Can a man and a woman just be friends?

I know that if you have known someone of the opposite sex for a long time you can just be friends…however if you have only known someone for a few years, on a fairly casual basis, is this possible?

I have this “friend” who is a bit of a “player”, I have known him for nearly two years. He often wants to catch up, even though we no longer work together. I don’t really get the vibe that he likes me in a romantic way, so I am happy to hang out with him.

Am I being naive to think he just wants to hang out as friends? Could he just enjoy my company? My girl friends say I’m being an idiot…I think I need some honest advice from guys.

( We have fooled around before, but that was over a year ago.)