Cody climbed in the Volvo and blew out a deep breath. He backed the car out and turned to follow Nick. Trailing the classic Corvette—the plate read 'NICSVET', Cody gripped the steering wheel to stop the trembling in his hands as the adrenaline rush slowly faded.
Approaching his car, he hadn't been thinking of anything in particular, just that the day'd turned out so much better than he'd expected. The helicopter flight that had held such terror that morning…well, he didn't think he'd ever enjoy flying in the contraptions, but he doubted he'd get the shakes like that again. Which was all thanks to an understanding pilot who had both distracted Cody and showed him that his unreasonable fears were just that: unreasonable.
Another big unknown had been the deposition. Not that Cody had never been assigned such tasks before, but it was his first solo outing at Thayer, Sargent, and Winslow. If he'd screwed this up, his future at the firm would have become more difficult. The competition between associates was brutal. But, unlike the flight, at least Cody'd known what he was getting into. And because of that, he'd thought to ask Nick for some backup.
And the pilot had come through. With flying colors. Coming across as a strong, stubborn, difficult litigator was exactly what Cody needed to balance the scales and give himself a boost of self-confidence.
So that's what he'd been thinking about as he approached his car. The idea of anyone being in the area seemed laughable as the airfield felt quiet and deserted. Then out of nowhere, two guys jumped from the shadows, and one was waving a knife. Cody flung himself back—right into the side of the car—and tried to reason with them. They demanded his wallet and the keys…and then suddenly they were all three blinded by headlights and deafened by the roar of an engine.
It all happened so fast. As the two hoods fled, Cody was left wondering who kept a drag racer with no muffler at the airfield. And in no time at all, the car returned and morphed into Nick driving a restored convertible. Was that the car that had sounded like a jet? Must have been as no one else showed up to be Cody's savior. When Cody asked how Nick happened to be there, Nick had turned in a really good impression of the maître'd at an Italian restaurant that he and Janet used to frequent. Hands and arms going in all directions.
Who was this guy? Three times today, Nick had saved his ass. What kind of person did the Captain America thing on a daily basis? And in so many guises? Cody's first thought was that the guy was a reckless, cynical, reticent pilot…who happened to sing silly songs and give guided tours from the air…who could act like the strong silent type at the drop of a hat…who could size up sleaze ball defendants and point out their weak spots…who could swoop in like a super hero in the nick of time and save the clueless attorney who wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. Whoever the hell Nick Ryder was, Cody wanted and needed to spend more time with him so he could find out. He'd never met anyone quite like him.
After ten minutes driving, they pulled in the parking lot of a bar—TheCockpit. Place didn't look like much, but Cody had been in worse places in college. A few times anyway. And besides, how good did it need to look as long as they had decent alcohol and halfway edible food?
They sat in a booth, and after downing half his beer in a few swallows, Cody finally felt himself begin to wind down. Despite his curiosity about Nick, Cody didn't want to scare him off, so he put off the interrogation. After their burgers arrived and they exchanged a few observations of the day, suddenly Cody found himself talking more about his own life than hearing about Nick's. All this stuff about Janet just came pouring out. Cody wasn't sure how it happened exactly, but he'd known lawyers that could get clients to start talking with barely any effort. Maybe Nick had the same talent. Or maybe Cody was just exhausted and had drunk too much beer on an empty stomach. And he really needed to talk about it—her. Not like he had anyone else offering to listen.
Suddenly, Nick seemed more alert, and he interrupted Cody's monologue. "I'll be right back." Then he was gone.
Confused by Nick's abrupt departure, Cody turned to watch him walk toward the back of the room wondering if he'd said something to offend…or if Nick just really needed to hit the head. A couple of minutes stretched to four or five, and Cody started to get antsy. Unless Nick was sick, it shouldn't have taken him this long to use the john. So…
Cody followed the path he'd seen Nick take. He stuck his head in the men's room, but it turned up empty. Back in the hallway, he looked around and found another couple of doors. One led to an office, and one led outside where he found Nick being restrained by two guys while getting beaten by a third.
Cody didn't stop to think. He took a flying leap and landed on the back of the big guy who was whaling on Nick. In moments, it was a melee, and Cody felt the satisfying crunch of cartilage and bone when his fist met the hoodlum's nose. Of course, he got a knee to the abdomen for his trouble, but he pretended that it didn't hurt and kept swinging.
Suddenly, the three troublemakers apparently decided they'd had enough and walked off. Cody wanted to say they hurried, but that wasn't actually true. When they got to the corner of the building, the biggest guy—the one Cody had nailed—turned back, shaking a fist. "Stay outta this, Ryder! You hear me?"
Beside him, Nick sneered, "You touch her again, and we've got a serious problem."
The three gorillas disappeared around the corner…and Nick groaned as he slumped against the wall.
Cody stared briefly, having been completely fooled by Nick's bravado, but he wrapped an arm around his companion's back and helped him stay on his feet. "You okay?"
After a second of careful breathing, Nick ground out, "Yeah. I'll be fine."
"You sure?"
A pause, "Yeah. Damn, I think he broke my nose."
