Then Jackson waved goodbye to the crowd and disappeared between the trucks into the parking lot.
‘I love you, Jackson!’ the polka-dot girl called after him.
Ivy was still thinking about how much attention Jackson had paid to Olivia. ‘Well, that was interesting,’ she said.
‘He’s so nice!’ declared Sophia.
‘And really cute, too,’ Camilla added. ‘Isn’t he, Olivia?’
Olivia covered her face with her hands. ‘I just made the most enormous idiot of myself! “Yeehaw, I like your boots?” Is that the best I could come up with?’
Brendan chuckled. ‘You looked like a tomato with fuzzy pink earmuffs.’
‘She did not!’ Ivy said. ‘She was charming him with her beauty.’
‘So much for keeping my cool around celebrities,’ Olivia muttered.
‘But he’s not just any celebrity,’ Camilla said. ‘He’s Jackson Caulfield!’
‘That’s what makes it worse!’ Olivia groaned.
But Ivy didn’t think it was so embarrassing. Jackson hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off Olivia – that much was obvious. Ivy felt an idea brewing. Maybe Franklin Grove’s newest bunny was the right guy for her sister? She was so happy with Brendan. She’d love for Olivia to have the same with someone.
‘Can we please go get something to eat now?’ Brendan asked, interrupting her thoughts.
‘Anything to escape more humiliation,’ Olivia said.
‘How about back to Mister Smoothie?’ Camilla suggested.
‘I would rather dig my own grave,’ Ivy replied. ‘Anyway, I’ve got to get back home before Dad leaves.’
‘No burger?’ Brendan pouted, looking back at the Meat & Greet longingly.
‘Unless you’re happy with a movie-version that’s all cornstarch and glue, you won’t be getting a burger today.’ Ivy took Brendan’s hand as they started to walk away.
They wove their way through the crowd that was still pressing forward to catch a glimpse of Jackson.
‘Excuse me,’ Olivia said, squeezing past three little girls jumping up and down.
‘Sorry.’ Camilla bumped into a skinny pizza-delivery boy, still holding warm pizza boxes.
‘Careful!’ Sophia said as a woman with her Pekinese dog knocked her camera.
Ivy took control. In her loudest voice she said to Olivia, ‘What do you mean you don’t like Jackson Caulfield?’
The crowd gasped and parted – almost afraid to be infected by anti-Jackson sentiment.
‘You think he’s a bad actor?’ Ivy called out and their path got even wider. Olivia had her face in her hands. ‘Ivy!’ she whispered with gritted teeth.
‘We’re getting through, aren’t we?’ Ivy whispered.
‘Phew,’ Brendan said as they finally escaped.
When they turned the corner, they ran into Charlotte and her minions coming back with smoothies in their hands. All three cheerleaders had slightly blue-stained lips. Ivy realised that they must have all gone for the Beauty-Boosting Blueberry. Charlotte had turned her bag around, so no one could read the logo.
‘People were saying something was happening at the Meat & Greet.’ Charlotte prompted Olivia for information, but Ivy wasn’t about to let the chance go by.
‘Oh yes.’ Ivy forced a look of concern on to her face. ‘There must have been dozens of men there – and the smell was awful!’