Anchors Away!! (Pt. 05)

Bob and I awake the next morning, to the sounds of birds chirping. The Sun is just rising in the East...and a few of its rays are coming in through the porthole, creeping slowly across the foot of the bed.

As I lay there, thinking about all that we need to do today, Bob opens her eyes and smiles sleepily... then scooches her naked body closer to mine...lays her head on my chest and throws one of her legs over both of mine.

She just lays there for a moment, then suddenly raises her head up and says "OH-OH"... presses her index finger to my lips as if to indicate for me to remain silent. Then she arches her back a bit...gives me a wink...and lets loose a fart that even I would be proud of!

It was loud enough that I swear, the birds outside stopped chirping, just to see what was creating such a ruckus!

"Not bad manners, just good Chili" she giggles uncontrollably.

Bob was so overcome by a fit of the giggles that she rolls off me and says "THAT, my good man, is how you know that you are completely comfortable being your true self in front of someone! If you can fart like that and not feel the least bit embarrassed. Then that is as pure and real as any relationship can get!"

I laid there and stared her right in the eyes...then raised one leg and ripped one off that closely matched hers! "Couldn't agree with you more, Darlin' " I say as a fit of childish laughter over-takes both of us!!

"Okay" I finally manage to say " Before one or both of us ends up shitting the bed, we better take care of our morning rituals...and get prepared to get this old girl underway"

"ME FIRST!" Bob calls out, as she jumps off the bed and scampers naked toward the head.

I slip on a pair of gym shorts and a tee shirt....and climb the stairs to open the hatch.

I wanted to inspect the ship to see if the storms of the previous day, had done any damage. I did not find any, but several of the canvas covers had pools of water standing in them...and I managed to get myself soaking wet trying to drain the water off.

As I finish that task...I head back down the stairs to find some dry clothes and meet Bob coming down the hallway looking all fresh and summery in a pink top, tight white shorts, and sandals.

As we pass each other...she pats me on the chest and says "Oh, so we're doing the wet tee-shirt contest now, I thought that was next week!" Then off she went... giving my ass a playful slap as she passes.

I take care of my business, have a quick shower, shave, and put on fresh dry clothes...then head back topside.

Bob has already made sure that things were stowed away...mopped up any stray puddles of water that were still on the deck...and had everything ready to go, by the time I got there.

"Need to find someplace to top off our fuel tanks and restock our cupboards if we can. Before we venture out onto the Mighty Mississippi River."

I fired up the engines and let them warm up while we get ready to cast off the mooring lines. Bob went to work stowing those ropes as I maneuvered the ship back out into the channel and turned the bow east...setting a course for the confluence of both rivers.

We had only traveled a short distance when, just as I had hoped... I spot a dock up ahead, with fuel pumps and what looks like a combination Bait shop and Convenience store located higher up on the riverbank.

We pull the ship alongside the dock...Bob scampering this way and that...throwing bumpers over the side, tying off shorelines. As if she had been doing this for years.

"Wow" I think to myself "I really could not ask for a better deck hand!"

A sign on the pump said "Self-service Please Pay inside"

So, I busied myself...topping off the tanks...and making sure that all the spare fuel cans were as full as I could get them. When done, Bob and I climb the combination ramp and stairs up to the bait shop/C-store and go inside.

We are both shocked and surprised as we walk in, because from the outside, the building really did not look like much. But once inside, we were amazed at how huge the place is! There are aisles and aisles of fishing equipment, artificial baits, aisles of clothing, boating supplies, food, snacks, beer, and other beverages. Looked like pretty much anything we might want...could be found in that store.

Bob was the first to point out that they even have a cafe area....and that it is bustling! That is when we notice that the place is also a truck stop! We had entered through the back...and had not seen the row upon row of Semi's parked out front.

"NOW this business makes sense" I think to myself "Be hard to make a living just selling worms and boat fuel, this way they can cater to all kinds of transportation customers...whether they are traveling on land, or on water!

Bob and I find a row of shopping carts...pull one out and began filling it up with all the things we think we might need. Plus a few things that we just want "need" never really entering the decision!

I pay for the supplies and fuel and the salesperson informs me that we have spent enough, that we have earned free coffee and donuts.

