Though a Page Six spy spotted NBC chief Jeff Zucker “climbing out of his black SUV” in front of Katie Couric’s East Side apartment, a Couric “friend” is preemptively shooting down any rumors that Zucker wants his prized lady back, saying “Jeff and Katie have been friends for 20 years. He asked her to get a Mother’s Day gift for his wife, Caryn, and picked it up on the way to his daughter’s play.” [NYP]

Uh huh.

More curious, beside the terrible and transparent excuse given, though, is who “spots” Zucker exiting his car and walking into Katie’s building, except, perhaps, Zucker or Katie themselves.

Zucker has always been rumored to be a serial New York Post leaker, especially when he’s got a takedown agenda, like he did with Beth Comstock in September, floating a rumor that Comstock was leaving NBC U and heading back upstairs to GE. (The news panned out.)

So what would either have to gain?

If Couric and Zucker really have remained friends, then he could be throwing her a bone in offering some leverage to get out of her CBS Evening News deal, which even Les Moonves has to admit is the best option for everyone. But then it comes down to how much CBS must pay Katie to get rid of her contract and, theoretically, bring a Bob Scheiffer type back to the news desk.

It’s unlikely Zucker would bring Katie back into the NBC fold, especially with a role at Today; his ego is too big for that, and so is Katie’s. So what was the meeting about? Options, perhaps, but those type of meetings can happen on the sly, without Page Six spotting them. So be sure, there’s an agenda here. But whose?