Easy Riding

Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin’ go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space”
Born to be wild
    Words and music by Mars Bonfire
    Performed by Steppenwolf, from the movie Easy Rider

“Hey, Starsky! I didn’t know that you were working this shift. I didn’t see you come in this morning,” rookie police officer Ken Hutchinson called across the squad room to his friend and fellow rookie David Starsky, as he searched for a pen to sign out with. It had been a long, tiring shift, and he was more than ready to go home.

Starsky shrugged wearily. “I was late. Last minute change, or I would have told you I was coming in.” He tossed his uniform cap on the nearest desktop, ran his fingers through his short curls, and started his own sign-out.

“Wish you had. If I’d known, you could have given me a ride in and saved me a cab fare.” Hutch shut the desk drawer where he’d just found a pen.

Starsky laughed. “What, that piece of junk you call a car finally crap out on you?”

“No!” Hutch protested indignantly, stung by his words, but then, more honestly he added, “Well, yeah. I had to get it towed last night. But it’s fixable.”

Starsky snorted. “I keep telling you should get something better from my Uncle Al. Oh well, at least I can give you a ride home tonight. And maybe stay awhile if you don’t have any plans.”

“Well, I’m not doing anything, but what about you? No date tonight?”

“I was supposed to be working late today, remember? Didn’t have time to arrange anything when they changed my schedule around.” Starsky put the finishing touches on his paperwork.

Hutch noticed his friend didn’t ask about his own lack of a date. It was an unspoken subject between them that Hutch was still recovering from the breakup of his marriage. It was just before Christmas, slightly over a month ago, that Vanessa had gone back to her family in Duluth, and Starsky had been gently nurse-maiding him ever since.

Hutch had been working on his own paperwork as they spoke. Now he finished it. “There. That’s done. I’m ready when you are.”

“Right. Let’s go.” Starsky set his uniform cap at a jaunty angle and ushered Hutch through the squad room door.

It was nearly dark as they climbed into Starsky’s car and headed towards Hutch’s cottage apartment.

“You want to stay for awhile? I’ll order a pizza,” Hutch suggested, as Starsky pulled his car up in front of Hutch’s building.

“Sure. Pepperoni?”

“Starsk, that stuff’s no good for you.” Hutch shook an admonishing finger at Starsky. “Fat. Salt. Preservatives. We can get one with extra vegetables. Much healthier.”

“Hutch, pizza ain’t supposed to be good for you. It’s supposed to taste good.”

Hutch just laughed. The two men started up the front walk.

Suddenly Hutch tensed and froze. Something wasn’t right.

“Hutch? What’s wrong?”

Hutch pointed to the window, where a light shone into the evening. “I didn’t leave that on when I left. Someone’s been here.”

“The landlord?”

“Maybe,” Hutch said doubtfully, as he loosened his gun in his holster. He moved up to one side of the doorway and silently motioned Starsky to the other. Carefully he touched the doorknob. The door was unlocked. “On three,” he whispered. Starsky nodded.

Hutch counted.

“Freeze! Police!” Hutch barked out as the two men burst into the room, guns drawn.

The figure in the room sitting in the armchair looked up, apparently unfazed. “Hi, Ken.”

Hutch stared. Then, relaxing, he put his gun away. This was the one possibility he hadn’t wanted to think about. “Hello, Vanessa,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

Vanessa sighed ruefully. “I’m sorry Ken, I should have called and told you I was back in town, but you know how it is. I just wanted to talk to you about setting a time to pick up my things.” She gestured vaguely around the apartment.

Hutch slumped. “Oh. Yeah.” What had he been thinking, that she might have changed her mind? And was he even hoping she would? “When do you want to…?”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Starsky broke in. “Hutch, you aren’t going to let her just come waltzing back here and take whatever she likes from you?” He glared pugnaciously at Vanessa.

She switched her attention to him for the first time. “I see you have a guard dog, Ken. Your friend David, isn’t it?” she asked, mild amusement in her tone.

“It’s OK, Starsk. Some of this stuff is hers. She has the right to take it.”

“Shouldn’t you let your lawyer decide that?” Starsky protested. “After all, she left you, not the other way around.”

“I love the way all your friends always feel they need to protect you from Big Bad Vanessa. Honestly, David, I don’t bite.” She smiled sweetly.

Starsky glowered. “You could have fooled me,” he growled.

“Drop it, Starsk. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this.”

Starsky sighed and raised his hands in resignation. “Your call, Partner.” He moved back and sat down on the couch, though still keeping a close eye on them.

“OK, Van, when do you want to start moving things out?” The faster they could get it over with, the better.

Vanessa was suddenly all business. “This weekend, Saturday and Sunday. I’m going to rent a U-Haul.”

Hutch eyed her warily. “Can you drive one?” He assumed she’d end up getting him to do it.

“Don’t be silly, Ken,” Vanessa laughed. “I have someone to drive for me. Roger.” There was something in the way she said the words that left no doubt in Hutch’s mind that “Roger” was more than just a friend. “We’ll be here around 8:00 Saturday morning.” She glanced at Starsky. “I assume you’ll want to be here with your bodyguard to make sure I don’t walk off with any of your treasures.”

Hutch shook his head. Meeting Vanessa’s new boyfriend was about the last thing he wanted to do. “No, I won’t be here. I trust you,” he said.

Starsky started to say something but Hutch held out a warning hand, and he settled back, glaring at Vanessa.

“All right then, that’s settled. I’ll be here at 8:00 am Saturday. Bye, Ken!” She looked over at Starsky. “David, always a pleasure.” She rose elegantly to her feet and gave a little wave as she glided to the door.

After she left, Hutch collapsed on the couch next to Starsky.

Starsky gave him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. “Are you really sure you want to trust her here by herself?” he asked, concern in his voice and worry in his eyes.

