No Man’s Land

No Man's Land: The Mississippi Tour

Jarod Finn as master of a Mississippi Cruise Sternwheeler was carrying on a family tradition. His great grandmother, Becky, had taken and given her child her lover's last name, even though there was no hint of matrimony. She called him, Jarod, because she would never give a child the only first name she knew his sperm donor by. Becky passed herself off as a Civil War widow, which side her husband died for changed depending to whom she was talking. She eventually (re)married an upstanding member of a church she was trying out. Thus her son, Jarod, had a middle class upbringing.

The first Jarod trained on all kinds of boats creating himself a career as a Mississippi river man. He even worked for a year with his sperm donor, though neither knew of their relationship. He saw that there was demand for a ferry service to take Mississippi men to Louisiana women, and an even better return business carrying Looser-iana women to Mississippi. His father bought Jarod two boats and became a silent partner in the ferry business, and an offshoot business on the Mississippi shore that his church would not approve of. Both businesses prospered, and through the generations, two ferries became four sternwheelers, one of which was a permanently moored casino. The other business was considered the best house in three states.

The latest Jarod had the same name as his father and grandfather but felt no need to add a number at the end. He was not married, preferring variety. As master of the Thomas Stonewall, he had many pretty single tourists and some married ones who wanted to experience a steamboat captain. If he was feeling paranoid or an imposing husband was present, he avoided the married ones, but he seldom slept alone.

June Johnstone had booked a week long Mississippi River cruise, New Orleans to Vicksburg, for her husband and herself, but a crisis happened at work and her husband, George, couldn't go. She offered the spare ticket to her sister, and June had a traveling companion. June's sister, Stacy, was delighted for the diversion, because she had just finished a hostile divorce. June and Stacy flew from Cincinnati for New Orleans on a Friday. They had dinner at Antoine's on Saturday night. After breakfast at Brennan's, they embarked on the Stonewall on Sunday afternoon.

Since June and Stacy were the two prettiest women on this trip, not a high bar to pass on this particular tour, Jarod made sure that they were seated at the Captain's Table. This was not a great honor since there were only seven tables on the Stonewall. Stacy, unattached for the first time in five years, was in full flirt mode, but her interest was on the first mate, Steve, not Jarod. Jarod easily turned his attention to June. He had not picked a favorite sister when they were seated, so June, while a target of opportunity, was not a second choice.

The Stonewall was not a showboat. Jarod's family spent the entertainment money on a Mississippi River historian. They had a tape music system for dancing after dinner. Since the average hair color for tourists was gray, Jarod chose popular music from the forties through the sixties.

After a few moderately fast dances with June, the songs became slower and more romantic. He chose to end the dancing with Sinatra's, The Way You Look Tonight. Jarod took June back to her cabin. The two hundred feet took thirty minutes, in which June told him about her family. Jarod found out that George, her husband, was in his mid fifties, and June was about ten years younger. June's two children were a daughter, Susan, a junior in college, and Bob, a senior in high school.

Jarod was thirty eight, a good age to entrance a forty five year old married woman approaching the empty nest. When they reached her cabin, Jarod said:

"With the way you look tonight, there is only one thing to do."

He kissed her firmly on the lips. He did not open his mouth. The kiss was more than a peck, but well short of necking. June thought to protest, but returned the kiss with a closed mouth as well. During the kiss, she felt his erection, and he felt her nipples firming on his chest. June wanted to say something, but was conflicted. She just smiled and closed the door. June felt both invigorated and guilty over the incident. For the first time in a month she caressed her clit to soothe herself to sleep. She was sure, however, that she would never tell her husband of this night. Stacy rolled in at three in the morning, and found June sleeping like an angel. Jarod went back to his cabin satisfied with a successful first step.

June sat next to Jarod at dinner the next evening. They danced every dance to the romantic tunes that Jarod selected. This time the last song was the Righteous Brothers, Unchained Melody. She molded herself to his body. Jarod walked slowly along the deck with June; this time he did most of the talking. He told of adventures on the Mississippi. Some were his own, some he adapted from Mark Twain. They ended up at his room.

"We will soon be passing Baton Rouge. The view of the lights from the captain's cabin is unique."

June allowed herself to be led to the large forward windows. The lights of Baton Rouge witnessed Jarod initiating a kiss. This time June opened her mouth. The kiss continued away from the windows. June found herself half lying on a couch. Jarod's hand was caressing her thigh.

"I hunger to touch you."

"Please, I am married."

June, however, did not break the kiss, and she never said, "No." She opened her legs slightly to give him better access. Then she gave him complete control. He pushed aside her panties, and finding her fully lubricated, he filled her to the hilt. June's method of birth control for the past fifteen years was George's vasectomy. When she was younger she felt that the Cincinnati Amtrak station should check on her period, before setting their clock. Lately, however, it was off and on. The issue of birth control just didn't occur to her. While continuing his kiss, Jarod removed her panties, and entered her a second time. It was a less frenzied, longer session. Afterward, Jarod walked a dazed June back towards her cabin. This time there were no stories. A long kiss at the entrance to the hall that led to her cabin, and June continued alone.

It was 2 AM, Stacy had just returned and was preparing for bed. She was startled by June's appearance, and shocked to see that her panties were gone.

"What are you doing! Are you crazy? You can destroy your marriage."

"It was just once. You've done it for two nights. Who are you to talk?"

"We are in different positions. I am single. Where are your panties? Did you give him a souvenir? You did not need to. He has collected lots of lingerie."

Not another word was said as they went to bed.

The next morning, Stacy tried a new approach:

"I am sorry for yelling at you last night. Let me tell you about Steve. He has slept with about twenty five women in the past year. We both know that this is a fling. The only continuity will be if Steve gets an Ohio riverboat, and I am not in an exclusive relationship, he will have an easy lay in Cincinnati. I am single and I can do that. Jarod is the captain and in an even better position than Steve. He has had fifty women in the past year. If he put notches in his bed post, he would not have a bed post. I am risking nothing, you are risking the life you built. I will not criticize you again. As they said on NYPD blue, "Be careful out there."

June only spent one night in her cabin in the remaining days of the tour. Stacy and she were on good terms as they left Vicksburg for Cincinnati. June was not worried that her period did not appear on the first two days listed on her calendar. She had not been as regular for the past two years. At two weeks, she peed on the stick. She was shocked that the plus appeared. She made a tearful call to Stacy. Stacy was upbeat. I have personal experience with a place near the airport. If it is your first miss, they might just use drugs, not even a vacuum. Even June herself was surprised when she said:

"I won't kill my baby."

"June, don't be crazy. With your abortion, George will never know. Even if he knew, he might have accepted your week's vacation from your marriage. He will never accept looking at your infidelity across the breakfast table each morning. A birth will kill your marriage."

"Stacy, you are right. I should have the abortion. Having the baby will end my life with George. It is the sensible solution. I have probably lost my mind, but I am going to have the baby."

June had a healthy full term baby girl, Geraldine. The birth took place two weeks after her divorce became final. George was civil, and June was left well enough off to live a middle class lifestyle. That is, if she is careful with her budget. June dealt with Jarod without a lawyer. After a DNA test, he agreed to putting $300 per month in a joint stock account for June and Geraldine for the next twenty years. June realized that she would have to raise her child without either George or Jarod. When she left the boat, what she thought was Vicksburg was, in reality, no man's land.

The positive note: Stacy loved spoiling her niece, Geraldine.