Jogging

Hutch drags Starsky out for a jog.

“Come on Gordo! Get up! It’s a beautiful day!”

Last night, Hutch had persuaded Starsky it would be a good idea to go jogging with him. Now, a sleepy Starsky appeared to have changed his mind. Hutch shook his partner’s shoulder.

“What?!”

“Wake up sleeping beauty! We’re going jogging. Remember?”

“Ugh. Do we have to?” Starsky asked but nevertheless sat up and swung his legs out of the bed. “Give me five minutes and make me a coffee,” he muttered as he headed towards the bathroom.

Hutch dutifully headed towards the kitchen and put the coffee on.

When Starsky appeared, Hutch handed him a coffee and bowl filled with granola, yoghurt and banana.

“What? What’s this supposed to be? ‘Cause I can tell you right now it ain’t breakfast!”

“You can eat rubbish later. That mixture will give you energy.”

“I agreed to jogging. I didn’t agree to this.”

“Just looking out for you, partner. That’s the right combination of protein, carbs and minerals to give you a boost.”

Starsky grimaced but tried a mouthful. He grimaced again but dutifully ate his way through, alternating each mouthful with a sip of coffee.

As soon as he was done, Hutch said, “Right. Let’s go!”

Starsky followed behind his energetic partner, only stopping to slip on his sneakers. Then they headed down the stairs outside the apartment and onto the sidewalk.

“Where are we headed?”

“I figured we’d jog around your neighbourhood. Okay?”

Starsky shrugged. They set off at an easy lope. Two blocks on, they passed by the entrance to a small park.

“I never noticed that before,” Starsky observed.

“Let’s check it out,” Hutch suggested.

The two of them backtracked and made their way along a path between shrubbery that suddenly opened out into a wide open space. Away in the distance, they could see a children’s park and a solitary family having fun on the swings and slide.

“Oh, I’ve seen this place from the other side. I didn’t know there was an entrance over here,” Starsky said. “That’s good to know.”

Hutch nodded. “Not too far to walk with dates and a picnic another time.”

They jogged through the middle of the park and then started on a circuit of the outer edge, planning to exit the park from the opposite side and then jog back around to Starsky’s apartment. Starsky was just starting to complain that he’d had enough of getting fit when two female joggers came into view. He steered their route so it would bisect theirs.

Pleasantries were exchanged, which quickly turned to flirting on both sides and ended in an agreement to meet at the park again on Sunday afternoon.

They left the park and headed back to Starsky’s, now at a more sedate saunter.

Starsky observed, “I could get hooked on this jogging thing.”

Hutch rolled his eyes.

“Not all jogs end in getting a date!”

“No? That’s ’cause you didn’t have me along, Blintz.”

“I don’t need your help to get a date, Gordo!”

The light-hearted bantering continued all the way back to the apartment.