Is Rihanna making music with a new man?

By Melissa Arseniuk

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 | 6:18 a.m.

Rihanna was all over Las Vegas this Labor Day weekend – and she was rarely alone.

The Barbados-born songstress was spotted in a VIP bungalow at Wet Republic; playing craps at the Hard Rock Hotel; dancing Body English; catching some sun at Rehab; eating at N9NE Steakhouse; and partying at Jet.

What’s more, rapper Fabolous was with her nearly every step of the way toward the end of the weekend, at Rehab, N9NE and Jet.

While yes, the two may be nothing more than friends, their constant company begs the question: Are the musicians, ahem, making music together?

Sources say probably not.

RiRi stayed in one of the plush new tower suites at the Hard Rock Hotel, while Fab was said to have stayed elsewhere.

Still, the two were virtually inseparable on Sunday. They were both spotted watching T-Pain perform at Rehab and, later that night, they both had dinner at the Palms.

Yet it was far from an intimate or private meal: They shared their supper with a party of 12 in full public view.

Considering N9NE has a private dining room, it is obvious that the two were making no effort to hide the fact that they were spending time together. And, as most celebrity-watchers know all too well, when it comes to high-profile romance, stars generally try to keep things on the D/L -- for the first little while, at least.

That said, Rihanna was looking sexy in the same short turquoise dress that she wore to the pool that day, while Fabolous was looking mighty fabulous himself, dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans paired with an eye-catching, diamond-encrusted necklace.

The two diverged when it came time to order: She sampled N9NE’s gnocchi bolognese, Kobe short ribs and some potato leek soup while he had rock shrimp and lemon chicken with sides of gnocchi, creamed corn, and mac and cheese.

The two stuck close together after dinner, though, and migrated over The Mirage later that night for Fabolous’ performance at Jet.

While he stepped his wardrobe up a notch for his show, donning a black printed T-shirt and dark shades, Rihanna stuck with the same outfit and accessories and instead transitioned from day to night using dramatic eye makeup.

It was at the club that Ja Rule joined the fold. He kept Rihanna company while her apparent new BFF did his thing onstage, then partied alongside the duo after the show.

Fab quickly returned to RiRi’s side once he left the spotlight and, in yet another very public display, the two later posed together for the paparazzi.

Sunday’s mini-concert at Jet was not the first time Rihanna was able to see the rapper, who is 10 years older than she is, perform live.

Early last month she and some girlfriends were spotted at the Hamptons hotspot Axe, where Fabolous was performing.

But instead of the 31-year-old star, PerezHilton.com claimed it was a doorman that Rihanna had her eye on that night.

What’s more, she has recently been linked to Mary-Kate Olsen’s ex, Travis London.

It’s unclear whether or not Rihanna and Fabolous are sharing more than a record label these days – but it seems safe to say that the songbird’s abusive ex is out of sight, out of mind.

And that’s probably a good thing, considering a judge last month ordered Chris Brown to stay at least 100 yards away from his former flame (or 10 yards if they’re at the same public event).

Brown, 20, was also sentenced to five years’ probation, counseling, and community service following a violent and highly publicized domestic dispute earlier this year.

Melissa Arseniuk writes about Las Vegas entertainment and celebrity events. She can be reached at 702-948-7823 or by e-mail at [email protected].