Are Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Engaged?

The rumor mill is turning fast and furious with reports of Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon possibly being engaged.

The Evidence: Mariah has a huge bling of a ring on her left hand. It was first spotted at a party for her new film, Tennessee. Nick Cannon joined Mariah Carey at the after party for her film. The two were attached at the hip all night long and were spotted holding hands. First reported on April 15th by People.com, the biggest piece of evidence is Mariah and Nick jetted off to Las Vegas on a private plane and hit up some nightspots were they cuddled in the VIP section.

Both Nick and Mariah's reps are crying, "No comment" and we all know what that means. Well, it could actually mean two things. One, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have staged a great publicity stunt. Two, they're engaged and are going to hold out until the very end, and possibly beyond, a la Jay-Z and Beyonce. Could this be the newest trend in celebrity couples? Deny the relationship forever, even though you may be living together, have a marriage certificate, or a baby on the way?

How can they keep this a mystery? I have some ideas. I know Mariah loves her jewels, but how about taking off the ring? That would be a sensible start, but this wouldn't do much for keeping media interest up when you're trying to promote an album.

The pair could hire a private jet and go live in a small Russian village for a while. If they stay in L.A. and New York or anywhere else within the United States and its territories, it will guarantee a storm of paparazzi. If you don't believe me, just ask Jamie Lynn Spears. Who would think people would dare venture to Louisiana to get footage of a pregnant teen shopping at J.C. Penny?

If Mariah and Nick are intent are staying within our borders, they could buy a compound similar to the FLDS sect and hire some crazed locals to guard the place. Semi-automatic weapons and mean grimace required.