Rhianna.
‘Hi, I’m looking for Serena,’ said Riley.
‘Hi, yes, she’s expecting you.’ Rhianna glanced at her watch. ‘Her class is due to finish in a few minutes. Do you want to go up?’ She pointed towards a staircase.
As she went upstairs Riley heard faint music, and imagined herself flying around the room like Jennifer Beals in Flashdance. Laughing to herself at the ridiculous image, she heard a thud, thud, the beat getting louder as she levelled with the first floor. She could hear a woman shouting ‘Five, six, seven, eight. Good work, Jessica! And again. Two, three, four, and change!’
There was a narrow corridor ahead. On the left side, along its length, was a window at waist height, and she stood for a moment, entranced by what she saw. A group of children, she reckoned no more than six years old, were running around the room dressed as elephants. It was the cutest thing she had seen in ages and it brought a lump to her throat. One young boy, seemingly unfazed by the fact that he was in the minority, was racing round the room chasing the girls with his arm made out to be a trunk. Riley smiled when she saw him being chastised by the tutor.
‘Now, now, Freddy,’ the woman shouted. ‘Let’s not get carried away.’
Riley thought his name fitted him perfectly but wouldn’t like to put a bet on which Fred he was most like − Krueger or Flintstone.
The woman clapped. ‘Right, you lot of ugly mugs, back to mums and dads and I will see you next week. And remember,’ she said, holding her arm out like an elephant’s trunk, ‘keep practising being an elephant!’
As the room exploded with the sounds of screeching and footsteps thundering across the floor, the woman turned to Riley.
‘Peace at last,’ she sighed. ‘I do love that class but they try my patience, little imps.’ She held out a hand. ‘I’m Serena. You must be Riley.’
Serena reminded Riley of a young Gwyneth Paltrow. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, showing off her fresh complexion. She wore leggings under a loose, oversized T-shirt that slipped off one shoulder to reveal a flash of a shocking-pink bra strap.
Riley shook her hand. ‘I’m the one with two left feet and a mission impossible, should you choose to accept it.’
‘Oh, I will definitely choose to accept it.’ Serena pointed to a room off the main hall. ‘Let’s grab a drink.’
Once Riley had gone over her ideas, she tried to apologise for coming up with such a ridiculous notion.
‘It’s a mad idea, isn’t it?’ she cringed.
‘Let me be the judge of that,’ replied Serena. ‘A flash mob sounds exciting. Do you have a song in mind?’
‘Yes,’ Riley smiled in embarrassment. ‘This is going to sound ridiculous, but whenever Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” comes on in the shop, which isn’t that often thankfully, we all stand in a line and do a dance.’
‘A dance?’ Serena’s eyebrows went up questioningly.
‘Yes.’ She clapped her hands in the air and then down at her side. ‘I know it’s really silly, but we have the customers in stitches, most of the time − ourselves too.’
Serena paused momentarily. ‘Can I have a think about what song might work with one of the routines they already know? That way there won’t be too much preparation on my side, apart from drilling you and your staff into shape. I’m sure I can sort you out with something easy to do that will look spectacular.’
Riley beamed. ‘Be my guest. I’m really happy that you agreed to see me, let alone want to do this.’
Serena handed her a mug of coffee. ‘Are you kidding? I mentioned a flash mob to the group and I couldn’t hear myself telling them the rest of the details as they were screaming so loud. They were so excited. I’m not sure how many of them will be able to keep it to themselves, though. But I suppose any publicity is better than doing this kind of thing and no one stopping to look at you.’
Riley agreed, though even just the
‘Hi, I’m looking for Serena,’ said Riley.
‘Hi, yes, she’s expecting you.’ Rhianna glanced at her watch. ‘Her class is due to finish in a few minutes. Do you want to go up?’ She pointed towards a staircase.
As she went upstairs Riley heard faint music, and imagined herself flying around the room like Jennifer Beals in Flashdance. Laughing to herself at the ridiculous image, she heard a thud, thud, the beat getting louder as she levelled with the first floor. She could hear a woman shouting ‘Five, six, seven, eight. Good work, Jessica! And again. Two, three, four, and change!’
There was a narrow corridor ahead. On the left side, along its length, was a window at waist height, and she stood for a moment, entranced by what she saw. A group of children, she reckoned no more than six years old, were running around the room dressed as elephants. It was the cutest thing she had seen in ages and it brought a lump to her throat. One young boy, seemingly unfazed by the fact that he was in the minority, was racing round the room chasing the girls with his arm made out to be a trunk. Riley smiled when she saw him being chastised by the tutor.
‘Now, now, Freddy,’ the woman shouted. ‘Let’s not get carried away.’
Riley thought his name fitted him perfectly but wouldn’t like to put a bet on which Fred he was most like − Krueger or Flintstone.
The woman clapped. ‘Right, you lot of ugly mugs, back to mums and dads and I will see you next week. And remember,’ she said, holding her arm out like an elephant’s trunk, ‘keep practising being an elephant!’
As the room exploded with the sounds of screeching and footsteps thundering across the floor, the woman turned to Riley.
‘Peace at last,’ she sighed. ‘I do love that class but they try my patience, little imps.’ She held out a hand. ‘I’m Serena. You must be Riley.’
Serena reminded Riley of a young Gwyneth Paltrow. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, showing off her fresh complexion. She wore leggings under a loose, oversized T-shirt that slipped off one shoulder to reveal a flash of a shocking-pink bra strap.
Riley shook her hand. ‘I’m the one with two left feet and a mission impossible, should you choose to accept it.’
‘Oh, I will definitely choose to accept it.’ Serena pointed to a room off the main hall. ‘Let’s grab a drink.’
Once Riley had gone over her ideas, she tried to apologise for coming up with such a ridiculous notion.
‘It’s a mad idea, isn’t it?’ she cringed.
‘Let me be the judge of that,’ replied Serena. ‘A flash mob sounds exciting. Do you have a song in mind?’
‘Yes,’ Riley smiled in embarrassment. ‘This is going to sound ridiculous, but whenever Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” comes on in the shop, which isn’t that often thankfully, we all stand in a line and do a dance.’
‘A dance?’ Serena’s eyebrows went up questioningly.
‘Yes.’ She clapped her hands in the air and then down at her side. ‘I know it’s really silly, but we have the customers in stitches, most of the time − ourselves too.’
Serena paused momentarily. ‘Can I have a think about what song might work with one of the routines they already know? That way there won’t be too much preparation on my side, apart from drilling you and your staff into shape. I’m sure I can sort you out with something easy to do that will look spectacular.’
Riley beamed. ‘Be my guest. I’m really happy that you agreed to see me, let alone want to do this.’
Serena handed her a mug of coffee. ‘Are you kidding? I mentioned a flash mob to the group and I couldn’t hear myself telling them the rest of the details as they were screaming so loud. They were so excited. I’m not sure how many of them will be able to keep it to themselves, though. But I suppose any publicity is better than doing this kind of thing and no one stopping to look at you.’
Riley agreed, though even just the
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