New 'Neighbours' Put On The Spot - What Should Have Happened?

[Audrey Quest]

I think the client was very rude to take something that was not offered to him.

Why would the client be entitled in any way to any gift brought for the office?  That would be for office personnel unless one was invited to partake.
 
One way to avoid this kind of awkwardness would be for someone with authority to accept the box of cupcakes on behalf of the office and go place it somewhere where it could be divvied up among the people who work there.
 
Still, the client should have exercised some self control.  He was there to transact business not get a handout.

[Miss Unleaded]

I, for one, am willing to buck trend and say that I do think the client was rude. There was a limited amount of food, obviously provided for those working in office. The polite thing to do would of course been to have refrained unless specifically offered a cupcake.

If I were the associate, I wouldn't have taken one once my client did, but would have begged off with a large breakfast or dinner excuse or something.

I agree with you: Client was rude (and greedy).  If I were in that situatio I would not help myself to a cupcake, unless I was specifically offered one.  And even then, I'd probably decline because it would be apparent that the cupcake was intended for the people in the office and not for visitors.

[Margo]

I agree that the client was rude, to take a cupcake before being offered. 

I think it would have been polite for associate 1 to decline the cake as it was his client who had taken 'his' share, but that assumes that in the time between the plate being offered and his taking a cake, he had noted that there were 5 other people (plus his client) and only 5 more cakes.

I also agree absolutely that if there is a hierarchy then the more senior person ought to ensure that their juniors have a share before they dig in.

I'm mildly curious about the set up of the offices, though - was client just arriving or leaving? Otherwise it seems odd that the new tenants could walk in on a private meeting with a client (even bearing gifts!)

[Mikayla]

I don't think anyone was rude, except possibly the client.  And it's not necessarily for eating a cake brought in - it's hard to visualize how this happened.  If he leaped across barriers and yanked it out of someone's hand, then yes that was rude!

But his obvious rudeness was in not acknowledging the people who brought the cakes.