How to Be a Gentleman

Step 4.

Harvey stood against the wall, scoping the room. Half-naked girls stepped over red solo cups and danced to a loud song he had never heard before. Fully-clothed boys crowded around the drinks and challenged each other to chug more. Levi was in the middle of it all. He let out a loud yelp to the beat of the music and threw himself onto a girl in a pink tube top. She didn't seem to mind.

"What are you doing?" Brent asked Harvey as he approached him with a drink in each hand.

"Just, uh, checking out the girls," he sputtered quickly.

The edge of Brent's lip curled up. "You know that's not how you get them to talk to you, right?"

Harvey watched as Levi's hand shamelessly groped the girl in the pink tube top. She gave him a brace-faced smile. "Yeah, I know. They're just..." He quickly tried to think of an excuse. "a little too slutty for me here."

"Those are the good ones!" Brent gave his friend an exasperated look and handed him a drink. "You're thinking about it too much. This'll fix that."

"Thanks," Harvey muttered, but Brent didn't seem to hear him. Instead, he disappeared into the crowd with his eyes fixed on the half-naked girls. He looked into the red solo cup and sniffed. Then, he put his lips on the brim and sipped.  His face curled up as the burning liquid went down his throat. That was when Danny showed up. There was a weird stain on his green letterman, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Dude, I found her," he said with a glimmer in his eye.

"What?"

"Your first step to Maria! I found her."

Harvey scanned the party once again. "Who?"

Danny leaned into Harvey's ear and whispered, "Eden Connells."

Harvey scrunched his face up for a moment. "The short girl in drama club?"

"That's her." Danny grinned.

Harvey shook his head as he watched Levi pull the girl in the pink tube top aside. "I don't know. We have math together. I-It might be awkward!"

Danny shook Harvey's shoulders, wrinkling his blue button-down. "Harvey. She's perfect. Her old boyfriend died so she's gonna need someone to console her." He raised an eyebrow. "That could be you!"

"Isn't that taking advantage of her?"

"Nah." He reached into his pocket and placed something in Harvey's fist. "Just don't get her pregnant."

Harvey opened his fist and found a condom. His face instantly flushed and he shoved it into his front pocket. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Danny pointed just outside of the circle of teens grinding on each other. "She's right over there." Harvey's eyes followed his friend's finger, and there she was, dressed in tight clothing and rolling her eyes at something Sage said. "Now go do that thing I taught you."

Harvey smoothed out his button-down and gave Danny a weak smile. It was game time.

"God, Ross, I said I wasn't mad," Eden groaned.

"Bullshit!" said Ross as he ran his fingers through his bleach blonde hair. "How many times do I have to apologize?"

"'It is always so simple'," Sage quoted. "'and so complicating, to accept an apology'. That's Michael Chabon." 

Ross groaned. "That's not helping, Sage. Where are the fucking drinks?"

Eden pointed across the living room. "Go ahead. You're way more tolerable drunk."

"And you're more tolerable...," Ross trailed off. "Shit, I don't know. I'm getting a beer, but I'll be back with a comeback!"

Eden rolled her eyes and Ross left. Levi and the girl in the pink tube top had disappeared. Brent was on the edge of the grinding circle with Danny. Gina was turning up the music, and Harvey took a big sip from his cup.

"This party isn't any good," Eden mumbled, but Sage didn't seem to hear over the blaring music. Neither of them looked at Harvey, who was getting closer to the two girls. He crumbled his empty cup in his hands.

"Isn't that Harvey?"  Sage nearly yelled over the music. Eden's eyes found him just as he rested his hand on the wall, pinning her against his chest.

"Hey baby," Harvey said with beer on his breath. "You're looking a little lonely."

"What?" Eden yelled. "The music- I can't hear you!"

Harvey leaned in a little closer to her. "I said 'hey baby, you're looking a little lonely'!"

Eden looked over to Sage. "I'm actually talking to-"

"What's a fine thing like you doing all by yourself!"

"I'm not all by my-"

"Damn baby," Harvey started to fumble with his words. "Y-you're hot. I have a condom!"

Eden scoffed and walked towards the front door with Sage following close behind. Harvey looked to Danny and Brent for help, and they motioned for Harvey to follow her.

"Wait!" he yelled. "Eden!" He grabbed the front door just before Eden tried to slam it and walked outside. "What's wrong?"

"You don't know?" she scoffed with her back still turned.

"No, I don't!"

Eden stopped walking and turned back to see the hopeless look on Harvey's face. She sighed. "Give us a sec, Sage."

"'The closing of a door can bring blessed privacy and comfort - the opening, terror.' Andy Rooney," Sage quoted as the walked back through the front door. Harvey gave her a funny look and then turned his attention back to Eden.

"So?" he asked with a furrowed brow. Eden was quiet for a minute, and all the two could hear were crickets chirping beneath the stars and muffled music.

"You can't talk to girls like that, at least not sober ones," Eden said with a trademarked eye-roll. "You have to be a gentleman."

Harvey's handsome face seemed to fall. Eden raised an eyebrow from behind her thick glasses, waiting for his response. Neither one of them spoke, so she sighed and turned her back on the hopeful jock and started to walk back towards the party.

"Teach me then," Harvey finally begged, making Eden turn back around to him. He wasn't quite meeting her eyes when he spoke, and even under the night sky, she could see a hint of red crawling up his neck.

"What?" Eden asked with a confused look.

Harvey let out a deep breath and repeated himself in a clear voice. "Teach me how to be a gentleman, Eden."