--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He leaned toward her, slowly raising his…" description: "\"“He leaned toward her, slowly raising his hand to his hat and then doffing it quickly, as if taken by surprise, when she leaned forward to meet him. An..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/alice-mcdermott-1961_taste-coffee_he-leaned-toward-her-slowly-raising-his_3127563.jpg" --- # He leaned toward her, slowly raising his hand to his hat… ![“He leaned toward her, slowly raising his hand to his hat and then doffing it quickly, as if taken by surprise, when she leaned forward to meet him. And this, she thought, of course, was what the whole evening had been for, the delightful feel of his rough cheek against her fingertips, his hands…” quote by Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/alice-mcdermott-1961_taste-coffee_he-leaned-toward-her-slowly-raising-his_3127563.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/alice-mcdermott-1961_taste-coffee_he-leaned-toward-her-slowly-raising-his_3127563.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/alice-mcdermott-1961_taste-coffee_he-leaned-toward-her-slowly-raising-his_3127563.jpg) > ““He leaned toward her, slowly raising his hand to his hat and then doffing it quickly, as if taken by surprise, when she leaned forward to meet him. And this, she thought, of course, was what the whole evening had been for, the delightful feel of his rough cheek against her fingertips, his hands and lips and warm breath. The lingering taste of coffee in his mouth. Something awkward and lovely (a drumming on the roof, was it rain?) and absurd about Jimmy’s pal George moving his arm around her waist, pressing his hat into her back, and her fingers finding the newly trimmed”” [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes a tender, slightly awkward encounter where physical closeness and sensory details heighten intimacy and anticipation **In simple terms:** A delicate, nervous romantic moment Key Takeaway Cherish subtle, shared sensations Themes romance sensory perception intimacy awkwardness Mood intimate reflective nostalgic Type literary romantic descriptive When to use this quote - first date - quiet café meeting - unexpected confession Key Concepts Embodied cognition emotional resonance narrative detail Questions to Reflect On - How does sensory detail shape emotional connection? - When does romantic description become excessive? A Different Perspective The scene may feel overly ornate, risking distraction from emotional core ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awkward Lovely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awkward-lovely-5517533/) [Coffee Mouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee-mouth-2713817/) [Hands Lips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-lips-1487519/) [Hat Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hat-fingers-5517532/) [Taste Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste-coffee-945569/) ## Related quotes > [“He leaned toward her, slowly raising his hand to his hat and then doffing it quickly, as if taken by surprise, when she leaned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/he-leaned-toward-her-slowly-raising-his-hand-to-his-hat-and-then/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“He’d just poured himself a hot cup of coffee, his mouth already watering as he brought the mug to his lips. “Oh, thanks, sweetie.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-laurenston/he-d-just-poured-himself-a-hot-cup-of-coffee-his-mouth-already/) [Shelly Laurenston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-laurenston/) > [I developed my taste for coffee at five, staying with my grandmother in Connecticut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/i-developed-my-taste-for-coffee-at-five-staying-with-my-grandmother/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [My taste in coffee has got better with age, and so has my taste in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/my-taste-in-coffee-has-got-better-with-age-and-so-has-my-taste-in/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) > [Wait!" What?" I lowered my cup hastily, wondering if maybe there was a stray hair, or worse, a newly boiled bug inside my cup.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wait-what-i-lowered-my-cup-hastily-wondering-if-maybe-there-was-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I sipped the coffee and lit a cigarette. I can't say that I enjoyed the taste of coffee or the feeling of smoke descending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/i-sipped-the-coffee-and-lit-a-cigarette-i-can-t-say-that-i-enjoyed/) [Karl Ove Knausgård](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [“I want coffee to taste of coffee. Maybe a little cream and sugar. I do not want coffee that tastes of potpourri or fruit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-want-coffee-to-taste-of-coffee-maybe-a-little-cream-and-sugar-i-do/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“She stepped forward into the shadows with him and took his hand. “What do you want from us, Rogan?” He shuddered with the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-j-damschroder/she-stepped-forward-into-the-shadows-with-him-and-took-his-hand-what/) [Natalie J. Damschroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-j-damschroder/) > [“Hands and lips and teeth, and you'd forgotten-no, you'd never known-this way of knowing someone, this dissolution of self, this autophagy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaya-dawn-johnson/hands-and-lips-and-teeth-and-you-d-forgotten-no-you-d-never-known/) [Alaya Dawn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaya-dawn-johnson/) > [“He brings both my hands up to his lips and kisses each finger, then steps back and lets go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-proby/he-brings-both-my-hands-up-to-his-lips-and-kisses-each-finger-then/) [Kristen Proby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-proby/) > [“If you were mine, I would never be able to walk away from you. If you were mine, I'd worship every inch of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-e-sivec/if-you-were-mine-i-would-never-be-able-to-walk-away-from-you-if-you/) [T.E. Sivec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-e-sivec/) > [“When I do finally get you naked beneath me—and trust me, it’s not a question of if, but when—I’m going to make sure you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-jenner/when-i-do-finally-get-you-naked-beneath-me-and-trust-me-it-s-not-a/) [Carmen Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-jenner/) > [“i want your hands to hold not my hands your lips to kiss not my lips but other places”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/i-want-your-hands-to-hold-not-my-hands-your-lips-to-kiss-not-my-lips/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [“He shifts on his knees and leans into me until I am lying on my back. He's supporting himself above me on his one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-k-blair/he-shifts-on-his-knees-and-leans-into-me-until-i-am-lying-on-my-back/) [E.K. Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-k-blair/) > [“I wanted his hands at my back and his lips speaking poems on mine and our journey to each other to be completed, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allie-condie/i-wanted-his-hands-at-my-back-and-his-lips-speaking-poems-on-mine-and/) [Allie Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allie-condie/) ## More by Alice McDermott > [“Some vestige of his race or of his sex made him think, whenever he looked out across the ocean: As it was before me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/some-vestige-of-his-race-or-of-his-sex-made-him-think-whenever-he/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“If you want to see how far we have not come from the cave and the woods, from the lonely and dangerous days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/if-you-want-to-see-how-far-we-have-not-come-from-the-cave-and-the/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“John Keane pressed his chest to the steering wheel as he put the key in the ignition, taking a deep breath as he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/john-keane-pressed-his-chest-to-the-steering-wheel-as-he-put-the-key/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“The fourth contraction seized her and suddenly she was perspiring. She heard herself cry out and then she heard the children’s voices like sparks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/the-fourth-contraction-seized-her-and-suddenly-she-was-perspiring-she/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“THE TINY SPIDERS that lived in the higher branches of the downed tree (which now meant the branches that lay on the other side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/the-tiny-spiders-that-lived-in-the-higher-branches-of-the-downed-tree/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [What makes a sentence, a phrase, a moment, or a scene delightful? Something about recognizing the truth in it, hearing the music in it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/what-makes-a-sentence-a-phrase-a-moment-or-a-scene-delightful/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“Michael had slipped beyond the crest of the dune. Jacob was lying flat out now, on his stomach, his little men all before him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/michael-had-slipped-beyond-the-crest-of-the-dune-jacob-was-lying-flat/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“The wind,” Mary said again. “It was making everyone tear up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/the-wind-mary-said-again-it-was-making-everyone-tear-up/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“Not a soul,” Mary Keane said to her husband, the wind lifting her words, tossing them gently back over her shoulder, the way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/not-a-soul-mary-keane-said-to-her-husband-the-wind-lifting-her-words/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“There wasn’t a tear to be seen on the faces of the men and women in the street as the two of them walked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/there-wasn-t-a-tear-to-be-seen-on-the-faces-of-the-men-and-women-in/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“His love for his children bore down on his heart with the weight of three heavy stones. There were all his unnamed fears for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/his-love-for-his-children-bore-down-on-his-heart-with-the-weight-of/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“Mr. Persichetti knew that six weeks before its time and with a good thirty-minute ride to the hospital once the ambulance came (would it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/mr-persichetti-knew-that-six-weeks-before-its-time-and-with-a-good/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“Mike Shea became a medic during the war and was now married, working for Pfizer. To this day he can’t look at her straight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/mike-shea-became-a-medic-during-the-war-and-was-now-married-working/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [As a writer, I'm too busy and worried to experience the delight while composing my own work, although, of course, I hope a reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/as-a-writer-i-m-too-busy-and-worried-to-experience-the-delight-while/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“Why not?” but without conviction, confirming for them both that this was a sudden impulse that most likely would not last out the afternoon.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/why-not-but-without-conviction-confirming-for-them-both-that-this-was/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) [Explore all 194 Alice McDermott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) ## More Taste Coffee quotes > [“He leaned toward her, slowly raising his hand to his hat and then doffing it quickly, as if taken by surprise, when she leaned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/he-leaned-toward-her-slowly-raising-his-hand-to-his-hat-and-then/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“I want coffee to taste of coffee. Maybe a little cream and sugar. I do not want coffee that tastes of potpourri or fruit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-want-coffee-to-taste-of-coffee-maybe-a-little-cream-and-sugar-i-do/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I sipped the coffee and lit a cigarette. I can't say that I enjoyed the taste of coffee or the feeling of smoke descending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/i-sipped-the-coffee-and-lit-a-cigarette-i-can-t-say-that-i-enjoyed/) [Karl Ove Knausgård](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [Wait!" What?" I lowered my cup hastily, wondering if maybe there was a stray hair, or worse, a newly boiled bug inside my cup.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wait-what-i-lowered-my-cup-hastily-wondering-if-maybe-there-was-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My taste in coffee has got better with age, and so has my taste in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/my-taste-in-coffee-has-got-better-with-age-and-so-has-my-taste-in/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) > [I developed my taste for coffee at five, staying with my grandmother in Connecticut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/i-developed-my-taste-for-coffee-at-five-staying-with-my-grandmother/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) [Browse all 7 Taste Coffee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste-coffee-945569/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He leaned toward her, slowly raising his hand to his hat and then doffing it quickly, as if taken by surprise, when she leaned forward to meet him. 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