ghosts of relationships past

Yesterday afternoon the Ex called me to ask if I could hold a table at Toro that evening for an old friend of his who was coming to town. The Ex knows Toro does not take reservations and on weekends it's nearly impossible to get in...unless you know someone.

"Of course," I said. I'd do that for any of his friends. The friend in question also happens to be the guitarist of Maroon 5, making the reservation that much more interesting in a celeb-starved town like Boston.

The band arrived right on time for their reservation, dined, and had an excellent meal (or so I was told; I wasn't there.) Other guests at neighboring tables were appropriately star-struck. Sweethearts that they are, the band offered us all tickets to this evening's show -- I'm pretty sure they had a blast.

I passed on the show tickets because I had to work tonight, though there was a time when I'd have found a way to go to the concert, come hell or high water. Back then it would have been at the Agganis Arena, not the Tweeter Center. And before that, they'd have played at the Paradise, or even Harper's Ferry. In fact, I first met the Ex's friend back when the band had a record deal but were still relatively unknown on the East Coast, nomads living on a modest stipend and per-diem (though we all knew those days would be short-lived.) Their tour bus was a bit more humble then. I can only imagine what their digs look like now.

As my relationship with the Ex declined, the band's star just rose and rose.

My Ex called me after the reservation was finalized to say thanks. "It's no trouble," I told him, "I love those guys, and I love all of your friends. In fact, now that James is coming through town I've officially seen all of your old friends in the past two weeks." His best friend was in town last week avec girlfriend, as well as another old friend, also a total figment of our previous life as a couple. They all even stayed with the Mathematician and I at the apartment we share...a very real embodiment of our present (and future) life as a couple.

It's all had me in a very weird head space lately, but feeling thankful and happy that those pleasant relationships I spent years forming alongside with Ex don't have to shrivel up and blow away, just because the Ex and I are no longer. I'm sure the band would have had no trouble getting a table anywhere in the city, but the Ex still called me to broker the deal. It warms my heart that he did; it would have been weird if he hadn't.

Then again, this is Toro we're talking about. On Saturday no less. I may very well have been their only hope.