I'll Just Take That, Thanks!

"I just love your store! Every time I come here I find so many good things."

She was middle aged, with a bubbly personality, and enthusiastically piled her merchandise all over my counter; that is, until she got to the bottom of her shopping cart.

"Oh no! How could this have happened?!"

She gingerly picked up a floral arrangement in a glass bowl that was completely broken. I restrained myself from answering "Well, often when you place something delicate AT THE BOTTOM OF A PILE it tends to break."

Instead, I simply said "I'm sorry about that, here let me take it for you."

"Oh—well, um...what are you going to do with it?" She said, as she reluctantly handed it to me.

"It has sharp edges ma'am, I can't sell that. I have to throw it away."

"Oh well that is just too bad. See now, I could still use those flowers inside it. Tell you what, can I just have it? I mean you can't sell it right?"

I knew what words I was keeping from coming out of my mouth, but I can't tell you EXACTLY what my face was saying; I was too preoccupied with biting my lip.

"So I can just take that home with me?"

"No Ma'am. I'm sorry I can't allow that."

"Oh well that is just too bad. I am sorry you can't too."

For future reference, it isn't polite to break someone's things and ask if you can have it since it is broken anyway.

Epilogue:

Oddly enough this customer decided we were going to be "friends" and would always find me and want to talk whenever she shopped.