I Fessed Up About the Free Drink

Alright, so you know how every bartender has that one regular who's just a little too friendly? Well, I've been at this bar for almost two years now and Mike is my go-to customer for casual Friday nights. He always chats me up about local bands, our favorite drinks, and his hilarious tales of growing up in the city. But here’s the thing: I’ve never actually liked Mike all that much, I find him a bit too chatty and self-involved for my taste. But the other day, something kind of weird happened. Mike came into the bar and he looked really stressed out. He ordered his usual cocktail but also asked if we had any free samples on tap because he was on such a tight budget due to unexpected bills piling up. I felt bad seeing him like this since I know our boss has been pretty strict about not giving away free drinks unless it’s during happy hour. So, here comes the big lie: knowing Mike needed that drink but being conscious of what would happen if we gave him a freebie on a non-happy-hour day, I had an idea. I walked over to the keg area and pretended like I was pulling out a sample bottle. Instead, I took another sip from his own cocktail glass, just enough to make it look legit, and handed him back something that looked official but was really just water with a bit of flavoring. He thanked me, saying he was grateful for the gesture despite my having to explain why we don’t usually offer free samples. He seemed lighter after that and went on his way. It worked out fine at the time; no complaints from management and I felt like I did something nice by helping him in a pinch. But now it’s been bothering me ever since, was this just a moment of kindness, or was I actually breaking rules to indulge my customer's habit? It feels petty now that he didn’t even notice the trick, but part of me wonders what would happen if he knew the truth. Would he see me as a hero who found a loophole for someone in need, or as someone willing to bend the rules just because I couldn’t deal with his constant chatter? That’s why I’m posting here, because I feel like there’s this little part of my conscience that needs some closure about whether I did something kind or selfish. Anyone else ever do something a bit shady for what they thought was a good reason?