‘The Meat & Greet must be a movie set. This completely sucks!’ Olivia said, using the vampire phrase for all things awesome.
‘But what about my burger?’ Brendan said.
Ivy gave him a sympathetic hug as the trucks formed a large rectangle around the parking lot. There was a clatter of metal against concrete as burly men in thick sweaters banged down ramps from the back of the trucks and hauled out trolleys of speakers, enormous lights and costume racks.
A pair of men started putting up a line of plastic building barriers along the sidewalk.
‘Franklin Grove?’ said one with a few holes in his sweater. ‘Whoever heard of this place?’
‘Not me,’ muttered his companion. ‘They don’t even have a coffee shop.’
‘I hope Hollywood isn’t going to be as snobby as Charlotte Brown,’ Ivy said.
Finally, a group of long trailers arrived. From the size of them and the gold stars on the doors, Olivia guessed they were the private dressing rooms for the actors. Passers-by were starting to take notice and come over to see what was happening.
‘I can’t wait to find out what movie it is,’ Sophia said.
‘And who’s starring in it,’ Olivia added. She loved following Hollywood gossip. The latest issue of Celeb Weekly was always on her bedside table.
As they spoke, a huge bald man in sunglasses with bulging arms approached them. He was wearing an ear piece and his jacket had the Harker Films logo with a nametag that read ‘Jerome'.
‘Welcome to Franklin Grove,’ Olivia said brightly.
This seemed to startle him and he lowered his sunglasses to get a good look at them. ‘Thank you,’ he said in a deep voice. ‘But I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to vacate the premises.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Camilla squeaked, looking like Goldilocks facing off with the biggest bear.
‘Before we go, would you please tell us what the movie is?’ Olivia asked.
‘Technically, I’m not allowed,’ Jerome said. ‘But since you’re so polite, I can let you in on a little secret: if you wait just behind that third barrier from the end, the star will be arriving in about five minutes.’
Olivia beamed. ‘Ooh, thanks!’
Jerome gave them a wink and then called out to one of the roadies, ‘Hey, you! What do you think you’re doing with those lights?’
‘Being nice always pays off,’ Olivia said to Ivy as they moved towards the barriers.
The five friends hurried to a spot at the front of the growing crowd. There were the Meat & Greet waitresses on their day off, hairdressers from the salon across the street and even ladies in curlers trying to see what was happening. Everyone was gossiping about who the movie’s lead might be.
Right on time, an SUV with tinted windows pulled up to the barricade as their new friend Jerome shifted one of the waist-high plastic barriers to let it in. Olivia felt the crowd surge forward, pressing her into one of the barriers.
Sophia snapped away with her camera and even Ivy was stretching her neck to catch a glimpse. The back door opened and out came a faded brown cowboy boot, followed by a well-worn pair of jeans and then a trademark flash of white teeth.
Olivia’s heart was shaking like a pompom. She felt her cheeks turn hot and she couldn’t move.
‘Olivia,’ asked Ivy, ‘are you OK?’
Olivia had to remind herself to breathe. ‘I don’t believe it,’ she said and grabbed her sister’s arm. ‘It’s him!’
Chapter Two
‘Jackson Caulfield!’ shrieked a young girl behind Ivy, almost bursting her eardrum.
Not bad, Ivy thought, for a bunny. His scruffy blond hair and blue eyes were definitely not Ivy’s thing, but she could see why millions of bunnies – including Olivia – would get excited. Jackson smiled and, as he waved at the crowd, his green army jacket flapped open to reveal a rock band T-shirt.
‘He’s even cuter in real life,’ Olivia whispered, not taking her eyes off him.
‘Jackson!’ the voice behind Ivy screeched again. ‘Can I have your autograph?’ The girl, wearing a pink and blue polka-dot jacket, leaned over Ivy’s shoulder and waved a slightly crumpled magazine with him on the cover.