Family Affairs Page 5

  I bite hard on my lower lip to keep from screaming. I never thought I would be the It Girl forever, but I can’t believe how quickly people have latched onto Alexis. She’s only been in three episodes! Despite the fact that anyone could overhear, I remind Laney — and tell Austin — about HOLLYWOOD SECRET NUMBER THREE.

  Want to know how hot a star is? Count their monthly red carpet appearances. The hotter the star, the fewer they make, that is, unless they have a movie or album to promote. When they’re doing the publicity tour, all bets are off — a star may go to four events in one week just to gush about their incredible new project. I guess you could argue that Alexis is hitting the town to do just that. But, if Alexis is still hogging the carpet nightly a month from now, that means her star wattage is going nowhere. True A-list stars don’t have to go to an opening of an animal shelter or talk about their favorite lip gloss. They know the real way to keep in the public’s good graces is to sit home on their $5,000 couches and be as elusive as Johnny Depp.

  Laney looks skeptical. “Some appearances are good appearances, you know,” she sniffs. “Like this one. There are a few people I’d like to introduce you to. Can I steal her away for a minute, Austin?”

  “Sure.” Austin smiles shyly. “I’ll get some food for us and meet you back by the table Matty grabbed. He’s guarding the gift bags he snagged each of us.” I laugh.

  Laney takes me around the room, introducing me to two producers, a hot new writer, and the director of the head of a rival TV studio. On my way back to Austin, I bump into Kirsten, Scarlett, and two other stars I haven’t seen in ages, and then sign a few autographs on cocktail napkins. It’s almost a half hour before I make it back. Poor Austin. He must be so bored.

  I’m ten feet from the table when I stop dead. Who is that? A girl with long red hair is holding court with Austin and Matty. They’re enthralled by whatever she is saying and every few seconds the group of them erupts in laughter. The girl keeps putting her hand on top of my boyfriend’s. Once, I can understand. But I’ve counted five times so far and Austin is doing nothing to stop her! I’m about to storm over to put a stop to this girl’s flirting when she turns sideways and I glimpse her face.

  Oh. My. God. It’s Alexis.

  “Austin, you are beyond cute,” I overhear her say as I rush up behind them. They don’t seem to notice I’m there. “You must be the most real guy at this party. I like that.”

  “I’m pretty real too,” Matty jumps in.

  “You both are,” Alexis corrects herself. “Thank you for being so nice and talking to the lonely new girl for a few minutes. I should go, but Austin, remember, if you ever want to talk about being new to this scene, you have my number. Call me.”

  “I’m back,” I announce loudly. The guys jump. Austin quickly puts his arm around me, but Matty can barely take his eyes off Alexis’s porcelain face.

  “Hey, Kaitlin!” Alexis says sweetly.

  A little too sweetly, if you ask me.

  “I was just talking to your brother and your boyfriend. Have I told you how adorable I think he is?” she whispers in my ear.

  “Nope, but I know he is,” I say with the biggest grin my face can make. “Aren’t I lucky?”

  “Yes, hang tight to that one,” Alexis says, with a wink. “Remember what I said, boys,” she adds loudly. “I’ll catch you later. There are still so many people here who have asked to meet me. I’m overwhelmed!”

  I smile again. I’m afraid if I open my mouth to say anything, I’ll regret it. Once she’s out of earshot, I let loose. “Why was she talking to you two?” I demand. I sound so catty, I know, but I can’t help it.

  “Alexis was just giving Austin and me some pointers about fitting in.” Matty looks at me like I should be hauled off in a straitjacket.

  “Pointers? Why would she be giving Austin pointers?” I ask them both. “Austin isn’t even an actor. No offense.”

  Austin shrugs. “I tried explaining to her that I went to high school and wasn’t in the business, but she just kept talking about me and Matty being new too and all of us being able to understand each other.” Austin looks at me curiously. “Why do you look so upset?”

  “I’m not.” My voice sounds shrill. But I am upset. Alexis was blatantly flirting with my boyfriend! And she knows he’s my boyfriend! I’ve introduced them several times on set. Why would she do that? I can’t believe she kept touching him like that. “Why would I be upset?”

