Ask twice for the skinny on Erica Kane

Susan Lucci is apparently no Erica Kane.

The "All My Children" icon was at the Mall of America Saturday signing her memoir "All My Life." After her line of adoring fans came to an end, Lucci remained on stage to sign copies of the book that Barnes & Noble will keep on hand for fans who couldn't make the event.

Excusing myself, I asked Lucci if writers of the long-running soap opera, now the subject of cancellation rumors, had ever suggested a story line for Erica that Susan thought was silly. She didn't answer. A guy with a beautiful mane of hair -- her publicist, as identified to me by Barnes & Noble staffers -- said she was preoccupied with autographing.

She can't sign and talk at the same time?

"Wish I was that talented," Lucci said.

Such endearing self-effacement prompted me to skip the first smart alecky thing that popped in my mind -- I'll bet Erica can multi-task! -- and my sheathed tongue was rewarded. A bookstore staffer told me Lucci would answer two questions.

And Lucci meant it, as indicated when her husband, Helmut Huber, startled me by barking "TWO QUESTIONS!"

All right, already.

Lucci's answer to my story lines question reveals one reason for her longevity.

"You know I can't say 'silly,' but that scene where Erica fought the grizzly bear and won; I remember asking a producer, 'Don't you think we may have gone a little bit too far this time?'" said Lucci, with that flirtatious Erica Kane smile and head turn. "She said, 'Just try it,' and I did and it became a fan favorite."

Lucci enjoyed running with my SECOND and FINAL silly question. Like others at the event, I noticed a young man who ran his fingers through his hair every time it fell into his eyes (about once every two minutes). He, too, was tiny. I'm talking, smaller, if a tad taller, than Symbolina. His tight, skinny jeans revealed his legs to be as tiiinnny as Lucci's.

Are good hair and a similar body type requirements to roll with Lucci?

"Absolutely, yes, it's a requirement," said Lucci, facetiously. "I've been spoiled forever now."

And with that, as you can see at startribune.com, Huber took Lucci by the hand.

Best kisser is a Willey oneAmbitious, conniving, social-climbing Erica Kane has kissed, dated, pretended to marry and married a lot of frogs on the soap opera.

Lucci, however, has only been married once, to such a fixture in her public life that some asked him to autograph her book.

Which of Lucci's TV husbands has Huber enjoyed watching kiss his real-life wife? "None of them," he said with faux gruffness, unlike our TWO QUESTIONS encounter. Huber then allowed that he thinks Walt Willey, who plays Jackson Montgomery, has the best chemistry with Lucci.

On Monday I consulted LaRae Spencer, a sales person for Envision Multi-Media Group and star of my Lucci book-signing video, for the identity of Kane's current husband. He's the character played by Willey, said Spencer, reminding me that Lucci confirmed in a Q&A with the crowd that Willey was the best kisser among her husbands.

There were two that Spencer was ready to kiss off: Huber and PR Guy.

"[Huber] was kind of possessive, and didn't want people taking extra pictures and then the little handler in the skinny jeans was standing in front of all of us [blocking photo angles]. First off," she said, "skinny jeans are really not that attractive and just move your ass. We've been waiting 40 years to meet this woman.

"So, Helmut you don't need to grab her hand and take her off, like 'We're leaving.' Her husband totally out-punted his coverage. She is one foxy woman."

Austrian connection"Wolfgang is a good friend," said Helmut Huber, after I made a point of telling him that I didn't assume that all Austrians know each other.

I then asked Huber to give my regards to Wolfgang Puck and to tell the chef that the closing of 20.21 was a huge loss to Minneapolis.

'7' plus SEVEN = Late startMint Condition had a release party Saturday for its new CD, "7," appropriately enough, at SEVEN the restaurant.

Singer/drummer Stokley Williams, his wife, Sylvia, and others in the VIP section flouted SEVEN's no-hats rule by wearing chapeaus. Guess you can't tell guests how to dress when it's their party.

The packed place included singer Brittani Senser. I wanted to hear the music, because my buddy Jawn Murray, of "Untapped," Tom Joyner and BVBuzz.com, has raved to me about the album. But they started late and didn't appear to be getting ready for any music when I had to vamoose.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.