So, we take our purchases and our Free Coffee Coupon and go to the cafe to collect our reward.... settling down in a booth nearby to enjoy it.

.

As we are sit there chatting...sipping our coffee and thoroughly enjoying our delightfully sweet and greasy doughnuts. Bob suddenly puts one hand to her mouth and starts waving the other one frantically.

I thought for all the world that she was choking or had burned her mouth. But she quickly chewed and swallowed the bite of her doughnut and says, "Oh my god, Oh my god, It's them, it's them!"

"Them who" I ask, puzzled.

"TOM" she exclaims... "It's fucking Tom from the other night at Hermann"

"Uber Tom" I ask incredulously

"YES!! Fucking UBER TOM, and the cute blonde girl form the cafe is with him!" She says excitedly "This is fucking unbelievable!"

I am looking around...but still cannot spot them. Bob jumps up and starts franticly waving both her arms. Then over in a booth on the other side of the cafe, I finally see the two familiar faces...and they see us!

Tom and the girl instantly jump up and come to us. He gives Bob a big hug....as the girl stands behind him shyly.

He then looked at the girl and says "See, I told you if we came right here...we could find them!" Then he turned to me to shake my hand and said " I knew that you would probably stop here for fuel and supplies before heading down river"

"We got here last night" the girl chimed in.

"Last night" Bob repeats

I gesture for everyone to sit down as Tom says "Yeah, we drove all the way here; hoping to catch up to you and ask a huge favor."

"What kind of favor"

"Well,' says Tom "After the other night, I got to thinking about you two throwing caution to the wind and just traveling around the country, living life like it should be lived" he explained "Got me to thinking about my own life, and what I wanted for me and Ingrid "

He then put his arm around the girl and says, "This is my girlfriend Ingrid" and gives her a hug.

"We met her at the Cafe the other night" Bob says as she smiles at the girl.

"NO FUCKING WAY" Tom said excitedly

"Yep" I say "We fell in love with her instantly"

Ingrid blushed...

"Anyways" Tom continued. "I felt rather guilty about all that we had done the other night, so I went to Ingrid and confessed the whole thing!

"Everything?" Bob asked...

"Yes, every single thing" Tom says matter of factly.

"Caused a pretty bad fight at first, but then we both calmed down and talked,

You know... REALLY talked, for like the very first time... EVER, and we both decided that we needed to get the fuck out of Hermann and find somewhere that we can live our lives, like WE want to live them, and not like everyone else tells us we need to live! Then we talked about the two of you...and what a great couple you are... wondered if you would be willing to let us tag along with you for a while. At least until we get to New Orleans. Figure that once down there, Ingrid and I can both find jobs and make a whole new life for ourselves. We got our own money, so you will not feel like we are mooching off you. We just need a ride to get there. If we stay on in Hermann....we will be just like everyone else in a few years...spend our whole life working our ass off for someone else's profit....and never really have anything of our own to show for it, other than the blisters on our hands and back problems"

"That's why we beat feet down here as quick as we could and sat in that booth over there, hoping to catch sight of you, if you came in!

"We thought sure we had missed you and were just talking about giving up and going back home" said Ingrid "then POOF there you both were, like magic!"

What do you say?" Tom asked with a hopeful look in his eye, "I promise we won't drag you down, and we will be happy to do anything you ask us to do."

"Can you cook?" Bob asks Ingrid

"Yes, I learned to cook when I saw little, used to stand on a chair by the stove and help my Oma"

Bob spins around and gives me a look of wild-eyed excitement and says "SHE CAN COOK!! Rick, we NEED this girl on board, she can fucking cook!! Say Yes Rick, I beg you...Say yes, and I might even do that thing you like in bed tonight!" She said in mock desperation.

"And I'll help, if that is what it takes to get you to say yes" Tom Chimed in...

Ingrid grinned and said "remember I DID do you a solid and hooked you up with some free cake the other night" then gave me her best impression of "puppy dog eyes"

"So" I say "Just to set the record straight, before I agree to any of this, just so you will know; Bob and I didn't even know each other or for that matter... really didn't even get to talk... until we were already heading down river! I AM married, but not to her. I begged and pleaded with my Wife and Son and Daughter to come on this trip with me...and they all could not be bothered

Bob and I met for the first time, in the parking lot of a casino mere minutes before we took off. I took a chance on letting her come aboard...and I will gladly tell you that it was THE BEST DECISION that I have ever made in my life! So, I guess what I am trying to say, is that Yes, I am willing to take a chance on you two as well! Welcome aboard!"

