The Etiquette of Smoking

If You Hear Me, Count to Four

"I feel like we should do something more fun though. Games are boring." Niki said. I looked up from the pavement at her. We were sitting on the curb outside of a tiny mom and pop gelato shop downtown. The heat was dry today with little to no wind to alleviate us. Niki had a cup with two scoops of mint green colored pistachio gelato. Her tiny white spoon dipped into the cup, taking an equally tiny scoop of ice cream and bringing it to her lips. I stretched my legs out onto the street beside Niki.

"Like what?" I asked, glancing back down at the cream that dripped down my hand as my gelato melted under the scalding sun and onto the concrete below me. I tried my best to clean the mess up with napkins before giving up and licking the rim of my cone.

"I don't know. Summer is almost over, maybe we should take advantage of some sun. I could use some color." She pulled her thin arm up and examined her skin. As if we weren't getting sun right now.

"The pool?" I suggested just as Ian and George emerged from the shop behind us. I looked over my shoulder at them before looking back at Niki.

"Ew, no. The beach, maybe? Oh, a trip to Montauk!" Her excited voice carried over to the boys who opted to sit at the wrought iron chairs in front of the shop behind us.

"Fuck no, I'm not driving to Montauk." Ian grunted, pocketing his wallet and digging into his cup of -what looked to be chocolate-gelato. George pulled out the chair across from Ian and took a seat, his eyes meeting mine briefly before dipping to his cup.

"Fine. What about the Hamptons?" Niki's brows furrowed as she turned her body completely to face our friends. Ian laughed at her with a mouth full of ice cream and swallowed before speaking.

"Are you fuckin dumb? It's just as far. No." He rolled his eyes. I felt something cold running down my hand and I turned back around to catch a bead of white ice cream roll down my skin. I licked at the cream, savoring the sugary sweetness on my tongue.

"We could go to Brighton." Joji chimed. I returned to the conversation, glancing at Niki just as she shot a dirty look at George.

"No, ew, there's so many people there!" Niki argued. Ian brows rose to his forehead with disbelief.

"What? You were fine with Niagara but Coney Island is taking it too far?" He asked incredulously. I hid my grin behind my ice cream so as to not impose Niki's wrath on myself. She threw her hands up, cup and all, in the air as she continued arguing with Ian, but I diverted my attention back to the sweet treat in my hand that was sadly losing its battle with the sun and would be liquid if I didn't eat it soon.

I swiped my tongue around the cone, spinning it in my hand until I had successfully licked up every drip and brought my attention to the top of the cone where salted caramel drizzled on top. I watched the cars driving in the street in front of me and missed the one drip that splattered down on my bare thigh below my shorts.

I looked down, spotting the tiny white bead as it continued its journey rolling down my thigh between my legs.

"Shit." I muttered under my breath, grabbing the discarded napkin beside me and wiping the gelato away until another drip landed on my chest. Another tiny droplet started rolling down between my cleavage before I wiped at it. The stickiness lingered, catching on my napkin and I sighed. The gelato was melting down my hand again, quickly making its way down my fist and compelling me to lick it up before it made a mess all over me.

I rolled the cone against my tongue again, trying to buy myself more time before it dripped again. I licked the top of the ice cream, catching some of the salty sweet caramel with my tongue and pulling it back between my lips.