You’ll Pay For That

(I work for a very well-known retailer. We do not receive paper checks; rather, our pay is deposited on cards that can be used as debit/credit cards. I am given one of these cards by the husband of one of our cashiers. I immediately recognize the name printed across the front as that of a member of our maintenance crew, who is known for being a pain… and also a friendly acquaintance of my direct supervisor.)

Me: “[Supervisor]! We HAVE to mess with [Maintenance]!” *I show her the card* “We should tell him that someone bought a TV with it but we didn’t realize it was his until after the customer left because they left the card behind, like on the check stand or something.”

Supervisor: “Oh, my god. That’s awesome!”

(We discuss how we are going to play out the prank and my supervisor pages overhead for the maintenance associate to report to the service desk.)

Maintenance: “What’s up?”

Supervisor: *as she holds out his card toward him* “Your friend Steve got the TV.”

Maintenance: *looking confused* “Steve? Who is Steve?”

Supervisor: “Steve. He got that TV for you and left this with us to get back to you.”

Maintenance: *a little more worried* “TV? What are you talking about?”

Supervisor: “That 40-inch Visio you wanted for your apartment. Steve paid for you and left to take it to your place.”

(Panicked, Maintenance starts reaching for his phone; presumably to check his balance on his card and we can’t hold it in any longer. We burst out laughing and confess the whole thing to be a joke.)

Maintenance: *to Supervisor* “You’re terrible!”

Me: *raising my hand enthusiastically* “IT WAS MY IDEA!”

Maintenance: “What?!”

Supervisor: “Yeah, [My Name] put me up to it.”

Me: “But seriously, you should thank [Cashier’s Husband]. He found it.”

(I regaled the tale to one of his closest work friends, who happened to know his PIN, and she said next time he lost track of it she was buying us all sodas on Maintenance.)