"Oh no, no, no" Tina said laughing, "I’m done. I’m out of the game"

"Come on! You can’t do that!"

"I just did. I’m tired of getting my hopes up with women that only seem to let me down. I don’t want to do it anymore"

"But TK-"

"Seriously Al, can we just enjoy the parade?"

Alice glanced at Tina who had that look in her eye, one that said she wouldn’t budge no matter how hard she was pushed. Alice knew that look all too well and sighed with defeat.

"Fine" She pouted before her eyes widened at the feeling of her phone buzzing in her hand, "Oh, Tasha’s here!"

"Where is she?" Tina asked as Alice typed away on her phone, her body slightly jerking forward as a group of people brushed passed.

"23rd and 5th. She’s with her cousin, wanna go meet up with them?"

Tina nodded as they made their way to the sidewalk and shoved themselves into the thick line of people shuffling toward 23rd Street.

Slowly but surely they walked the six blocks to meet Tasha, bobbing and weaving the entire way.

"Who’s Tasha here with?" Tina asked.

"Her cousin who just moved back from Chicago" Alice said as she rolled her eyes and took Tina’s hand to lead them around a group of people standing in their path, "Oh look, there they are!"

Tina had been in the process of carefully watching the placement of her feet when Alice’s excited voice urged her to raise her head. It was accidental, a coincidence really but her eyes immediately locked with the beautiful woman beside Tasha and for a moment, Tina forgot to breathe.

Beautiful might have been too light a word. She was gorgeous, breathtaking surely. Smooth mocha skin, big brown eyes you could get lost in and wild yet soft curls that fell all around her, blowing with the occasional soft breeze.

Dressed in a pair of black Bermuda shorts, a thin white top sporting silver beading along the neckline and a pair of silver sandals, she was . . perfect.

Realizing she had been staring, Tina immediately looked away and felt her face warm with embarrassment.