Jessica's date with John Mayer

Jessica Simpson and John Mayer were seen sharing an hour-long lunch at Paradise Cove Beach Cafe in Malibu last week. "She didn't eat much," said a witness. "She drank double vodka cranberries. When they got up, Jessica was rubbing his back. You could definitely tell they were on a date." Friends of both stars are reluctant to call the relationship any other than a friendship, however. "She's taking her time with it," says a friend of Simpson. And a source close to Mayer says, "It's a flirtation. I wouldn't call it full-on dating, but there is a fondness. He doesn't like the attention, but he likes her. He wants to avoid the public scrutiny of last time."

source