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More Than Friends

Originally posted Thursday October 20, 2005 06:00 AM EDT

Aniston is "genuine and warm," Vaughn (with her Oct. 14) told Elle. Photo by: P / M / BAUER-GRIFFIN

Indeed, Aniston and Vaughn's occasional off-hours party hopping and flirty dancing was easy to discount when cameras were rolling this summer. "Vince is my friend," Aniston – whose divorce from Brad Pitt became final Oct. 2 – told this month's Elle. "He's delicious and funny . . . but I don't want to be a rebound girl." But now? With a multiday PDA-a-thon that saw the two openly kissing and cuddling at restaurants, nightspots and even the Wiener Circle hot dog stand, Aniston, 36, and Vaughn, 35, made it clear to pretty much all of Chicago – and the world – that they're a romantic item.

Aniston's rep, who had previously denied rumors of a union, declined to comment on the pair's current status, as did Vaughn's. There was no question things had heated up considerably, though, from the moment Aniston turned up at Vaughn's comedy show Oct. 11 and headed afterward to Holiday Club, an old haunt from the summer. "They were sitting at the bar, kissing and making out," says owner Tim Juliusson. "Before, I didn't think there was anything. But seeing them at the bar, you would say, 'That's a couple.' "

And apparently, a surprisingly serious one. Not only were Aniston and Vaughn spotted snuggling and reading the morning papers on her hotel terrace, he also brought her home to meet the folks. On Oct. 14 they visited Lake Forest, where Vaughn grew up, and ate lunch with Vaughn's mother, Sharon, and stepdad. The group later paused for more shopping at a nearby Target, where, says customer Barb Waxman, "I could not have been more shocked if a grizzly bear had been standing in front of me."