Their engagement is barely a month old, and people are already asking questions about the buddyish appearance of the so-called romance between Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Gay) and his fiancee, Carole Rome.

The lovebirds: “My tan’s darker than yours”

They may as well be an old married couple.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s sexy betrothed gave him a tie for his 52nd birthday Thursday.

And a beautiful one it was. Light blue and pink. Expensive looking. But a tie — for the first birthday that Crist spends with fiancée Carole Rome?

“Well, it’s a …,” started Rome, about to reveal its brand. As a former New York City socialite, she did spend some time on Madison Avenue.

“Oh, let’s just keep that to ourselves,” Crist said, rolling his eyes, as he gently caressed the tie. “I hope it’s from Dillard’s.”

Strange that the Florida governor — whose hasty engagement is rumored to be more about trying to be picked as John McCain’s running mate than true love — would toss out Dillard’s, based in Arkansas, instead of Jacksonville’s own Stein Mart. Then again, sounds like he was in a hurry to cut Rome off before she gave away TMI about her finances.

Rome ran her family’s Halloween costume importing business until a few years ago, when she relinquished control to her sister and moved to Miami. No doubt she knows her way around a tie and Charlie’s is first-rate.

But I wonder what she’ll get him for Christmas. Maybe some really nice socks?