This set of stories are meant to be read as chapters in a book. If you haven't read the previous chapters of the Great Loop, I recommend you do to better understand the characters.
All characters are fictional. Obviously, many of the place locations are real.
I was up early Saturday morning and spent the day cleaning and polishing the boat. I also made sure the guest suite was clean and even sprayed some air freshener in it. At 4:00, I put all the cleaning materials away and took a shower. After dressing in jeans and a sweater, I poured a bourbon and tried to calm my nerves. I began to have doubts about this arrangement with Jill. I probably didn't have 3 hours of time with her, didn't really know much about her other than what she did, and now I'd asked her to spend the next 7-10 days with me on the boat.
A little after 6:30, a car pulled into the parking lot and I saw Jill get out. I walked up the dock to help her with her bags. As I approached I saw her say good bye to an elderly lady that had driven her to the marina. As I approached, Jill said, "Hi Jim, this is my friend Edith. I stay with her when I work here. She's kind enough to rent me a room and this past week has driven me around since I don't have a car."
"Hello Edith, nice to meet you."
"Now listen young man, I told Jill that I didn't think spending all this time on a boat with a stranger was a good idea, but she can be strong willed and has decided she wants to do this. She has given me your name, the boats name and the boats registration number. I've asked her to call me every day so I know she's all right. If any thing happens to her, you'll regret it. Jill, don't forget to call me every day. If you don't, I'll be calling the State Police and the Coast Guard."
She then rolled up her window and sped off. I looked at Jill, she looked at me, and we both started laughing.
"Don't worry Jim. She's like a second mother to me and treats me like I'm a teenager instead of being 35. I'll call her every day so we don't have helicopters flying around us every day. Now, let's get this stuff on the boat and go to dinner. I'm hungry."
At dinner we told each other more about ourselves. She asked if I had a girl friend and I explained that I had met some nice women on the journey, but none that I would call a girl friend. I did tell her that some had given me benefits. I also told her I had been married and divorced years ago. She didn't seem disturbed by my answers. Her one reply was, "I thought you probably had some friends with benefits from the other night when we were talking, but I'm surprised that none have wanted to stay on with you. That was what caused me the most worry before agreeing to this trip. Is there something you haven't told me?"
I told her about Debbie, Julie and Amy, Susan, and MJ, but left out Lori, Peter, Helen, and Kathryn. I explained that all but MJ had responsibilities that prevented them from joining me for a longer portion of the journey. I then told her about MJ and the uncertainty that I had about her. I also told her that I had sex with most of them, but didn't go into the details.
Her response, "Wow, you've been busy. I've read some of MJ's books. I enjoy her writing, but have never met her. Since we're doing full disclosure, you should know that I've never married, but lived with a man that I met at college for 9 years. Like your marriage, it didn't work out. I've dated but nothing serious has developed. My mother is worried that she is never going to have grand kids and since I'm an only child, she may be right. My clock is ticking."
After dinner, we returned my car to the airport and caught a ride back to the boat. Jill went below to organize her stuff and I made sure the boat was ready to leave in the morning. Needless to say, we didn't sleep together.
I had gotten in the habit of checking the weather when I first got up. The next morning was no different. The forecast called for clouds building in the late evening with rain and wind early the following morning. Temperatures would remain seasonable. I concluded that we could make a safe harbor by dinner time and then figure out what we would do the next morning.
The next day, Jill came on deck just as the coffee was ready, so we had coffee and then headed out. We motored north up the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay enjoying the early fall weather, the sun, and the blue sky. I planned to spend the night near Leland. Jill spent most of the day on the bridge with me. We talked about a variety of things and she spelled me at the helm so I could use the bathroom. There were a variety of other small boats on the water. Most were fishing boats that were fishing for salmon that were moving into shallower water prior to running up rivers to spawn. It turns out that sport fishing for salmon is a big business in Michigan.
We arrived in Leland in late afternoon, got the lines tied off, the bumpers out and got shore power hooked up before going for a walk. We both needed the exercise and it was good to be able to stretch our legs after being on the boat all day.
"So Jim, I see you have some books on Frank Lloyd Wright. Are you interested in his architecture or that style of architecture?"
"Mostly that style of architecture. I discovered those books while looking at books in a used book store. I enjoy haunting used bookstores for interesting books. Since I've been traveling, I've had time to read and I enjoy mostly non-fiction. So I keep an eye open for books about Wright and his Prairie style of homes, but there are a similar style of craftsman homes with other architects such as Greene & Greene in California. I'm looking for a book about them. Why?"
"Oh, I used to be a physical therapist and I had a patient that was an architect. We dated for a bit and he would take me to the Hyde Park area of Chicago where there are several homes designed by Wright that can be toured. You can also take a guided tour of his work in Chicago as well as tour his property up in Wisconsin. I think it's called Taliesin."
