Two hours later, I came back to the same spot, the same people. A few more gathered near Maggie. She had procured another bottle, a little bigger than the last one I saw her drinking. “Suit Boy!” she shouted. “You came back. Cheers!” Maggie held the bottle out toward me, toasting me with it before tilting her head back and drinking a big gulp from the bottle. She was more than a little intoxicated. I guess a lot can happen in two hours. “Wait.” She squinted at me again. It wouldn’t have surprised me to learn that she needed glasses. She snapped her fingers a few times. “Wait. Wait. Don’t tell me,” she staggered to her feet, swaying and leaning against the shopping cart. Her wrinkled finger pointed at me, “Kamie Jraften, am I good or what?” She lost her balance, plopping down on her rear end, smacking the pavement hard enough to rattle the shopping cart. “Damn it! That hurt.” She took another drink from the bottle. Somehow, she managed to keep ahold of it without spilling a drop or dropping it altogether.  

               “Close enough, Maggie.” I walked away from her, heading to the back of my SUV. My personal assistant, Ashley, wasn’t happy to be downtown. It was way outside her comfort zone, but I paid her salary. “Get out, Ashley.” Her manicured nails weren’t ready to pass out items to the homeless, and I wouldn’t let her complain. I’d heard enough of her bitching earlier. Her Daddy said if she wasn’t working, he’d cut off her trust, which she couldn’t live without. Did I need an assistant? Not really, but I was giving her a chance as a favor to my ex-wife. “Ewww. Why do I have to . . .” before she finished her sentence, I held up one finger to my lips. I warned her that I would fire her if she mouthed off again. That was her last warning. She started carrying the things in the boxes to Maggie and her shopping carts. Ashley looked at the homeless woman. “You, Maggie?”

               “You betcha, sweetcheeks!” Maggie blew Ashley a kiss and took a drink.

               “This,” she pointed to the eight boxes, “is all for you.” Finishing her sentence, she hurried back to the safety of my SUV, her heels clicking on the sidewalk. Once inside, she locked the door, looking like a panicked animal at the vet.

               “Boy! She’s friendly! Ain’t she?”

               “Maggie lay off. She’s not used to helping.”

               “Whatever you say, suit boy. You missed it. We celebrated without you,” she waved the brown bag holding the bottle of wine. “But you came through!” Maggie, whistling loud enough to call dogs, let me watch as a few dozen homeless people made their way to Maggie’s shopping carts. Whistling a second time, the commotion of people settled down, Maggie yelling, “Quiet down y’all! Suit boy here brought us all some goodies that he wanted to share with us. Please, form one line: right here!” She pointed to a spot in front of her and the boxes. “There’s enough for everyone. And if you don’t get what you wanted, let Sara Lee or me know. We’ll get you what you need!” Maggie put her wine in the second closest cart, stacked with all her essential items like extra socks, bras, shoes and boots, and coats. A few blankets were in the cart, protecting the most critical item: her wine.  

               With the efficiency of airport security or a theme park line, everyone stood in a single file line, waiting their turn to get their necessities. Smooth. Quiet. Each person took only what they needed, nothing more. The boxes were emptied as fast as Ashley set them down on the sidewalk. Eight empty boxes were repurposed, and Sara Lee kept three for herself. “Can never have too many boxes,” she said, winking at me.  

               Maggie tried to stand up, fell down, and tried again. Steadying herself against her shopping carts, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and opened them. Maggies started to fall over again, catching herself on the carts. She closed one eye and turned to face me. “Suit boy. Come here.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to be that close to Maggie, but I thought, what the hell? I came this far, didn’t I? She pulled me close enough to her to smell the wine permeating her skin, clothes, and breath. After hugging me, she pushed me back, shouting, “What’re you tryin’ to do ta-me? Yous can’t be touchin’ no elderly womans like that,” her finger wagged back and forth at me. I knew she was drunk, but it still didn’t feel good. Maggie plopped back down on a cushion one of her friends put down for her. It was big enough to sit on but not long enough to lie on. “Go on, Suit Boy. Get yerself gone.” She laid her head on the cushion, sprawling herself flat on the sidewalk. In less than five seconds, she was snoring. Sara Lee grabbed a blanket from the cart and threw it over the now-sleeping woman. “G’night, Mags,” Sara Lee said, kissing her head. Sara Lee shooed me away. I walked back to the SUV, Ashley still huddled against the door, hoping that none of the homeless folks breathed on her window.

               “You can unlock the doors now,” I said, pointing to the lock button.