I swear Paul and Shelly would make a great reality show. He's a handsome California boy from Venice Beach and she's a loud-mouthed Southern broad with an imposing chest. They're complete opposites, and yet they fit great (unlike Sky and me). While Paul only wears designer duds, Shelly is a bargain shopper. She hits all the sales and only buys things if they're marked down sixty percent off or more. This horrifies Paul, who wouldn't be caught dead in last season's anything.

"Okay, Kates, what's it going to be today?" Shelly asks, giving my face a once-over with toner, then dabbing concealer under my eyes. "How about some sparkly eye shadow to bring out those green eyes of yours? Or maybe some body glitter?"

"Do you think glitter is a bit much?" I wonder. "Real people go to the mall in sweats."

"Oh, not the real people thing again," Paul laments, spritzing my hair and pulling it into a low chignon, the way I like it. "Honey, let's get one thing straight. You're not real. You're Hollywood. You're supposed to look better than those people." Paul peers into my mirror, checks his curly brown hair for frizz, and gives me a wink.

I swat his face away. Everyone thinks I'm crazy to be so fascinated with "the real world"-- a.k.a anything beyond the borders of greater Los Angeles. "People would kill to have enough money to fly their friends to Turks and Caicos for their sweet sixteen," Liz always reminds me. Yeah, but real people don't have to worry about someone like Sky talking trash about them on the nightly news either.

As soon as Paul gives me a final spritz of hairspray, Zara appears at my side, ready to start the interview. Our first stop is the perfume counter. ( "I love anything with a hint of lavender," I repeat, just as Laney instructed. She said lavender traditionally evokes luck and trust or something, so Zara will be impressed.) Marc follows, snapping pictures of me posing with various products. Picking up the rear are Nadine and Rodney. Now that the store is officially open, Rodney's got his "Don't mess with us" face on. That plus his large frame, shiny bald head, and dark black sunglasses are enough to scare anyone away. Anyone but Fred Segal's PR woman.

"Kaitlin Burke! Not sure if you remember me; I'm Kathy Sutherland, public relations director for Fred Segal and Fred Segal Beauty." The tall, thin brunette in a killer tweed pant-suit holds her perfectly manicured hand out.

"Of course." I smile, shaking her hand. "Thanks for the spa day last month."

"No problem." She flashes her perfect pearly whites at me. "Fred Segal is all about taking care of their special customers. And this, by the way, is for you." She holds out several white Fred Segal shopping bags stuffed with products. "There's one for you and Nadine, of course, and I packed some of your mom's favorites as well."