  “I don’t know. You have no reason to be.” Austin kisses me and I start to calm down. I tune out as Matty and Austin gab about our gift bags and the twenty percent off Priceless voucher tucked inside. All I can think about is Alexis. Suddenly I feel hot breath in my ear.

  “Don’t be a fool,” the person behind me whispers. “I saw the whole thing. Alexis was totally flirting with Austin. If she has no qualms doing that, what else is she willing to go after that’s rightfully yours?”

  I don’t even have to turn around. This voice I know. It’s Sky’s. And for once, I have to admit, she could be right.

  TUESDAY, 9/17

  NOTE TO SELF:

  Remind Nadine 2 look in2 driver’s permit test.

  Wed. call time: 7 AM

  Thurs. call time: 6:15 AM

  Fri. call time: 8 AM

  Sat. – date w/ A

  Sun. – CosmoGirl! photo shoot

  Finish CosmoGirl! essay. Ask Nadine 2 read it over!

  Next Tues. – Interview w/ Access @ 1:15 PM during lunch

  Spa day w/ Liz, Mom, Laney, Nadine – Sat. Oct. 5

  FIND AUSTIN B-DAY GIFT!!!

  HOLLYWOOD NATION

  Celeb hot Sheet

  Chatting with Family Affair’s Alexis Holden!

  The tube’s newest babe tackles our fill-in-the-blanks.

  by Lisa Gigli

  HN: We’ve asked Kaitlin Burke and Sky Mackenzie these questions and now it’s your turn!

  Alexis: (laughs) I’m sure my answers could never be as cool as theirs, but bring them on!

  HN: Okay, what’s your favorite food?

  Alexis: I guess I would say steak, not that I had much of it growing up. That’s why it’s so important for me to help others. I volunteer at a soup kitchen and I bring Omaha Steaks with me.

  HN: What a do-gooder you are.

  Alexis: Stop! You’re making me blush.

  HN: What’s your favorite read?

  Alexis: Hollywood Nation, obviously.

  HN: Good answer! Who is your favorite FA cast mate?

  Alexis: Oh, lordy! I could never choose. They’re all so wonderfully amazing. From our wardrobe designer, Renee, to Pete, my favorite grip, to our awesome writers. I could never pick just one.

  HN: Favorite TV show — past or present?

  Alexis: Family Affair, of course! But I do like it better now that I’m on it. Just kidding! (laughs)

  HN: So do we! What’s your favorite way to spend the day off?

  Alexis: Going for a hike in the mountains with my pug or helping others. There’s no better high.

  HN: Who’s the one person you’d like to meet, living or dead?

  Alexis: It would have to be Gandhi. He’s such an inspiration.

  HN: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

  Alexis: Hopefully blissfully married and still working, if the public likes me enough. I hope they do!

  HN: We do! We do! Okay, who would win in a FA catfight: You, Kaitlin or Sky?

  Alexis: It wouldn’t be me! Those two are tough as nails and I guess I’m not letting the cat out of the bag by saying they don’t get along. They love to tear into each other! You should see it! I would just step out of the way and watch the fur fly — as long as neither of them got hurt, of course. I love them both to death.•

  Four: Seeing Red

  “No. No. No. NEVER. Not for even twenty seconds. NO WAY . . . Wait. That might work. Okay, that’s a maybe.”

  Sky is talking to herself as she flips through the long rack of pricey red dresses looking for somethi
ng to wear for our FA promotional photo shoot. It’s been almost a week since I was rude to her at the Priceless party and she’s still snubbing me because of it. It’s actually kind of peaceful. Hee-hee.

  “What if I like Kaitlin’s selection better than my own choices?” Sky whines. “Does she get to wear it if she saw it first?” Renee, our head costume designer, throws up her hands in exasperation. Her mouth is full of tiny pins that she’s using to do quick alterations, so she can’t yell.