“Yeah. She’s not vindictive, Starsk. She might take something of mine if she wanted it, but she’s not going to take stuff she doesn’t want, or damage anything just for spite.” He looked around the small apartment. “And about the only things that she might want that aren’t hers are some of the records.”

“Anything you want to keep safe, you can store at my place, you know.”

“Thanks. That’s not a bad idea.”

“If you’re really sure you don’t want to be here.”

“Starsk, being here while Van and her new boyfriend empty out the place is not something I want to do. In fact, I’d like to be about a hundred miles away the whole time.”

Starsky brightened. “Now, that I can help you with.”

“What do you mean?” Hutch asked. “I’m off this weekend, but aren’t you working?”

“Yeah, but someone owes me a favor big time for this schedule shift today. I can call that in and get the time off, and then I’ll take you out of town. We’ll have a road trip. It’ll be great!”

“A road trip?” Hutch asked dubiously. It sounded like one of Starsky’s weird schemes that didn’t work out quite the way they were planned.

“Yeah, sure! I’ll pick you up here after work on Friday, and we’ll go.” Starsky bounced enthusiastically.

“Go where?” The sudden shift in Starsky’s mood had left Hutch confused

Starsky smiled mysteriously. “Leave that to me. And, hey, don’t pack more than can fit in a large backpack, OK?”

“A backpack? You’re scaring me, Starsky. Don’t you hate camping?”

“Who said anything about camping? Backpacks are good for lots of things.” Starsky waved a hand airily. “Don’t worry about it, Hutch, just leave everything to me. In the meantime, you want to look at your records, and make anything that Vanessa might want to swipe go away?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, that’s a good idea.”

They spent the rest of the evening eating pizza and going through Hutch’s music collection. By the time Starsky thought he should go home, they had a neat pile of records that Hutch felt would be safer at Starsky’s place for the duration.

“So, you need me to pick you up tomorrow?” Starsky asked, as he was getting ready to go.

“Yeah, if you can. I asked Sergeant Keller if he could pick me up but he lives off in the other direction.” Keller was the older officer he’d been partnered with for his training period.

“I live off in the other direction too,” Starsky reminded him.

“Yeah, but you’ll do it for me anyway,” Hutch pointed out with a grin.

“Only because I have a thing for tall blonds,” Starsky said with a wink. He swatted Hutch on the rear, and left with the stack of records.

The next day Starsky picked him up for work as promised. That evening his own car was finished, so Starsky drove him to the mechanic to pick it up.

Before he left, he reminded him of their weekend plans. “Don’t forget, Hutch, Friday, your place, after work, with not more than you can put in a backpack.”

“Starsk, I don’t even own a backpack.”

“That’s OK, I’ll bring mine. We’ll be using the same one.”

Hutch felt a thread of disquiet go through him. “Why only one backpack between us, Starsky? In fact, why backpacks at all?”

Starsky smiled mysteriously. “You’ll see. Honestly, Hutch, it’ll be fun. Just trust me. You do trust me, don’t you?” His expression was such a study in winsome anxiety that Hutch melted a little inside, even though he knew it was only partly real.

“Of course I trust you,” he assured him.

Starsky’s smile could have lit the universe. “Alright then. I’ll see you Friday,” he said as he drove off. Hutch got into his newly repaired car with the unquiet feeling that somehow he’d been had.

Finally Friday evening came. Hutch, still uncertain of the wisdom of letting Starsky make their plans, was just putting the last item on the pile of things he’d picked out to bring, small enough to fit in a large backpack, as ordered, when he heard a God-awful racket from outside. It sounded like the Hells Angels were rolling into his driveway.

Automatically he reached for his gun. Peering out the window, he was startled to realize that the din was, in fact, a motorcycle, with Starsky on it, pulling up in front of his cottage.

In a mild state of shock, he put the gun away. Starsky had pulled off his helmet and was walking to the house when Hutch opened the door and met him.

“Starsky, what the hell is that?” he said, gesturing at the vehicle.

“That, my friend, is a motorcycle. A Harley-Davidson, finest machine made,” Starsky said with pride.

“I know it’s a motorcycle, dimwit, I meant where did it come from and what is it doing in front of my house?”

“I told you I’d pick you up this evening.”

“Yeah, but I assumed you meant in your car!”

Starsky patted his shoulder. “Nope! I borrowed this from a friend. I told you. We are taking a road trip! Like that movie last year, Easy Rider. We are going to go to find America!”

“In a weekend? Besides, Starsk, in the movie don’t they die at the end? And before they do, they did a lot of things we aren’t allowed to do because we’re cops, and it was illegal!”

“Minor points, Hutch. I didn’t say we were going to be them, I said we were going to be like them. It’ll be great! You need something to take you away, get your mind off things, right? What could be better?”

Hutch circled the motorcycle dubiously. “I can’t drive one of these things.”

“That’s OK, I can. Got my license and everything. So I’ll be doing the driving. You’ll ride behind me.”

“Starsky! That’s where the bikers put their girlfriends!”

Starsky gave him a long appraising look, up and down, so intimate that Hutch almost blushed. “I don’t think anyone’s going to mistake you for a chick, Hutch. Even with a helmet on.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Now come on, let’s get you packed,” Starsky cut him off.

Hutch followed him into the house with a vague feeling of doing something he was going to regret later. But somehow, it was impossible for him to say no to Starsky.

Inside, Starsky tossed him the backpack he’d been carrying. “Here ya’ go, I left you lots of room. All I took was a toothbrush, my razor, and some spare socks and shirts. And underwear.”

Hutch started shoving some tee shirts into the backpack. “Underwear? I thought you usually went commando when you were out of uniform,” he said snidely.

“Ha, ha. Not when I’m going to be wearing the same pair of jeans for three days! Told you I was leaving all the room in the backpack for you.”

