The Alpha Male I

Three things prompted this post:
1. Going regularly to the gym, specifically, the weight room.
2. Walking down Boulevard St. Laurent, and overhearing a girl say to her friend, "...the problem is that I'm attracted to arrogant men...."
3. "In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women." -- Scarface

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Back around 2000 or so, Claire and I took up salsa lessons at this club on a Sunday night. Lessons were on an ad hoc basis - whoever showed up, showed up. They would line us up - boys on one side, girls on the other - and take us through the moves. Gratefully, they forced us to change partners at regular intervals to 'spread the wealth' a.k.a 'spreading the dearth of dancing talent'. Most of the men had a tragic sense of rhythm and co-ordination. When the lessons were over and it turned into a regular club night, both of us were unconsciously interested in "trading up".

As the male is expected to lead, it is important to find a man who can take charge of the situation in order to take flight into salsa symbiosis. We would watch keenly as others danced. Mentally (and out loud, as I remember it) we made "hot/not" lists. We quickly realised that if we were to get any better at salsa, there was some serious 'social climbing' involved. We would go off and dance with various partners and come back together to exchange notes on how we were handled, how his moves were, how he smelled. And yes, I'm still talking about salsa.

One particular night, a group of salsa kings and queens turned up and showed us ALL how it was done. They were causing a righteous spectacle in a group form of salsa called rueda (literally translates into "wheel") where couples dance in a circle and the female is passed from partner to partner. There is one male who directs the dancing and all others fall into place - we called him The Alpha Male.

Claire and I watched in awe of this group and especially The Alpha Male. He wasn't ugly but wasn't really what I would qualify as a looker, either. We agreed that neither of us would proffer a second glance in his general direction on the street. Claire also fairly towered over him. However, that night, he was a God among men. Either of us would have fairly melted into his arms if he asked us to dance*. The other would have stormed out in a jealous huff. Just kidding!

Of course, he was out of our league anyway and we didn't seriously harbour any hope of getting anywhere near him.

* This is, perhaps, the only time we have ever lusted after the same man.