Firsts and Maurice

D and I went dancing last night, for the first time in quite a while.  I wore a new salsa dress which was shorter than I'm used to, but turned out to work really well.  D wore a new dress, too, and off we went, feeling the need to dance again after our hiatus.

The night started out with several firsts:
-Two guys at the bar bought us drinks.  That was a first for both of us, and was a good feeling even though the men were a little creepy and weird.  We accepted the gift and smiled at each other, knowing we'd get a story out of the experience.
-One of the really good dancers asked me if I'd like to join a performing group.  I told him I'd love to, but it costs money.  Which I don't have.
-Another pro asked me if I ever competed.  Again, I said no, but it was amazing to be asked.

D and I are at the level now where we can be a little snobby about the men we will or won't dance with.  There are regulars at the Marriott that recognize us and reserve us for dances later in the evening.  We take the beginner part of the class just so that we can "preview" the men and see how it looks that particular night.

Which brings me to my hero of the evening: Maurice.
I hadn't seen him at the Marriott before but he knew Serena the salsa teacher.  He and I messed around a bit during the lesson and had some laughs.  Then, when the music started and the floor opened up I danced a few with one of the regulars and then Maurice grabbed me.

Now, when I say grabbed, I do mean grabbed but not in a creepy or demanding way.  No, he just took my hand and gave me a tug, with a look in his eye that said, "I must dance with you."  We started with a rather slow and sultry salsa.  I was surprised at how smooth his movements were, and how confident he was.  I didn't make any mistakes, because he gave me all the right signals.

When the song ended, I started to drift away, but he grabbed my hand again.  "Oh, you're not getting away that easy," he said.  I grinned.  The next song was a merengue, which can be very sexy or detached fun.  For Maurice, it was a chance to see how far into the dancing realm I would follow him.  But he was such a good leader, that I didn't notice.  Let me tell you, though, that world is a nice one.

When the merengue ended, I started drifting off again, and Maurice took off his glasses.  "Oh, you've earned a bachata," he murmured as the beat of the next song became obvious.  I danced once more with him, and was surprised at how good I was getting.  How bold.  How smooth.

D danced with Maurice too, and we both agreed that he was amazing.  As I reflected on it later, I realized that he exemplified on the dance floor exactly what women look for in a man.  So pay attention, guys!  Here's what we want:
1) He was strong.  Yes, women want a man who can push them around a little bit.  Not that he does.  But that he can.  Maurice showed his strength by his gentle but firm hand gestures and placements.  When I was shyly staring at the ground, he firmly lifted my chin until my eyes met his.
2) He had a plan.  Okay, so maybe Maurice didn't know when we went out onto the floor exactly what patterns he was going to do.  But he had some patterns in mind and he communicated them to me as they came along.  He didn't give me a list or a time frame when we went out there.  He didn't bog me down with too much information.  But when it was time, he told me what he wanted me to do, and I did it.
3) He was gentle.  Some dancers are rough on your hands.  They push you around and you feel flung about the dancefloor like a ragdoll.  Maurice did no such thing.  He had good tension in his arms and body, and he didn't overuse his strength.  It was power under control that made him such a great partner.
4) He was attentive.  Now, this one might be the most important.  Both D and I noticed that when we danced with Maurice, it was as if we were the only women on the floor -nay-  in the world.  His eyes were on me the whole time.  He pressed his forehead, his cheek, to mine.  He made me feel desired, alive, sexy.  I haven't felt that way in probably three years.

So there it is... what women want....(Except, of course, the spiritual issues, which go without saying).  Someday I'll give you my 3 concise points on how to make a woman happy.  But that's for another lesson.