Fortune Cookie

Part 3

Part 3

And here I was thinking Cody was a white guy. I should have known better than to assume. “Hi, I’m Roxie,” I waited for a response. He only stared at me, not a trace of recognition at the name shown on his face. “Great, apparently he didn’t inform you of my arrival.”

“Who?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “The hell I know. I get a fortune cookie while on date telling me my life is in danger and to leave town. Then I get attacked by a knife wielding Chinese woman. I called 911 only to get a man who knows my name that I never talk to you, give me your name and directions to your place saying you would help me. Does any of this ring a bell to you or do I sound as crazy as I think I sound?”

Cody only stared at me. “Why did you come all the way here instead of leaving town like your fortune told you?”

“I don’t know!” I shouted. Cody jumped at the sudden outburst than motion me inside. I kept my eyes on him as I walked in. He locked the door behind me. “Look, I don’t know what the hell is going. Right now I’m just running off a gut feeling telling me listen to the guy and find you Plus, I want answers. I’m not just going to up and leave town only knowing my life is endangered. Endanger from what?”

Cody sighed and scratched his head. “Do you by chance still have that fortune on you?”

I pulled it out of my pocket and shoved it into his chest. “You can have the damn fortune, I don’t want it.”

Cody chuckled. “Nor do I.” He read the fortune then looked at me. “So you were having a date at a Chinese restaurant?” he asked. I nodded my head. “With who?”

“Some guy name Allan. I met him at a bar couple of nights ago.”

Cody put the fortune in his pocket, “Ah, that explains a lot.” I waited for him to elaborate, but he only waved at the couch. “Make yourself comfortable, I’m going to go get change.” He made a turn to leave.

“Wait! Aren’t you going to explain what’s going on?”

“You want my help?”

I thought about it. “I suppose I do.”

“Then wait.” Before I could say another word, he walked into his bedroom and shut the door. I scowled at the door then took a seat on the chair where I could see both Cody’s bedroom door and the front door. Bored, I quickly threw my hair up into a ponytail leaving only straight bangs across and the layer of hair that had been cut short to frame my face. Emily had cut my hair the other night saying that I needed to look my best for a date. I was sure she would be worried about what happened to me if she couldn’t get ahold of me the next day.

When Cody came out of his bedroom he was dressed in a T-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and had pile of folded clothes in his hands. He set the pile on the table in front of me and took a seat on the couch across from me. From his exposed arms and the way his shirt fitted, it was clear that he worked out. It looked like he had a solid body of muscle and it was the prefect size to boot, not too scrawny or huge. Maybe the guy was right. Maybe Cody could help me, unless that body was for show.

Cody handed me half the pile that consisted of a white hoodie with a zipper and a plain black baseball cap. I raised my eyebrows at him. “Think of it as a disguise,” he said. “Don’t worry they’re clean.” Cody put on his own black zipper hoodie with a black Yankees baseball cap.

I followed suite and put mine on as well. The jacket was too big, so it would like I was wearing my boyfriend’s jacket, but the hat was adjustable so it fitted just fine. Zipping up the zipper to the jacket, I asked, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on now?”

Cody shrugged his shoulders and stood. “Maybe if I thought you would believe it, but we don’t have the time. We need to get you out the city tonight.”

“It couldn’t be any stranger than that fortune cookie,” I mumbled. I followed him to the window he opened.

Cody chuckled. “Trust me, if I told you, you wouldn’t believe it.” He went through the window onto the fire escape and motioned me to follow him. “The only thing I will tell you is that the guy you were out with, Allan, is part of the reason for your situation.”

So a psycho picked me up at the bar, not very shocking considering the events of tonight. “Only part of it? Probably the whole reason.” I followed Cody down the fire escape.

“Don’t know for sure. There’s probably more reasons, otherwise I don’t think the fortune cookie guy would have made contact with you directly.”

“So you know who this fortune cookie guy is?”

Before Cody could answer, the second floor window of the fire escape opened. An Asian guy’s head popped out the window. “I thought I heard voices. What ‘sup Cody?” The guy looked at me and smiled. “Why are you coming down the fire escape with a girl.”

“Dude, you caught me at an embarrassing time,” replied Cody. “I had my girl over when my ma showed up at my front door. She’s one of those old fashion Koreans who doesn’t like their sons having a white girlfriend or any non-Korean girls.”

The guy nodded sympathetically. “Oh man, that sucks, dude. My ma is the same way.”

“Now my ma is outside my apartment refusing to leave.” Cody sighed. “So, here I am, escorting my girl home via the fire escape. Some way to end a date,” Cody looked up at me, “Sorry about that, babe.”

I smiled reassuring. “It's fine, sweetie. I just hope she’ll approve of me someday.”

Cody reached up and squeezing my hand reassuring. “Don’t worry, babe. She will someday.”

“Don’t let your ma chase you girl off! She can stay with me while you deal with your ma” The guy looked up at me and smiled. Something about his gaze or smile sent shivers down my spine.

“Thanks, dude, but it’s alright. We don’t want to be a bother and it’s late,” replied Cody.

“Late?” exclaimed the guy. “It’s still early. Don’t worry its no problem. I insist.”

Cody smiled. “Are you sure? That’s great, thanks dude.” Cody stuck his hand out to shake the guys.

The guy smiled and I really didn’t like his expression. Something was wrong with it. “No problem, we’ll have a great time.” The guy reached over to shake Cody’s hand but Cody’s hand disappeared. In the next moment I saw Cody slamming the guy's head against the window frame before pushing him back into his apartment.