“This is lovely.”
“Yes, we are very proud of the meticulous grounds, and the aesthetics.” Clayton nodded at a young woman wearing a white uniform. “We have several attendants on duty during the day. From six in the morning until nine at night. They are here to help the residents with anything they require. Carrying packages, walking their dogs …”
Myra interrupted, “Yes, dogs. That was my main reason for looking into Sunnydale.”
Crabby stopped abruptly but maintained her fake smile. “And how many do you have?”
“One.” Myra didn’t want to eliminate herself from approval. “A bichon frisé.”
“They are adorable,” Clayton faked a gush.
“They are, indeed.” Myra let Clayton continue.
“Elizabeth, can you please arrange for a golf cart for me and Ms. Regan?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The young woman ducked behind a small grove of trees and reappeared driving a small cart.
“Please.” Clayton motioned for Myra to get in. “Elizabeth, please take us to the new model.” She turned to Myra. “You mentioned you were interested in one of our single-family villas?”
“Yes. I like my privacy.”
“You are in luck. We just finished the last four on this property. They are in high demand.”
Myra took in the scenery as they drove down the winding paths. They passed clusters of beautifully landscaped duplexes until they came to an area where there were four villas.
“Here we are.” Clayton got out and held out her hand to assist Myra.
Myra pretended not to notice and easily exited the vehicle. She wanted to maintain an appearance of assuredness and independence. Not that she lacked those qualities. She simply wanted to punctuate them.
“Come. Follow me,” Clayton instructed.
Elizabeth remained silent, waiting for the next assignment.
Clayton unlocked the door. “I think you will love it here.” She stepped aside.
Myra had to admit, it was very impressive. The villa had high ceilings with an open floor plan. A large kitchen faced the living and dining area. From there, a double sliding glass door led to a lanai, which led to a stone paver patio.
“There is a lot of outdoor living space in addition to the two thousand square feet of indoor area.”
Clayton opened the glass doors and showed Myra the spacious, screened-in lanai. Tropical plants stood in ceramic pots along one wall and in the corners.
“You can garden inside or out.”
Then she led Myra to the outdoor patio. “Gas grill is connected to the gas line. Very little maintenance, and if you do need assistance, you can call an attendant.”
Myra scanned the gardens within and around the patio. “This is lovely.”Yoko must be in foliage heaven, she thought to herself. No wonder so many people flocked to the south after living in the north. Gardens all year round. Divine.
“Let’s take a look inside, shall we?” Clayton was still wearing that forced smile.
“Each villa has a laundry room, but you can always send it out if you wish.” She opened a louvered door that led to a good-sized space with a washer, dryer, ironing board, folding table, hanging rack, and shelves. It was bigger than a walk-in closet.
Clayton led the way to the main entrance. “You’ll note that the two bedrooms are on opposite sides of the villa. People love to visit, and it’s a way to assure everyone has privacy.”
“Excellent idea,” Myra said.
“This way is the master suite.” Clayton walked down the short hall to a very large room with sliding doors to the patio. It was bigger than most studio apartments, large enough for a king-size bed on one side and a sofa and chairs on the other. A sliding door led to the master bath, which had a soaking tub and a separate shower beautifully finished in a polished stone. A walk-in dressing area completed the package, with built-in shelves and cupboards. Myra thought about her wardrobe. She didn’t think she and Charles had enough clothes to fill it. She wondered how many people at this point in their lives did, and if they did, how often did they wear them.
Clayton turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. When they passed the main entrance, she proceeded to the hall on the left, where a smaller suite was similarly arranged, but with only a shower and an adjoining door that led to a powder room for anyone to use. There were locks on both doors, so privacy was not an issue.
