One Magical Day

One perfect summer day for Starsky and Hutch.

Written for the 2020 Starsky and Hutch Solstice Calendar

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. The sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the grass was green and lush. Starsky lay back and looked up at the few puffy white clouds that drifted by. A little way away, Hutch was setting up a portable barbeque. A large, filled picnic cooler sat beside him, brimming with goodies.

Starsky felt good. No, better than good, he felt great. Sighing happily, he hoisted himself up to sitting, and rummaged in the cooler for a beer. “Hutch,” he said, “this is the life. A week of vacation. No cares, no worries, beautiful day, good food, good company… What could be better?”

“You could come here and help me set this thing up,” Hutch groused, but his heart wasn’t in the complaint. “Ah! There we go.” The final piece snapped in place and the barbeque was complete. He set it down and reached for the bag of charcoal that lay near. He poured the briquettes into the grill, doused them with charcoal lighter, and carefully ignited them. They flared up with a “fwomph” noise.

“Come over here, Babe,” Starsky called. “Those coals will take awhile to burn down.” Hutch reached into the cooler for a beer for himself, and then sat down next to his lover. He moved over and kissed him. Starsky put his beer down and leaned into the kiss.

They made out for awhile, not in a rush, but slowly and comfortably. This was old and familiar territory by now, yet somehow always new and fresh; the press of lips, the swipe of tongue, the pressure of hands moving and touching.

Finally they broke apart to come up for air. “How long until we eat?” Starsky asked, taking a long swallow of his beer.

“Mushbrain,” Hutch laughed. “I have to cook it first. The coals should be ready in a few minutes.”

“I’m hungry now,” Starsky complained, pouting. “You got my appetite going, my big, beautiful blond.”

Hutch laughed again. “There’s stuff in the cooler. Don’t spoil your appetite.”

“Not much chance of that,” Starsky grumbled. “I’m too hungry.” He poked through the cooler. “Mmm! Cheese and crackers and pepperoni!” He popped a cube of cheddar in his mouth, followed by a slice of the meat.

“Some of the fruit would be healthier,” Hutch lectured, and helped himself to a plum.

Starsky dug in the cooler again, and came out with a handful. He held it up. “Beulah, peel me a grape!” he commanded in his best Mae West impersonation.

Hutch ruffled Starsky’s hair. “Goofball,” he said, plucking one of the grapes from the bunch and popping it into Starsky’s mouth.

Starsky quickly kissed the invading fingers, then grimaced. “Ew, you taste like lighter fluid,” he complained.

“That’s what you get,” Hutch admonished. “And that reminds me,” he added, “it’s time to start the burgers.”

He placed the grill on the barbeque and unwrapped four fat burgers that had been carefully packed in the cooler. Then he laid them out on the grill. They sizzled appetizingly. They smelled even better.

Starsky got up and the two men stood by the barbeque watching the meat brown. Hutch flipped them over, and juice ran from them into the coals below, sending fragrant smoke into the air. They waited, occasionally snacking, as the burgers cooked. Soon they were done.

Starsky pulled buns and cheese from the cooler, and paper plates from a bag, and quickly each man had two perfect cheeseburgers. There were cartons of coleslaw and potato salad in the cooler, and a bottle of ketchup. They had slices of tomato and onion, still crisp. “The only thing missing,” Starsky said mournfully, “is an order of fries.”

“You tell me how to grill an order of fries,” Hutch said, pointing sternly at him, “And next time we’ll have them.” Starsky laughed.

For dessert they had a cherry pie, with a can of whipped cream kept cold in the cooler. Finally replete, they both leaned back against each other.

The coals burned down to embers. “Too bad we didn’t bring marshmallows,” Starsky mumbled. “We coulda’ toasted them and made s’mores.”

“If you want them, next time we will,” Hutch said indulgently. They each popped open another beer.

Daylight lingered, but eventually a gorgeous sunset spread over the sky. Fireflies, rare in California, but present, started blinking. “Hey,” Hutch said. “You know what today is?”

“The first day of our weeks vacation,” Starsky said in satisfaction.

“Of course, Doofus. I meant aside from that. It’s the summer solstice,” Hutch said. “The longest day of the year.”

“Oh yeah. I knew that. The first day of summer, too.”

“That’s right.”

“I know something else about the solstice,” Starsky went on.

“What’s that?”

“It’s supposed to be a magic time,” Starsky said dreamily. “Elves and fairies and magic creatures and stuff. That would be nice, Hutch. A little magic.”

Hutch chuckled. He put his arms around Starsky and nuzzled his neck. “I don’t need any more magic. I already have my magic creature.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” Starsky leaned into Hutch and nibbled his ear.

“I have you.”