Great Loop Ch. 12

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 Yalova Escort 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