That would be cowardly, but what were her parents thinking to allow this seating arrangement? In what universe did it make sense to force her to sit between her ex-fiancé and her current boyfriend? Or worse yet, sitting between Tino and Benton’s mother, who clearly resented her for hurting her precious boy’s feelings? It wasn’t Natalie’s fault that no one had ever denied Benton anything he wanted. When she met her mom’s gaze, her mother offered her an apologetic shrug. Good to know the awkward arrangement hadn’t been her doing, which meant either Benton or his mother had altered the seating arrangements at some point. Just great. In the end, she let Tino decide which seat he wanted. Benton was already rising to pull out the chair beside his when Tino stepped between them to offer her the seat next to Mrs. Humboldt. She thanked him for his courtesy even as she noted the flash of anger across Benton’s face as he dropped back into his own chair. By the time Tino was seated, the conversation around the table had resumed.
