Recently as I walked thru a department store, I passed by the perfume counter.
There spread out on the counter were dozens, if not hundreds of bottles. Thin bottles, tall bottles, wide bottles of perfume. All different colors and aromas. Likely, something for everyone.
This reminded me of a true story. This happened to me back in early 2000
A group of business men, myself included, were at a really nice restaurant in Portland Oregon. I think it was Salty’s in Portland Oregon on the Columbia River. Let me repeat, we were at a really nice restaurant.
If my memory serves me well, there were about 10 of us at the table. We were celebrating finalizing a merger and it had gone well. The group was happy and having a good time chatting about the past week’s work.
The owners of the companies involved were at the table as was the entire executive management team. There were a few of us at the table who had been a part of the due diligence process. I was a member of this group.
Out of the blue, as a waitress walked by, a guy at the table, (not one of the owners or executive management team), interrupted the conversation with this loud declaration,
“Wow, I know that smell,” he blurted this out loud enough for all of us to stop what we were doing and to turn towards him. I personally do not recall any aroma that stood out in the air at that moment.
“Yep, I can recognize that smell anywhere,” he continued. All of us waiting to find out what he was talking about.
“Uh huh, I guarantee you that’s nudie bar perfume. I’ve been in enough nudie bars to never forget that smell,” he said with no hesitation or forethought of what he was saying. You could see him cranning his neck left and right trying to find the girl who had just walked by.
You could have heard a pin drop in the room at that moment. Everyone at the table rolled their eyes and looked at each other in astonishment.
No one commented on his statements. We just went back to our previous discussions and ordered our meal.
I don’t recall that guy attending any other management team dinners beyond McDonalds.
The Moral of the story – If you recognize nudie bar perfume in public settings, especially while in a fancy dan restaurant, keep it to yourself. No one wants to be noticed because she smells like a stripper and most business men don’t want to know that you are a major patron of strip joints.
Just saying.
Teddy Burriss 