Tom immediately jumped up and shook my hand, saying " Thank you, thank you...you will not regret this! You have no idea what this means to us!"

"Okay, just to be sure," I say "Both of you are over eighteen, correct... and neither of you are fugitives from the law, and there won't be any angry relatives or mob bosses coming to track you down?"

"Nope" says Tom "I'm 21 and she is 20. will be 21 in a month. neither of us has ever even got a parking ticket, and the only reason that any of our relatives will be pissed, is because their "slaves" have run off and they will have to do all the work by themselves!"

Ingrid nods her head in agreement.

"Well, where is your stuff...and what are you going to do with your car?" I ask "This is St Louis, leave your car here for more than a day or two, and it will be stolen. Just as sure as we are sitting here!"

"Everything worth keeping, is in the back of the car. Give me a few minutes to get it, then I will text my cousin to tell him where it is, and to come pick it up. He lives in St Charles, and it is his car anyway... he just provides it for me to use as an uber taxi. He gets 90% of the fare and I got 10% of the fare for doing the work for him. Like I said...work your ass off for the other guy's profit. Family will fuck you over worse than anybody! I was lucky if I took home $200 per week after paying for gas, oil, repairs, and shit"

"SERIOUSLY? Bob exclaims...

Tom nods his head yes.

"Yeah" I say, "sounds like you really do need to find your own place in life, somewhere far, far away. We will get you to New Orleans, no problem. You can decide if that is where you really want to stay, if not, then feel free to stay onboard until you find someplace, more to your liking!"

"Thanks man" Tom said as he threw his arm around my neck and went in for a quick "Man Hug"

"Really appreciate it" he says

"No Problem: I say, "Now get your stuff, we are burning daylight! "

Bob and I took our cart of "goodies" down the ramp to the lowest level we could roll the cart down to. Then we each loaded ourselves down and gingerly moved down the steps toward the ship. Just as we were setting everything down, Tom and Ingrid came down to the dock with all their worldly belongings.

"Permission to come aboard." said Tom

"No permission needed, you two are now crew!" I reply.

As they were coming onboard...I thought to myself "Just wait until I call my family and tell them that we are heading down the Mississippi with a full Crew... myself, two deck hands and a real cook! Can't wait to hear what they say!"

Either they will be happy that everything is going great...or they will be completely and totally pissed that I am not on my way home with my tail tucked between my legs like a whipped dog! I expect the latter!

We all carry everything down the stairs and into the galley below....

Ingrid is in compete awe of the ship. "It's kind of small, but kind of big at the same time" she said " Not one inch of space is wasted"

I start telling Tom and Ingrid that they can have the hide a bed area, for their bunk room. But Bob bettered that offer by saying " Give me a few minutes to move my shit...and you can have my cabin"

"But then where are you going to sleep" Tom asked " I will just bunk with Captain Rick....I seem to end up riding his dick every night anyway, this will just save me from wandering back and forth across the hall!"

Ingrid blushed and Tom laughed.

"Don't laugh Hun" Bob said to Ingrid "hope you brought your birth control with you, because you will want to take a ride or two on the captain's cock as well...before we get to the Big Easy"

Ingrid's face flushed beet red again "Oh my gosh" she said " I didn't even think about anything like that! "Tom and I usually just use condoms, but I don't know if he brought any of those with him either! Do you think we could borrow some, if things happen to move in that direction?" she asked "after all the things Tom told me about that happens on this boat, I have to admit that I am extremely nervous about being here"

"Honey" Bob reassured her "You have got absolutely nothing to worry about. Rick is just a big ole teddy bear. One of the kindest and gentlest men I have ever met. Absolutely nothing is going to happen here, that you do not want to happen. I will see to that! If you find yourself getting into a situation, just yell out "Hey Bob, need some help over here...and I'll come run interference for you!"

