Pretty & Perfect

Chapter Three

It was the Friday night before Rory and I went back to Yale for our sophomore year and we were having drinks with grandpa in the pool house. The three of us girls sat on the plush love seat and grandpa lounged on an armchair close by. In the corner a man in a suit was mixing drinks at the makeshift bar.

"Shaken, not stirred, please, Jeeves." Mom joked to the man making drinks and I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.

"His name is Robert." Grandpa informed us with a small smile on his lips.

"I thought every butler's name was Jeeves." Mom teased.

"He's not a butler. He's a valet."

"So he parks your car?" I said, joining in the teasing.

"No, he does not park my car. He does exactly what you see him doing." Grandpa said, and I could see he was getting exasperated. I look over at Robert making drinks.

"So he is a bartender." I guessed again playfully.

"He attends to my needs."

"So he's a geisha." Mom asked playing dumb and I couldn't help snorting at her comment.

"You'll be quieter once you have a drink, I assume." Grandpa said, used to mom and my antics. He turned his attention to Rory and I. "So, young ladies, you're starting your second year of Yale this week."

"Yeah, we move into Branford on Monday." I told him politely, knowing that he had enough of our jokes. I liked Richard a whole lot more than I liked Emily, and more than I liked Staub.

"You're going to love Branford College. That where I lived, you know." He told us with a smile and we couldn't help back smile back.

"We know." Rory replied.

"It is the oldest of Yale's residential colleges. They have these Carillon bells that are enchanting, and it has, what was called by Robert Frost, the most beautiful college courtyard in America." He said to us as Robert served the drinks. I smiled my thanks to the valet as I picked up my coke.

"Well, I'll tell you what, Grandpa - I'll get settled in, and then we can have lunch there." Rory invited him.

"Ah, that's a deal." He said happily.

"You wanted me to remind you that you were going to bring out the Hungarian cheese, sir." Robert reminded grandpa.

"Yes I did. I'll be right back." He said as he stood and exited the room.

"So, Grandpa's actually living out here?" Rory asked us sadly once he had left the room.

"Looks like." Mom answered her.

"Do you think he's happy?"

"I do. I think he's very happy out here with his books and his special friend, Robert." I answered with a saucy grin and mom laughed.

"Don't be gross." Rory scolded me with a scowl.

"What? I'm just saying two grown men out here alone with Hungarian cheese and swim trunks..." I trailed off.

"Oh, jeez." Rory muttered. Mom patted her hand patronisingly.

"Don't be so puritanical. After all, Heather has two mommies." Mom told her and I giggled again.

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When the three of us entered the diner the next morning, mom and Rory had been having the same conversation the entire way here and it was boring me.

"Okay, but think about it. Why do we need the word "potty"? Is it really that much harder for a kid to learn the word "bathroom"?"

"I don't know." I answered her as we sat down at our table.