Just Friends Forever

The lines around the friend zone are blurrier than ever

Stephanie "Stevie" Jacobs

Marriage to an A-list actor has its perks, but no one ever tells you about the drawbacks-paparazzi infesting your life like cockroaches after the divorce, for one. So when my longtime friend Troy offers me the empty side of his duplex while I get back on my feet again, the only possible answer is, "How soon can I come?"

I've never seen Troy as anything but a friend, but when the gossip columns pin down my location, they're determined to make more of things between us, despite my assurances he's dating someone. The media are a tenacious bunch. Heck, they almost have me convinced, which is totally crazy. Right?

Troy Sheppard

My friendship with Stevie has survived a lot, including the day I caught the crazy bug and told her I wanted to be more than friends. Thankfully, that's far behind us. I'm here for Stevie-as a friend-now that she needs a soft place to land away from the gossip-hungry tabloids.

There's just one problem: I may have seriously underestimated the power of the paparazzi-and possibly my feelings. Both seem bent on bringing the past into the present, but there's no way I'm going down the road to rejection a second time.