"Kaitlin, this is Mark from Access." Laney stops at the first of several reporters waiting on the next leg of the red carpet.

"You look beautiful tonight, Kaitlin," the guy in the tux with a graying soul patch says as he holds out his microphone. His cameraman trains a light on me. "Who are you wearing?"

"Thanks, Mark. This is So Chic. They designed it especially for me, so I feel pretty special," I reply cheerily, turning on the 100-watt smile I've perfected over the years.

"What was it like working with Mac?" he asks, geniunely interested.

"Mac is amazing," I answer automatically (Laney's been going over these types of questions and answers with me all week). "I learned so much from watching him. It was a great experience."

"Family Affair's ratings are hotter than ever, with your help, of course," Mark segues. "People can't seem to get enough of Samantha."

"Why, thank you. It's a team effort, though. We all work really well together, but that comes from years of being a family."

"Thirty seconds," Laney whispers gruffly to Mark's cameraman.

"Speaking of family, how are you and Sky getting along these days?"

Laney grimaces. She grabs my arm to lead me away, but as she does, I tilt my head and say with a toothy grin, "As fabulous as ever, Mark."

Next stop is a short freckle-faced twenty-something girl who is sweating down the sides of her green silk slip dress. She looks pretty nervous and drops her note cards when I walk over. Laney whispers her name in my ear.

"Hi, Frances." I extend my hand graciously. Frances is a new gossip writer at Hollywood Online.

"You're ... you're ... um, welcome, Kaitlin," Frances stutters. She's staring at me as she fumbles for her tape recorder in her pocket. "I'm a huge fan of Family Affair."

"That's nice to hear. Thanks for watching." Poor Frances. I want to tell her not to be nervous. I'm just a person doing a job, like she is. But I don't want to embarrass her. Besides, plenty of people react this way. It happens so often, I barely notice anymore.

"Um, I was wondering if things on set have been as fun as last year." I see Frances awkwardly glance at Laney out of the corner of her eye. "There's been a lot of press about you and Sky feuding on set. Care to comment?"

"Tonight is about Off-Key, remember?" Laney replies hotly. Frances looks like she might pass out. "I told you on the phone today that if you were going to ask about Sky, we weren't going to do an interview."

Laney can be scary when she wants to, even if she does look like a teenager. (I couldn't tell you how old Laney is; she won't even tell me that.) With her girlish figure, Laney wears the same brands I do, accessorized with the hottest handbag draped on her tiny arm. ( "Kaitlin, you don't want that Birkin bag they just sent over, do you? Because the color would look unbelievably great against my Audi.")