Chapter 2

That Friday after school, Anna Belle drove Jasper home and parked in the Van Buskirk's driveway. Just as Jasper was about to stick the key into the front door of his parent's large and very impressive Tudor-style home, Elmer, dressed in faded jeans and a yellow polo shirt, open it with a flourish and affected a sweeping bow, inviting their guest into the foyer.

"Good afternoon, Miss. I'm Elmer, the houseboy. You must be Anna Belle Gardner, the young lady our Jasper has been mooning over for the past few days; and all through the last school year, if memory serves. Please kick off your shoes as you enter."

Jasper looked stricken as his mouth fell open and he gasped, "Elmer! Jeez, man, cut it out!"

Anna Belle covered her mouth, giggling at Jasper's shocked expression as well as Elmer's theatrics.

The "houseboy" defended his comments, tousling Jasper's hair and saying, "I only mention it because you're too shy and socially retarded to own up to your feelings. I feel it's my duty as your guide and mentor to do what's in your best interests." Turning to Anna Belle, he continued, "We'll be having baked, stuffed pork loin chops with potatoes au gratin and asparagus spears for dinner. Does the menu meet with Madam's approval?"

Anna Belle burst out laughing. "Elmer, are you for real?"

She was actually quite taken with the man. He stood well over six feet tall, his black hair had wisps of gray at the temples, he had startling blue Paul Newman eyes, and he could easily have been a model for a male fashion magazine. She thought he was one of the most attractive men she'd ever laid eyes on.

He attempted to look offended at her question, but it didn't work. He broke character and laughed, "Just trying to make a good impression, Anna Belle. Anyhow, you guys should plan for dinner about six. Jasper, that stuff on drosophila melanogaster chromosomes you asked for is on your desk. I hope it helps. Oh, and there's a tray on your worktable with freshly baked Tollhouse cookies and milk."

"Uh, yeah, thanks, Elmer. Is PJ eating with us tonight?"

"No, he and his juvenile delinquent friends are out for the evening doing things we probably don't want to know about. He's not likely to make it home before ten."

Jasper looked relieved. "Good! That means we can work without the walls shaking from his deafening rap music. Come on, Anna Belle, let's head upstairs and get started."

His room was actually a small suite. From the hallway, they entered a study lined on two walls with jam-packed bookshelves. In front of the French doors leading to a small balcony, there was a beautiful antique desk with a large-screen iMac sitting in the middle. In the center of the room was a round worktable with two nicely upholstered chairs, and off to the side, a world globe that must have been thirty-six inches in diameter in an oak stand. A comfortable looking leather love seat was set against one wall.

Jasper pointed to the door on the left and said, "That's the restroom, if you need it and the other door is to my bedroom. I'm sorry everything looks so sterile and unlived in, but Elmer can't help himself. He's absolutely O.C. about keeping order around here. I don't mind that he's a neat freak, but he drives my brother, PJ nuts because he's a total slob by nature."

Anna Belle smiled and said, "Well, I'll be happy to help you make a mess. And I think Elmer is handsome and charming. How did he come to be your nanny? Or maybe manny would be the masculine form."

Jasper shrugged and said, "I don't know all the details, but it's a long story. I think about the time PJ was two, Mom and Dad advertised the position and Elmer answered the ad. Believe it or not, before then, he was a monk in a Trappist monastery in Colorado. Seems weird that he's got a doctorate in microbiology, doesn't it?"

Anna Belle's eyes popped open. "That's who you asked Ms. Sellers about? Oh my god, how interesting! Why did he leave the monastery? And why on Earth isn't he teaching at some college or working in some research laboratory?"

"You'd have to ask him about that. All I can say is that he pretty much raised PJ and me, and he's been my go-to guy for science questions my whole life; hell, just about any kind of questions, come to think of it. I can't imagine this place without him. Anyhow, let's get started on this stuff, okay?"

They never got around to the material on fruit fly chromosomes because they needed to outline their project and set specific goals to meet, then get it approved by Ms. Sellers. Anna Belle sat at the desk and organized their thoughts on the iMac while Jasper paced around the room verbally exploring ideas to pursue. She could type on the keyboard almost as fast as he talked. By the time, Elmer tapped on the door and stuck his head in to announce dinner, they had several pages outlining an impressive and ambitious project.

