by ALAN PEPPARD, apeppard@dallasnews.com , THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Instead, he chose Jennifer Aniston.

Brandon and his writing partner, Mike Thompson, penned the script for the new movie Love Happens. Aniston and Aaron Eckhart signed on to co-star.

Brandon also directs. Universal is releasing the romance on Sept. 18. If you can't wait, the trailer is up all over the Internet.

Austin's Playmate pals

For Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin, there were more perks than just a gimme cap and a free T-shirt for playing in the recent Playboy Golf Finals tournament in LA. He made friends.

Eight Playboy Playmates flew into Dallas last weekend to attend a series of events celebrating Miles' 25th birthday, which was actually on Tuesday.

The headline event was a Saturday night party called " Cowboys & Bunnies" at the downtown nightclub AMPM.

Playmates who walked the red carpet into the club included Miss April 2005 Courtney Culkin, Miss March 2006 Monica Leigh, Miss July 2006 Lauren Anderson, Miss August 2008 Kayla Collins, Miss December 1999 Brooke Richards, Miss February 2009 Jessica Burciaga, Miss June 2006 Stephanie Larimore and 2005 Playmate of the Year Janine Habeck.

Let them eat cake

Before all the AMPM, Football player, Playboy Playmate fun and frivolity began, Miles celebrated his birthday with a Saturday dinner at the new(ish) Nick & Sam's Grill, where he was joined by Cowboys Terrence Newman and Marion Barber, as well as some of his college teammates from New Jersey.

The aforementioned Playmates sang "Happy Birthday" when the cake was brought out.

Playmates at the pool

But the impossible-to- get invite for Miles' birthday weekend was a Sunday afternoon pool party for about 100 people at the Highland Park home of bachelor beverage distributor Blake Andrews. Five years ago in the same house, Blake hosted a 24th birthday party for Jessica Simpson and her then-husband, Nick Lachey. MTV camera crews videoed the whole thing for the show Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica.

But unlike that Jessica party in days of old, matrimony was not a theme of Miles' pool party at the Andrews abode. Along with the Playmates, a lot of other attractive guests showed up to mingle with the likes of New Orleans Saints punter Glenn Pakulak, Cowboys center Andre Gurode and the aforementioned Newman.

Alan's Last Word

"Rules are made for people who aren't willing to make up their own." Chuck Yeager

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