--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We reached to shake hands, and as soon as…" description: "\"“We reached to shake hands, and as soon as we touched, it felt like a current ran between the two of us. My heart sped up. Our eyes met. Nathaniel clea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/eileen-cook-8489_gaze_we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as_2294679.jpg" --- # We reached to shake hands, and as soon as we touched, it… ![“We reached to shake hands, and as soon as we touched, it felt like a current ran between the two of us. My heart sped up. Our eyes met. Nathaniel cleared his throat, and I realized he was trying to take his hand back and I was holding on to it with a death grip. I dropped his hand like it was a…” quote by Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/eileen-cook-8489_gaze_we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as_2294679.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/eileen-cook-8489_gaze_we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as_2294679.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/eileen-cook-8489_gaze_we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as_2294679.jpg) > ““We reached to shake hands, and as soon as we touched, it felt like a current ran between the two of us. My heart sped up. Our eyes met. Nathaniel cleared his throat, and I realized he was trying to take his hand back and I was holding on to it with a death grip. I dropped his hand like it was a burning log. Oh God, I was turning into a stepbrother groper. He was nice to me, and the next thing he knew, I was hanging off him like a parasite. He was most likely grateful I hadn't thrown myself at his face for a tongue kiss.”” [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nervous encounter turns awkward as physical contact leads to fear of misinterpretation and self‑consciousness. **In simple terms:** Awkward physical contact triggers anxiety about perception. Key Takeaway Be mindful of boundaries and body language. Themes anxiety social interaction misunderstanding Mood nervous reflective Type social psychological When to use this quote - first dates - networking events - team building - public speaking - social gatherings Key Concepts nonverbal cues personal space self‑consciousness Questions to Reflect On - How do you read body language? - What signals indicate comfort or discomfort? A Different Perspective People may misread intentions despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hand holding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hand-holding/) ## Related quotes > [“There was no doubt about it. I was falling for my stepbrother. Long term this would likely result in my ending up on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/there-was-no-doubt-about-it-i-was-falling-for-my-stepbrother-long/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Maggie’s with him, right?” “Yeah.” “His phone is off, but is hers? You could call her.” He raised an eyebrow. “You have her phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tijan/maggie-s-with-him-right-yeah-his-phone-is-off-but-is-hers-you-could/) [Tijan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tijan/) > [“Lexie glanced back at Alik's (her stepbrother's) closed door. "First things first, find him a girlfriend so he doesn't think of me in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-erina-wheeler/lexie-glanced-back-at-alik-s-her-stepbrother-s-closed-door-first/) [Bonnie Erina Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-erina-wheeler/) > [“So you like it here in Truman?” I pull my eyes from the road and face my stepbrother. “I’m about to weird you out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-b-jones/so-you-like-it-here-in-truman-i-pull-my-eyes-from-the-road-and-face/) [Jenny B. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-b-jones/) > [“Gray tilted her head back on the armrest of the couch. “Oh, why not?” “I couldn’t see him after hearing how Ryan helped Charlene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-jefford/gray-tilted-her-head-back-on-the-armrest-of-the-couch-oh-why-not-i/) [Nikki Jefford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-jefford/) > [This is not to say that I wasn't completely repulsed. I mean, I wasn't exactly proud that my stepbrother was in there tongue wrestling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/this-is-not-to-say-that-i-wasn-t-completely-repulsed-i-mean-i-wasn-t/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“Dating any of the J's would have been like dating, not my brother necessarily, but definitely a stepbrother, or a cousin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-oram/dating-any-of-the-j-s-would-have-been-like-dating-not-my-brother/) [Kelly Oram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-oram/) > [Stepbrother tell me where have you been when they brought me to this godforsaken place. Sign of the cross, they took me away for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avantasia/stepbrother-tell-me-where-have-you-been-when-they-brought-me-to-this/) [Avantasia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avantasia/) > [“I was supposed to be at the condo, wasting time on the beach, just Dad and me, figuring out college and my life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/i-was-supposed-to-be-at-the-condo-wasting-time-on-the-beach-just-dad/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Me: What about a stepbrother romance?   As usual, she replied immediately.   Brianna: Are you Penelope Ward?