"Yeah, you're right. What's to foul?" He slapped the table again. "Hey, who wants a coke? I'll buy." He leaned around the corner of the booth and whistled. "Hey, Janie! Fun time! Tell Sandy to fix us three cokes and come on out and join the party!"
Art Johnson rounded the corner and approached the coke shop, hands sweaty in anticipation of what was going to happen within the next hour. He wished there was some way for him to back out of the situation and still manage to save face, but it was too late. The pattern was set, and events would ride out to their inevitable climax.
Then—
Something clicked.
The youth paused in midstride and nearly stumbled. His eyes took on a faraway look. A boy and girl came out of the shop arm-in-arm and nearly walked into him.
"Hey, stupid! Watch where you're going."
"Sorry," he muttered, shaking his head.
"Some people," said the boy, "live in a fog." The girl giggled, and Art pushed his way into the packed interior of the shop.
"Hey, man!"