Alice sighed wearily but knew she would go, she began to shut down her computers as she said into her phone, “Yes, give me the address.” She wrote it down as she finished turning everything off. She glanced around the condo one more time and straightened up a few things, with an eight year old in the house there was always something being moved, or touched, or broken. Alice didn’t mind, Kathy had been horrified, but with a child in the house it was to be expected. They needed more space, or at least Alice felt they did. A place that Kit could run off the exuberance she couldn’t in the condo.
Alice plugged in the address into her GPS before she drove south towards Palos Verdes Estates from Marina Del Rey. She got on the Harbor Freeway and rapidly sped down it in her powerful pearl colored Porsche. She smiled to herself enjoying the RPM’s of the horsepower beneath her fingertips and thinking how Charlotte would have treated them a little differently sooner had she shown up in this car instead of the Pathfinder that Kathy was driving today.
Palos Verdes or rather Rancho Palos Verdes and its estates was originally a 16,000 acre cattle ranch on a peninsula southwest of Los Angles. It had tried to incorporate in the 1960’s but was unsuccessful until the early 1970’s. In the early 1900’s some 2000 cattle roamed the area but the southern tip was farmed by Japanese farmers who raised tomatoes, peas, and beans. The manager of the cattle ranch raised barley for hay and grain for his cattle feed. It’s high mesa’s and windy slopes was not ideal for anything to live on for a lot of years but developers recognized its strategic value in the expansion of Southern California and one land developer was determined to make it an exclusive and expensive community. There are essentially several communities on this large peninsula; you have Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates, although part of Los Angeles County the population remained relatively small and the estates comparatively large. Its exclusivity attracted buyers that could afford this type of privacy. It is a beautiful part of Southern California and part of why Alice had been attracted to it. As she drove down towards it she hoped they had a house she would want to see, she was tired of the endless tours of houses that she had no real interest in.
As she pulled onto Palos Verde Drive and drove towards the address indicated by her GPS she pulled into the gated drive and stopped at the end before going through. What she saw pleased her eye. Expertly manicured lawns and beautiful gardens greeted her eyes as well as an impressive gate keeping unwanted visitors from entering the estate. It was open for her arrival of course and as she drove up the curving drive she was pleased to see a Southern California Hacienda up on top of a man-made hill, several floors that would give them plenty of room. As she stopped next to the Pathfinder she read the listing she had printed out after Kathy had given her the address, it read:
A private estate located in the prestigious Palos Verdes Estates offers resort style living at its best! This secluded estate boasts sensational panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from almost every room of the home. A total renovation was designed and completed by the famous architect Don Hendrickson during the last three years. This renovation is a perfect balance of refinement and resort style living. This estate will exceed all your expectation, from the grand curb appeal, huge lobby to spacious living room, formal dining room to a great master suite, gourmet kitchen, fantastic library, multi-function media/ family room, two staff quarters with their own kitchen/ laundry/ dining facilities, N/S tennis court with ocean views, wine /cigar cellar, fantastic semi outdoor gym with its own bath and two separate garages with space for a total of 9 cars! The park like grounds are lavishly designed and surrounded by 3 sides of parkland. This is one of a very few contemporary styled architectural estates on the hill with big windows filled with sunlight and views! Please do not miss this grand estate which has so much to offer!!!
They would certainly never run out of room with this size of a house and it was aesthetically pleasing to Alice’s eye. As she looked around she felt like she had come home. This boded well as she entered through a lockable gate onto the steps leading up to the front door. Here too impressive gardens with huge palm trees shading the house made it all look tropical and natural. They would have to retain the gardeners but Alice didn’t mind in the least, in her mind she was already thinking of buying the place. If Kathy liked it, and she must if she had called Alice to look at it, she would have it regardless of the price. Alice would of course negotiate; there was no point in throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars much less millions away. Meanwhile she was looking avidly around at her surroundings liking more and more of it as she saw the extensive grounds. She rang the front doorbell.
Charlotte opened the door and said, “That was certainly quick, was it a clear drive?”
Alice nodded as she looked down the wide hallway, there were minimal decorations, giving the impression of open space and after her conversation with the realtor and then later with Kathy she was glad they had gotten her point and complied with her wishes better. Everything she had seen so far was favorable.
“Baby, will you look at this place,” Kathy enthused as she spread her arms and gave a little spin in the formal living room.
Alice had to admit even she was impressed. Hardwood floors and far eastern carpets made it a lovely finished room. Beautifully decorated with chairs and couches it had little ‘sections’ for more intimate moments. A marble enclosed fireplace was against the inner wall and a grand piano against the beautiful windows that showed the panoramic view of the backyard and when you looked further a view of the Pacific Ocean.
Kathy grabbed Kit before she could bang on the piano and said, “Don’t touch anything,” with a warning only a parent can unleash. Alice was thankful, she enjoyed Kit but right now she wanted to enjoy this beautiful house.
