I hung up the phone, grateful that Starsky was still sound asleep on the  couch  zonked out on his pain medication.

That was one phone call that I did not want him to know about.

Not just yet.

I went into my bedroom to use the phone there to call "The Pits".

I asked Huggy if he could come over and stay with Starsky for a couple of  hours  while I went out.

He came right over.

I told him about the phone call that I'd had a little while ago.

If Starsky woke up before I got back and wondered why he was there and not me, just to tell him that I had to get a couple of his prescriptions refilled and  grab a few things at the grocery store.

And under no circumstances was Starsk to know the real reason I had to go out.

A phone call from Kira...............

I had agreed to meet with her.

I wanted her forever out of my life and out of my partner's life and I  intended to make that very clear to her.

She was sitting at a table at the far end of "The Starbuck's Coffee Shop"  where we had agreed to meet.

She had on a blue silk dress...........she reminded me of the song:

"The Devil With The Blue Dress On".

I sat down opposite her, waved off the waiter when he came over to the table.

I wanted this over with.

She asked me how Starsky was doing.........that set me off........

She didn't give a damn about him, all she had ever done was use us to play  us.....one against the other.

"Cut the crap, Kira, you don't care about anyone except Kira".

"You played Starsky and me against each other and we were so intent on  outdoing each other that neither one of us could see you for what you are and I was  the worst."

"But never, ever again!"

What I had let happen between myself and Kira was the ugliest and lowest thing that I have ever done.

It damn near destroyed the single most important thing in my life.......my  friendship with Starsky.

Talk about thinking with you "other" head, Oh,was I ever guilty.

If Starsky hadn't been so forgiving..........but thank heaven he was.

"Look, Lady", I said,"If you were the last piece of as### in this city I  wouldn't want it, you turn my stomach".

And why, after almost a year with no contact with either one of us did you  call now?"

"Just because he got shot?"

I didn't give her a chance to answer.

"Now, I am not going to tell him about our little meeting until he is a lot  better and if you want to go on breathing you stay away from him........no phone  calls...... no nothing, you got that?!"

I really think that I must have scared her, she just stared at me and said  nothing.

I hoped that I had gotten through to the cunning little bitch.

That period of my life that had had her in it, however brief it had been, was  dark and ugly.

I had seen a side of myself that I loathed.

Saw just how much of a SOB I could be.

Thank God for my partner, he has the biggest heart in the world.

He forgave me, just said, "Hutch, we'll work it out".

But to this day I've never totally forgiven myself.

I got up from my seat at the restaurant and left.

I never looked back.

Suddenly I had an overwhelming need to get back to my friend and away from this woman who had almost cost me my best friend.

Aw, Starsk......after all we've been through...........this thing with  Kira........ ...........the shooting.........I could never get the shooting out of my mind  but I  could cleanse myself of Kira.

I got back in the car and decided that since I was out I might as well go get  the refills on the presciptions and grab some groceries on my way home.

"The Creamery" was right across the street from the grocery store and when  Starsk and I are anywhere near it, he makes a beeline for it.

I decided a "treat" was in order for my partner so I bought ice cream for all  three of us.

My blood pressure must have skyrockeded from my confrontation with Kira because my ears were still ringing when I put the key in the lock at home and let  myself in.

Huggy met me at the door and questioned me with his eyes.

I smiled at him and nodded.

I looked over at the couch for my partner.

He was sitting up now, propped up with pillows and covered up with blankets  and the afghan off the back of the couch.

He looked a little better after some sleep.

At the sound of Starsky's voice all my tensions began to melt away.

"Hey, Hutch, What'd you get me?"

He had spied "The Creamery" bag that I was holding.

I held up the bag. "Thought you might like a little treat."

"Hutch, can I have it now?"

He sounded just like a little kid asking if he could eat some of his  "Halloween candy".

"Sure you can Partner, I bought some for me too and for Hug here for putting  up with you."

He gave me one of his 1000watt smiles and all was right with the world again.

I brought the treats over to the couch, handed Starsky his, put Huggy's and  mine on the coffee table.

Huggy brought drinks for the three of us.......beer for himself and me and a  can of rootbeer for Starsky.

Starsky looked at the can of rootbeer in front of him with a pained expression.

"You're not old enough for beer yet, partner", I said. He knew that I  would not let him mix the "magic" pills he was taking with beer.

So I could sit on the couch too, I lifted Starsky's legs up just enough so I  could sit on the end of the couch with his legs now resting on my lap.

I needed to be close to my friend..........to all the good things in my life.

Huggy sat on the floor between the coffee table and the couch.

I heard myself say, "Hey, let's celebrate".

Starsky looked over at me momentarily stopping his all out assault on his ice cream float.

"Huh, Oh, ok, yea sure, but what for?", he asked me.

"Oh, I don't know "Dirtball", how about life, living, us, our past, the here  and now and our future".

"OK", he said smiling and he resumed his assault on his ice cream float.

And to myself I said a litany of thanks for I felt that at last I was  cleansing myself.....

Starsky was here with me, getting better.......we had a future to look  forward to.

..............And before long, the "Me and Thee" team would be back hitting  the streets, running down a few alleys, busting down a few doors..............
 
 

The End