Ivy piped up. ‘Alex, why don’t you and I leave the two lovebirds alone?’
‘Very good,’ he said, bowing. ‘I haven’t spent much time with you this visit.’ As they walked outside, Olivia heard him say, ‘Tell me, Ivy, do you read poetry?’
As the door closed behind them, Jackson sat down on one of the big leather chairs and pulled Olivia on to his lap.
‘I’ve missed you,’ Olivia said. ‘You should have told me you were coming.’
‘That would’ve kind of ruined the surprise,’ Jackson replied, his blue eyes sparkling.
‘What about all the publicity for your book?’ Olivia asked.
‘Nothing like as important as seeing my girlfriend on Valentine’s Day,’ he said and Olivia felt her heart thumping faster.
‘It didn’t seem that important when I saw you at the book signing.’ Olivia remembered how miserable she had felt when he’d walked away to that VIP party.
‘I know. I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘When I’m working, I’m always pulled in a hundred directions.’ He grinned. ‘The trouble was that I knew I was coming here and so I had in the back of my mind that it wouldn’t matter because I’d be seeing you soon. Didn’t you get my text message?’
Olivia poked him in the side. ‘Yes, but that didn’t help! I didn’t know what it meant.’
He grinned. ‘Well, I’m full of Valentine’s Day surprises. First, there was the dress . . .’
‘Which is so perfect,’ Olivia said.
‘And . . .’
‘And . . .?’ Olivia sat up.
‘And there’s an even bigger one.’ He looked like he’d just won an Academy Award.
‘I don’t see how it’s possible to be bigger than showing up out of the blue in a whole different country and choosing the most exquisite dress I’ve ever seen,’ Olivia countered.
‘Ah, well,’ he said. ‘If it’s not possible, I’d better call the whole thing off, then.’
Olivia poked him again. ‘Tell me!’
He gave her a big hug. ‘My parents are viewing houses in Franklin Grove as we speak. All three of us are tired of the crazy Hollywood scene, and they agreed that Franklin Grove is a beautiful place to settle.’
Olivia gasped. ‘What?’
‘I want to go to a regular school, have regular classes.’ Jackson looked into her eyes. ‘I want to be near you.’
Olivia felt like she was floating somewhere near the ceiling. ‘You’re moving?’
‘And I’ve told Amy that I’ll be doing fewer events and more studying.’
Jackson beamed and Olivia beamed back.
‘Oh my goodness,’ Olivia said. She jumped up and did a little happy dance. ‘You are the BEST!’
‘I was hoping you’d say that,’ Jackson said.
Olivia closed her eyes. Things couldn’t have turned out more perfectly. Not only did Jackson go all out for Valentine’s Day, he was moving his whole life just to be near her!
‘Why is your dress in the library?’ Jackson asked.
Olivia grabbed the box on the table and clutched it to her. ‘Because I thought Alex had given it to me and I couldn’t accept it. But now that I know it was you I am never letting it go!’
‘Good,’ Jackson said. ‘You’ll be the most beautiful girl at the ball tonight.’
Olivia nodded, but then it hit her. She had agreed to go with Prince Alex.
Eek!
‘Actually, Jackson, there’s something I need to . . .’
But Jackson grabbed her in another hug and she didn’t want to spoil the moment.
It can wait, Olivia thought.
Tessa held the mirror up behind Ivy’s head so that she could see the spiked fan of hair that she’d styled to splay out from her bun.
‘It’s fantastic,’ Ivy said. ‘Thank you.’
‘It’s my pleasure,’ Tessa replied. ‘You look stunning. Do you want to see the whole thing together?’
Ivy stepped in front of the full-length mirror. The dress Georgia had loaned her was a strapless black silk bodice with a full skirt. The toes of the Victorian lace-up heeled boots poked out from under the hem. With her heavy black eyeliner, Ivy looked like a fashion goth.
‘The dress is gorgeous,’ Ivy said, pulling up the bodice. ‘But I just don’t look like me.’
She wished she could throw on one of her own skirts and feel comfortable. It’s what she’d wanted ever since she’d arrived in Transylvania.
Just then, the computer on her desk pinged with a new email. Tessa helped her with the cumbersome skirt over to the chair.
The subject heading was BE MY VALENTINE and the email just had a link and the words, ‘Love, Brendan.’
‘Who’s Brendan?’ Tessa asked as Ivy clicked on the link.
‘He’s my boyfriend,’ Ivy replied, smiling in anticipation of what he’d sent her.
The link went straight to a video clip.
‘Hi, Ivy!’ said Brendan on-screen, pushing his hair out of his face. He leaned in closer. ‘Is it on?’ he asked himself and then sat back. ‘Yup, it’s on. OK. This is my Valentine’s video for you, because I wish you were here and I love you.’ He smiled and the image clicked over to a big picture of the Franklin Grove gang outside the Meat and Greet: Ivy, Brendan, Olivia, Sophia and Camilla. A song started. Ivy knew it right away: ‘Stalk You Tonight’ by the Dark Violets.
Photos flashed on the screen: Ivy and Brendan playing air hockey, Ivy and Brendan’s sister Bethany playing with Bethany’s gothified Barbies, Ivy and Sophia having a black pen fight in which Sophia drew a big bunny on Ivy’s bicep.
Ivy hugged herself as the video went on, making her feel happy and homesick at the same time. At the end, there were three photos in a row: Brendan standing in his backyard making an ‘I’ by standing up with his arms above his head, making a heart with his arms over his head and then pointing at the screen with a huge grin.
‘I love you, too,’ Ivy whispered, stroking the necklace at her throat.
‘He seems like an awesome boyfriend,’ Tessa said, giving a deep sigh.
Ivy nodded. The necklace was a nice Valentine’s Day present, she thought. But that was perfection.
‘Tell me about Jackson,’ Tessa said. ‘He must be a pretty amazing boyfriend, too, to fly all the way out here to surprise Olivia.’