Cover Story: Portrait of a Living Doll

"My confusion there was that I hate fish," says Simpson. "But I love tuna, and there was a half of a second there where I thought maybe it could be chicken. 'Cause I liked it, and I don't like fish. Unless it's from Long John Silver's and deep-fried."

Tonight Simpson and Lachey are going on Larry King Live, the event for which the Gucci shirt was purchased. But now, though, they are late, and Simpson is no longer sure about the shirt. "Should I wear different clothes?" she asks anxiously.

"You look beautiful, baby," says Lachey.

"But should I wear different shoes?" asks Simpson, stamping a rhinestone Jimmy Choo. "I don't like my outfit!"

"C'mon, you're gorgeous," says Lachey. The publicists and stylists let loose with a flurry of accolades: "You're too beautiful for words," "What an outfit," "Who's prettier than you, Jessica?"

"I might smell bad," says Simpson.

"And this is different from other days how?" says Lachey, laughing.

"Nick!" exclaims Simpson. Then she throws her arms around his neck. "You know you think I smell scrumptious," she whispers, drawing him close. He puts a hand on her cheek, softly, and gives her a light kiss.

Before the premiere of "Newlyweds," in mid-August, Jessica Simpson was primarily known as the teen-pop star who was a virgin and wasn't Britney Spears, though she kind of looked like her. Four years ago, she sold almost a million units of her first single, "I Wanna Love You Forever," but it has been a downward slide since then. Though her first album, Sweet Kisses (1999), sold close to 2 million copies, her next efforts, Irresistible (2001) and In This Skin (2003) -- all a similar-sounding mix of passionate love ballads and junior-prom dance rock -- haven't done nearly as well.