  I look through my own packed rack of ruby red numbers for today’s last-minute cast shoot. Since Family Affair’s ratings are the highest we’ve had in five years, Tom and the rest of the show’s big guns want to rush out new print advertisements of the entire young cast. They’re convinced part of the ratings draw is our new teen storyline with Colby (aka Alexis). Just hearing Tom gush about Alexis is a sore subject with me. Sky and I have been TV faves for years and the studio hasn’t given us glowing praise the way they have Alexis! Now they’re putting her in magazine ads even though she’s only sticking around for half a season? It’s so unfair!

  Ahem. It’s wrong of me to think this way, I know. But it’s not so bad if I’m not actually saying these things out loud, right?

  Because of this week’s tight shooting schedule — we’re filming beach scenes on location for three days in Malibu — we’ve got twenty-five minutes to get dressed and re-touch our makeup and then half an hour to do the shoot. The guys will be dressed in black and white and the girls in racy red numbers that will pop against a white backdrop. The wardrobe room is in chaos trying to get us all ready in time. Thankfully there are so many gorgeous designer duds to choose from, I’m not having a hard time picking one.

  HOLLYWOOD SECRET NUMBER FOUR: As much as I’d like to take my dress pick, this gorgeous Lulu Lame gown (black v-neck top, empire waist, red satin skirt . . . sigh, it’s heavenly), out for a night on the town with Austin, it’s probably not going to happen. Stars rarely get to leave the set with their wardrobe. Some of our clothes are borrowed from designer lines that haven’t even made it to the runway yet. Others are samples that have to be whisked back to the production house to be used by another celeb-in-need. And still other frocks are paid for by the studio, which means they’re the property of FA and are saved for recycling for a black-tie wedding scene down the road.

  If I want this fiery Lulu Lame, I’m going to have to beg Renee to let me buy it. I grab her arm as she bustles past me with an armful of crisp white dress shirts.

  “How much is this dress?” I whisper.

  Renee scrunches up her face in concentration. “I think it was around one thousand dollars. Why? Did you want to buy it?”

  I shake my head vigorously. “Nope,” I say quickly. “Just curious.”

  Well, at least I get to wear it for half an hour.

  Sky is getting her dress fitted. Some of the recurring teen stars like Luke, Brayden, Hallie, and Ava (they play Sam and Sara’s classmates at Summerville High) have picked out their outfits and are getting their makeup done. I don’t see Alexis anywhere. Matty is dressed too — in a black cash-mere V-neck sweater and black Ralph Lauren trousers — and is standing in front of a mirror practicing smoldering expressions. But behind him, Trevor Wainright is slumped against a rack of clothes and looking miserable. Trev plays Sam’s main man, Ryan, and in real life was Sky’s blink-and-you-missed-it boyfriend at the end of last season. When Sky dumped Trevor to go after our egotistical PYA costar (and my ex), Drew Thomas, Trevor was so heartbroken he flew home to Idaho to be with his family on their farm.

  “Hey, Trev,” I say, stepping over a pile of hangers and Armani shirts to reach him. “Are you okay?”

  “Sky’s barely said two words to me since I got back,” he replies, sounding hoarse.

  I want to quip “you’re lucky,” but don’t on account of how sad his blue eyes look. Other than that, Trev looks hotter than ever. Two months of driving a tractor have bleached his blond locks white and given his skin a deep golden glow. “I thought we were on a break, but she told me to stop bothering her because we’re officially over.”

  “I’m sorry, Trev,” I say. “Sky is tough to pin down, but there are plenty of girls who would kill to be your girlfriend.” I turn Trevor around to face his wardrobe rack. “We’ve just got to find you something killer to wear this morning. This ad will drum up major dating options. Trust me.” I flip through white shirts. A small, bony hand stops my own.

  “Back to your own clothes,” Renee mumbles through the pins in her mouth. Renee has a fanny pack with sewing equipment strapped to her broad waist and her brown hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and she looks like she means business. “You have ten minutes left to pick out your own outfit, remember?”

  I sidestep piles of discarded clothes to reach my rack and hold up the Lulu Lame dress. Sky appears out of nowhere and stares at my choice. She’s already put on a clingy spaghetti strap Lycra number with a pleated bottom.