“Thanks,” Hutch said dryly, and finished stuffing his belongings in the pack.

“OK, let’s go! Hutch, you’d better dress warm and wear your leather jacket. And I’ve got a helmet for you.”

Hutch pulled on a sweater and his coat, taking a last look around him as he did. Who knew what the apartment would look like when he got back, after Vanessa finished? In a way, this was really the end. Before this, since nothing in the place had changed, he could pretend that Vanessa had simply gone out somewhere, and would be back soon. Now he was going to have to face the reality of her permanent absence.

Sighing, he closed the apartment door carefully behind him, and turned his attention to where Starsky waited patiently beside the motorcycle. He handed him a helmet that was hanging off the side of the cycle, and Hutch obediently put it on.

“I never rode one of these things, you know, Starsk.”

“Never? You got a treat coming, then. Now climb up here, and you put your feet on the rests here… OK, good. You get to wear the backpack, ’cause you’re behind me.”

He pulled the pack onto his back as Starsky mounted in front of him. “You have to put your arms around me, and hang on tight,” Starsky said, adjusting his helmet.

Hutch leaned against the warm bulk of Starsky’s back, put his arms around his waist, and held on.

Starsky revved the motor. “And away we go, Partner,” he said, and they were off.

The first thing Hutch noticed was the noise in his ears, making it impossible to hear anything else. But soon awareness of it faded into a general background roar, and he felt almost in a hypnotic state as they drove through the evening.

He was glad that Starsky had told him to wear his leather coat. It was cold riding, and the rushing air chilled his unprotected hands. He found them moving without his conscious volition up under Starsky’s jacket, staying warm against Starsky’s stomach.

He leaned against Starsky, his face resting against his back. The highway lights rushed past one after another, and soon he’d lost all sense of time. The twilight they’d started in darkened into night and still they went on. They might have been riding for hours, or even days.

Hutch felt reality slipping away from him. Maybe you really could leave your troubles behind, at least for a while. Nothing seemed real any more except the darkness, the noise and cold rush of air, and the warmth of Starsky in his arms. He felt almost as if he were in a dream.

They took highways for most of the trip, but eventually Hutch realized they’d turned onto a smaller road. Then finally, they turned into a parking lot, and Starsky stopped.

Abruptly reality washed back over him. “Starsk? Where are we?” he asked.

Starsky dismounted from motorcycle with a practiced swing. “Does it matter?’ he asked, giving Hutch a hand down. “We’re over a hundred miles from Bay City, let’s leave it at that. That’s what you wanted, and that’s what you got. And this is the fabulous Starlite Motel.”

For the first time Hutch realized that they were in a motel parking lot. A neon sign in pink proclaimed that it had vacancies.

“Looks like a hot-sheets place,” Hutch grumbled.

“So what if it is? We’re here for the weekend, not an afternoon quickie. Come on, I‘ll get us a room.”

Obediently Hutch followed him to the motel office, where Starsky got them a double for two nights. He collected the key and led the way to their room.

“We’re staying the whole weekend here?”

“Well, we could move on if you want to, Hutch, but this seemed as good a place as any.” He emptied the backpack on one of the beds, and started throwing his clothes into a dresser drawer.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Hutch looked around the small room. Two beds, two dressers, a TV, and a phone. It looked the same as millions of other motel rooms across the country. When he dropped his clothing in his own dresser drawer, he was unsurprised to find a Gideon Bible tucked inside. “So what are we going to do for the weekend?”

“We’ll play it as it comes. For right now, there’s a diner across the street, and I’m starved.”

“Yeah, OK, sounds good.”

In the diner, Hutch ordered a burger and fries. Starsky had a meatloaf platter. The food was passable, but not memorable, though the pie they had for dessert was pretty good. “Worthy of a second piece,” Starsky characterized it, and ordered one.

They paid the check and sauntered out into the darkness. There was a bar down the street, and music drifted through the night air.

“Feel like getting a drink?” Starsky asked.

Hutch shook his head. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather just head back to the room and get some rest. It’s been a long day. You go if you want.”

“Naw, if you’re not going, I’ll stay in too. We can pick up a six-pack at the store there.” He gestured towards a small grocery that was still open.

They got beer and some bags of potato chips and headed back to the motel. Once there, Starsky sprawled across his bed and indicated Hutch should join him. “There should be some good stuff on TV,” he said enthusiastically.

They watched an old movie, with the six-pack and the chips comfortably positioned between them. Afterwards, Hutch felt himself starting to drift off, so he got back into his own bed. “You ready to call it a night, Starsk?”

Starsky smothered a huge yawn. “Yeah, I guess so. See you in the morning, Partner.” He reached over and turned out the light.

For a while, Hutch lay awake in the darkness, listening to Starsky’s breathing. “Starsky, are you awake?” he asked eventually.

“Hmmmm? Yeah, wassup?” Starsky mumbled sleepily.

“Just wanted to say thank you for doing this.”

“No problem, nothin’s too good for my partner. Now go to sleep.”

Smiling, Hutch rolled over and closed his eyes.

The next morning was damp and gray. The two men slept late, and then went out to the diner again for brunch.

“So what’s plans for the rest of the day?” Hutch asked, as he finished his steak and eggs.

“It’s your day, what do you want to do?” Starsky mopped up a last bit of syrup with his final forkful of French toast.

“What is there to do here, anyway? Honestly, Starsk, if we were going to do this road trip idea, maybe a bigger town would have been a better idea.”

“So what do the locals do around here for fun? There has to be something.”

“The locals probably go into the city for the day,” Hutch said dryly.

“Ha, ha, very funny. Look, let’s just take a walk around, and see what they have.”

There wasn’t much. The motel they were staying at was on the outskirts of the little town. A bit past it was the small grocery store, and the bar they had heard the night before. It was named the Dew-drop Inn, a name that Hutch was to recall with amusement several years later, when he first heard the Charlie Daniels Band song “Uneasy Rider”.

