Reminded me of another, typical for him, moment.
We're at a biker bar taking pictures (We did photography out of a studio in Princeton back then...) when, in his inimitable fashion, he spies a hot studded leather chick, and makes his move.
She is friendly, and they are chatting....when Brutus (Or whatever his real name was), loomed over him like a sequoia and growled at him to leave his woman alone.
Bill (My friend) at this point doesn't do what most 5' 5" guys do when staring at a belt buckle of a sequoia....he launches into a tirade about how a woman is not a possession, and WHAM!!!!! Bar stool across the head.
OK, so now Bills on the ground, and I'm faced with yet another opportunity to get him out of a jamb. Unfortunately, at this point, the place went dead quiet, except the ominous sound of wooden chair legs sliding back with that grunching sound as people stand up....
...and these people are all Brutus's friends...and they are all dressed like central casting called for some tough dudes in a biker bar...and circling me and Bill. Hungrily.
Bill gets up, and calls Brutus a dick. (This is about where I assumed we'd end up dead) Brutus goes for him, I step in, central casting steps in, and its ON.
The rest is not so much awkward as violent. We were equipped with some pretty serious metal camera equipment (It was the '70's, and a Canon was BUILT like a Cannon), and swung them like mace, and made our way into the parking lot.
In the lot, we managed to get into his car ...but they smashed a window and grabbed one of Bills cameras. I'm like GO GO GO!!!!! He's like "I'm not leaving without that camera". (I knew he wouldn't, but one can dream....)
OK, there are several guys trying to kill us, they just smashed a window with a freekin crowbar...and, we get OUT of the car. Bill demands that they give the camera back. (Awkward moment #2).
I was pretty quick back then, and I figured if Bill could keep them busy/they were distracted enough...I might be able to cover the 30 yards or so and get the drop on the guy with the camera.
Well, Bill did his job as usual, and I actually grabbed the camera....and found he's TIED it to his wrist. (Awkward moment #3)
So, I'm dragging the guy/camera back over to where too many bikers were pummeling Bill, and swung the camera/guy into the mess.
A guy with a crow bar hits the camera/guy with it in the back, and the camera guy is now trying to kill HIM instead of us, and, the pack of them is now fighting with HIM. I cut the cord loose and Grab Bill, who's actually egging the others on in the fight at this point.
I tell him I have the camera, the wolves are eating each other and its a good time to run for it.
He says "But I want them to pay for the window they smashed".
I told him one of them gave me $50 for the window, and we could go, and we left in a cloud of tire smoke....
We got about 3-4 miles when he noticed we were running out of gas...and we all but coasted into a gas station.
He said "Might as well use the $50 window money we got, for the gas now, I'm broke". (Awkward moment #4)