R is for Retail, and Romance

I have a few other Retail memories to share. 

A worked with a few co-workers that were quite younger; early 20's, late teens.  One girl in particular, we'll call her "Mardi" and I became quick friends.  She was cute, and tom-boyish, and had a boyfriend.  She lived with her brother and her single father.  She had mentioned one day that her father worked at the same cement plant my father had worked, as well, as other family members-including my ex-husband.  The next day at work she reported to me that her father knew my family; and had to work with my ex-husband for a short period of time.  He knew the whole story how my ex just picked up and quit the plant, and how everyone was shocked how he could have just ran off and left the way he did.  Great.  Cement plant drama at it's best.  Everyone "knew" my story it seemed.  Everyone knew what a jerk my ex was and how he bailed from the child support that was attached to his wages.  Wonderful. 

I guess Mardi mentioned to her father, (we'll call him Hugh) that I was single and working two jobs, because it was a few days later that he came around to the work place to say "hello."  Great.   I smiled, and I was polite, but I certainly was not interested in this man whatsoever.  He was considerably older than me, and although he was very nice, he wasn't my type by any means.  The stories that Mardi had told me about his "farting" contests nights before did not help any either.  Unfortunately, he was "smitten" by me.  Lovely.  He called me a few times, but I made sure they were short calls.  Mardi when come in all smiling, saying things like, "My father likes your smile.."  Great. 

 I didn't want to hurt Mardi's feelings, but I wanted her to know that I was not interested in her father at all.  That is when I asked the potato chip truck delivery guy that I was friends with to stop by at the store and talk to me.  This guy was an odd fellow.  We used to go out on dates with his coupon book.  He was a coupon book date guy--never left the house without it.  It was never a serious relationship by any means, but I needed to send a message to Mardi.  The few calls her father Hugh did make was enough to make me nervous.  I wanted him to stop calling, but I was too "nice" to say it to him directly.  Potato Chip guy, we'll call him "Chip" did come by a few times during the shift, but that didn't stop Hugh from calling again.  I finally just told  him that "I wasn't ready" for anything more than a friendship right now, and I didn't hear from him every again.  (Heavy sigh of relief).

Weeks later, Mardi came up to me asking if I knew "so and so".  So happens, her father had a blind date with someone I worked with.  Another heavy sigh of relief.  The woman who he had a date with was an older professional woman.  Although they were closer in age, there was no way in hell I could see these two people together.  I heard that they met and had a few beers at a mountain bar.  I don't think it was a love connection. 

One of the store managers heard about my "other" job, and wanted to know if I knew a certain pretty probation officer that he had met one night playing pool.  I knew of her, but didn't quite know her, but I was afraid to let him know because he was a weasel.  We called him George Washington because of his jagged and gappy teeth-they looked like they were made of wood.  He was a weasel because we would always catch him "checking out" the girls on floor.  I could not understand what my co-worker at my "other" job would see in the guy.  Anyway, one day, I was minding my own business and working on the display of Christmas slippers.  As I walking back to the register, my other co-worker, Maureen starting laughing.  "I saw ole' George checking you out..." she exclaimed.  I never wore that wool skirt ever again. 

No, that isn't me..