It was in a bad part of town, near the railway station, not far from the police station and opposite a strip club; but Betty liked it. The beer was good, the atmosphere great and the police never came in when Betty was there. And that was mostly Tuesday nights and Friday nights with the black corner group or the heavies from the carnival club.
Betty usually sat on some guy's lap, but sometimes on a table or on the bar. Everybody wanted to buy Betty a beer. She was the only female in the pub, she had a great time, no one started a fight when Betty was there.
In the past there had been trouble, some of the men wanted to fight, Betty did not like that, fighting was strictly for Betty only. Usually a good thumping and a crawl home was enough, sometimes Betty had to thump men into hospital.
Some of the trouble-makers were nasty, a bit evil; Betty thumped them and dragged them to the bus station for a long distance, one-way trip. Betty once saw two policemen hitting some poor guy in the street, uniforms meant nothing to Betty, she dragged them to the bus station.
It was heart-stopping what Betty did to the really nasty and really evil men – you won't see them again. Betty kept order, Betty was good for business, everyone liked Betty, they had to.
When the pub closed the guys that had money went to the strip club, you had to be a member to go in and the drinks were pricey. Betty was not a member and had no money, but who in their right mind would stop her.
The first time Betty was there a stripper had just got her knickers off when the guy next to Betty grabbed the guy on the other side of the table and punched him in the face. Within seconds everybody stood up and hit one another. The tables were overturned and the chairs flew. The stripper grabbed her underwear and ran. Just like an old time movie.
Betty thumped everybody and dropped them back into their chairs. Betty prepared to remove an arm and a leg from the first guy; however he quickly ordered a round of drinks, very expensive, for everyone. Betty downed a triple stiff one and went backstage to comfort the poor stripper.
Why did Betty like the strip club? Was it the drink, the atmosphere, the power over all those men or the naked women? Probably all of these. Betty helped the strippers, with their make-up and their clothes, she kissed them and cuddled them when they were unhappy, she helped with their dance technique.
The strippers were not the best of dancers, mostly useless, the men wanted to see naked women. This was not a problem for Betty, Betty wanted everybody to dance, good or bad, Betty was happy when anyone danced, good or bad.
And Amy is bad, Amy dancing is a joke, Amy has enormous breasts. The men want to see them, Betty too. And tonight Amy is on the stage, the men ogle Amy's breasts, big success. Amy leaves the stage for the small dressing room and grabs Betty who had missed Amy's performance.
Amy will not let go of Betty, but Betty is fine with that, what can she see? Betty dresses Amy in her normal clothes, rather physical. Still Amy clings to Betty, she is very emotional, Betty doesn't understand. Amy is afraid. Betty walks Amy home, between the tears and the half sentences and the muddled thoughts Betty understands “boyfriend” and later “cruel boyfriend”. Amy needs protection.
Amy lives on the seventeenth floor in the housing estate on the north edge of town. The apartment is small and messy. Amy bangs a large glass onto the coffee table, fills it with whiskey and takes a swig. Betty sits on her lap and takes a swig, she kisses Amy, chews her ear and licks her face. Betty likes Amy.
Amy does not understand, no one has ever been so gentle and loving to her before, she takes a big gulp of whiskey and kisses Betty on the mouth. The door opens with a crash.
The boyfriend is there and he doesn't like what he sees. Betty stands up and smiles sweetly to the boyfriend, this makes him angrier. Amy hides behind the sofa. The boyfriend runs at Betty, he loses his footing, slides across the coffee table and bashes his face on the wall. Useless, thinks Betty.
The boyfriend stands, snarls and lunges at Betty. Amy won't like it if I chuck him out the window, thinks Betty. Betty thumps the air out of his lungs and drops him onto the coffee table. Well made, this coffee table, thinks Betty. She thumps him again.
No, I don't want to drag him to the bus station now, thinks Betty. Betty has something else on her mind, actually two things. She spies three nylon stockings on the floor. Somebody has three legs, thinks Betty. She ties his wrists together behind his back, the second stocking for his ankles and the third for wrists and ankles, she knows where to shove the knickers.
Betty carries the boyfriend out of the flat, if he's still here in the morning I'll drag him to the bus station. She re-enters the apartment and bolts the door. She picks up Amy and carries her to the bedroom.