Page 18 of Deserving Cora
She wanted to apologize. Tell him it wasn’t that she didn’twantto take his hand, just that she wasn’t used to people helping her. She wasn’t the kind of woman for whom others, men especially, went out of their way to assist. She wasn’t flirty or coy, and she definitely didn’t come across as helpless. She dressed for comfort, didn’t wear makeup, didn’t care about using womanly wiles to get her way…not that she had any. In this city in particular, her attitude didn’t go over well. People were always trying to impress others, and if you didn’t play the game, you were overlooked.
But this man didn’t seem to care that she’d come to a fancy event in a dress from a big box store and cheap heels. In fact, he hadn’t looked at her any differently after she’d changed into her jeans and sweatshirt.
Making a split-second decision, Cora reached up and took hold of Pipe’s arm and used it to help her stand in the still-swaying Metro car. He immediately tightened his muscles, using his core strength to assist her.
“Thanks,” she muttered.
They stepped off the subway into the mostly deserted station near her apartment, heading for the stairs. Cora stopped when she saw Milton, the homeless man she’d known for years. He usually spent the colder nights here in the station. She stopped beside him, and could feel Pipe’s gaze boring into her as she crouched near the other man.
“Hey, Milt,” she said softly.
The man, who couldn’t be that much older than her, rolled over. At seeing her, he grinned and sat up. “Cora. It’s good to see you. What are you doing out so late, you shouldn’t—” Whatever he was going to say abruptly cut off when he caught sight of Pipe behind her.
“This is Pipe. He’s my friend,” she told Milton. “He’s escorting me home.”
Milton turned back to Cora and said suspiciously, “Haven’t seen him before.”
“I know. He’s going to help me find Lara,” she said in a low tone. She’d talked to Milton about Lara on a couple of occasions, usually when she brought Milton some food. He knew that Cora was worried, that she thought Lara had been kidnapped. Milton might be homeless, and smelly, and drunk a lot of the time, but he was a good man and she considered him a friend. She didn’t know his story, about how he’d ended up living on the streets, but since she’d felt as if she was days away from being right where he was at times, she never judged him.
Milton stared up at Pipe and narrowed his eyes. “You take care of her,” he said in a menacing growl.
Instead of laughing or rolling his eyes at the empty threat obvious in Milton’s voice, Pipe nodded once. Respect filled Cora. Not many people looked twice at homeless men and women, whose population seemed to be growing year after year in DC. The difference between the haves and the have-nots in this city, and many cities across the country, was becoming more and more obvious.
Cora shrugged a shoulder and brought her backpack around so she could unzip it. She reached in and fingered the white envelope under the dress and shoes she’d worn earlier that night. She took out a few bills and held them out to Milton. “Here.”
He looked down at her hand and blinked in surprise. “Nope,” he said with a shake of his head, not reaching for the money.
“Please, Milton. Take it. I’ll be gone for a while, and I’m worried about you with the weather getting colder.”
“That’s too much,” he insisted. “I know you can’t afford it.”
“I can,” Cora lied.
“No.”
“Yes.”
They glared at each other for a heated moment before Milton sighed. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”
“No. Please take it. If you don’t, I’ll be stressed out. Then I’ll stop eating and fade away into nothing,” she teased.
Milton rolled his eyes but reached for the money. “Wouldn’t want that,” he mumbled.
“Thank you,” Cora said, then leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek. He smelled pretty horrible, and his face was dirty, but she didn’t care. He was a decent man deserving of care and affection. They’d met when he’d intervened while she was being harassed by two other homeless guys. He’d saved her that day, and they’d been friends ever since.
“Be careful,” Milton said solemnly.
“I will.” Cora stood and smiled at Milton, then turned to Pipe. “Ready?”
She couldn’t read the expression on his face. He nodded.
They walked toward the stairs once more.
When they reached the street, Pipe asked, “How much did you give him?”
“Two hundred bucks. He’ll probably spend it all on alcohol in the next few days, but I don’t mind.”
“How much do you usually give him?” Pipe asked.