Charlotte began talking about the architect of the house and Alice tuned her out as she looked thoughtfully at the view. They walked into the formal dining room with a beautiful table that seated eight easily. Kathy had a firm hand on Kit’s and stayed silent as she watched Alice look at the gorgeous house. Something about this place, this beautiful house had touched her heart and she instinctively knew it was what Alice had been talking about. She knew it didn’t have anchorage for Alice’s boat but it had a lovely set of paths that led down the bluffs to the ocean and they could enjoy hiking together down the ancient paths and playing on a practically private beach on the peninsula. She hoped that Alice would love it as much as she had almost instantly. It was a lot grander than anything they had looked at but apparently something about Alice’s background check had thrown Charlotte into a tizzy and with the suggestion of Palos Verdes had brought a side of her out that allowed them to see such luxurious homes. This had been the third one today and Kathy had known, instinctively known that it was the one.
The kitchen had an informal breakfast area and the cupboards were all beautiful dark cherry wood, the countertops and the flooring in marble. All of the appliances were stainless steel and out beyond the breakfast area was a patio with another small breakfast area to eat al fresco. A small bar was off the kitchen this too had marble and expensive woods down a few steps from the kitchen that also led into the family room with large built in hardwood shelves, back lighting, and beautiful views of the Pacific. A bathroom was off the hallway that led from this room towards the incredible master bedroom.
The impressively sized master bedroom was on the main floor with a luxurious bathroom with an oval tub big enough for two. She exchanged a look with Kathy who was blushing at her own thoughts and turned away when Alice raised an eyebrow in question. Next to the tub was a huge walk in shower, large enough for six people to shower fairly comfortably and many nozzles and sprays. This room too had a large window that overlooked the beautiful view that the house afforded.
At the back of the family room was a half wall that covered the stairs that led up to the second floor bedrooms. Four of them! Alice was delighted with the size of everything she could see, the quality of the woods that had been
used, it was all clean and airy and light. The bedrooms each had their own bathroom. Two of the rooms were obviously guest rooms, another some sort of ‘craft’ room, and the fourth a nursery.
When they went downstairs Alice was pleased to see the ‘basement’ or sublevel floor was completely finished with a sauna, a video room, an office big enough for both of Alice’s sets of computers, large desks, and Kathy could even work in this large room, two ‘staff’ bedrooms complete with bathrooms and a weight room with a pool off the patio doors.
Each level had various balconies that overlooked the pool and backyard which was quite a large section of grass which led to natural foliage and unfinished dips, hills, and as Alice could see erosion that led down to the ocean. She was really pleased but you wouldn’t know it to see her demeanor. Kathy suspected it, in fact she was quite sure of it, but their realtor Charlotte was sure they had disappointed this tough and difficult client once again. She was ready to pull her hair out, she had followed her specifications exactly this time and Kathy had been sure she would like this. She was quite startled when Alice finally asked, “Their asking price is twelve million?”
That’s what the paper had read and Alice was going from there, she had no intention of paying the asking price of course.
Before the women left the property, Alice had filled out paperwork to tender an offer.
Charlotte shook her head, “I don’t think they will give up $2,000,000 on the asking price,” she began and Alice held up her hand.
“Tell them this is a cash deal and immediate. I want a quick escrow and they can move on to their life. This may motivate them.”
Charlotte was stunned, who tendered an offer for $10,000,000 cash? Alice never blinked as she signed the papers.
The negotiations began and over the next week Alice agreed to purchase some of the beautiful furniture that had been in the property, keep on the gardeners and the housekeeper, and she put the $10,500,000 in an escrow account immediately.
“Well babe, after a few renovations that I want taken care of before we move in including a completely new security system,” Alice shook her head sadly at the one that had been installed previously on the property knowing something about security systems, “We should be ready to move in a month!”
Kathy wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, “That place is incredible, thank you, I love it!”
Alice smiled a genuine loving smile as she leaned up to kiss her girlfriend, it wasn’t hard to make her happy and she knew Kathy had wanted this place. It was perfect for Alice too, or at least it would be after the ‘renovations’ that she would oversee herself. She wasn’t trusting too much to outside vendors over certain ‘things’ she wanted done to her property.
They weren’t ready in a month to move in despite the quick escrow. The renovations that Alice insisted on and the furnishings that Kathy wanted weren’t quite ready. They went out to the property every day and were there often enough that their new neighbors were used to seeing them already and waved when they saw them drive by. Already the gossip had settled that a lesbian power couple had purchased the estate. Alice arranged for Kathy’s possessions be brought out of storage and shipped from Portland to the house. Kathy spent days going through it all realizing all the furniture was unsuitable to their new house and giving a lot of it away to The Salvation Army along with many of her old clothes and things. Alice had promised to replace whatever she wanted or needed and Kathy enjoyed many of the presents Alice surprised her with. When her old clunker of a car gave out there was a new one in the spot they had designated hers in the new garages the next day! She protested at the expense of a Volvo station wagon but Alice pointed out she would need it for Kit and friends after she started school.
For the first time in her life Alice was enjoying spending money. She had carefully saved and scrimped and acquired over the years and now she could enjoy indulging for her new family. When Kathy had protested Alice pointed out she had no one else to spend her money on and she loved her besides! She put in a complete playground in one of the gardens on the side of the house for Kit and the new friends she would have in the school they had found for her to attend at the beginning of the next semester.
