Tough guy

Via Christa Faust, a little noir tale, “The Last Kayfabe” by Ray Banks, about an aging wrestler who's down on his luck.

Mind you, “wrestler” now means something different than it did back in the days when noir characters wore fedoras.

“That time you fucked up New Jack,” says Monty. “That for real?”

They don’t always recognise me. This one can’t believe a white boy pinned a former bounty hunter with four justifiables. I stare at him, wish he’d move his ass and hand over the fuckin’ dimes.

“No,” I say. “Wasn’t for real.”

“Any of that shit for real?”

Shake my head. Apart from the blood. The blood was real. The pain. Shit, you wanna talk pain, we can talk pain.

Mmmm. Noir.