Free and Reduced Meals

Apparently lunch was on me on Thursday.  Went with my co-workers to lunch at Chipotle & as usual I slung my purse on the back of my chair.  And as my head was deep in it, I left it there.  Stoopid, stoopid me--my first mistake. We had just pulled into the parking lot of our school when I discovered the very important missing item.  I quickly called the restaurant, but I guess there was a language barrier or something as I was left on hold for so long that we arrived back to Chipotle's before anyone ever picked up--actually I ran inside & there the person was holding the phone as if there was nothing at all wrong...No one helped me--they all stood there looking at me as if I'd sprouted 10 heads.  I was very appalled by the lack of response.  So I ran back out to where we'd eaten & asked two ladies who'd been sitting there when we'd left if they saw anything.  Nope, Nada.  By this time I was in a huge panic because we'd noticed a homeless man hanging out in front of the restaurant when we'd left the first time & he was no longer there.  I ran back inside & started asking patrons if they'd turned in a purse.  As I was looking around wildly, I noticed a professionally-dressed woman walking from the direction of the restroom & lo & behold she was holding my purse!  Perfect!!  I called out, "Thank you! Thank you! You found my purse."  She said she just saw it sitting & didn't want to pick it up at first because she didn't want anyone to think she'd stolen it.  For a split second I thought about offering her a little reward for retrieving it but decided against it because I wouldn't have expected it if I'd found a purse & I didn't want to embarrass her.  That was mistake number two.  If I had bothered to open the purse there & then I'd have seen that my wallet was laying open & all my cash was gone.  All $85 including my little secret $20 stash.  Instead, I trusted that people are good & blithely bounced back to the car where my co-worker was waiting for me.  It was there where I discovered my violation.  Thankfully, thankfully she did not take my license, credit cards, or social security card.  So I guess lunch really was on me...and the brand new silk blouse she picked up at Nordstrom's Rack.