Her Last Words (Martina Monroe Book 8) by H.K. Christie

Author:H.K. Christie [Christie, H.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Keekstar Media
Published: 2023-04-27T16:00:00+00:00

25

ANDREA

Sipping my coffee, I stared across the living room, admiring her long blonde hair and Disney princess-like blue eyes and fair skin. All she needed was a poofy, baby-blue dress, and she would be a dead ringer for Cinderella. Luna told me on more than one occasion her physical appearance had brought her far too much grief over the years. She tried to downplay her looks by omitting make-up and form-fitting clothing. The course of action was taken to stop unwanted attention, but despite her efforts, it was as if her natural beauty had given the opposite sex the whacked-out idea they had the right to look, touch, and take whatever they wanted without ever asking if it was okay with her.

If I had met Luna five years ago and she explained her dilemma, I probably would have rolled my eyes. But after Sarah’s experience, and the stories from the other women with similar tales, I carried a different perspective. It wasn’t that they were too beautiful; it was that men were too vile.

All the women sitting attentively in the living room on my family’s old brown leather sofas were worth so much more than their physical appearance. But men and society tried to downplay that. Women were to be beautiful and agreeable. Not strong and intelligent. We couldn’t change the deep-seated patriarchal ideals overnight, but we could start with a select few.

It was strange to think that before Sarah was gone, these couches and the room were our go-to spots to hang out with family and friends when we were in our teens and twenties. It was the perfect escape from the Bay Area. The cabin was nestled within the forest, with cocoa and marshmallows always stocked in the pantry. We would sit in that very living room with blankets and pillows, snuggled on the butter-like leather sofa while enjoying a roaring fire in the fireplace. Sometimes we would toast marshmallows and chocolate candy bars right inside the house. Indoor s’mores is what we had called them.

Those days were long gone. The cabin served a new purpose. Our sanctuary had turned into a war room. And I was more than a little curious why Luna had called the emergency meeting. Her voice message was obvious: “Girls’ weekend, starting tomorrow morning. Be there or be square.”

She had said it in a cheerful tone. But we all knew the code. It meant we needed to meet, and it was urgent.

With the heat ratcheting up on Matt Baldwin’s case, we had been in contact more than usual. But I was struck by the fact that Luna had been the one to send the message. “We’re all here, Luna. What is it?”

Perfectly sculpted brows raised, Luna said, “Jennifer called me yesterday after she got off work. She said that a pair of detectives arrived at her company asking about Larry Henderson and about women who had accused him of sexual harassment and sexual assault. She thought I should know.”

Speechless, I made eye contact with the other three women in the room.

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