This move was going to kill me. We’d been unpacking for almost a week, and we still weren’t done. Luckily, there wasn’t much left to do. After arguing with Tony, I agreed to take the next two days off.

While I wouldn’t admit it to him, I needed the time off. I was tired, bruised, and ached all over. Not to mention the fact that I still hadn’t bought anything for the baby except for the one baseball onesie. I not only needed to fill a nursery at my place, but I needed to put together one for Cooper’s apartment. He threatened to hire a personal shopper if I didn’t start using the credit card he left for me.

I was also running out of clothes that still fit me.

Whether I wanted to or not, I had to go shopping. And now that I was in my second trimester and my hormones have leveled out a bit, I might be able to buy baby stuff without crying in the checkout lane.

I spent most of the afternoon shopping, and I couldn’t wait to get home. Cooper’s game was delayed due to a spring shower, and he spent that time texting me naughty messages. I was just about to head home when I passed an adult toy shop. I probably would have gone by without even noticing the neon sign, but in my current state of constant horniness, the glowing Good Vibes Toy Shop sign caught my attention.

I was twenty-eight and a little ashamed to admit, I’ve never owned a vibrator. Now, with my boyfriend thousands of miles away sending me dirty messages all the time, it seemed like a good time to give one a try.

Feeling like a person about to commit a crime, I looked around to make sure no one I knew was around. There were a dozen or so people on the street, but luckily, none of them were paying any attention to me. So I pushed open the door and went inside.

The loudest bell I’d ever heard in my life announced my entrance into the store. I froze and put my hand back on the door, planning my hasty escape.

“Come on in, hon. I promise I don’t bite.” A short older woman behind the counter waved me over. She looked like someone’s grandmother, not like someone who sold lube and vibrators all day. “Don’t worry. No one else is here. I can give you a tour and help you pick something out. Are you shopping for yourself?”

“I… Um. Yes. It’s for me.”

Did she know this was my first time in a shop like this? Was it what I was wearing? The scared and clueless look on my face? Or was it the fact that I hadn’t been in the shop longer than a second and I was ready to bolt?

Her eyes drifted down to my bump and nodded knowingly. “Is this your first?”

“Yes. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with sex toys. I’ve just never had one before. My boyfriend is away, and I thought we could try something new over the phone. Oh, God. You don’t need to know all that. Just point me to the… um, vibrators and I’ll be out of your hair.” I slapped a hand over my mouth before I said something else. Evidently, I traded morning sickness for verbal diarrhea.

She chuckled and shook her head. “I meant, is this your first baby? With your boyfriend out of town, I can understand why you’re here. When I was five months along with my second one, I wanted sex all the time. If it wasn’t for my trusty magic wand, my Harold would have moved out. Follow me, and we’ll get something for you.”

Colleen, the owner of the shop, showed me around, and my embarrassment eased a little. There was a wide selection of dildos, vibrators, butt plugs, bondage gear, and even costumes. I never knew there were that many sex toys and my desire for a simple, utilitarian vibrator seemed mundane in comparison.

I had so many questions like you put that where? Who would buy a dildo shaped like a dolphin? Wouldn't that be uncomfortable? Why were most of the vibrators pink? And more often than not, is that even safe? I mean, really, if you fell from your sex swing, would your homeowner's insurance cover the medical bills? And how would you even file the claim? Sexual misadventure?

“This might interest you since your guy is away,” Colleen said, handing me a box.

It was called the Love Duo; a his-and-hers set of sex toys. The box boasted that each toy had a sensor that controlled and interacted with each other. You connected it to your phone with an app, and the toys synced with each to match the motion and intensity of your partner’s toy.

There really was an app for everything.

I handed her back the box, a little uneasy about connecting a sex toy to my phone. “I think that’s a little advanced for me.”

“Just keep this in mind if your man travels a lot. It’s hard to keep the romance alive in a long-distance relationship. You learn to expand your definition of sex, and you get a little creative.”

“I’m all for being creative, but why don’t we try something a little lower tech for my first time.”

“Suit yourself, but keep it in mind.” She put the box back on the shelf and grabbed something called a Joy Stick. It was neon pink, but at least it looked like what it was.

But why did it light up?

The loud bell at the door dinged. I looked up and mistakenly made eye contact with the new comer. The guy smiled back at me, and I looked away.

“Okay, I’ll take it,” I said, shoving the box back to Colleen.

I followed her back to the register, keeping my head down.

“I’m throwing in a bottle of this lube. You’ll thank me later. That will be sixty-eight forty-three. All sales are final. No refunds. No exchanges.”

“Who would return a sex toy?”

“You’d be surprised,” she said, handing me a black, nondescript bag.

“Do you have anal beads?” the other customer asked.

“I’ll be right with you.” She turned back to me and slipped me a card, lowering her voice. “If you need anything else, just give me a call. And if you change your mind about that Duo, I can deliver.”

I left the shop, feeling educated and empowered. I learned more about sex in the hour I spent with Colleen than I had in the week-long sex education seminar I attended. My phone buzzed with another text.

Cooper: Tony told me you were taking the day off tomorrow. I have a surprise for you.

I smiled and replied.

Emily: Oh, really? I have a surprise for you too.