CHAPTER 10

Cassie searched every store in the mall…picking up this and that…checking them over thoroughly before setting the objects back down. It wasn’t price tags that deterred her but her own indecision. Nothing was good enough for Dave…nothing suited Hutch. From Music stores to Clothing shops…she rummaged through all types of merchandise. Bottles of after-shave…dress shirts…ties.  All the things she used to buy for her father…now seemed so impersonal. They were more than just friends…so much more. She wanted her gifts to be special…something to show them how much they really meant to her.

As she rounded the corner of yet another clothing store…she stopped for a moment to quickly evaluate the style of mens clothes before moving on. Not at all anything either one of them would be seen in. They didn’t exactly keep up with today’s styles…and quite frankly…today’s styles weren’t designed for them. They were a unique pair all right…no doubt about it.

Then she saw something that she hadn’t before. A new store…a sign out front said ‘Grand Opening’. It hadn’t been there a few days ago when she and Stacy had spent the afternoon window-shopping. It was a novelty shop…and there were some interesting items on display in the large glass window that caught her eye. So she decided to step inside and have a closer look.

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 Starsky fumbled with the key to the apartment door as Hutch stood impatiently holding the heavy tree in his hands. It was very uncomfortable and prickly as it clawed at him through his heavy leather jacket.

“Hurry up will ya!” Hutch yelled at him impatiently.

“Hold your horses…” He told him as he turned the handle and pushed it open.

He walked in and shoved it as far as it would go to give Hutch enough room to bring the tree inside. He walked in quickly and sat it down to take a breath and to pull it away from himself. Then he sneezed uncontrollably three…four…five times. Starsky waited for the spasms to subside before giving his partner a heart-felt hand on the shoulder and a comment.

“You ok?” He asked with concern.

“No…I’m not ok…I pick out the perfect tree…you give it away and we end up with this…this…AAAccccchhhhoooo…” He said as he fought the spasm that shook his body once again.

“Lean it against the wall while I get the stand.” Starsky told him. “It’s in the closet.”

Hutch was more than willing to comply as he pulled it across the floor to rest beside the window. It wasn’t a very good choice he noticed as he took the time to go over it carefully. Its stalk was crooked and its branches were unevenly aligned. Not at all what he would have normally settled for …but his partner had made him so very angry that he had grabbed the closest one he could find and stormed off. Cassie will be disappointed…he thought as he stared at it.  It was truly ugly.

Starsky came back after a few minutes carrying a stand and a box of ornaments…most of which he had purchased a couple years back when Cassie had come to live with him. He set the stand near the window and lifted the tree into it.

“Just hold it still while I tighten the screws.” He instructed as he looked up at Hutch.

“Your never gonna get it to go in evenly.” He told him as he grabbed the stalk to steady it.

“Trust me…I know what I’m doing.”

They worked on it for a few minutes but as hard as they tried they just couldn’t get it to stand straight. So they settled for upright.

Starsky finally stood up and took a few steps back to admire it. Hutch just watched and waited for his partner’s reaction. Neither one of them wanted to be the first to comment…

“All it needs is a few lights and some decoration.” He told him. “Let’s surprise her.”

“Oh …She’ll be surprised alright.” Hutch agreed. “I just hope she’ll forgive us for what we’re about to do to her.”

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 Cassie fell in love with several items in the store…so many beautiful objects…most of them handmade and imported. She knew she would surely find something here for both of them. Hutch was fascinated with nature and the sea judging by the plants… seashells and other interesting items that decorated the walls of his living room. In the corner of the store sitting
high on a shelf she spotted a decorative plant holder. It was made with seashells and hardened colorful sand at the base. The shells and sand where encased in glass. It held a small fern with green and yellow leaves. Hutch would love it she thought as she stared at it for a moment and then hurried off to find someone to help her get it down.

After asking the sales lady to hold onto it for her she continued her search …Dave would be a little harder to shop for but there was bound to be something here for him. She found a few more items that she liked but nothing that really satisfied her until she noticed a glass display case filled with jewelry and other small items. The price tags indicated high quality material. Mostly gold and diamonds but definitely out of the ordinary in design. They were like nothing she had ever seen before. She
browsed through them carefully until a particular piece caught her eye…a solid gold chain shiny and carefully crafted held a sideways figure eight in the center.

“Excuse me.” She said as she called to the sales lady behind the counter. “May I see this one?”

The lady took a small key from her pocket and opened the case to pull it out for her. “I’m afraid it’s a little expensive.” She told her with a smile.

“What kind of design is that?” Cassie asked curiously. “It’s so pretty.”

“That’s the sign for infinity.” She replied. “A symbol for something that has no beginning and no end.”

“It’s a man’s necklace isn’t it?” She asked not real sure but judging by the thickness she had guessed that it was.

“Yes…and it’s also the only one I have.” She told her. “They discontinued this particular design.”

“I’ll take it.” She told her. “Do you gift wrap?”

The sales lady stared at her with surprise. “Have you seen the price tag?”

“Sure…” Cassie said with a smile. “Can you wrap it for me?”

“Alright…” She told her as she pulled the black velvet box from under the cabinet. “You must really like him…your boyfriend?”

“No…just a friend.” Cassie replied “Well…he’s a very lucky guy if you like him this much.” She commented as
she carefully placed the necklace on the silk lining.

“No…I’m the lucky one.” Cassie told her.
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  Chapter 11
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