"Please don't think I am stupid, but how do you "protect" yourself from getting pregnant? Ingrid asked

"Easy, ain't got nothing down there to get pregnant with" Bob says "Had a botched abortion and had to have a complete hysterectomy when I was twenty-one... They went in and took out the factory, but left the playground, I guess you could say... makes me sad sometimes, to think that I will never be able to push a baby out of my cooch! But certainly not sad enough to stop letting guys fuck me till the cows come home!"

"Okay, that makes sense" Ingrid says "So, can I ask you another stupid question? "How did you get the name Bob? Is it a nickname?"

"The only stupid questions, are the ones you do not ask," said Bob

" Short answer is... yes, it is kind of a nickname. My birth name is Roberta Lynn, same as my gramma's which was fine, up until I got old enough to walk and talk....and then every time someone would say "Roberta"....me and gramma would both say "WHAT?" So, grampa came up with the idea to leave gramma's name alone...and call me "Bobbie" when he was speaking to me.

Well....that worked great until I was old enough to go to school...and then there was a "Bobbie Sue" and a Bobbie Ann" in my kindergarten class....so the teacher asked me what I wanted to be called...so that they could tell us apart...and kid like...I said just call me Bob, and it stuck....everyone has called me Bob for so long, that if anyone calls me "Roberta"...I haven't got a clue who the fuck they are talking to!!

"So, to get back to the sex thing, you are saying that probably nothing will happen, so I don't have to worry about contraception?"

"OHHHH NO" Bob said emphatically "You got two horny males cooped up on board a ship with two females. Now do not get me wrong, they are both nice guys and all, but they are still men. So, NOT having sex...is just not a viable option!

Now, when you choose to engage in it...and who you choose to engage in it with. THAT is the key to the whole thing. Stick close by me, and I will teach you the ways of being a Pirates lass," Bob says in a fake movie Pirates brogue.

With everything safely stowed away, I tell Bob to show our new crew members how to cast off, so that we can get the ship underway.

Bob jumps right to the task...and quickly instructs Tom and Ingrid in how to untie the lines, which order we do it in...and showed them where and how to store each line as they were released from the mooring.

I already have the engines warmed up and so I ease up the throttle and the water behind us begins to boil heavily behind us as the ship smoothly moves forward.

We idle through the no wake zone....and are soon back into the main channel of the Missouri. We then make a wide sweeping right turn as we enter the flow of the Mississippi.

The water is much deeper in this river and the currents are much stronger, so I must keep the engines running and the throttles at least half open to get us across the wide and open water... to reach the shipping channel on the Illinois side.

This stretch of the river near St Louis is deceptively dangerous due to "the Rock's"...a natural rock formation that while not being as vividly stunning as "white water rapids"... you might see in other rivers or streams...is just as dangerous as any you might encounter, anywhere else in the world.

If the water is running high enough...you might be able to skim over the top of the rocks with only a few bumps and scars on the boat for your effort. But misjudge the water level or how deep your ship is drafting....and those rocks will grind your ship's bottom into pulp wood in a matter of minutes.

To avoid this treacherous area...a shipping channel was dug...to allow ships and barges to move up and down the river safely.

With the heavy rains that we had yesterday...and the even heavier rains that they had further up north. The water levels were high enough that we "SHOULD" be able to "cross the rocks" with no problem" I simply chose not to take the risk, no matter how small.

Yes, taking the shipping channel will take more time...but we will be surer to get where we need to go...without damaging...or even destroying the ship in the process. So, as Bob would say "It's a no brainer"

Once we have cleared the channel...we were able to move back out into the main part of the river. Those same barges that would have nearly flipped us over in their wake, on the Missouri...could now pass us by without us feeling anything different.

As we were moving right along, I glance back and see that Bob and Ingrid have changed into some skimpy swim wear. Not exactly the yellow dental floss attire that Bob had worn earlier in the trip. But still Risqué enough to grab the attention of any male, and more than a few other females.

I already knew that Bob's body was stunning. Ingrid caught me off guard and surprised me! In her street clothes she presented herself as having a, what is the German word for it...ah yes, a "Zaftig" figure. Very " rounded curves".

But when wearing the bikini that she was wearing today...She reminded me of a statue of a nude Greek Goddess. True, her curves were rounded...but you could clearly see some muscle definition. My very first thought when I saw her was "Oh my god, I bet that girl could squeeze her thighs together and crush a man's skull as easy as squeezing a tomato!"