Olivia couldn’t stop smiling. She was having so much fun reading through the lines with Jackson. They’d gotten through the coconut part and were at the scene where he was chasing her through the surf under the moonlight. Olivia could imagine how romantic that would look on screen.
‘Mia, I –’ Jackson said, holding her arm.
He drew her close. Olivia held her breath. All the cameras and crew and lights seemed to disappear. She could imagine being on a beach with Jackson. She looked up at him, his blue eyes sparkling. Their faces were so close Olivia was having trouble swallowing. She knew he was supposed to say the rest of his line, so why didn’t he? Was he going to kiss her?
Olivia couldn’t deny it any more. Being near Jackson made her happier than tofu salads. Her heart raced.
‘Mia, I wish you didn’t have to leave.’
‘Me, too,’ Olivia whispered. She felt herself rising on to her tiptoes, ever so slightly, closing her eyes, then . . .
‘CUT!’ shouted Philippe and the spell was broken.
Olivia sank back on to her heels. She blinked in the glare of the lights and saw all the camera crew staring.
‘Good, good, yes.’ Philippe clapped. ‘Thank you all, ladies. We will think on this, watch these tapes and announce our decision tomorrow.’
Olivia sat down on one of the stools, feeling amazed by the moment she’d just had with Jackson and wondering if she’d done enough to get the part.
‘It’s almost like you were a different person that second time,’ Jackson said, sitting down next to her and swivelling in semi-circles. ‘You were so good!’
All Olivia could do was smile.
Jackson paused. ‘Is now later?’
‘What?’ Olivia had no idea what he meant.
‘Does now count as later? Can I ask you again?’
Olivia realised this must be something that happened when she was switched with Ivy. ‘Sure, you can ask me now.’
‘Well, like I said, I’ve never met anyone like you.’
Olivia’s heart started to pound. Is what I think is about to happen actually happening?
‘You are smart and beautiful and a really good actress.’
Olivia held her breath. Oh my pompoms, it is happening! she realised. Her mouth went dry.
‘Could we hang out off-set, away from all the craziness? Just you and me?’
Olivia gulped. Her movie-star crush was asking her out! Underneath all the Hollywood glamour, he was a normal guy. The kind of normal guy she would love as a boyfriend. It wasn’t like he was a vampire or anything. If he wants to take me out, I’m going to let him, she decided.
‘Yes,’ she said.
‘Yes?’ Jackson replied. ‘Yes!’ He got so excited that he spun all the way round in his chair.
‘Jackson!’ Amy stopped right in front of them, one hand on her hip. ‘Inside Hollywood wants to interview you on camera.’
‘Sorry to rush off. I’ll call you later,’ he said to Olivia and hurried away.
Olivia was stunned.
Camilla came up to her. ‘From the grin on your face, something big just happened.’
Olivia nodded. ‘He asked me out!’ This was major. She had to tell Ivy. She had to tell everyone! No, she shouldn’t tell people. ‘I’m calm,’ she said aloud. ‘I’m not freaking out.’ But she guessed she was smiling like an idiot.
‘I would be freaking out,’ Camilla admitted.
‘OK, I am.’ Olivia needed a rest. Today had been such a crazy day that she needed to sit down and take it all in.
But first she had to get out of the teeny sundress. Brr.
Ivy had slipped out of the back door of the diner. She had to hide out behind a dumpster, while the hoards of cameramen snapped away at the six Mia wannabes and shouted questions at them: ‘What can you tell us about Jackson?’ and ‘Which one of you is best at cooking?’
Olivia was at the opposite end to Charlotte, but Ivy smirked when she saw another candidate toss her hair right in Charlotte’s face.
She didn’t want anyone to catch on that there were two Olivias running around the set, but she didn’t dare risk moving until the Mias had gone back inside and the paparazzi had dispersed.
She dodged behind a truck when two security guards walked past and then hid behind a stack of boxes when she saw a lighting technician. Ivy had to get out of Olivia’s bunny clothes as soon as vampirically possible.
‘Oof!’ As she stepped out from behind the boxes, she ran smack into the broad back of a guy dressed all in black. ‘Uh, sorry.’
He turned around and smiled. ‘I’m not. It’s the closest I’ve got to you in days.’
‘Brendan!’ she exclaimed.
He gathered her up in a hug. ‘You look so cute with a tan.’
‘Ha ha,’ she replied. ‘How did you get on set?’
‘It turns out Jerome is almost as fond of the Breakfast Bun as my girlfriend is.’
Ivy smiled. ‘Well, I’m desperate to change before our double act is discovered.’
He pointed across the parking lot to a dark trailer. ‘I bet that’s someplace no one will see you.’
‘That’s Jessica’s trailer.’ Ivy caught on quickly. ‘Genius! Just wait here and I’ll grab my clothes from the costume trailer. I won’t be able to change there because there’s bound to be some extras hanging around, looking for accessories to “borrow”.’ Ivy ran between trailers to the costume trailer and ducked her head in, grabbing her bag before anyone saw her. Then she raced back to Brendan, crouching low in order to avoid being spotted.