Small stories: Service with a smile [and a double entendre]

Just a few minutes walk from our house we have a 'proper' old-fashioned butcher's shop, a shop where the butcher [whose name, 'John MacDonald' even has a solid, old-fashioned, feel to it] knows most of his customers by name. It's that kind of shop.

One of my partner's ambitions is to one day approach the counter and be greeted with the phrase "Good morning James, what can I get you today?", but I've warned him that that's not so likely:

"How's he ever going to learn your name in the first place?" I ask. "What are you going to do, walk in one day and say '6 pork sausages please and by the way, my name's James'?".

The thing is ... it's just the kind of thing he would do, so I don't really press the point ... I don't want to give him any ideas which could result in hime making some sort of public spectacle of us. No, I leave that to others .....

I walked into the square last week to get a few things to make a sandwich with and, as if it wasn't bad enough having to ask for "4 brown fadgies" in public:
... this happened ...

After being served my aforementioned 'fadgies' and six slices of ham and while waiting for the shop assistant to add up their cost on the back of a paper bag [yes, they still do that there too!] I looked away from the serving counter to open my bag. When I looked up again, my bread had vanished. I looked around confused, thinking maybe the assistant had taken them back for some reason when the elderly man to my right pointed to the bag in front of him and asked:

"Are these yours love?"

"Erm, yes." I replied, which resulted in him sliding them back toward along with a stream of apologies and explanations:

"I thought they were mine! I asked for some and then I moved place and I thought she'd put them down in the wrong spot. I'm sorry, I thought they were mine."

"It's fine." I said smiling.

"I thought they were mine" he repeated.

Just then, as if to relieve his embarrassment in a full shop, the lady who was serving him spoke up ... and it was my turn to wish I wasn't in a crowded shop:

"Did he pinch your buns?" she asked with mischief in her voice.

Me: "Yes". She turned to him:

"Did you pinch her buns?"

Him: "Yes, I thought they were mine. I pinched her buns".

Her: "Eeeee he pinched your buns".

Him: "I did, I thought they were mine".

By which time I personally was quite happy to put the 'bun-pinching' behind me and leave!

Then, on my way out, past the elderly man, he once again looked up proclaiming: "I thought they were mine, I'm sorry love" ... and once again I smiled, looked him in the eye and told him it was fine.

I then left the shop ... grinning. The last time I grinned upon leaving a large supermarket was more to do with being glad to get out rather than having felt a warm sense of community in there. Bun pinching or no bun pinching.

How about you? You're always welcome to share any similar small stories with me.

Thanks for reading.

Jx