Love In the time of covid

Chapter 12

***2 weeks later**

"Um...What the hell is this?" Giselle asked Trina suspiciously as she looked down into the box of adult toys that she unknowingly just opened. She was giving her friend the side eye waiting for her response.

"What you've never seen sex toys before?" Trina replied rhetorically as she continued to unpack her a box she was working on, completely unbothered.

"No. I have but why didn't you label the box?" Giselle questioned as she looked down curiously seeing the variety of what was in front of her. There were so many different shapes and sizes. "And why do you have so many?"

Trina chuckled at the question and her friends dumbfounded state she was in. "Jackson and I have a very...creative sex life." She answered as she shrugged her shoulders in nonchalance. "You and Chris don't experiment?"

"We have sex. We have great sex, but we haven't ventured into that territory...yet." Giselle emphasized the last word to make her point.

"Well, if you ever need some advice on which ones to try. I'm clearly your girl." Trina advised so very certain of herself which was no surprise to Giselle.

Giselle and Chris were helping Jackson and Trina move into their new home. While the women unpacked boxes, the men were bringing in the heavy furniture. Two weeks ago, they had finally settled on a Cape Cod style house in Southborough, 30 minutes outside of Boston.

Giselle was very proud of the huge steps her friend was taking. Just a few months ago, Trina seemed nowhere near to settling down, but things had been put in perspective with the world changing so drastically with no warning. Suddenly the big things were small in hindsight. Trina was still her confident, sassy, and unapologetic self that Giselle loved but she had opened herself up to vulnerability and love instead of hiding her insecurities behind parties, men, and sex.

Jackson and Chris came into the living room carrying the large black leather sofa, their muscles straining from the weight.

"Where do you want this babe?" Jackson asked readjusting his hold on the piece of furniture, doing his best not to drop it.

Trina stood up and looked around the space trying to decide on where she wanted it. "Hmm...." She said thinking over her decision. "I don't know. What do you think Elle?"

Giselle stood up, joining her friend in front of the brick fireplace, looking around the open floor plan. "I think it would look best right here but maybe over there would be good too." She added as she pointed to different spots.

"We do plan to put the tv above the mantle so maybe over here?" Trina added taking her time to ponder her thoughts.

"Ladies, I appreciate your passion for interior design, but this sofa isn't exactly lite." Jackson spoke, getting annoyed at the two women taking their time to give him direction.

"Ok. Ok. Just drop it There and we'll move it later." Trina conceded to his complaint.

The men sat the piece of furniture down, relaxing now that they weren't supporting its heaviness. They shook out their muscles before they made their way back to the moving truck to grab another item.

"Men. They act so big and bad until they have to carry in one little sofa." Trina playfully scoffed when the guys were no longer within listening distance.

Giselle shook her head and laughed at her friend when she heard her phone ping. It was sitting on the kitchen counter, so she went over to see what it was. Her heart sank when she read the news notification.

Fires erupt during protests in Minneapolis over George Floyd's death.

Anxiety swept through her body as she opened it and caught up the latest news on outcry for social injustice. This wasn't the first time she had to read about a black person who was killed unprovoked when interacting with the police and she knew it wouldn't be the last. She felt helpless, scared, and angry. Feeling her stomach twist in pain and tears beginning to form in her eyes she excused herself to go outside on the patio, leaving Trina wondering what had just happened.