Cruise and Holmes joined Walter Veltroni, the mayor of Rome, for a 90-minute lunch April 29 in the Borghese Gardens. The actor had seconds on dessert (zabaglione) – and hugs. Photo by: INFGoff
Can This Be Love?| Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise
Given the speed with which she went from business acquaintance to "amore mio" (my love), as Cruise called her in Rome, and their unabashed public enthusiasm for each other rather than the standard celeb Stage One duck-and-deny dating antics, some skeptics have voiced doubt. Both actors have films out next month – his War of the Worlds (June 29) and her role as Bruce Wayne's girlfriend in Batman Begins (June 17).

Regis Philbin wondered on the air whether the affair is "something that's going to end as soon as their movies are released." On the other hand, as Reeg noted moments later, "it kind of looks like he's crazy about her."

And media consultant Elliot Mintz notes that "when you see public figures come out with information of this nature so quickly and in such a stark, no-frills manner, it usually [means] they have very strong feelings toward each other and they would like to try to get on with their relationship without having to hide. So [they] make the splash and let everybody know really quickly. They can spend more time enjoying the relationship than being concerned about tabloid coverage."
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