Toby craned his neck to see into the store, but Olivia ducked out of sight. Finally, she saw Toby take a pained breath and come inside.
Wo w, thought Olivia. He really is determined to get the inside scoop.
A saleswoman in a white smock approached him immediately. “Can I help you?” Olivia heard her ask.
Toby looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Did your mother send you in for something?” the saleswoman persisted.
“No,” Toby finally managed. “I’m just looking.”
Yes, but just how far will you look, Mr. Dedicated
Reporter? Olivia wondered, darting out of the store. In the next half hour, Olivia went into a bridal shop, a nail salon, and a bikini store. Toby gamely followed her into every one, no matter how much it clearly made him squirm. She was almost ready to admit defeat when she passed Panzer’s Department Store.
Panzer’s ladies underwear section was near the front of the store. Olivia grabbed the craziest thing she could find off the rack and carried it over to a floor-length mirror. In the mirror, she could see Toby pacing nervously near the front of the store, clearly trying to get up the courage to follow her.
Olivia held the garment up in front of her. It was a fake leopard-skin bra that was so pointy it looked like it was made of party hats. From the distant reflection in the mirror, she could see Toby turn fire engine red. He threw his hands up in the air, walked out of the store, and sank down on the edge of the hallway fountain, his head in his hands.
A reporter defeated, Olivia thought. She did a little dance. “I win!” she sang lightly. “I win, I win, I win!” Then she noticed a saleslady staring at her like she had eighteen heads. “Sorry,” Olivia whispered, putting the bra back on the rack and hotfooting it out of the store.
Olivia looked at Ivy’s chunky black watch. I think I’ve kept Toby occupied for long enough, she thought, satisfied that she’d done a good job. It was time to head for Ivy’s house.
After making her way through the food court and back across the main hall, Olivia could see the main doors out of the mall up ahead.
“Ivy!” someone called. “Ivy!” the voice yelled again. That must mean me! Olivia realized with a jolt and spun around.
In the distance, someone waved. A boy in black. Suddenly, Olivia’s stomach filled with nervous butterflies as she recognized Ivy’s boyfriend, Brendan Daniels.
“Hey,” Brendan called, his pale face breaking into a wide smile as he strolled up.
“Brendan,” Olivia said, glancing around nervously. Yep, Toby was still on her trail, lurking a few feet away. “What are you doing here?”
“Just hanging out,” Brendan said. He threw an arm around her affectionately.
Fooling Toby is one thing, but I can’t fool Ivy’s boyfriend! Olivia thought. Brendan felt her stiffen and pulled his arm away. “Ivy, what’s wrong?”
Olivia blinked, her mind racing. There couldn’t be anything worse than Brendan realizing I’m not Ivy right now, she thought. It could be the end of Ivy’s relationship and, with Toby Decker watching, maybe the outing of her twin-ness to the whole world!
“Ivy?” Brendan pressed, looking a little worried now.
“Nothing,” Olivia said at last. “I’m just ...I told my dad I’d be home by 4:30 P.M., and I’m already seriously late.” She gave her best Ivy eye roll.
“Perfect.” Brendan grinned. “I’ll walk you home. I need to get that English book I lent you so I can write my essay tonight.”
Olivia didn’t move.
Brendan gallantly held up his arm for Ivy to take hold. “Shall we?”
“Shall we what?” Olivia gulped.
Brendan frowned. “Shall we go to your house and get the book?” he asked, looking puzzled.
Olivia let her hair fall in front of her face like Ivy sometimes did. “Killer idea,” she croaked, taking his arm. This was so not part of the plan! she thought.
Ivy stood in front of the adoption agency, trying to get up the nerve to go inside. She didn’t envy Olivia, who was at the mall being followed around by Toby, but she was still really nervous about her own mission.
The store’s sign said MILK DUDS. It looked like a cutesy human baby furniture store, but there was a tiny upside down “V” in the corner of the window, so Ivy knew she was in the right place— places that served vampires often used a mark like that to identify themselves to their customers. If the agency was like most vampire businesses, it would be hidden at the back of the store.