Good personal communication is a two way street. It is an art, not a science, and benefits from experience and constant "tweeking" for different folks and situations.

Like with most things in life, you have to tune into where the other person is during a conservation, not where you are ( at tgat point in time) or you wish the other folkn to be.

What you describe seems clear to me, the mystery folks are at a F'n Casino, not a church. If they are lucky, are feeling lucky, or have a wad of cash to blow, their minds are obvioysly not where you are at this point in time. No gain in freting, stoping life or taking it the wrong way and being "up tight" about it? It just raises your blood pressure, increases the liklihood of a bad ending, or a misread of the other folks.

If you live close by, why not compromise and call over where the folks are? Or, alternatively, you define a clear meeting time and meeting point-and it may work out better for everyone. Regardless, it beats stewing in your own "vapours" priming you up for a "poor and wasted time, not a good time".