After seeing that there wasn’t anything else of interest close to hand, they got back on Starsky’s motorcycle to see what was farther in.

Parking on Main Street, they took a walk through the center of town. There they discovered a movie theater, which, to Starsky’s obvious delight, was still playing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. “Bit late considering the movie’s been out since October, isn’t it?” Hutch asked.

“So what? It’s a great flick, Hutch, did you see it yet?”

“No. Actually, I would like to,” he admitted. “When it came out, I didn’t get a chance. Vanessa didn’t want to, and I didn’t want to go alone.” It had been obvious at that point that the marriage was falling apart, but Hutch had been trying anything to keep it going, letting Van have her way in everything, never making any kind of waves. He had held it together a little bit longer, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. Nothing would have been enough, Hutch was slowly beginning to realize.

“You should have called me; I’d have gone with you.” Starsky patted his shoulder. “Anyway, we can see it now. Five o’clock showing, what do you say?”

“Still leaves us with some time to kill, but sure, why not?”

They turned back towards where the bike was parked, to discover that a large man in a sheriff’s uniform was standing by it.

“Uh oh. Looks like we’ve attracted some attention,” Hutch muttered. He wasn’t surprised. Two strangers on a motorcycle staying at the local motel couldn’t have been a common occurrence.

“No problem,” Starsky whispered back. “After all, you can’t have a road trip story without the guys running into the law, right?”

“But Starsky, we are the law!”

“Just leave it to me, Hutch.”

They walked up to the sheriff. “Hi officer, can we help you?” Starsky asked cordially.

“You boys new in town?” the sheriff asked, firmly, but with no overt hostility, Hutch was relieved to note.

“We’re just passing through,” Hutch said. “Staying up at the Starlite.”

“Going to be there long?” the sheriff asked.

“Just the weekend,” Starsky explained.

“Got some ID I can see?”

Hutch smiled in amusement and glanced at Starsky, who shrugged. They pulled out their wallets.

It was interesting, Hutch thought, to watch how the sheriff’s attitude changed from suspicion to cordiality immediately after seeing their badges, though with a touch of concern. “You aren’t up here for any professional reason?” he asked.

“No, just needed to get away from the city for awhile,” Hutch reassured him.

“Well, I can understand that,” the sheriff said with a smile. “OK, boys, have fun. Don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

“Sure thing, Sheriff,” Hutch said, smiling in return. He waved as the sheriff walked away.

“Suspicious kinda’ guy,” Starsky commented once he was out of earshot.

“You can’t really blame him. I don’t suppose they get many tourists through here. Which makes me wonder, how did you find this place, anyway?”

Starsky shrugged. “I just looked at a map for small towns, then I checked in a phone book for which ones had motels. I’ve never been here before, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I’m impressed you went through all that effort.” Starsky might talk as if it was no big deal, but Hutch knew how much was involved in going through all the different phone books. He was touched that Starsky had bothered.

“Ah, it was nothing,” Starsky said dismissively, but he was plainly pleased. “Now whata’ you want to do to kill time ‘til the movie?”

Hutch shrugged. “Want to keep looking around town?”

“Sure.”

They found there was a small park with a pond. When they settled on a bench, a flock of ducks waddled up quacking expectantly.

Hutch laughed. “They think we’re going to feed them.”

Starsky held out his empty hands. “Sorry, birds.” However, the arrival of a mother and her young children with a bag of stale bread saved the ducks from disappointment. Hutch watched with vicarious enjoyment as the children threw their bread happily to the quacking mob. It seemed so long since he’d had such a good time just watching someone else’s pleasure.

After the bag was empty, the mother took her children off to the park playground with a friendly smile. The two men walked around the park awhile, not talking much. It seemed to be enough just to be together enjoying the day. Starsky tried some mild flirting with a girl walking her dog, but didn’t get very far.

At last it was time to go back to the theater for the movie. Starsky bought a big bag of popcorn and they took seats towards the front.

Hutch loved it. Afterwards, getting dinner at the diner again, they sat and discussed it.

“Ya’ know, that’s how I want to go when it’s my time. In a blaze of glory, with my best friend beside me,” Starsky said.

Hutch was more dubious. “I don’t know, Starsk. I’d like to live to a bit older than they were.”

Starsky shrugged. “Well, OK. Yeah, a long life first. But then, who wants to die in bed? We go out with a bang!”

---

“We?”

“Well, yeah, you’re my best friend, Hutch, who did you think I meant?”

“I suppose I should be pleased you want me to die with you, Starsky, but somehow it’s not an awfully inviting prospect.”

Starsky pouted. “You mean you don’t want to run off to Bolivia with me and be a bank robber?”

Hutch chuckled. “Might I remind you that we are cops, Starsky? Living a life of banditry is not part of the job description.”

“But it’s something to hold in reserve. In case things ever get to the point we can’t keep going up here.”

Hutch laughed, but there was something in Starsky’s attitude that he couldn’t ignore. “Well, OK,” he conceded. “I’ll tell you what, Starsk. If things up here ever get to bad to go on, we’ll do it. We’ll run off to Bolivia and be bank robbers.”

Starsky smiled broadly. “OK, Partner, it’s a deal. I’ll drink to that.” He held up his glass of root beer in a toast. Hutch clinked it with his iced tea. They drank. “So whata’ you want to do after dinner?”

Hutch shrugged. “We could check out the Dew-drop Inn. Sounded like a pretty lively place last night.”

“Good idea. We can pick up a couple of chicks; take them back to the motel.”

“Starsky, we only have one room!”

“Don’t tell me you never did it in a room with another couple, Hutch! I thought all you college guys were doing wild and crazy stuff like that.”

