You Think He’d Remember A Lifesaver

Two customers come in together.

Customer #1: “I’ll buy lunch today.”

Customer #2: “Okay.”

[Customer #2] proceeds to talk to my coworker, since they are mutual friends. [Customer #1] brings up their items and I ring them up.

Me: “Your total is $20.37.”

He hands me a twenty-dollar bill.

Me: “It’s $20.37.”

He looks at me, opens his wallet, and then pats his pocket.

Customer #1: “That’s all I got.”

Me: “It’s fine. I can cover the rest.”

Customer #1: “Thanks! You’re a lifesaver!”

Then, we get to talking about how he’s new around here, moved from opposite sides of the country, from a large city to a tiny town, etc. It probably lasts ten minutes, and it’s a good conversation.

[Customer #2] comes up, and suddenly, [Customer #1] looks at me.

Customer #1: “Don’t I get change?”

Me: *Dumbfounded* “Uhh, no. I covered the rest.”

Customer #1: “But I gave you a fifty!”

I open my till to look and, lo and behold, there are no fifties in my drawer. I lift up my drawer and search, have my coworker search, and offer to count out my till and empty out my pockets, which [Customer #1] is quick to say no to.

Customer #1: “You must have gotten caught up in the conversation and misplaced it. It sucks that I lost thirty bucks.”

Me: “I have no idea what to tell you. There are no fifties in my drawer. If I give you thirty, I’ll be thirty short.”

It finally ends when [Customer #2] comments:

Customer #2: “It must have been a twenty if there are no fifties in there.”

I counted my till at the end of my shift, and it was balanced. People are weird.