12. Sink or Swim

The pains and complaints of my empty stomach roused me from a groggy sleep. My eyes were reluctant to open and my body was cramped from sleeping in a tiny ball for so long. I tried stretching but knocked into nearly everyone in my effort. "Sorry." They'd all gone quiet when I spoke and I hoped they were able to understand my gravely words. I cleared my throat as I sat up and straightened myself out. When I braved a peek at the group around me, I noticed more than one watchful eye. I tried to ease their concerns with a small smile, assuring them without words that I was ok… for the moment. It was at this time that my stomach uttered a rather loud and embarrassing protest. Throwing my arms around my middle, I tried to stifle the mortifying noises but it was too late. Chuckles poured from the men around me that, surprisingly started with Owen. I was stuck between wanting to jump into the ocean and burying myself in one of the suitcases, never to be heard from again. All these perfectly amazing, gorgeous men, and my body has to go rogue and rudely announce its needs. Thankfully, Mr. Blackbourne saved me from my mortification.

"It seems it's time to eat, gentlemen." He set his steely grays on me. "Let's gather supplies and see what we have to eat. Check all the bags. Anything edible gets put in the middle." The next few minutes were filled with the noises of lapping waves, moving zippers, rustling fabric, several positive exclamations but even more grumbles of dejection. Odds weren't looking good for our little band.

Silas tossed my bag into my lap. "Here you go, Aggele. We'd have looked through it for you, but decided you'd rather we give you some semblance of privacy. Maybe see if there's anything we could use, besides food, in there. Hair bands, razors… anything that could be utilized as a tool." I nodded while rummaging through my soaked belongings. Aside from the bands and razor that he'd already guessed were inside, I didn't find much else that would have proved useful in a survival situation. And, as if my life couldn't get much worse at this point, as I dug deeper into my bag I noticed that if I were to have a feminine emergency before we were rescued, I was literally up shit creek. My sole stash of supplies was saturated with sea water. Completely useless. Fan-freaking-tastic. I huffed in annoyance.

Silas looked over. "Nothing?" I just shook my head.

"Nothing other than what you'd already figured would be there." I felt utterly useless.

Owen interrupted my self-flagellation. "Okay, team. What do we have?" I noticed a surprisingly large pile of goods in the center of our makeshift raft. Though most was packaged foods, there were a few fruits and even some water bottles filled at different capacities. There was even a couple water filters. Seeing those filled me with some optimism. A body can go without food for longer than would imagine possible, but would die in only a few days without water. We might have a chance!

As Kota sorted the various items, I noticed a rather large stash of candies and sweets. It was at this time that North reached across the circle and slapped at Luke's bare feet. "Dammit, Luke. What did I tell you before we left? Huh?! I said to put that sugary shit back and to grab something healthy!"

Luke just shrugged. "Sorry, bro. I forgot." He struggled to keep a straight face. I assumed that this was a conversation that they'd had multiple times before today.

"I swear, Lucian. If I were to gut you down the middle, cream filling would spill out your insides." North continued to mutter as the rest of us, including Luke, giggled at the ridiculous comment.

The provisions were divided up and each of us received a small serving of food and water. Just a few bites and a few sips each. Enough to quiet our bellies and trick them to believing they were being fed. Considering that we didn't know how long we had to make the food last, it was decided that we'd eat a bare minimum each day in order to guarantee that it would benefit us as long as possible.

It wasn't long after our meal that I started to get uncomfortable. At first I tried to ignore it, pretending that basic functions ceased to exist. We were in the middle of the Atlantic freaking Ocean. Where in the heck did my bladder think it was going to relieve itself? I refused answer that question or even think of my options. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the others to notice my constant wiggling and unease.

"Pookie, are you feeling alright? You look like you're in pain." Sean had slipped into doctor mode. "Tell me what hurts? Is it your ribs?" His hands hovered in front of him, as if he wanted to reach over and comfort me with his touch. The look of concern on Dr. Green's face might have been welcomed in any other situation. But now? It was down-right humiliating. Sean thought I was hurting and, while he was correct in a small way, in reality I just really had to pee! If I didn't know any better, I would swear that the universe hated me with a deep and unyielding passion.

When I felt brave enough, I looked up and happened to meet Kota's gaze. I don't know what he saw, but I wanted to kiss him with his next words. "Does anyone else need to relieve themselves? I think, maybe, I need a bathroom break." It was obvious by the slight blush on his cheeks that his statement was slightly out of character, at least with a girl present. In my eyes, he was a hero because everyone seemed to be thinking along the same lines. There was a collective sigh amongst the group and everyone seemed to move at once.

"Fuck yes!" Gabe shifted to his knees and started to unbutton his shorts. But Dr. G stopped him short.

"Whoa, there cowboy. There's a lady present. Keep it the cage." Several of the others snickered at the doctor's comment.

Gabe rolled his eyes. "Well, shit doc. I wasn't gonna give her a fucking peep show. Damn."

Sean pressed on. "Maybe we should all take a dip in the ocean for a few minutes, and give each other a little privacy. Huh?" I was so relieved, I could've cried. "Hey sweet pea, fancy adding a finger to your score?" At first I was confused at his cryptic remark, but quickly caught on as he continued. "In order to keep our clothing as dry as possible, why don't we swim in our skivvies? Of course, you don't have to Sang, but then you'd just spend all night in cold clothing. It's up to you." He winked at me, knowing there really wasn't much of a choice.

At my sigh of defeat, the group turned away to give me some privacy. With shaky hands, I began to unbutton my shorts and push them off my legs, trying to remember what I had put on the day before. Whichever set I was wearing, I hoped it was somewhat cute. The last thing I needed at this point was a pair of white cotton granny panties!

I knelt there in just my underwear and tank top, my back to the group, trying to convince myself that a bra and underwear were no different than a swimsuit but I wasn't having any luck. I'd never been in so little clothing around anyone else, let alone a group of handsome men. Mortification to the ultimate extreme. If this was a game, I had to be losing. Or maybe… I peeked to my left and watched as Silas finished pulling his shorts off to reveal his cobalt blue boxer briefs. The man was ripped in the most delightful way. My eyes wandered without my permission. Strong, powerful thighs, a beautifully muscled stomach and a broad, toned chest. His arms spoke of a strength and might that was sure to be unrivaled. Silas was exquisite.

I stole a quick glance around at the others. Winning, I told myself just before I tugged my tank top off. Most definitely winning.