Hutch sighed. “Starsk, I was with Vanessa through most of my college years. And sharing a room with another couple is not something she would ever have put up with.”

“Oh yeah, guess it wouldn’t really be her style. Still, though, before her, you never even made out with a girl when there was another couple there?”

“’Fraid not, buddy.”

“That’s a pity.” Starsky grinned lasciviously. “Sometimes it’s kinda’ a turn on, if you know what I mean, watching what the other guys are doin’. Kinda’ like when we were watching the kids feed the ducks, you know? Just fun watching someone else have fun.” He wagged his eyebrows humorously, then got more serious. “But if you really feel weird about it, you can take the motel room, and I’ll figure out something else.”

Hutch toyed with his fork. “That’s OK, Starsk. If you find a girl, you take the room and I’ll just take a long walk or something. I’m not going to be picking up anyone tonight.”

Starsky gave him a hard look. “Hutch, don’t you think it’s time? You told me you used to go riding when you were a kid, right? I don’t know much about horses, but I know they say when you fall off one, you have to get right back on. Well, it’s time to get back on the horse now.”

Hutch couldn’t help laughing. “Are you comparing having sex with a woman with riding a horse?”

Starsky chuckled. “Depends who’s on top, doesn’t it? But I’m serious. You can’t stay moping after Vanessa forever.”

“Starsky, it’s only been a month!”

“I’m not talking about marrying and settling down, Hutch! Just that it’s time to get out and start seeing people again. I hate to say it, but it seemed to me from the way she was talking yesterday that Vanessa’s already moved on.”

Hutch looked aside. “Yeah. Roger,” he said bitterly. “Whoever he is. I guess they’ve finished working on the apartment for today,” he added.

He didn’t mention the vision that filled his mind. Vanessa and the faceless Roger going back to… wherever they were staying. He was sure it would be luxurious. Vanessa didn’t go second rate. And he was sure there would be a big bed. And that it would be getting used tonight, and not for sleeping. He winced. Maybe Starsky was right. “Yeah, OK. I’ll give it a try.”

Starsky beamed. “That’s my boy! Come on, let’s go.”

They paid their bill and walked over to the Dew-drop Inn. It was a small bar, and not as busy as they expected. There must be larger places nearby that attracted more customers.

They took a table, and ordered drinks. Hutch looked around the room. There didn’t seem to be any unattached women, and he relaxed a little. If there was no one there for them to pick up, Starsky couldn’t blame him for it, right?

But then the door swung open, and a lone woman walked in. She was tall with dark curly hair, and heavily made up. She waved cheerily to some of the other patrons, and sat down at the bar and ordered. While she was waiting she scanned the room, and her gaze stopped when she caught sight of the two men.

She smiled in a friendly way, and Starsky lifted his glass and smiled back. Obviously taking that as the invitation it was, she collected her drink and joined them at their table.

“Hi, guys,” she said with a sultry smile, “Nice to see some new faces in here. My name’s Rosanna, but my friends call me Razz.” She was dark, and looked Italian. She was wearing a very low cut blouse and a miniskirt that left almost nothing to the imagination.

Starsky smiled broadly “Hi, Razz. I’m Dave Starsky. And Blondie over there is my friend Ken Hutchinson.”

“Pleased ta’ meetcha’. What are you boys doing here, anyway?” As she leaned over the table, her large breasts were practically falling out of her cleavage.

“We just came up here to take a break from work in the big city,” Starsky said.

“Oh? What do you guys do, then?”

“We’re police officers, down in Bay City,” Hutch explained.

“Ooh! I love guys who wear uniforms!”

“Sorry, we didn’t bring them with us. But we have our badges, see?” Starsky pulled out his wallet. Hutch got his out too, and Razz dutifully admired them.

“So, Razz, what do you do?” Hutch asked.

Razz took a swallow of her drink. “I just work at the hardware store on Main Street. But I’m not just going to do that for the rest of my life!” she added emphatically. “I’m taking secretarial classes at the Community College. Then when I’m done, I’m getting out of this dead town and moving to LA.”

“Now that’s what I like to see, a girl with ambition,” Starsky smiled.

“Oh yeah, I got lots of ambition,” Razz agreed. She licked her bright red lipstick til her lips were shining. “So why are you guys all the way out in the boonies up here?”

“Maybe we’re looking for a good secretary,” Starsky said with a grin.

“Oh, I bet you have plenty of good secretaries down in Bay City, just ready to take your dictation, good looking guys like you.” She winked, and emptied her glass.

“Would you like another drink?” Hutch asked.

“Sure! Rum and coke, please.”

It didn’t seem to be the type of place where a waiter would come and take your order, so Hutch went up to the bar. While he waited for the bartender to get to him, he watched Starsky in action with Razz. No doubt about who would be getting the girl tonight, he thought ruefully. The famous Starsky charm was working overtime.

He figured he could always take a walk in the park or something while Starsky and Razz did their thing.

He brought Razz’s drink back to the table, along with fresh ones for Starsky and himself.

“Thanks, beautiful!” she said, turning her attention on him. Hutch felt himself blush under her gaze. Maybe he had a better chance than he thought?

The evening moved on, and Hutch found himself actually enjoying the give and take and banter with the two of them. They all had a couple more drinks. Finally, Razz stood up.

“Pardon me, guys, I have to use the ladies.” She sashayed off towards the bathroom.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Starsky looked at Hutch. “So what do you think? Pretty good, huh?”

Hutch shrugged. “For you. I’ll find something to do while the two of you go off. Or maybe she has her own place nearby.”

“Uh uh, Hutch, I think we’re both getting lucky tonight.”

“Starsk, she’s only one girl.”

Starsky smiled. “Seems to me she’s into both of us.”

“Are you suggesting…?” Hutch swallowed nervously.

