‘You know what?’ Olivia said at last. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ivy asked.
‘There will be other roles,’ Olivia said. ‘This crazy media baiting has nothing to do with making a good movie. Harker is just being dramatic.’
Ivy felt the pit filling in with a little bit of hope.
‘I can’t cope with all the secrets I’ve got to keep in this town. You. Jackson. So I’m just not going to worry about it any more,’ Olivia declared. ‘I’m going to enjoy this experience.’
There was a knock at the door. ‘Ladies?’ It was Frank. ‘Ready to go?’
‘Coming!’ Olivia called. She grinned at Ivy. ‘Let’s be tourists and do some star-spotting!’
They grabbed their bags and hurried out into the hallway where Frank was waiting under a huge chandelier. He tipped his hat and they stepped into the mirrored elevator.
‘Where are we going, Frank?’ Ivy asked, checking her teeth in the mirror.
‘I suppose I don’t have to keep it secret any longer,’ he replied. ‘To one of the biggest film studios in LA.’
‘Which one?’ Olivia wanted to know.
Frank grinned as the elevator door dinged open on to the underground parking lot. ‘Rumour has it you might get to see the Killer Bees making their latest music video . . .’
Ivy gasped. The Killer Bees were one of her and Brendan’s favourite bands!
‘Or even the mega-famous Jackson Caulfield strolling around in-between takes,’ Frank finished as he opened the door to their limo.
Ivy smiled. Of course, Frank wouldn’t know that Olivia and Jackson were dating because it was still a big secret.
‘The Killer Bees!’ she whispered. Maybe this trip to Hollywood wouldn’t be such a drag after all.
After a short drive, they pulled in through some huge gates with a security guard peering in through their windscreen. There were warehouse buildings neatly lining a grid of streets, and people in golf carts zipping around. They drove past two men carrying an enormous Christmas tree and a woman dressed in an Elizabethan dress. It looked like chaos, but a lot of fun.
They pulled into a long parking space, designed just for limos.
Frank opened the door and helped them step out. ‘Mr Harker will meet you in about half an hour, over on Lot 3.’ He handed them a map of the huge complex. ‘But until then, you can go anywhere you like.’ He gave them two laminated passes with VIP written in big red letters.
Ivy kept scanning the crowd for any sign of James, Joe or John from the Killer Bees.
The map showed various studios and had little notes on their history.
‘Ooh, that’s where Wacky Walrus was made!’ Ivy declared. ‘I loved that show when I was little.’
Olivia laughed. ‘Me too! Wa-cky Wal-rus likes to dance and sing . . .’
Ivy joined in for the second line, ‘Wa-cky Wal-rus, he’s the walrus king!’
Ivy squinted in the sun. ‘I’m glad Lillian lent me her sun block. It’s so hot!’
The sisters wandered across the sunny lot to the door marked VIP ONLY.
‘Oooh.’ Ivy played with the VIP pass around her neck, waving it in the air even though there was no one there to see it. ‘VIP, that’s me!’ she said and Olivia giggled.
Her sister stuck her nose in the air. ‘I’m very important, let me through!’
‘Hey you!’ shouted someone. ‘You can’t go in there!’
Olivia and Ivy swivelled around, their VIP badges swinging from their cords.