#432 The Day I "Snubbed" A Nordstrom

In researching my previous post, I read through my journal to get correct stats and came across something that happened around this same time that included similar people.  Let me tell you about it. 

It was late September 1997.  The Seattle Reign was nearing the end of pre-season and our strength and conditioning coach, Peter Shmock, wanted to celebrate.  He put together a dinner with our team and invited some of his friends.  I’m all about food, so I was in.  Peter mentioned it to me ahead of time and said a friend was coming who was one of the presidents of Nordstrom and that he was single.  I jokingly asked him, “Is this the dating game?” He said it wasn’t.  I also learned that my weight-gaining contest partner, Bryan (Post No. 415), was coming and bringing a friend. 

I arrived at the restaurant and Peter told me to sit next to him.  I did and there happened to be an empty chair next to me that stayed empty for a while.  Others came in and took their places.  I don’t know if there was a plan for someone in particular to sit next to me.  When Bryan arrived with his three friends there was no room for them at our table, so they sat elsewhere. 

Eventually a tall, nice looking, mid-30s-looking man came in and Peter told him to sit next to me.  I was 28 and anyone in their 30s was close to 40 and seemed ancient. 

This man’s name was also Peter.  He was very nice and we chatted a bit about shoes (Nordstrom is the best place for shoes!), sports (he was 6’7” and told me he had played basketball at the University of Washington).  He told me he’d been to Indianapolis for the Final Four.  He also told me that he was one of the presidents of Nordstrom, along with his brothers.  That should have been a clue for me.  (Duh.)

As I talked to him, my mind was on Bryan, who I had crush on, and I was also trying to eat the ribs I ordered.  The following are direct quotes from my journal: “I ended up talking to him most of the time and didn’t get to eat much of my ribs.” “He’s nice, but I wanted to eat my food.”  I cringe every time I read that. 

Dinner was nice. Nordstrom Peter was nice.  Bryan was not really around me.  After dinner, Peter Shmock wanted me to stay and eat dessert but I declined (when have I ever not eaten dessert?!)  Nordstrom Peter left and then I left with one of my teammates. 

As we walked away from the restaurant, my teammate and I talked about Bryan and Nordstrom Peter, and then she commented that he was a Nordstrom.   OMG!  Nordstrom Peter was Peter Nordstrom, son of the founder of Nordstrom department store. 

I’m not one to like someone because of their name or how much money or power they have.  However, I did learn a lesson.  If a nice, tall guy wants to talk to you, forget about your food.  If the guy you have a crush on is not really acting like he’s interested in you, he is probably not interested in you. 

Maybe Peter Nordstrom sat by me because that was the only available chair.  Maybe he was talkative because he was just a nice person.  Maybe he had no interest in me whatsoever.  I will never know, because I basically blew him off. 

You can read my previous post to see how things with Bryan turned out.  What might have happened if I had acted more friendly/flirty toward Mr. Nordstrom?  Learn from me.  Don’t count someone out who is paying attention to you, even if it’s at the expense of your dinner.  He was very nice and good looking, but at the time I thought he was a tiny bit “old” for me.  (I looked him up - he’s 54 now so he’s only six years older than me.)  Give a guy a break when he’s paying attention to you instead of his three friends in another part of the restaurant. 

Sincerely,

NOT Mrs. Nordstrom