Cody was trying to get a good look at his friend. Nick's nose was bleeding along with his lip and a cut over one eye which was swelling. And the way he was standing, Cody thought he might have some rib or abdominal injuries. "What was that all about?"
"Remember when I said I open my mouth, and the damnedest things just come out?"
"What did that turkey disagree with?"
"Something about a girl he's been knocking around."
"He's beating her? Did you call the police? They're trained to handle this sort of thing."
"Yeah, a piece of paper telling the guy to back off doesn't usually stop assholes like him."
Cody wanted to argue, but he knew the realities of an often ugly world. Instead, Cody decided to focus on a fixable problem. "Where's the nearest hospital?"
"Pffft. I'm fine. Just let me—"
"If it's really broken, you'll need to get your nose set at least."
Nick winced briefly. "Damn. I hate hospitals."
They ended up at Northridge Medical Center, and sure enough, Nick had broken his nose again, making it seven times now.
"How'd you know it was broken?"
Nick glanced over at Cody leaning against the wall of the exam room. "After I got back from Vietnam, I was an M.P. Occupational hazard."
Cody winced, "I broke my nose when I was nine. One of the boys in Little League slung the bat…right into my face. Never really played much after that."
Nick eyed him suspiciously, "You don't like baseball? Are you some kind of communist or something?"
Cody looked put upon, like he'd heard the objections before. "I like the game just fine…as long as I don't have to play. Sure, take me out to the ballgame…but not on the field."
Nicked huffed in disapproval, but knowing how bad his nose and ribs were going to be hurting the next few days, he understood why a kid might not want to play after an injury like that.
The nurse came in with a clipboard and a monotone voice that demonstrated her complete boredom. "All right, Mr. Ryder. Just to remind you: your ribs and chest are going to be sore for the next few days. You're going to want to take small breaths, but fight that urge. Take ten deep breaths every hour to keep from developing pneumonia. Take Tylenol for pain. Call your doctor if you get a fever, develop bruising on your chest, or start coughing a lot. Get to a hospital immediately if you develop severe chest pain or start coughing up blood. Also if you have chills, shortness of breath, or get lightheaded. Remember that broken ribs are nothing to mess around with. Same goes for your nose. Sign here." She passed him the clipboard.
Nick nodded wearily. She didn't realize she was preaching to the choir. He could have recited the instructions from memory if she'd given him the chance. He signed about seventeen forms, and she finally told him he could go.
Out in the parking lot, Cody insisted on driving Nick to his apartment. Nick tried to tell him he was fine and could go back to TheCockpit where they'd left Cody's Volvo, but there was no persuading the guy.
Nick gave directions to his place in Oxnard, feeling vaguely uncomfortable. He wasn't used to people coming to his place, looking out for him, and it felt weird that this guy he'd met only twelve hours ago would know where he lived. On the other hand, Cody had jumped into a fight he knew nothing about just because Nick was getting the worst of it. He had to admit he really liked Cody and kind of hoped they might become real friends. If they weren't already. Nick hadn't felt this immediately comfortable and easy with anyone since high school when he'd met Deke Martin on the first day of football practice.
Cody parked the 'Vette, and Nick directed him on how to cover it with the tarp. Cody snorted and tried to hide his grin.
Nick got annoyed, "Hey! I worked hard on this car. She's a classic, and it takes patience and care to keep her looking and running this good."
Cody nodded cooperatively as he slid the cover on, but he was still smiling in amusement. Nick decided to ignore him. "Come on up; you can call a cab."
Once inside, Cody looked around curiously. "Nice place."
Nick held up a finger, "My ribs can't take a joke right now." He glanced around in distaste, "It's a place to live, and that's about it." He handed Cody the phone book.
Cody started thumbing through the yellow pages, "I've seen worse."
By this time, Nick had figured out that Cody had a wealthy background, and heck, he was a lawyer. Guys like him made good money, but Nick decided not to bring it up. Cody had been a standup guy tonight when he'd saved Nick's bacon. Unusual for anyone, much less a lawyer.
The cab company must have had someone in the neighborhood as the cab arrived in no time flat. Nick stuck out his hand, "Thanks. I owe you."
But Cody shook his head, "After what you did for me today, we're good."
Nick thought back on the day; the few things he'd done for Cody didn't seem like such a big deal to him, but maybe it mattered to Cody. "Whatever you say, man. All I know is I'd be a lot worse off if you hadn't jumped in."
"If I'd had a different pilot this morning, I might've passed out on my way to the deposition."
Nick breathed heavy, "I asked you not to make me laugh."
Cody grinned in response. The cab beeped again, and Cody's smiled dimmed slightly. "Maybe Thayer, Sargent, and Winslow will send me out for another deposition. Since I did such a good job today."
Nick smiled, "Just ask for me."
Cody nodded, "I'll do that." Then he turned and walked out of the apartment. Nick watched him get in the cab before it drove away. He leaned back against the door, feeling all the aches and pains from the fight. He was gonna be uncomfortable for the next few days and walked over to the phone to call the girl—Donna—and warn her about the gorilla—Mickey. But despite the discomfort, it seemed like the day as a whole had turned out pretty good. And he hoped that Cody's firm would call again. That would be okay.