My Hutch to His Starsky

After a continual parade of Co-Workers From Hell, I really didn't think I'd ever have the chance to work with someone I actually liked. But 'The Boy' came through.

We have very similar tastes in music and jokes. We also used to bug each other about "talent scouting."

If you're not aware of what "talent scouting" is, it's basically a new term for scoping (ogling) women. We were both quite good at it, I'll admit it.

Oh, and we both wanted to throttle Drama Queen on a number of occasions.

"The Boy" and I shared an office and we usually only worked in there at the same time for about 5 hours a week. despite it all, we had great communication and constantly shared stories. In fact, people started referring to us as "Starsky & Hutch." And, yes, we're both old enough to have watched the TV series. It all started with a little "Yeah... do it. DO IT" conversation...

Lulls in any day usually ended with a conversation starter like: "You know who's hot?" And off we'd go on a tangent. Drama Queen actually announced during one meeting that she felt as though she was being shut out of our work because we were constantly ignoring her and not talking around her. Well, first, she always tattle to the boss when we'd be joking about things, so we stopped talking around her. And second, we did shut her out. While we both agreed on an "open door" policy, closing the door on purpose became a new hobby. One day, she offered to share some food (I think it was a curried something or other) and I just laughed and leaned over to close the door. "If you close that door," she shouted, "I'm not going to share this with you!!" I gasped, smiled and shut the door. Not a fan of curry, but closing the door in her face was more fun than having to talk to her. And good ol' Starsky enjoyed that immensely.

Over the past 18 months, I've gotten to know a lot of 'My Kids' friends and they even came up with a new nickname (a tolerable one even) for me. I'm not sharing it here, though. Too close to home. Regardless, when it came time for me to leave the department, Starsky was quick to organize a little something for my second-to-last-night. Starsky has a pub band that he got to come down to the pub in the building.

And close to 200 people came. But Starsky "forgot" to mention it to my boss and Drama Queen until the very last minute (and neither wanted to come).

I walked in at 8:30pm with $45 in my pocket. I left at 12:45 am with $45 still in my pocket. All my food and drinks (and there were plenty) were paid for. By friends, My Kids, their friends... Hell, even the wait staff bought me a few.

Living up to our tradition of "talent scouting," just before a bunch of us headed down to the pub, this girl walked past. Now, I'm not sure who she was or where exaclt she came from, but I'm sure the snap of every man's neck was heard as we all whipped our heads to watch her walk past. One of the Kids grabbed me and pushed me forward towards her and shouted out, "This man right here! That's what the whole thing's about in the pub tonight!" She turned and smiled (gorgeous!!) and continued walking towards the pub. She was wearing a short grey skirt, a white shirt and black sweater. HOT!

She came back twice. And seriously, she looked better every time.

So, we all walk down and as I enter the pub, 'Starsky' stops the music on stage to announce that this is now officially a party for me. And the crowd goes wild.

With everything going on, songs dedicated to me (seriously, it was a very strange night for me), I just kept staring at this hot girl who's suddenly appeared. All night.

And then I got busted in the worst possible way.

As Starsky goes to sing one final song, Tupelo Honey, he cuts into the lyrics with, "We'll dedicate this one to the girl in the black sweater who [Hoser]'s been eyeing all night." Oh man, I'm under the table. He got me.

It wasn't the only time under the table. I went there again when she stepped outside for moment and took a puff from a cigar. That did me in too.

One the road to Recovery the following day, Starsky asked how much I remembered. I looked at him and smiled.

"Man, that girl was HOT!"

I'm going to miss my Starsky.