They ate in the formal dining room with Elmer serving them like an English footman (sans the tuxedo) in a manor house, much to Anna Belle's delight. He'd placed a candelabra in the center of the long table, and their places were set with fine china, real sterling silver flatware and linen napkins.

As they were being served, Jasper clued her in. "Just so you don't get the wrong impression, I never get this kind of service when I have dinner. I eat in the kitchen with Elmer. He's just showing off."

She looked at Elmer and said, "Well I for one am very impressed. Thank you so much for going to all this trouble."

Elmer was grinning as he leaned down and whispered in her ear loud enough for Jasper to hear, "Just greasing the wheels, my dear, just greasing the wheels. The young master needs all the help he can get."

Jasper rolled his eyes and whined, "Elmer, please! You're killing me here!" Then he tried to shift the conversation by asking, "So what time do you have to be home, Anna Belle? Not too early I hope."

"Oh no, just whenever. There are no restrictions on my time since I turned eighteen last month. Mom says she's done all she can to keep me from going astray, so now it's up to me to maintain my virtue and my good name."

Elmer nodded and agreed, "Your mother is obviously a very wise woman. In my opinion, young people have their moral compasses fixed in their brains by the time they're ten years old. After that, if their caretakers have done their job well, they just need a little nudge here and there to keep them on the right path."

"My mother thanks you for the compliment, sir."

"She's most welcome. Now you two enjoy your dinner while I go check on desert."

After the excellent dinner, Jasper and Anna Belle watched a movie on Netflix, then played cribbage for an hour before she had to head home. At the door, he felt he had to explain once more, "Um, Anna Belle, I hope you didn't take all that stuff Elmer said about me too seriously. You know he was just kidding, right?"

She faked a pouty lip and joked, "So you're saying you don't have a crush on me? How disappointing." Before he could come up with a response, she leaned forward and kissed him quickly and lightly on the cheek, and added, "I know he was busting your chops, Jasper. Still, I wouldn't mind if you had a little bit of a crush on me. A girl likes to be appreciated, you know. See you at school Monday morning." She winked and headed out the door.

He watched her back out of the drive, smiling as he thought over what she said. And did.

When Anna Belle and Jasper showed her the outline for their project, Ms. Sellers was not just impressed, she was even more concerned about how much time would be required to carry it out. She advised restraint, suggesting, "Take your time, kids. You've got an entire school year to work this out, so pace yourselves. And Jasper, I've been thinking about your microbiologist friend. How big a role will he be playing in your research?"

"A small one. I mean, he'll help us with whatever we ask for, but Anna Belle and I really want this to be our project. Besides, Elmer's always been pretty good about offering hints and suggestions rather than solutions. He might aim us in one direction or another, but he'd never come right out and tell us what we should be doing."

Ms. Sellers nodded and said, "Sounds like Elmer is a great resource for you, then. I think I'd like to meet him some day."

Jasper jumped on that opening and asked, "Well then, why don't you come to dinner at our place? Elmer's a great cook."

"You know, Jasper, it's very nice of you to ask, but I don't think that would be such a great idea. It's a pretty sure bet you and Anna Belle are going to get your A's in this class, and I don't want the other kids to think you had an inside track."

"Yeah, I guess I see your point, but I know you guys would really like each other because you have so much in common."

"Yes," she agreed, "he sounds like a class act. Perhaps under different circumstances."

"Right. Well, if you're satisfied with the outline, we'll get started on the work. I guess we should check in with you every week on our progress?"

"Not necessary unless you have some specific issue to discuss, but you're free to come to me at any time with questions."

On the way out of the classroom, Anna Belle gave Jasper a shoulder hug. He smiled as he took in the smell of her hair and felt her boob press against his arm.

A few nights later while he was having dinner with Elmer and PJ, Jasper casually mentioned the invitation he'd extended to Ms. Sellers. Elmer laughed and teased, "What? You're trying to earn points by setting me up with your biology teacher? Damn, Jasper, that's awfully transparent, don't you think? Was that a payback for teasing you in front of Anna Belle?"

"Give me break, Elmer! I'm not setting anybody up. She's just a nice lady, that's all. Besides, she's pretty as well a smart. I bet you guys would hit it off if you ever met up."

"Maybe, but she's right, you know. It'd look a little suspicious to your classmates. Besides, for all you know, I might be gay."