  “I don’t remember seeing the Lulu Lame,” Sky complains. “Not that I’d ever be caught dead wearing satin.”

  “I guess it’s good you didn’t pick this one then,” Renee says with a wink, tightening the back of Sky’s dress with her pins before ushering her toward the makeup room door. “Okay, I’ve sent the other kids out, Matt Burke is getting his foundation touched up, and Trevor is settling into a nice Armani suit. The only one we’re missing is . . . Alexis.” Renee frowns. “She’s probably in some dark corner with one of the writers.”

  Sky and I look at each other. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Sky asks.

  Renee suddenly looks like she just swallowed a pin. “Nothing.” She says quickly. “A wardrobe room joke. Now go get ready.” she sends us away. “Kaitlin, go in the dressing area and put that Lulu Lame gown on so I can fit it. I’m going to see where Alexis is.”

  Two minutes later, as I’m zipping up the back of my dress, I hear bickering. It starts soft and begins to grow as I slip into my open-toed black Gucci heels. I pull back the dressing area curtain expecting to see Sky in the middle of an argument with Renee and instead I see Alexis stomping her Coach heels. I quickly hide behind the curtain so that she doesn’t see me.

  “I’m not wearing these atrocious gowns, Renee,” Alexis is protesting. “Need I remind you that I’m five foot nine? How could I possibly wear a minidress? It will look like a thong!”

  Whoa. Someone hasn’t had her morning mocha latte yet.

  “Alexis,” Renee says patiently, “I picked out almost thirty dresses for you. Only two were minidresses. Look at this dazzling Peter Som number. It’s one of a kind, you know. Rachel McAdams wanted it to wear to a film premiere but I snagged it for you first. It would look great on your gorgeous statuesque frame.”

  Nice one, Renee. She’s always had a way of making even the plainest sheath dress seem like Cinderella’s ball gown.

  “It’s ugly.” Alexis pushes it away. “I don’t like anything here! Nothing,” she pouts. “I’ll need more choices.”

  “What about Sky and Kaitlin’s racks?” Renee offers, striding over to our other dresses.

  Alexis coughs. “I’m not wearing their leftovers.”

  WHAT? She did not just say that! What is up with her? She’s never this cranky on set.

  “I need something original,” Alexis says, walking toward the other side of the long room with Renee close behind her looking nervously at her watch. I can barely hear them now because they’re so far away, but I don’t miss Alexis’s next remark. “I should stand out. I want to wear something that isn’t red.”

  Talk about an ego inflating fast. I’ve got to get out of here and cool off. Alexis’s back is turned so I could probably run for it. I take a step to leave and then get knocked backward by Sky diving into the small dressing area with me. She bangs my right elbow into the wall. Ouch!

  “What are you doing here?” I whisper.

  “Spying,” Sky says. “I was coming back in to change my heels. These don’t make my ankles
look slim enough.” I look down at her cute peekaboo-toe Bally sandals. “I stopped when I heard Alexis whining. I was hiding behind that rack of clothes by the door.” She wiggles her arms to nudge me. “Move over.”

  My fleeting escape moment is gone so I don’t argue. Instead, we both listen intently.

  Renee walks past the dressing area alone and I hear her mumble, “Just a few short weeks on the show and she’s already a diva.” Hear, hear! Then out loud, I hear her add: “All the girls are wearing red, Alexis, even Sky, who is usually the one who gives me a hard time. Tom wants the girls in red, guys in black and white. No exceptions.”

  “I’m not like everyone else,” Alexis says. “I’m not like that prima donna Sky Mackenzie.” I smirk at Sky, who looks like steam is about to shoot out of her five-carat-diamond– adorned ears. “And I’m not looking like little Miss Goody Two-shoes Burke either.” Sky stifles a snort.

  I cannot believe she just called me that!

  “I’m the new girl and I deserve to stand out,” Alexis complains. “Haven’t you heard about the ratings? It’s my storyline that put us back on top.”