Where did their wine go?

Funny story: My girlfriend and I traveled to the local grocery store this evening to pick up a cheap bottle of champagne for the new year's eve. I am not drinking alcohol at the moment, due to some rather disturbing immunity counts, and she simply wanted the champagne for tradition's sake (we are attending a small fraternity gathering tonight.) Therefore, we decided on a cheap, $5.00 brand.

While in the isle, we located the shelf where fifty or so bottles of this champagne were supposed to be - but weren't (apparently frugality is popular this year.) Kneeling down, I located a few bottles in the back of the shelf and, a little over ecstatically, grabbed one: muttering some words I don't remember. Next to us, was an elder (French?) man who bellowed out a deeply disappointing sigh.

"Oh, did you want the last bottle?," I asked, "there's actually another down there," I said, kneeling down again to retrieve a bottle for him. "Oh... no..." he stated disgustedly, "Look, why don't you guys spend the extra ten dollars and purchase a different bottle?"

"Well, I responded, we're college students - it's all the same to us."
"I was a college student once," he replied, "at least I think so... I don't know, it was a long Atime ago." We all laughed. He then took out his wallet and began to shift through his bills in order to give us ten dollars more for our champagne. Both my girlfriend and I pleaded against the handout, assuring him it wasn't worth it and that it did not matter to us. He placed his wallet away, we thanked him for his kindness, and we went on our way.

Shortly after, we arrived at the self-checkout stations and I was about to scan the drink. Alarmingly, the french man was racing, abruptly, towards us: "Cancel your wine!" he bellowed out. I did not scan the five dollar bottle in my hand. He stationed himself at the self-checkout center next to us, seemed to proceed with his own transaction, and then handed me the bottle of champagne he had recommended us. "Thank you so very much," my girlfriend & I both said. "In forty years, you can do the same thing for someone else," he replied. We exchanged names (his is indeed Stephen: spelled with a P&H, and he walked briskly out of the building. We toddled behind.

About thirty seconds later, as we were exiting the building, I noticed a security officer in our path - dead ahead. My first thoughts involved his witness of the french man overtly purchasing an alcoholic beverage for me. I expected to be carded. No problem, if I remember correctly, at this point in time I was reaching for my wallet. We were, however, stopped and questioned about what had transpired:

"Did you know that man?" he asked.
"No," I responded, "he gave us a drink recommendation."
"I see," the security officer replied, "Well, he didn't pay for his wine!"
Liquid filled beads of humor began to erupt in my head.
"That's unfortunate," I replied.
"Did you see where he went?" he asked.
"No," I responded.
My girlfriend & I proceeded to our vehicle.

So what happened? As we entered the car, it occurred to me the possibility of us being accessories to theft. Did the french man pay for our wine separately from his own order? Probably not. I didn't have a receipt. Did the man intend to steal the beverages, perhaps leaving us in the dust intentionally, or did he perhaps struggle to use the self checkout station? More importantly, does he really wish me to perform the same act for another person in forty years? :)

S.C.