New hope for Nick and Jessica?

Get ready for the strangest Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson rumor yet: they’re allegedly having an affair. No, not with Dane Cook and Vanessa Minnillo, but with each other.

Gossip columnist Mike Walker of the National Enquirer claims that Simpson and Lachey have been meeting in San Fernando Valley hotels for trysts. The pair have chosen “discreet hotels” in an attempt to fool the public, but apparently they weren’t discreet enough.

Jessica told a source for Walker, “We still have our problems, but we're still very attached to each other. We still have the need for love and affection.”