My Friend Bennett

I had to go in to set up the theater bars tonight. Since the show is about to start previews, I knew they’d be rehearsing all day so the chances of me running into Miss Ex were pretty good. Today was the day I’ve been dreading.
Because of the costumes and make-up I couldn’t pick her out of the bouncy little chorus right away, but as luck would have it (my luck anyway) I was with my best friend Bennett (not his real name. I had to change it so he wouldn’t sue me. Did I mention he was my best friend?) Anyway, he had no trouble picking out Miss Ex. It felt like my heart stopped and I was floating towards a bright white light. Turns out it wasn’t because I saw Miss Ex but because Bennett was hugging me so tightly he was cutting off the oxygen to my brain.
Bennett loves Miss Ex. She’s the woman he always thought he’d grow up to be so our breakup has been especially tough on him. How can it not be tough when your best friend and your best hag break up? Two separate Thanksgivings, Christmases, two separate Tony parties...so I tried to be understanding when he kept pointing out how happy Miss Ex looked. It did kind of help that he said it with as much resentment as I felt.
I don’t know what I’d do without Bennett’s envy and bitterness. He has worked hard at it and earned every bit of it. He came to New York at 22 to take Broadway by storm and now, ten years later at the age of...as he says...”none of your damn business...stop looking at my hairline!”, he’d settle for taking Broadway by a light mist.
So, I guess, in a weird way Bennett and I are in the same boat...then again weird is probably the only way you could be alone in a boat with Bennett.