In a sign that interest in the personal lives of celebrities isn't limited to young Hollywood, two veteran revered stars — Meryl Streep and Martin Short — are finding themselves at the center of gossip and conjecture after being spotted having dinner in Santa Monica on Wednesday night.

The 74-year-old, three-time Oscar winner Streep and 73-year-old funny man Short first sparked romance rumors in January when they appeared close at the Golden Globes, but a representative for Short told People at the time that they “are just very good friends, nothing more.”

Now the pair were seen leaving dinner with friends at the famous Los Angeles Italian eatery Giorgio Baldi along the picturesque coastline in Santa Monica, California. Sounds pretty romantic, eh?

If they were “just friends” why didn't they go to the Olive Garden then?

Streep joined the cast of the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building for season 3, joining Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Short, so the two have spent plenty of time together of late.

It stands to reason that love could have blossomed on set, so why don't people take the pair at their word that they're just friends? Because Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actors of all time, that's why! How can we trust anything that she says? She might just be acting!

People confirmed last year that Streep has been separated from her husband of 45 years, Don Gummer, for some time. They share four children together. Short was married to actress Nancy Dolman for 30 years until her death from ovarian cancer in 2010. They have three children.

If it's a given that the public is going to show salacious interest about potential star pairings, it's nice to see it centered on a couple of beloved longtime acting legends like Meryl Streep and Martin Short for once. Call it a win against ageism in Hollywood.