“A threesome? Sure! Don’t tell me you never…” Starsky trailed off. “No, I guess Vanessa wouldn’t have been into that either. Hutch, you sure missed a lot in what shoulda’ been your gettin’ crazy years. We have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

“Starsk, I’m not really sure I could… And maybe she doesn’t want to…” Hutch felt himself growing red at the thought.

“Hutch, trust me, OK? She’s gonna’ be into it, and we’ll all have a great time. It can really be hot sharing, ya’ know.” He gave Hutch one of his puppy-dog looks. “You do trust me, right?”

Hutch sighed. He just couldn’t turn down that look. And besides, there was a certain amount of… attractiveness in the idea. “Yeah, I trust you. OK, if she goes for it, we’ll do it.” After all, what was the worst that could happen? He did trust Starsky, no matter how things went, so all that he was really risking was a little embarrassment in front of a girl he’d never see again anyway.

“Great!” Starsky practically radiated joy.

Just then, Razz came back to the table.

“So Razz, you want to continue the party back in our hotel room?” Starsky asked.

She looked from one of them to the other, and a slow smile spread over her face. “Sure! I thought you’d never ask.” She gathered up her jacket.

They walked the short distance back to the Starlite, Razz with her arms wrapped around both of their waists. Hutch’s pulse was pounding in his ears. He felt unsteady on his feet, both from the drink, and from nervous anticipation. He couldn’t believe he was about to do this.

Inside the room, Starsky locked the door behind them. Razz tossed her jacket on a chair and slid her hands under Hutch’s shirt. “Mmmmm” she purred. “I’ve been wanting to do this all night.”

Later Hutch could never exactly remember the exact sequence of events that led to them naked on one of the beds. Certainly there had been a lot of kissing, and mutual undressing. And Starsky was right, it was one of the most erotic experiences of his life, lying pressed against Razz, feeling his erection against her hip, playing with her breasts, and watching as Starsky used his tongue and lips on her, his thick curls between her thighs, his hands under her buttocks, pulling her up to his mouth.

Her hands clutched Starsky’s hair, and she writhed and moaned. Hutch found himself getting hotter, breathing hard and rubbing himself against her, his hands moving over the slickness of the sweat on her breasts, kneading them, playing with her large nipples. It seemed to go on and on, and she came again and again under Starsky’s obviously talented mouth.

Eventually Starsky came up for air, wiping sweat off his forehead.

Razz whimpered a little, and moaned. “Oh, baby!” she gasped. “You’re something else!” A wicked look came over her face. “And from what I’ve felt poking me all the time you were doing it, your friend needs some attention, too.”

She rolled over on top of Hutch, positioning her face over his juttingly erect phallus. “Ooh, that’s nice,” she said, in a sultry tone. She ran her hands over his chest, down his abdomen. Hutch gulped as she took his straining cock in her hands and gently stroked it. She licked her lips til they shone, and then slowly, deliberately, moved her mouth down over the head of his erection.

Hutch gasped as the warmth and wetness enclosed him, and writhed helplessly as she crouched over him and got to work, licking and sucking him, her beautiful full ass in the air.

It was good. Vanessa had been skilled in this act, but Razz was better. Hutch moaned involuntarily, as she teased and tormented him, bringing him close, only to make him wait.

“Atta’ boy,” he heard Starsky say in approving tones, and he looked up to see his friend watching avidly as Razz brought him closer and closer.

Somehow, knowing that Starsky was watching his arousal, seeing the smoky lust in his eyes, sent Hutch even higher. He saw that Starsky was hard and erect too. It was as though he were somehow participating in Hutch’s ravishment. His eyes were glued to Razz’s mouth dipping over Hutch’s cock, and almost absently one hand reached down to stroke himself.

Razz took a brief pause from what she was doing to look over her shoulder at Starsky. “Don’t be shy, Gorgeous. If you see something you like, jump right in.” She giggled a little, and twitched her ass in emphasis, then returned her attention to Hutch.

“Sounds good to me sweetheart,” Starsky said huskily. He positioned himself behind her on the bed, his cock level with where Razz’s pussy must be, his hands on her hips. Hutch saw him thrust himself inside her gently but firmly, and felt her mouth tense on his organ as she gasped involuntarily and sighed, moving back against Starsky, setting up a rhythm that was transmitted to Hutch in her sucking and stroking.

Starsky moved one hand around to her front, playing with her as he thrust. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re good,” he whispered. She whimpered a little around Hutch’s cock in reply.

It seemed to go on and on. Hutch looked at her dark curls bobbing over his groin, and then over her shoulder at Starsky’s flushed, lust-filled expression, as he thrust into her, and it was as if both of them were making love to him. That image finally pushed him over the edge, and he came, gasping, thrusting deeply into Razz’s mouth and down her throat, as she swallowed everything he gave her.

As he threw his head backwards involuntarily, he saw Starsky’s flushed face convulsing in pleasure, and Starsky came too, thrusting deeply into Razz’s willing body, triggering her orgasm as well. Hutch held her as she came, shuddering and crying out her joy.

Panting, the three of them collapsed on the bed together. Hutch gently brushed some of Razz’s sweaty hair away from her eyes, and she smiled at him.

She nuzzled up against him. “Oh guys, that was amazing,” she sighed. She cushioned her head comfortably on Hutch’s shoulder, and Starsky curled up with them, playing with her in a drowsy way. Hutch felt sated and fulfilled, and more than that, he felt warm and protected, tucked in between the two of them. It didn’t take long before all three were cozily asleep.

The next morning Hutch woke with a start. Memory of the previous night rushed back into him and his eyes flew open.

He found Starsky and himself alone in the bed, though the sounds of the shower from the bathroom told him Razz hadn’t deserted them. His arm lay carelessly across Starsky’s chest, and Starsky was tucked closely against him. Disturbed by Hutch’s sudden movement, Starsky mumbled something inaudible, and sat up.

