You Tell Me Yours; I’ll Tell You Mine

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A chance meeting with someone from Starsky’s past shakes Hutch to his core.

 

I’d like to thank Flamingo for publishing this story in her zine, Timeless 3. I appreciate her support and help.

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Hutch allowed himself to be steered through the exclusive restaurant and to a table for two set with sparkling crystal, sterling silver, and snow white linen. He knew that only the best clients were seated in this section of the establishment. Hutch was impressed with the place and he liked the elegant ambiance. Not at all like the Pits, he thought with a silent snicker.

The hand on the small of his back gave a light caress before the gentle pressure ceased. With a smile on his lips, Hutch sat down and watched his companion take the seat across from him.

“You’re beautiful tonight,” Hutch said quietly after the maître d’ left them alone. “It’s been a really nice weekend.”

Hazel eyes sparkled at the compliment. “You’re gorgeous yourself, Ken. And this weekend has indeed been fabulous. I wish… But no speaking of things that can’t be, eh?”

The soft British accent always made Hutch’s heart flutter. Jamie was so sexy. The combination of that accent with his cascade of auburn hair—ginger, Jamie always reminded Hutch—unusual, changeable eye color, and happy demeanor made Jamie an excellent lover. Hutch felt especially lucky to have met the gregarious man. He was also grateful to have enough free time to fly to San Francisco every five or six weeks to spend the time in this man’s arms, far from the critical eyes of the judgmental populace that inhabited most of Bay City.

Hutch liked San Francisco. It was a more liberal city than his home town could ever be. Sure, there was still prejudice against gay people here, but Hutch had never been able to experience the freedom to be with a man—to hold his hand in public, to sit side by side, thighs touching, at a restaurant, to kiss his lover on the sidewalk—and not be cursed, spat at, or worse. Not that he’d ever put himself in that position back in BC. He had other people’s lives to consider, especially his best friend and partner’s life.

Thinking about Starsky always gave Hutch a moment’s pause. How many times had he wanted to tell Starsky about his private life, the life he led away from Bay City? Dozens? Hundreds? But something always stopped him. It was cowardice, mainly. Hutch couldn’t stand the idea that Starsky would reject his friendship, his partnership, if he revealed his secret. Better to share his body with his current companion on the sly than risk Starsky’s disapproval.

“Ken?”

“What?” Hutch blinked slowly. “Oh, sorry. I was daydreaming.”

“You were, my pet. Should I be jealous?” Jamie asked, eyes dancing with amusement.

Hutch laughed. He and Jamie both knew how things stood. They liked each other; they were good in bed; they were friends. That was their relationship, and it would never be more.

“Yes,” Hutch said. “I’m dreaming of that guy from last night.”

Jamie raised an elegant eyebrow. “The bloke with the piercings and the tattoos?”

“Of course. I have a thing for the rough, tough ones with Prince Alberts.”

Both men laughed.

Hutch was still chuckling when his gaze swept the menu he’d been holding for a few minutes now.
“I’m famished.”

“I could eat you up,” Jamie said quietly, his hand squeezing Hutch’s thigh.

“You’re insatiable.”

“As are you, love. I have the marks to prove it.”

Hutch grinned, feeling happy and fulfilled. He missed Starsky, but Jamie filled a void in his life that nobody else could fill.

As they examined the menu, the sound of a child’s laughter drifted to Hutch’s ears. He paid attention to it only because he had never seen children in this particular establishment before. He knew that the clientèle tended to be men and women who valued their privacy while dining in an atmosphere where their choice of dinner partners would not be scrutinized. Children tended to hear and repeat things unwittingly that could possibly damage someone’s career, marriage, or profession.

“I didn’t realize they allowed kids to dine here,” Hutch murmured, shifting in his seat. Jamie glanced over Hutch’s shoulder. He gave an impish smile. “What?”

“It’s no child.” At the inquisitive expression that Hutch tossed him, he grinned. “Trust me on this one. She’s definitely not a child, although she’s playing it very well.”

“You’re incorrigible,” Hutch said with a shake of his head. Curious because of the amusement he saw on Jamie’s face, he followed Jamie’s line of sight regarding the topic of their conversation.

Hutch’s heart skipped a beat.

He stared at the girl who wasn’t a child, but a fully grown woman dressed like a teenager, complete with bow-tied pigtails and a private school girl’s uniform consisting of a white blouse buttoned up to the throat, a blue blazer with an emblem on the pocket, and a blue, red, and white plaid pleated skirt.

Hutch blinked and his world slowed down until his entire field of vision was focused entirely on the woman. He knew this girl, this woman. He knew her! He felt heat suffuse his face and his breath caught in his throat.

He was looking at Terry Roberts. Fucking hell, it was Terry brought back from the dead.

Suddenly, across the elegant room, Hutch’s gaze met Terry’s. Her eyes widened minutely, and then a slow, lazy smile crossed her painted pink lips. She gave the barest of nods and then looked away, leaning against the man with her who sat with his back to Hutch.

Hutch started to rise. He barely felt his hand being touched and from far away, he heard Jamie’s concerned words: “Ken. Ken, what is it? Are you all right?”

Once on his feet, Hutch could barely nod and speak. “Yeah. I-I need to use the m-men’s room. Excuse me.”

Hutch cast another furtive glance at the table where Terry sat. He automatically took in her companion: older man by the look of his white hair and the classic cut of his suit. Walking towards the door leading to the restrooms, he dragged his attention away from her, turned the corner and started to walk down the hallway. At the door of the men’s room, he paused and leaned his head against the doorframe.

