Jessica Simpson and John Mayer Dating Again

After a false start, Jessica Simpson and John Mayer are giving dating a try again. The couple met up for an hour-long lunch at Paradise Cove Beach Café in Malibu, California, on November 12.

“She didn’t eat much,” a witness says. “She drank double vodka cranberries. When they got up, Jessica was rubbing his back. You could definitely tell they were on a date.” Mayer left a $40 tip on the $100 bill.

Is it for real this time? Even Simpson, 26, and Mayer, 29, aren’t sure yet.

“She’s taking her time with it,” a Simpson pal says.

Adds a Mayer source, “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.”

What’s up next for the couple? Separate Thanksgiving holidays with family (hers in Texas, his in Connecticut). Then, he’ll spend downtime in NYC songwriting, while she heads to Louisiana to film the Luke Wilson comedy Blonde Ambition. Could an on-set visit be next? Stay tuned.