“Umm, hi…” Hutch started, embarrassed.

“Morning, beautiful!” Starsky said with a wink, apparently utterly unfazed. “Guess the lady’s using the bathroom. Sounds like a good idea to me.” He pulled himself up and climbed out of bed, stretching luxuriously, giving Hutch a full view of what he’d been using so proficiently the night before.

Just then, Razz walked out of the bathroom. She leaned up behind Starsky and wrapped her arms around him, one slender hand brushing the dark curls on his chest, one further down at his waist. “Hi guys! Sleep good?”

“Oh yeah,” Starsky agreed, turning to take her in his own arms. He was already visibly interested in another round.

“So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?” she asked, stroking him suggestively. “I have something to do in the afternoon, but I’m open to suggestions for the morning.”

“Seems like you already have something in mind,” Hutch put in.

“Well, maybe.” She twisted in Starsky’s grasp, and pulled him down on the bed with Hutch. “I was thinking that you guys work so well together, I was wondering if you ever rode double.”

“Rode double?” Hutch asked dubiously. “You mean…?”

“Front door, back door,” Razz said, huskily. “Both at once. But you gotta’ be able to keep a rhythm going, you know?”

“I think we could do that, don’t you, Hutch?” Starsky said seriously, but with a twinkle in his eye. “If there’s something we can use for lube,” he added.

“There’s lotion in the bathroom,” she said, fondling both men at once.

“Anything to oblige a lady,” Hutch said, more matter-of-factly than he actually felt, his mouth suddenly dry. This was the sort of thing he’d only read about in porn magazines. He never dreamed he would ever have the opportunity to try it himself.

“Then I’ll be right back,” Starsky said, detangling himself and heading for the bathroom.

Razz turned her full attention to Hutch in his absence. They kissed deeply and passionately, and she stroked and teased him erect again. He reached between her legs, and found her already hot, wet, and welcoming. By the time Starsky came back with the bottle of lotion, she had him positioned underneath her, rubbing him and sucking on one of his nipples.

Starsky got behind her with the lotion, and started working on her. Hutch couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but she moaned and wriggled in excitement at whatever it was.

“That’s it, baby,” Starsky murmured, “Not gonna’ rush any thing. Just relax. It’s all up to you. You tell us how it has to go.”

“Oh yeah!” Razz gasped. “That’s it. That’s right… Now wait. Let Blondie get started first.” She lowered herself onto his erect cock, pushing herself slowly down.

Hutch entered her soft, wet warmth, and an involuntary sigh escaped him at how good it was. It had been too long since he had had a woman, Starsky was right about that. Slowly he started moving in her, and she gasped and groaned happily.

“Now you,” she said over her shoulder, and Hutch felt the strange sensation of Starsky pushing gently into her, separated from him only by the thin wall of flesh between.

It was awkward at first, and once or twice Razz squeaked in discomfort until they got synchronized, Hutch pulling back as Starsky pushed in. But it didn’t take long to get it right, and once they did, it was the most amazing thing Hutch had ever experienced. The warmth and heat and wetness of her, as she moaned and clenched tight, combined with the sensation of Starsky’s cock sliding against his on every stroke was surrealistic, unbelievable.

Over her shoulder, Hutch could see Starsky’s face transfixed, overcome with what he was feeling, and a rush of emotion swept through Hutch, a sweep of affection, of bonding. This act, this mating through another person’s body, sealed Starsky to him, joined them together somehow. Was that why men did this? Why Starsky had done it before? Hutch briefly felt an irrational jealousy towards any man Starsky had ever shared this connection with, but that was washed away in the sensations, along with any other conscious thought, and he gave himself over to the feeling of taking Razz, of taking Starsky, and of being taken by both of them in return.

Starsky was gasping and panting, crying Razz’s name and Hutch’s indiscriminatingly, and then Razz gave a louder moan, and her hot, wet pussy convulsed around Hutch as she started to come. It pushed him over the edge, and then he was falling into her, and falling into Starsky, falling off the edge of the world as he came wildly, shooting his load deeply into her, and feeling at the same time the throb of Starsky’s orgasm as he came too, with a grunt and a cry.

They collapsed on each other on the bed, all panting.

After a few moments, Razz got her breath back. “Oh guys,” she sighed reverently, “You are good at this. You two are the best.”

“You’re pretty good yourself, Sweetheart,” Starsky murmured approvingly. Hutch could only manage a grunt of agreement. Razz nuzzled against him, and Starsky against her, and for a long time they stayed like that.

Then suddenly Razz gave a little gasp and sat up. “Oh wow! Look at the time! I have to get going!”

“Do you have time for breakfast first? On us?” Hutch asked politely. A meal seemed like the least they could do.

“Yeah, if we hurry.” She bounced up and headed into the bathroom.

Starsky rolled over and looked at Hutch with a smile, his eyes hooded. “Told you so,” he said softly. Affectionately he brushed a lock of Hutch’s hair away from his face, his hand briefly stroking his cheek, and just for one moment Hutch thought he was going to kiss him… or that he would kiss Starsky.

But the moment passed, and Starsky jumped out of bed and started digging out clothing. As soon as Razz was out of the bathroom, he was in and showering, and Hutch went in as soon as he was done.

It didn’t take long before they were dressed and eating a late breakfast at the diner. Razz tore some strips of paper off the placemat under her plate of pancakes, and dug in her purse for a pen. She wrote on each strip and gave one to each of them. “Here, guys, my number. If you ever get up here again, you call me and we’ll get together, OK?”

“Yeah, sure, Razz,” Hutch said, putting his carefully away in his wallet. Starsky took his and put it away, too.

She finished up her coffee and stood. “OK, guys, I have to run now. But it was great, really the best.” She waved a cheerful good-bye and was gone.