Was it Terry? How could it be? Terry was dead, had been dead for almost two years. It had to be somebody who looked like her. Everybody in the world had a twin, didn’t they? Somewhere, right? That’s why this woman was the mirror image of Terry, Starsky’s dead love. A quirk of nature. God playing a joke—

“Hello, Hutch.”

Hutch jumped a foot when he heard the familiar voice His eyes must have been bugging out of his head when he looked at Terry. “You’re dead,” he blurted.

Terry laughed. Hutch was amazed at how he noticed that the blue ribbons on her pigtails bounced as she giggled, and how her pink lips made a perfect little bow.

“Seems you’re mistaken. But then, I’m mistaken too, I do believe.”

“Huh?” Hutch said idiotically.

“I’m not dead and you’re not straight. We both have secrets, don’t we now? Your companion.” Terry’s gaze raked him, and from the look on her face judged him lacking. “Didn’t know you fucked men, Hutch. We all have something not very nice to hide, it seems.”

“I didn’t lie to my best friend!” Even as the words left Hutch’s mouth, he wished he could take them back. He closed his eyes as if it would help not to see Terry’s look of pure disdain.

“Oh, really? Let me see. You’re fucking a man, a nice looking one to be sure, and I’ll bet you a thousand bucks Starsky doesn’t have a clue you’re a god-damned faggot.”

“You died! Starsky mourned for you! I mourned for you!”

Terry smiled coolly. “How very sweet.” She gave Hutch another appraising look. “Don’t you dare judge me! I gave Starsky what he wanted, a sweet little girl to take care of. He’s no different than my daddy!”

“Daddy?” Hutch thought he would vomit when he realized Terry was referring to the man sitting at the table—her sugar daddy.

“He likes me to call him Daddy. He takes care of me. Sometimes when he’s away on business, I run away from home for a while and do things.” Terry shrugged. “Then he has to rescue me. It’s a little game we play. With the assets my daddy has, he can make my every wish come true.” A cold smile crossed her lips. “I have a lot of dreams and he has a hell of a lot of money.”

“Things?” Hutch grabbed her arm. “Things like making Starsky fall in love with you? Like paying off the hospital? What about the doctor who told Starsky you were dying? Are those the kinds of things you’re talking about?”

“You’re so naïve, Hutch.” Terry let out an exaggerated sigh. “You don’t know how things work. That hospital needed new equipment, and the doctor? She had a mother she’d had to leave behind in Southeast Asia, and she needed a lot of hard cash to get her to the States.

“Now I suggest you let me go before I scream. You want to be arrested for rape? I can be very convincing, as I’m sure you will remember.”

Hutch’s eyes narrowed, but he dropped his hand. “You’re a cold-hearted bitch.”

Terry laughed lightly. “Of course. I never claimed to be a saint.”

“How long have you been with—him?” Hutch demanded.

“Since I was fourteen,” Terry said proudly. “He’s one of the most powerful men in the country, and if you do anything to interfere, I’ll have you killed. I’ll have Starsky killed.” Terry moved closer and her face turned ugly. “Starsky was a stupid fool and so are you.”

“What about the bullet you took? That wasn’t fake!”

Terry patted his cheek. Hutch pulled away, hating her touch. “The bullet was real enough. The night before I was shot, Daddy called. I had a month before I had to be back home, so the next day was heaven sent. I arranged for the doctor to give Dave the bad news. He really took it seriously!” She laughed coldly. “I played along until it was time to meet up with Daddy. I went to the hospital, looked in pain and vulnerable, of course. My doctor gave me a little something to knock me out.” She spread her arms wide. “I do a fabulous tragic death scene if I do say so myself.”

“You stupid, worthless–!”

“Be careful, Hutch. Very careful. My daddy is a dangerous man. I know where you live, and I know where Starsky lives. Don’t fuck with me.”

“Ken?”

At the sound of his name, Hutch looked up and saw Jamie walking towards him. “I’ve been worried about you. Are you all right?” Jamie glanced at Terry quickly before he returned his attention back to Hutch.

“I’m fine,” Hutch ground out.

“Bye, mister!” Terry said brightly, giving a childlike wave by holding up her hand and bending her fingers.

Hutch walked away from Terry, not looking back. Jamie followed Hutch back to their table.

“She’s not your type, is she?” Jamie asked hesitantly.

“What? No!” Hutch swallowed a sip of water. “No, not at all. She stopped me to ask for the time.”

“Is that all?”

Hutch nodded. “Yeah. Say, let’s get out of here. Tonight’s my last night in town and I have plans.”

“What sort of plans?”

“I need you to make me forget everything else but tonight. Can you do that?”

“Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

Jamie smiled, and Hutch realized that his lover knew he’d lied about his encounter with the woman, but he was willing to let it slide. He smiled back gratefully. “Thank you, Jamie.”

“Sure, Ken. I took care of the check. Let’s go home.”

Hutch rose and as he walked out of the beautiful dining room, he glanced back at the table where Terry and the man sat. The man was rising and he turned so that Hutch could clearly see his face.

“Jamie, do you know that man who’s with that school girl hooker?”

Jamie scanned the room and when his gaze landed on the man in question, Hutch was surprised to see Jamie’s face go pale.

“What is it?” Hutch asked.

“Don’t get near that girl again, Hutch. I’m surprised with your police connections you don’t know who that is.”

“Should I?”

Jamie tugged on Hutch’s coat sleeve and hurried him out of the dining room and out the entryway.

As they waited for the valet to retrieve Jamie’s car, Hutch asked again, “Who is it?”

Jamie’s gaze locked onto his. “One of the most dangerous men in the country. James Gunther.”