There's a store i go to often which happens to have several very hot female cashiers in their early 20s. There's a guy they sometimes work with who is kind a head honcho in that he seems to know what he is doing so he gets a lot of hours. Naturally he talks to them a lot and seems flirty with at least one of them. However, I've had extended conversations with these girls and they have asked me questions and seemed interested about my life and some of them have gotten flirty with me.

Since then I've noticed this dude has gotten a lot more condescending with me, acts like a wiseass and calls me "buddy" or "boss" and that sort of thing. Have I encountered a scenario where the alpha male of this group feels threatened and is trying to cut me down? I don't respond defensively, I do what was recommended to me in PUA advice which is just to remain very sweet, almost patronizing to him.

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"The winner of the battle allows his enemy to think he has won" (some quote probably misquoted but i think it's from Art of War)