“Starsky, last night, this morning, that was the most amazing…” Hutch trailed off, unable to finish or express what he meant.

Starsky waved dismissively. “I told you, you just needed to find someone and get laid,” he said matter-of-factly. “So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?”

Obviously, the subject was changed. “Well, if we don’t check out of the motel soon, we’re going to be paying for another day,” Hutch pointed out.

“OK, so first thing, pack up and check out. Then what?”

“Then we can decide from there.”

Their packing only took a few moments, putting their clothes back into Starsky’s backpack. They checked out, and then stood in the parking lot.

“So, what do you want to do now?” Hutch asked. “If we head back to Bay City, it’ll still be pretty early when we get there.” Unspoken was his thought that if they were too early he risked running into Vanessa and her playmate.

Starsky was thoughtful for a moment. “We can head back, but take it slow. Stop if we see anything interesting.” His face brightened. “Hey, I have an idea. If we head over towards the coast, we’ll probably find a beach at some point where we can park and hang out for awhile.”

“Sounds good to me.”

They got on the motorcycle and Starsky revved it. As they pulled out of the parking lot, and Hutch tucked his hands inside Starsky’s coat for warmth again, he remembered the sight of Starsky’s bare torso with Razz holding him. He realized his hands now were in almost the same position that hers had been, and unbidden the image came to his mind of his hands on Starsky in her place. How different they would look, his large pale-skinned ones, calloused from his guitar, instead of her little soft olive-skinned ones.

“Riding double.” He’d never heard that term before, but it had been immediately understandable in context. And now he and Starsky were doing another kind of riding double, one without another person in between, and somehow even more intimate.

Before long, they were riding down the coast, with a great view of the ocean, and soon they found an open stretch of beach. Hutch suspected it was actually private, but at this time of year there was no one checking to see if they belonged there or not.

Starsky parked the bike and they walked down to the water’s edge. Hutch settled himself on a rock, and Starsky picked up a pebble and tossed it into the waves.

“Wish I’d brought my guitar,” Hutch said.

Starsky tossed another pebble. “Yeah, I’d like to hear a little music,” he agreed.

“Next time I will.”

“There’s going to be a next time?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Starsky smiled. “I’ll teach you to drive a bike, too. Every guy should know how.”

“I’d like that.”

“Great! It’s a deal!” Starsky bounced restlessly. “Wanna’ take a walk?” he asked.

“Sure.”

Together they strolled down the beach. There was no one else around and the only sounds were natural ones, the waves, the gulls, and the wind through the bushes.

They spent a long time like that, not talking, just walking slowly. Finally, though, just as Hutch was starting to think it was getting late, Starsky said, “Think maybe it’s time we were heading back?”

“Yeah, I was just going to say so.” So they went back to the bike, and set off back to Bay City.

They made the rest of the trip non-stop. By the time they got back to Bay City, it was late enough that they decided to grab some dinner at a hamburger place Starsky knew.

Afterwards, although Starsky suggested going out for a beer, Hutch felt he should get back to his apartment. “I’d better find out what Vanessa left me with,” he sighed. “Besides, we’re both on the early shift tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but I need to get some sleep.”

He approached the apartment with some trepidation, glad that Starsky was at his back.

No lights were on, so he assumed Vanessa had finished. Nervously he unlocked the door and turned on a light.

It wasn’t as bad as he had feared. She had left most of the furniture. Many of the records were gone, but he’d sent the ones that he cared about the most to Starsky’s apartment, so he wasn’t bothered too much. In the kitchen, he found that she had left almost all of the equipment. As Starsky had once remarked, she wasn’t really the domestic type.

“Not as bad as it could have been,” he concluded.

“I still say you shoulda’ had her talk to your lawyer first,” Starsky grumbled.

“Well, maybe. But it’s over now.” All Hutch could feel was relief, and a sort of bittersweet melancholy. “It’s all done except the final decree.”

“Hey, you make it sound like it’s the end, Hutch. It’s not the end, it’s a new beginning. A whole new life!”

“Yeah, I guess so. A new life with you, huh?” Somehow, that idea was very appealing.

“Yup. Just me and thee, Hutch. And whatever girls we pick up along the way. You had a good time this weekend?”

“Hell, yeah!” Hutch paused, and then added, “You were right, about the threesome. It was…” He searched for words, then gave up. “I mean, if you ever want to do it again, I’m for it.” Briefly, fleetingly, it passed through his mind, what would it be like without the girl, just us? But he pushed that thought down as far as it would go. That was just weird.

“Yeah?” A happy smile spread over Starsky’s face. “I think we can arrange that.”

Hutch felt a warm glow spreading inside him. “And not just that,” he went on. “The whole weekend was great, all of it. I mean, thanks. If it wasn’t for you, I would have just… I don’t know what I would have done.”

“Hey, no problem, Hutch. That’s what a partner’s for, right? And we are gonna’ be partners some day, right?” That same, not quite serious, hopeful puppy-dog look was on his face.

Hutch smiled, remembering when they had made that promise, back at the academy. “Yeah, we are. So, this is a whole new beginning, huh?”

Starsky grinned brightly. “Oh yeah. The future lies before us open like the highway, Hutch, all we gotta’ do is ride it.” He made an expansive gesture. Then he glanced up at the clock, another thing Vanessa hadn’t bothered to take. “Wow, it’s late. I promised Ted I’d have the bike back to him tonight, I’d better get going. You going to be OK?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” More than fine, now.

“Alright then, Hutch, I’ll see you tomorrow at work.” He slapped Hutch on the shoulder, and then he was gone.

Hutch stood at the door and watched him ride off, his mind happy and at peace. Life spreading out like a highway in front of them, huh? Yeah, he could see that. It might have some turns and twists, and maybe a few odd detours, but as long as he could ride it with Starsky, it would always be interesting, and it would always be easy riding.