MARRYING MAN: Did Pauly Shore actually take the plunge during his July 2 MTV wedding? True to form, he weaseled out of it. As part of a promotional gimmick for the recently opened Son-in-Law, Shore did everything but sign the certificate at his arranged Las Vegas nuptials to Tanya Cinotti, 18, a nurse’s aide from Salisbury, Mass., who beat out 25,000 other entrants to become Pauly’s bride. Her rewards: a bumblebee ring, a yo-yo that lights up, four days in Vegas, excellent grindage (that’s Pauly-speak for food), and airtime with Shore. ”I don’t think he’d make a good husband; he’s too much a partier,” says Cinotti, who did manage a brief on-camera smooch with her pseudogroom. ”It was just another day’s work for him,” she says. ”But it was something I’ll never forget. I feel like there’s much more to life than Salisbury.” — Kate Meyers

FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN? Brad Pitt enjoys his work. He was reportedly dating Geena Davis while filming Thelma & Louise, and he moved in with former girlfriend Juliette Lewis after shooting the 1990 TV movie Too Young to Die. (Their joint big-screen effort, Kalifornia, will be out in September.) Recent reports link Pitt with Julia Ormond (TNT’s Young Catherine), his costar in the family drama Legends of the Fall, now filming in Canada. ”They’re not having a hot and heavy romance,” insists the movie’s publicist. ”We work six days a week, starting at 6 in the morning, and wrap at 10 at night. I don’t know when they’d find the time.” — Stephen Schaefer

BOOK STALL: When David Letterman moved from NBC to CBS, something was bound to get lost in the shuffle. Pocket Books has indefinitely postponed David Letterman’s 3rd Book of Top Ten Lists and Cool Summer Salad Recipes, though no one seems to know why. ”My gut feeling is that it’s just (a lack of) time,” says a Letterman rep. A Pocket spokeswoman pins the blame on a Pocket Books editor whose decision to leave the company put a glitch in the schedule. But with Letterman still haggling with NBC over the rights to such Late Night institutions as ”Stupid Pet Tricks,” ”Larry ‘Bud’ Melman,” and ”The Top Ten List,” could the real culprit be his former network? ”I don’t see any problem with a publisher printing books of top 10 lists,” says NBC spokesman Curt Block. Pocket, meanwhile, is eager to remain the home office of Dave’s publishing empire. ”We very much want a tie-in with the new show,” says the spokeswoman, who adds that the company will do whatever it takes to get the book in stores as soon as possible. ”We’ll change the title to Cool Winter Recipes,” she offers. — Jessica Shaw

CHEF TELL: Before opening his Hollywood catering firm, Bone Apart, master chef Gary Allen was famous for whipping up culinary delights for the rich and the rocking, including Elton John. What tasty delights did the eccentric singer order up from his personal chef? Grilled vegetables for breakfast, soul food (”He loved the ham hocks, black-eyed peas, and oxtails and greens,” says Allen), and a smorgasbord of 9 to 11 dishes for dinner. ”He gave me an unlimited budget, so I could experiment with every possible idea,” says Allen, who created such tasty delights as Mermaid’s Seafood Salad and Cried to Heaven En Croute. Despite the free rein, there was one classic not allowed on John’s table: meatloaf. ”His old chef made it every day,” says Allen, ”so my first day I was told, ‘Elton will not eat meatloaf.”’ — Melina Gerosa