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.