Alice herself wielded the drill that cut a large hole into the concrete of the subfloor in their office. She had chosen a beautiful set of wooden strips in the hardwood floor to carefully pry up and no one would suspect what was put beneath them. She had also chosen a day she knew Kathy was looking at furniture with Kit in the city and Alice was ‘supervising’ the landscaping and building of Kit’s new wooden playground. The men knew what they were doing and didn’t need Alice around, she had made it very clear what the landscapers should modify and she figured she had several hours to complete her task. Their new housekeeper that had come with the estate also had a month’s vacation while ‘renovations’ were being done and Alice knew having another person in the house would prove trying.
The new safe she had purchased and was installing was state of the art and her ‘modifications’ would insure no one would ever steal from it. The one in the wall was already reprogrammed and had ‘innocent’ stocks and bonds that anyone could access if they were really looking for something. Kathy of course had the combination and thought it innocent behind the wood shelving that was on rollers. Alice thought it glaringly obvious that a safe would be in this room and where it was. The safe she installed in the sub-floor would hold the bank accounts and cash she needed for ‘other’ things in her life that she would not and could not share with anyone.
When the job was finished, Alice carefully vacuumed up the dust and debris and wielded a mop herself to the floor, to the vacuum, and dusted the shelves as well. No one could tell that this section of the floor contained a safe and the wood that had to come up to reveal the hidey hole could be walked on, even furniture put on it, but Alice had insisted on purchasing the desks and chairs that went in their beautiful offices and knew where everything went. Her safe was completely ‘safe’ from prying eyes.
Alice had never lived or envisioned living in a house with such an open concept, the windows were what gave it so much light and air, it also opened up things quite a bit. She was grateful for the window treatments so they could shut out the world now and again, protect their privacy and expensive furniture from Southern California’s intense sun rays, but it was all so beautiful she wasn’t as particular about certain things as she had been before. She concentrated her energies on her new family and making them happy.
As Kathy had carte blanche for decorating the house she had made sure to keep Alice’s taste in mind and the quality of the furniture she bought recognized that. The beautiful things the previous owners had left were complimented by what Kathy bought for their attractive home. Each room had a loving touch and Kathy preened under Alice’s compliments and admiration and learned from her suggestions and recommendations.
Kathy was surprised that Alice decided to leave the condo with most of its furniture and furnishings and perhaps rent it out. The only thing she made sure to move to the new house was her computers, their clothing, and a few personal items and there didn’t seem to be too many of those. It made sense to hang on to the condo when Alice explained how awful the housing market was right now and they would sell it later. For only a moment Kathy thought Alice was hanging onto it for another reason, one she couldn’t fathom, it had hurt but when Alice explained about the market, she dismissed it as an insecurity on her part.
Alice watched as Kathy supervised furniture being placed in the rooms. With all the extra bedrooms she wanted each one furnished and finished. Alice was puzzled as to why this one bedroom, the nursery hadn’t been redone. The previous owners had left nothing in it but the wallpaper which made it obvious that this had been a nursery at one time. It was decorated with lollipops and dolly’s in the design, the walls painted a pretty pink, obviously for a little girl. Alice had seen Kathy in here a couple of times over their weeks of renovations, moving in, and new furnit
ure arrivals. Today as the final furniture was being delivered she saw Kathy slip in here one more time and followed her. She saw Kathy looking pensively out the windows at the incredible view. Every window in this house had a beautiful view and for that alone the estate was worth its millions. She watched Kathy hug herself with her arms crossed across her bosom as she gazed out; she herself leaned against the doorway waiting for Kathy to notice her as she observed her. Some minute sound or perhaps she sensed her leaning there caused Kathy to turn suddenly and catch Alice gazing at her fondly.
“Is something wrong?” Alice asked as she contemplated her girlfriend.
Kathy’s face had lighted at the sight of Alice standing there and her face turned into a smile of greeting as she shook her head, “No, not at all, I love this house,” her arms fell from their self-imposed hug to be thrown wide and take in the entire house.
Alice smiled, she knew the house pleased Kathy but there was something…. She walked forward with her unique walk, Kathy mentally registered it, it reminded her of a predator sometimes and she felt her stomach tighten up appreciatively in anticipation of what she knew not. Taking Kathy in her arms she kissed her. “Are you glad we are almost ready to move in?” she asked.
Kathy returned the kiss whole heartedly, she had never been as happy as she had been with Alice, she gave her everything, well…perhaps not everything but then a girl should be happy with what she had shouldn’t she? Her eyes flicked to the wallpaper and back to Alice in a second but just enough for the astute blonde to see.
“Something wrong?” she repeated her eyes gazing deep into Kathy’s.
Kathy knew never to try to keep anything from Alice, while she had never seen Alice angry there was something there, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on that told her never to anger this woman. She had been generous, more than generous in providing Kathy and Kit a home and so much more. Neither of them had anticipated falling in love with this woman or the results of that love. She smiled and tried to hedge, just a little to delay her answer, “What could be wrong, the last of the furniture is in, most of our stuff is over here, we just need a few things…” she left off because of a slight change in the eyes of this women she loved.
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