Then the person stepped out of the shadow. ‘Harker Films’ was written in big bold letters across his jacket. Jackson. He was in his security-guard disguise again.
He was looking right at the table where she’d been sitting. ‘Olivia?’ he called.
He must have seen her waiting there and now was wondering why she’d disappeared. ‘Sorry I’m late. I thought I had some paparazzi following me, so I did a couple of extra loops.’
Olivia felt like a goof ball as she straightened up and stepped out from behind the statue. ‘I, uh, was just doing a little weeding.’
Jackson smiled and came over. ‘You’ll have a tough time doing this whole place by hand.’
‘Oh, no. I just, uh . . .’ Olivia didn’t want her nerves to take over. She didn’t want to say anything stupid. And now that he was here, looking at her with his beautiful blue eyes, she didn’t really want to break it off either. But it was for the best.
‘I’m teasing,’ Jackson said, taking off his hat and looking around with a wry grin. ‘This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for our first date, but the place definitely has atmosphere.’
‘I just wanted to show you that I wasn’t scared,’ Olivia said.
‘OK,’ Jackson replied, but she wasn’t sure he completely understood her point. He leaned against the table next to her. ‘Look, I’ve got something to tell you and I’m pretty sure you’re not going to like it.’
Olivia’s heart went out to him. He was biting his lip and looked pretty worried about what he was going to say. She wanted to spare him the stress. ‘I already know.’
‘You know?’ Jackson looked shocked.
If he hadn’t read the Vamp! magazine article about Olivia and Ivy, then of course it would take him by surprise that a human could be in on the vampire secret. ‘Yes, and it doesn’t bother me.’
‘I don’t know how you know, but why doesn’t it bother you? It would bother me,’ Jackson replied.
‘Don’t say that,’ Olivia said. She didn’t want him to be unhappy about who he was. ‘There’s nothing wrong with being yourself.’
‘Myself?’ Jackson said. ‘I don’t have any control over it.’
‘Of course not,’ Olivia said, thinking of her and Ivy’s history. ‘You can’t choose who you are.’
Jackson looked totally confused. ‘Are we talking about the same thing?’
It must be hard for any vampire to expose the secret, after living their whole lives upholding the First Law. Olivia decided that if she just laid it all out and said the ‘v’ word herself, it would prove she knew and then she could tell Jackson what she brought him here to say.
She took one of his gloved hands in her mittens and took a deep breath.
‘Jackson,’ she said. ‘Listen to me . . .’
Chapter Eleven
‘Hello!’ A familiar voice interrupted her. ‘Yoo-hoo! Hi, guys!’ Olivia saw Ivy trampling through the grass towards them, waving like crazy.
‘Has she had too many sugary drinks?’ Jackson asked.
‘Good question,’ Olivia replied cautiously.
‘Hi!’ Ivy called as she neared.
Brendan, bringing up the rear, looked as baffled as Olivia felt.
‘Hey, Olivia,’ Ivy said, totally out of breath and red-faced. ‘Oh, hi, Jackson.’
‘Hi,’ Jackson replied, but he didn’t take his eyes off Olivia.
Ivy plonked herself in between Olivia and Jackson. ‘What are you guys up to?’
Olivia searched Ivy’s face for a sign. Why was her sister acting so super-cheerful? Ivy knew why she’d brought Jackson here but she was acting like it was the most normal thing in the world to hang out in a graveyard. Which, Olivia supposed, for Ivy it is.
‘Just talking,’ Olivia said, trying to put Go away into her voice.
‘Jackson, this is Brendan,’ Ivy said. ‘Brendan, this is Jackson.’ When the two guys were saying their hellos, Ivy knocked Olivia on the arm to get her attention and mouthed, ‘NOT A VAMPIRE!’
Did Ivy just say what I think she just said?
Ivy made rabbit ears with her fingers and was making hopping motions when Jackson turned back. Ivy quickly dropped her hand.
Rabbit. Bunny. Suddenly Olivia realised what Ivy was trying to say. Jackson was NOT a vampire!
‘What do you think of our cemetery, Jackson?’ Ivy said.
Not a vampire, not a vampire! kept running through Olivia’s mind. That meant that she didn’t have to break it off with him. She wanted to bounce around among the graves with happiness, until she realised that it meant she’d brought him to the oddest place for their first date.
‘It’s very nice,’ Jackson replied.
He must think I’m insane, Olivia thought.
‘I just wanted us to have a quick look at some of the sights of the city,’ Olivia said. ‘But maybe now we should go somewhere warmer.’
The foursome walked down the stone path towards the street.
‘What about the stuff we were talking about?’ Jackson asked her quietly so Ivy and Brendan couldn’t hear.
‘Uh . . .’ Olivia started. If he isn’t a vampire, Olivia realised, then he had something entirely different to tell me. Olivia gulped. And I’m not going to like it.
Just then, a sleek silver Mercedes pulled up.
‘Uh oh,’ Jackson said. ‘I’ve been discovered.’
The door opened and Amy Teller emerged. ‘Jackson! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!’