‘I’ll leave you to your work,’ she said, forcing a smile. ‘I can’t wait for the exhibit this weekend.’
‘Yes, yes . . .’ Charles’s voice followed her out of the room. ‘Perhaps if I re-organised them by their Latin classifications . . .’
Shaking her head, Olivia fumbled her way out of the museum, past dust-covered artefacts and spooky shadows. It was a relief to step out into the fresh air, even though the sky was dark outside. As the big oak door fell shut behind her with a boom, the cellphone in her purse rang.
For the first time in hours, Olivia relaxed. I know that ringtone.
Oh, it was so the right time to hear Jackson’s voice!
She pulled the phone out of her purse and clicked it on to see her boyfriend’s very famous face fill the very tiny screen. This wasn’t just a phone call – it was a video call. Even better. ‘Hey, you!’ she said. ‘Can you see the creepy place I’m coming out of?’ She waved the phone at the bulky museum hulking behind her in the shadows.
‘Wow.’ Jackson’s eyebrows rose. ‘Franklin Grove just keeps on getting more interesting. Are you sure you haven’t snuck back on to some Hollywood set?’
‘Very funny.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘So, how are you?’
‘Well . . .’ He drew a breath. ‘I was actually calling because I want your advice. What do you know about the Wanderer trilogy?’
‘Hmm.’ Spotting an empty bus stop ahead, Olivia headed towards it. I’d better sit down for this one! Parking herself on the metal bench, she said, ‘Well, I’ve heard of it – I mean, who hasn’t? Those books are huge. But I’ve never read them.’ She shrugged. ‘Stories about the end of the world aren’t my thing.’
‘No?’ Jackson frowned. ‘That’s interesting.’ For a moment, he was silent, obviously thinking things over. Then he said, ‘Amy just called me.’ Amy Teller was Jackson’s agent – Olivia’s too, some of the time. ‘She says that Jacob Harker’s going to be producing the film version of the trilogy. He wants to know if I’m interested.’
Olivia let out a snort of pure surprise. ‘Isn’t the main character a guy in his mid-forties? I know you’re a great actor, but I’m not sure even you could pull that off!’
Jackson laughed, his face breaking into the megawatt grin she’d seen on a zillion different magazine covers. ‘No, I’d be playing the role of the main character’s son, who dies at the very beginning – but haunts him all through the first movie.’
‘Ah!’ Olivia gasped with mock horror. ‘Spoilers! How could you tell me that?’
‘Like you were ever going to read a story about a war-ravaged Planet Earth stalked by hideous monsters?’ Jackson teased. ‘Hold on, I got another call coming in.’
Olivia waited, watching Jackson typing something on his keyboard.
Then a shadow fell over her.
Uh-oh. Olivia swivelled around in her seat and saw a girl a couple of years older than her staring at the picture on Olivia’s cellphone screen. She must have been on her way to the bus stop when she’d heard Jackson speaking, and now she looked ready to pass out from sheer excitement. ‘Is that really . . . the Jackson Caulfield . . . on your phone? Is he, like, video-calling you personally?’
Oh, no. Olivia had encountered Jackson’s super-fans before. Some of them had even chased her through the streets of London when they were there filming Eternal Sunset! If this girl was one of them, she’d bombard Jackson with questions for the rest of the phone call – if she didn’t faint right here on the pavement.
Time to go into Protective Girlfriend-mode! Let’s hope Jackson keeps up.
Olivia pinned a bright smile to her face. ‘Of course it’s the Jackson Caulfield,’ she said. ‘But he’s not live . . . This is a pre-recorded message. You can download it from the Jackson App. See?’ She tapped the screen. ‘It’s on pause now.’
‘Ooh. Let me see!’ The girl hurried up to lean over Olivia’s shoulder. ‘Ohhhh. He’s so handsome, isn’t he?’
‘Well . . .’ Olivia gave her boyfriend a sympathetic grimace. Jackson had to keep completely still to keep up her story of being ‘on pause’. Thank goodness he realised what was going on in time!
‘I love his movies.’ The girl sighed. ‘Do you remember the bouncy castle scene in Her Last Day?’
‘Um . . .’ Olivia remembered that scene very well, but she was starting to worry that Jackson would need to blink soon!
She stood up, starting to lower the phone. ‘Maybe . . .’
‘Hey, wait . . .’ The other girl’s hand shot out to catch Olivia’s wrist with an iron grip. ‘Don’t I know your face? Do we go to school together?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Olivia said. She was already backing away, but she tried to keep her voice polite.
The girl gasped and pointed at her triumphantly. ‘You’re Olivia Abbott!’
Uh-oh. For a while, Olivia had been the main target of hate for every Jackson-fan in the universe. But there was no use denying an obvious truth, so she only smiled weakly. ‘Mm-hmm.’