room to help Zack locate the precious pink panties. Celeste deftly kicked the panties out from behind the door while Bill was looking the other way.
"Here they are" said Zack, picking them up. "Here you can take them to study at your leisure."
He stuffed the panties in his father's hand and then ushered him out of the room.
"This is probably why you had such a bad headache the other night, squeezing your balls all day is not the best way to work" said Bill sagely.
"Yeah, you're totally right" said Zack.
He closed the door behind his father and slid to the floor. A moment later her saw a pair of pretty legs in front of his face.
"Did you just give my underwear to your dad to peruse at his leisure?" said Celeste.
"It was that or have him sit down on the bed to examine them and notice that the owner of said pair just happened to be hiding behind the door" said Zack. "By the way nice move hiding back there, I was sure he was going to crush you with the door."
"It was a close call but I think I had an inch to spare" said Celeste.
"Sorry about your um, underwear" said Zack.
"You're going to get them back right?" said Celeste.
"Of course, just sorry you don't have them right now" said Zack.
"What's another night with no panties, in the grand scheme of things" said Celeste.
"I'm going to lie down, I feel like I just ran a marathon" said Zack.
"Of course, I'm sure working on a crab deck is no picnic in the park" said Celeste, sitting down on Nick's bed.
"It's not the deck work, it's the constant heart attacks about getting caught" said Zack.
He climbed into his bed and collapsed in a heap. He felt his eyes had just closed when Nick popped his head into the room to tell him dinner was ready.