"Wait a minute, you have a degree in Physical Therapy? Why are you working as a personal trainer, life guard and bar tender?"
"It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you later to fill time on the boat. If you're really interested in Wright and his work, you should take those tours if you have time. They're fascinating."
"What other interests do you have? You seem very knowledgable about a variety of things that you probably didn't learn while tending bar."
"Well, one of my favorite hobbies is astronomy. My dad used to take me to a planetarium when he was alive and I just continued to enjoy the night skies. Maybe we'll have a clear night and be anchored out someplace with no light pollution and I can show you some constellations and the Milky Way. That'd be cool. Like you, I also read a lot and it's mostly non-fiction; biographies, autobiographies, colonial history, civil war, as well as some of MJ's books."
"Wow, I didn't know you were so intellectual. I'm impressed!"
"Ya, I'll bet you thought I just a dumb, green eyed blonde that would spread her legs for you. Well, I'm going to try and change that stereo type."
"I didn't think you were dumb. I thought you were ambitious and hard working because you were working several jobs, but I didn't expect you to be this smart. As for spreading your legs, that thought did cross my mind, but I'll say it again, only if that's what YOU want. I don't force myself on people that way. Now, would you like to get something to eat before we go back to the boat."
"I'm sorry. I just get tired of every one thinking I'm some kinda bimbo."
"Apology accepted, now lets get something to eat. I'm hungry."
We enjoyed a light dinner and we both spoke about our families and back grounds. We had a lot in common and enjoyed several laughs together. Back at the boat, she excused herself and went below to read. As she started down the stairs, she turned and said, "Good night Jim. See you in the morning. I'll call Edith too."
"Good night Jill."
I picked up a book to read, but couldn't get into it. I kept thinking about things Jill had said and wondering if I was expecting easy sex from her as well as companionship on the trip or was it something different. Damn, now my head is cross threaded by two women.
Prior to going to bed, I checked the lines and bumpers. The wind was picking up and if the forecast was correct, I was glad we were in a safe harbor.
That night the wind blew hard and at about 4:00 AM, we had torrential rains, lightening and thunder that lasted a couple of hours. It had woken me up, so I put on come coffee and watched the spectacular light show. Jill came up about five and joined me in watching the storm.
She had on sweats and was bare foot. She sat at the other end of the sofa and stuck her feet under my legs to keep them warm. "I called Edith last night. She was getting worried because it was getting late, but I reassured her that you were being a perfect gentleman. She's still not happy, but seems more accepting of our arrangement. The coffee is good. Thank you."
"Good to know that we won't have a SWAT team running down the dock and storming the boat. This is a bad storm. I'm glad we aren't out in it. It'd be dangerous. I got caught out on a storm in Lake Erie without the fireworks, but just the wind and rain were bad enough. I don't want to go through something like that again. It's supposed to clear up this afternoon, so we'll be spending the day here. I'm going to do a little maintenance so you're free to do what ever you want."
"Ok, how bout I take you to breakfast and then I'll read while you do your thing. Maybe I can borrow your computer so I can check emails and do a little banking? I'm reading Chesapeake by James Michener. I read his Alaska and enjoyed it, so thought I would try this one. It's equally as good."
"Sure, sounds good. Let's wait and see if the rain lets up and then we can go to that diner we saw last night."
The diner was typical, lots of food, strong coffee, and reasonable prices. Back at the boat, I got out my computer, punched in the password and went below. Just as I got below, I thought, Oh Shit, the pictures. I turned around and saw that it was too late. Jill was watching the slide show. As the slide show started over again, she turned and saw me watching. "Are these your friends?"
"Huh, yes. I told you about most of them."
"Show me which ones you talked about and then introduce me to the others."
Fuck, now I was probably going to dig myself an awfully deep hole.
I started with Debbie again. When we got to Julie and Amy she asked, "Was it fun being with two women and watching the two women together? They are very attractive."
"Er, yes. It was fun and we had a good time together. At one point two other women joined us at a look out in the mountains. We never learned their names."
She looked at me with a strange look on her face. The next pictures were of Peter and Helen on their boat in the fog on Lake Ontario. "They are husband and wife from Sydney, Australia, but live in Toronto. We got caught in a fog and anchored near each other. They invited me over for drinks. Helen doesn't wear clothes on the boat or at home and really likes a lot of sex. So Peter and I kept her happy. There were three other people that joined us so it was a lively party."
"How do you know that she doesn't wear clothes at home? Oh, you visited them at their home, didn't you."
The shovel I was using to dig my hole was getting bigger.
