How to NOT treat your co-workers.

A lesson in common human decency.

There is a really good soup and sandwich shop near where I work, and I decided to get lunch there today.  As I was looking at the daily menu online, a friend came over and noticed what I was looking at.  She then asked very nicely if I would mind getting something for her if I was going, and I said "sure!"  I was about to place our order when my boss - let's call her "Rachel" - suddenly appears behind me (she thinks she's a ninja, and never makes her presence known right away--she waits for me to realize she's there and then acknowledge her).  She says that she heard us talking about getting lunch from this restaurant, and then proceeds to tell me that she is going to put in an order with me to add to the two I already have.  For a split second, I wonder why on Earth she didn't consider asking me first, but then she tells me to scroll up so she can see the rest of the menu on my screen and I forget to even mutter an objection.  I get the order together for her without the barest of complaints.  I drive to the shopping center where the restaurant is located and spend 5 whole minutes trying to navigate the crowded parking lot to get a spot.  I go in to the restaurant, and wait 10 more minutes until someone acknowledges me and asks my name so they can get my food.  Then I mistakenly try to pay separately for everything, but the snooty kid behind the counter tells me in a "you'd be ruining my day" tone of voice that she would "have to delete everything and start completely over" if I did that, so I quickly give up and say I'll just put it all on my card.  After almost getting run over in the parking lot trying to walk back to my car, I arrive back at work and quickly sort out all of the food.  Rachel had given me a $5 bill and her food came to less than $4, so I head to her office to see what she wants me to do about change (as I never have cash on me).  She is in a casual conversation with two co-workers, but they all stop talking when I walk in and Rachel just looks at me as if just by standing there I'm making her day 100% worse.  I pause, say I'm sorry for interrupting, and explain the situation.  After giving me another exasperated look and rolling her eyes, Rachel says, "I don't know, just keep the $5!"  Now, I am an honest person, and I also like to get change back when I give someone too much money for something.  Apparently Rachel doesn't share that sentiment.  I put her food in her office and glance back out, where one of the co-workers is giving me a sympathetic look out of Rachel's view - it's that noticeable that Rachel is being a bitch about this whole thing.  I start to walk back to my desk, and as I pass Rachel she's shaking her head and rolling her eyes again - a clear sign that I've ruined her entire day by going to get food that she didn't even ask me first to get for her.  Clearly, it was really stupid of me to assume she'd want change back.  On my way out of Rachel's office, one of my co-workers calls after me that I could get change out of the snack food box we keep in the kitchen, which is a great idea--and she says it without making me feel like I've ruined her life, which for me is a bonus, since I'm not mean to other people for no reason.  I do what she suggested, take $4, and return the $1 change to Rachel, who barely mutters a "thanks."  

So kids, I guess the moral of the story is: don't do anything for people like Rachel, because they are horrible human beings.  The end.