Caught in the middle

Ch 5

Kai's POV
Kaye, my best friend above all best friends, called me tonight wanting to go out. I'm really not feeling up to going out and partying but I don't get to see her often. Between work, life, her fiance, our families, other friends, I really didn't get to see her. Let alone just her and I having a night out together with just us. She suggested drinks and a game night of sorts. One phone call led to some texts and here we are, getting out of my car in some dimly lit parking lot scattered with a few pickups, cars, and a motorcycle at the far end. We parked closer to the door, I didn't have the best shoes on for walking on gravel and Kaye didn't bring a jacket to fight off the chill of the nighttime. I don't know where she heard of this place, some small dingy hybrid bar and game hall, but I hoped inside looked better than outside. Kaye had promised a fun night with just us, some drinks, and some fun but still low key.
We walk into the building through dirty glass doors where you can vaguely make out the chipped and faded decals reading "Garret's Gaming" across the middle. I've lived here for 26 years and hadn't had a clue this place existed. Shows how much I pay attention I guess. On my left is a register with a small limited bar and we stop, smiling at the employee as he heads towards.
"Hi! Do you have a reservation?" He asks, a big friendly smile plastered on his face. I look at Kaye. Reservation? I mouth at her. She shrugs.
"Uhm. No. Do we need one?" Kaye questions, with a flirtatious smile and look.
"Unfortunately, yes. Friday nights are the only night we require them. Theyre our busiest nights." He deadpans. All trace of a  leaving his face.
I glance around at the mostly deserted place. Two of the axe throwing stalls are occupied. One by a small group of girls I recognize from high school that are about our age and one by a pair of guys who have their backs turned, deep in a discussion. The dart boards are empty and so are the golf simulators.
"You can't make an exception just one time? It doesn't seem very busy in here tonight." I smile at him as I ask, batting my big green eyes at him flirtatiously. He opens him mouth to speak and I assume tell us to get lost but he closes it and looks at something above my head. Kaye and I turn around to see what caused the employee to go speechless and my heart skips a beat. I'm staring at a black leather jacket I recognize embarrassingly easy from last weekend. It kept flashing through my mind throughout the week any time I through about the shadowy figure beckoning me from atop a big black motorcycle outside the bar. Joshua. I feel Kaye's pointy little finger jab into my side when I don't say anything. She can tell I'm flustered but she doesn't know why yet. I haven't seen or talked to her since last weekend until today to tell her about Joshua. I had planned to after I had a few drinks tonight.
Joshua is looking at the employee with an expressionless face. "They can play on our lane. There's only two of us and we just finsihed a game so we can add them."
"Uh, yes sir. I'll add them to yours right away." He stutters, seeming unnerved by the tall dark and imposing man behind me. I glance over sharing a look with Kaye trying to communicate how much I DIDNT want this. Can't we just go somewhere else? Why do we need to be here? Tonight? With him? Ugh. I sigh, turning and grabbing Kaye's hand and flick my gaze up at Joshua before looking back down.
"Lead the way." I mutter. He turns his back and strides over to his friend. We follow behind a little slower until Kaye and I are standing side by side, me with a death grip on her hand, at the table awkwardly waiting for him to say something. For either of them to say something, anything. But they just share a loaded glance.
"Hey, my names Chris." Our new companion says, smiling and holding his hand out to formally introduce himself.
"Yeah, I know. You played football. I student managed. I remember you. Though it seems you clearly don't remember me." I say with a little sass to my tone. Am I that unremarkable? Does he really not remember me? Heat flares to my cheeks. Why am I sassing this person? He didn't actually do anything wrong. My heightened anxiety over Joshua's presence is clearly messing with my head. I offer a small smile to soften my retort a bit, grabbing his hand in the weirdly formal introduction.
"Hi! I'm Kaye! Forget me too?" My bubbly best friend chirps up leaning in for a quick hug from Chris. She pulls back after the short lived embrace. "Wrong answers only." She says with a wink.
"Uhhh." Chris stutters, unsure how to proceed. I burst out laughing at his stunned expression. It breaks the palpable tension in the air with the guys.
"Thank you for letting us piggy back on your game. You didn't have to do that. We didn't realize this place was in such high demand, that we needed to reserve a lane." I giggle as I look around at the ironically almost empty place. I shift my eyes back to look at Joshua, catching his heavy look. I quickly look away unsure what he's got weighing behind the look we shared.
"It was impromptu for us too. Joshua here has been dodging me all week and just decided an hour ago to inform me he'd decided to meet me." Chris interjects with a light hearted joking tone. Good thing someone is going to be friendly and chatty. Joshua sure isn't making an effort to make this easier after he roped us into their evening.
I give him a questioning look, "wait, impromptu? The guy just told us you need a reservation on Fridays. How can you have a lane if you're doing this last minute?"
"Nah, my uncle owns this place. It's sort of a standing reservation if there's an open lane that hasn't been reserved by other customers. It doesn't seem to usually be an issue. I've never came and not been able to play. My uncle is a little bit dramatic with the 'reservation only' policy." He chuckles.
"Are we going to play?" Joshua butts in, seeming short and clipped. He gestures to the plywood board with the target rings spray painted on it.
"Yea, I'll add Kaye and I to the score card." I mutter, grabbing the pencil and the little notebook with the scores from their last game on it. Is he mad now? He's the one who invited us to play. Practically forced us. We didn't ask to join them. We haven't done anything for him to be so short about. Shaking my head I add our names under theirs. Turning to face the rest of the group I gesture for Joshua to start as his name is first on the card.