Romance in the parts bins.

My first job.
It was my first job after getting married. I started to work in the parts and service department at Sears Sacramento 1965. My new boss, Mr. Cole said it doesn’t pay much but come and get it. So, I started in September a few days after our honeymoon.
Mr. Cole had already had an earlier career and retired as Chief Petty Officer in the Navy. When I started my new Sears job Mr. Cole appeared to me about early sixties and probably had already worked at Sears for the previous 20-years. I would almost always see him in white dress shirt and tie. Often with his sleeves rolled up. He was a good man and was most fair with we underlings. He gave us this advice, “Don’t bring your home problems to work and don’t take work problems home.” But anyway, my job required very little skill and for the most part was done with little thought. Find the part for the customer on the micro-film machine then go to the racks and find the part or write out an order it for him. Parts for sears small and large appliances, TVs and small engine driven mowers, outboard engines and more. Vacuumed tubes, resistors, and CRT picture tubes. Engine belts, crank start rope, washer hoses and more.
Now there was this lady who had a dispatch desk just outside the parts department and near the appliance repair department. I forgot her name but she appeared to be late fifties and kept her hair darkened with coloring. In the mornings her desk was surrounded by inside and outside repair men getting their orders for the day for TV or appliance repairs. I’m sure she loved the attention. If not annoyed.
So, one day I was attempting to find a part for a clothe washer and Had to go into the appliance repair department around the corner and see if was in the racks in that department. A place other in my parts group seldom go. So, I was rounding the corner of the racks of parts and noticed Mr. Cole in full embrace with the lady with the colored hair. I pretended to ignore their surprise release from a passionate kiss and just go on about my business. I really didn’t give it much thought and went back to the customer at the front counter. I never told anyone of this parts department romance. But I’m sure like went on well after I had left Sacramento and moved to L A to attend Pepperdine University. I just hope Mr. Cole had retired happy.