Thanks to Aspen_Camp for her help editing and her insight.
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Hank was hanging out at Billy's Pub. It was a hole in the wall, located on the wrong side of the river. The booze was shitty, the place never saw a mop, and the bartenders were surly. Hank looked out of place. Most of the customers wore grubby jeans and work shirts. There were several bearded men wearing biker cuts. Meanwhile, Hank was sporting a blue silk shirt, grey slacks and polished black loafers. He was clean-cut, with a shaved head and no facial hair. The only reason Hank would frequent the joint was the arm-wrestling table. Patrons would place bets and the gladiators would compete. It wasn't exactly safe or legal, but Billy's hadn't been shut down yet.
The reigning champion at Billy's was Derek Doyle. Derek was 6'4, " 300 pounds of pure muscle. He was big and brash. Derek loved to pick fights with people who were smaller than him. Hank hated bullies, and truly hoped that someone would beat Derek at his own game.
Shortly after 10pm, a young woman, not more than 25 years old, entered the bar. She had a natural beauty about her. Short, maybe 5'1" tall, with chestnut brown hair in a disheveled ponytail down to her mid-back. Olive-tan skin that suggested Southern Italian or Greek Island heritage. She had a pronounced, square and muscular jaw that only women who juiced could obtain. Her cheekbones were prominent. She had the cutest button-nose that Hank had ever seen. She was wearing a tattered and dirty dark brown sweat-shirt and sweatpant combo that clearly needed to be washed. It was obvious that she hadn't bathed in a while.
Derek had just defeated some frat-boy at the table, and downed a pint in celebration. "Any more assholes think they can beat me?" he shouted to the bar.
With a powerful alto, unexpected coming from someone of her size, the new girl shouted, "five hundred bucks says I'll wash the floor with you."
Derek turned to look at the girl and laughed. "You stupid, dirty, cunt! You think you can beat me?! Easiest five hundred bucks I'll ever make! Get over here!" he shouted, motioning to the table. Unintimidated, the woman walked up to the table, sat down, and placed her right hand up in the customary pose. Derek chuckled and matched her.
The patrons were abuzz with activity, placing bets. The young woman was the clear underdog, with wagers being called 20:1 against her. Hank reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of cash. "One thousand dollars on the girl beating Derek. Any takers?"
The seventy or so patrons all began shouting at once. Odds changed. Did this guy know something they didn't?
"I'll take that bet!" Derek bellowed, noticing the change in the tenor of the room. With that, the combatants began their trial. Derek pressed immediately, sure that he could end this little exercise in short order. His face turned to a grimace when he realized that he hadn't budged the girl's arm one bit. The young woman, for her part, was grinding her teeth, with her lips pulled back, focused entirely on her right arm. Derek adjusted, centered his strength, and began pushing in earnest. He knew that this wasn't going to be an easy match, but it was one that he was going to win. After about three minutes, and with more effort than he thought that he should have expended, Derek brought the girl's hand down to the table, shouting his triumph.
"You lost, you dirty cunt! Give me my money!" he bellowed. The girl was stunned. From her expression it was clear both that she didn't expect to lose, and that she didn't have $500 to give to Derek. Derek reached out, grabbed her throat with his right hand, and began squeezing. "You better have my money, bitch!" The girl was choking and sputtering.
"I've got it. She gave it to me to hold before the match," shouted Hank. Hank tossed the $1000 roll and fished out another $500 from his pocket and slammed it on the table in front of Derek.
"Cunt just got lucky," Derek said, releasing the girl's throat. She coughed for a moment, catching her breath. She looked at the man who had paid her ransom, grabbed the tattered backpack next to the table and bolted out of the door.
Hank quickly paid his tab and rushed out of the bar, hoping to catch sight of the girl as she made a hasty retreat. He didn't immediately see her, but he heard an agonized scream, then a thud that sounded like metal denting. The sound came again. It seemed to come from the alley behind the bar. Hank carefully walked around the building, and found the disheveled girl screaming, crying, and punching the dumpster behind the bar, making serious dents in the metal. After five more hits, the strong young woman collapsed next to the dumpster and began sobbing quietly to herself.
He walked up to her, extending his hand. "Hi. I'm Hank."
She sniffled back her tears. "Angel," she said. "Thanks for covering my debt. You didn't have to do that."
"It was nothing. I really wanted you to beat Derek."
"I know. You would have made a lot of money," Angel responded.
"It isn't about the money. Derek's a bully. I wanted to see him beaten at his own game," replied Hank. "Can I get you a taxi?"
"I don't have anywhere to go. And I couldn't afford a taxi anyway," said Angel.
"You've been sleeping rough?" asked Hank.
"For about the last three weeks, since my car was towed. I needed that $500 to get my car out of the impound lot," Angel answered.
"My apartment is just four blocks away, across the river. How about you come and spend the night. No hanky panky. You'd have your own bed. I'll make you dinner, and you can take a shower," said Hank.
Angel looked up at him, appraising. He was just a little taller than her, maybe 5'4". And she probably outweighed him by twenty pounds. He was also older than her by at least twenty years. She could take him if it came to blows.
"Okay, but I'm not going to have sex with you," she said.
"I wasn't going to ask. I'm old enough to be your father," Hank replied, offering his hand to help her up.
Angel cocked her head and gave him a strange look before taking the hand that was offered.
They began walking, and Hank started the conversation. "You did pretty well against Derek. I've been going to Billy's Pub for a while, and I can't recall anyone presenting Derek with as much of a threat as you did tonight. But the guy has to have at least two hundred pounds and a foot and a half on you. Why did you challenge him?"
"Honestly? Mostly desperation. I need $500 to get my car out of impound. I took the last dose of my cycle this morning, and I was feeling strong. And he's an asshole. I wanted to take him down a peg or two," said Angel.
"Your car's been towed and you're buying 'roids instead of getting your car back?" Hank asked.