Meeting the Stranger II

This weekend, I went to a performance of J.S. Bach pieces as part of the NYC Guitar Festival.  I arrived 45 minutes early, and nearly half the seats were already taken.  Initially, I wasn't sure my friend would join me, so I took a seat halfway back, with a space next to me that was right behind a palm tree.  I figured that very undesirable seat would be an easy spot to save, on the off-chance that my friend would show up, due to its obstructed views.  The auditorium continued to fill up, and a woman asked if she could sit there.  I told her, apologetically, that I thought my friend might come.  She moved on.  Then I got a text message from my friend, advising that she would be about 15 minutes late.  Another two people asked to sit there, and I declined with greater confidence, since my friend was on her way.  The concert began late, around the time my friend had said she would arrive, and my anxiety increased as I turned away yet another concertgoer.  Then, about 10 minutes into the concert, yet another person asked to sit there; I explained that my friend had texted that she was on her way.  The woman said sarcastically, "Yeah, right," and left in disgust.  I found myself wondering what she thought my motivation was for lying (as she apparently thought) to keep her from sitting in a spot where she would not be able to see the concert at all.  But my anxiety continued to increase, and I started wondering if I should release the seat -- was my friend going to bail on me?  I was so grateful when my friend finally showed up (about 20 minutes into the concert!) that I took the obstructed seat and let her enjoy the view of the musician.