My Colleague’s Lunch Surprise Went Horribly Wrong

Anonymous Meddling Whisperer #197 · General

I’ve always thought of myself as a person who likes to make others feel comfortable and appreciated. For the last few months, I noticed that my colleague Jane has been working tirelessly on several big projects and hasn’t really taken time for herself, let alone had a proper lunch break. One day, I decided to surprise her by ordering in her favorite meal from this new cafe downtown. I was so excited to see the smile on her face when she found out that someone cared enough to notice how much work she has been putting in lately. But then something unexpected happened. The food arrived lukewarm and with half of it missing. One slice of pizza was entirely absent, leaving Jane visibly disappointed and questioning my thoughtfulness. I tried to laugh it off and apologize profusely, explaining that I chose a new delivery place thinking they might be better, but I clearly made the wrong choice. The problem wasn’t just about the food though; the real issue arose when she mentioned she had planned a small dinner party with friends afterwards, which now was thrown into jeopardy due to my clumsy act of kindness. I’ve been ruminating on this for days, feeling guilty and unsure how to rectify it. I’m not sure if offering money or another meal will help or make things worse. Am I the asshole here? Should I just let her deal with this by herself and hope she doesn’t think less of me in the future? Any advice on how to mend this situation without overstepping boundaries would be greatly appreciated.