to mine, “how old are you?” I ask already concerned about his answer.
“Twenty seven, why how old are you?” damn it, he is young, I should have known it, there is no way he could be my age, but five years younger! The thought makes me feel a bit dirty, almost as if I’m taking advantage
Nudging me with his shoulder he looks at me expectantly, “well?” he reiterates. How do I answer this without letting on that I’ve suddenly become a ‘cougar’, Yuk, I hate that word. “I’m…….not twenty seven” I answer coyly.
“Oh come on” he complains, “I told you mine” he says giving me a pout with puppy dog eyes.
“Yours was nothing to worry about!” I defend, but his hurt face remains until I crack, “I’m 32” I mumble under my breath.
“I didn’t hear that” he says grinning at me squirming.
“I’m 32” I say loud and clear this time, glancing down embarrassed.
“Oh well that changes everything” he says flatly, letting go of my hand and taking a step back; instantly my world crumbles, I didn’t think it would be this much of a problem, I’m instantly back to feeling old and repulsive.
In one step he has me in his arms laughing “don’t be stupid!” he admonishes me, “that’s nothing, from your reaction I thought you were going to say fifty or something” he says still laughing. I’m rushed with relief, catching his infectious smile and giving him a playful punch in the arm.
“Oh thanks very much” I laugh back at him.
“Come on you” he says pulling me back into step beside him, “if we don’t hurry up I’ll end up having to fetch you a walking stick before we finish our date!” scoffing my reply I give him another punch, to which he fakes injury before putting his arm round my shoulders and pulling me close as we continue on.
We are approaching a large hall, with high windows running the length of the walls, I can just make out the tops of peoples heads bobbing around within. I can hear muffled music coming from inside, mainly a frenzied beat marking out the foundations of the tune, but as we approach I start to pick out tones from a piano and possibly a trumpet alongside the rhythmic clapping of hands. Reaching the white double doors there is a poster with red letters depicting ‘Salsa Class’. My face lights up, “Salsa!” I exclaim, overjoyed.
“I thought you knew, what with your clothes, you are the image of Salsa” he replies confused.
“Nope, just a happy co-incidence” I smile as I hug his arm, barely able to contain my excitement.
When he opens the door for me, the music blares out, as I step into the room I can feel the beat rising through my shoes and up my legs making my hips impulsively start swaying.
After a few minutes where we mingle and chat with the other people choosing to take the class, mostly novices like myself thankfully, a stern looking, but stunning woman marches in; the music comes to an abrupt stop and she commands the attention of the entire room with a single flick of her wrist.
She is intimidating, but you cannot take your eyes off her, her clothes stick to her body as if merely painted on to her skin, a split in the side of her skirt rises dangerously high on her defined thigh. She not only walks, but demonstrates each move faultlessly in sky high heels; she isthe goddess of Salsa!
In a deep sultry purr, she explains that Salsa is within us all, it is the very beat of your heart; Salsa resides in all of us, hidden in the very depth of our souls until the time comes when it is released, at which point it envelopes our being entirely.
I have never heard anyone so impassioned by a dance style, but I find myself hanging off her every word; determined to experience the apparent intensity this dance demands.
I am surprised to find that even in her company, Carlos’s eyes never leave my body, trained on my swishing hips, even when my footing falters, he catches me before I have a chance to even try and catch myself. I feel so protected in his embrace and so lusted after against his grinding hips.
As a group, we vaguely pick up the basic steps Kristina painstakingly shows us repeatedly and in turn we mimic her badly, of course except for Carlos who seems unsurprisingly expert in the ways of Salsa.