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aly-martinez/me-what-about-a-stepbrother-romance-as-usual-she-replied-immediately/) [Aly Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aly-martinez/) > [To tell you the truth, in the old Jewish shtetls, if your husband died, sometimes they'd have you marry the brother, and my grandparents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-heckerling/to-tell-you-the-truth-in-the-old-jewish-shtetls-if-your-husband-died/) [Amy Heckerling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-heckerling/) > [The comfort of our peer-connections is reflected in our most honest and direct hand-holding. When we trip, they are the first ones to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shandler/the-comfort-of-our-peer-connections-is-reflected-in-our-most-honest/) [Sara Shandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shandler/) > [Look...at...me... The green eyes found the black, but after a second, something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severus-snape/look-at-me-the-green-eyes-found-the-black-but-after-a-second/) [Severus Snape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severus-snape/) > [But she has gathered that Americans, in spite of their public declarations of affection, in spite of their miniskirts and bikinis, in spite of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/but-she-has-gathered-that-americans-in-spite-of-their-public/) [Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/) > [“Let's never stop holding each other's hands. We all need to have our hand held sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/let-s-never-stop-holding-each-other-s-hands-we-all-need-to-have-our/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) ## More by Eileen Cook > [“Is it so bad to want something that you know is wrong?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/is-it-so-bad-to-want-something-that-you-know-is-wrong/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“The camera lets me see things in a different way. It's like I finally have perspective. I can't always say stuff right in words.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/the-camera-lets-me-see-things-in-a-different-way-it-s-like-i-finally/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Maybe sometimes you have to take a risk without worrying about the potential disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/maybe-sometimes-you-have-to-take-a-risk-without-worrying-about-the/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“I wasn't sure which was worse - to know you were a liar or to believe your own bullshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-wasn-t-sure-which-was-worse-to-know-you-were-a-liar-or-to-believe/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“The mother was holding a baby, had a stroller with what looked like twin girls around three, and had a five-year-old boy who was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/the-mother-was-holding-a-baby-had-a-stroller-with-what-looked-like/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Has is occurred to you that they're the same and you're the one who's different?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/has-is-occurred-to-you-that-they-re-the-same-and-you-re-the-one-who-s/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“I am so sorry. I'm more sorry than I've ever been in my life. I don't mind being on restriction and having to clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/i-am-so-sorry-i-m-more-sorry-than-i-ve-ever-been-in-my-life-i-don-t/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“When you're seventeen and the only friend you have in town is a stuffed animal that doesn't even belong to you, I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/when-you-re-seventeen-and-the-only-friend-you-have-in-town-is-a/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Nicole put on a frowny face and leaned forward for maximum cleavage exposure. Nathaniel looked. Of course he looked. She practically was shaking her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/nicole-put-on-a-frowny-face-and-leaned-forward-for-maximum-cleavage/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“There really isn't a good way to tell a relative stranger that you think dead people are trying to tell you something. It's personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/there-really-isn-t-a-good-way-to-tell-a-relative-stranger-that-you/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Looks to me like you need help. Do you know that you're wearing Thursday panties and today's Monday?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/looks-to-me-like-you-need-help-do-you-know-that-you-re-wearing/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“If someone were crushed to death trying to get a frosty can of Diet Coke, it wouldn't be my fault. I'd tried to raise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/if-someone-were-crushed-to-death-trying-to-get-a-frosty-can-of-diet/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“Destiny is like a boulder. Bulky and hard to move. Its easier to leave it alone than to try to change it. But that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/destiny-is-like-a-boulder-bulky-and-hard-to-move-its-easier-to-leave/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“If you don't seize the opportunity, how do you know what will happen? Sometimes you have to take the chance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/if-you-don-t-seize-the-opportunity-how-do-you-know-what-will-happen/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [“You should step out of the box more often. See what the world has to offer.” “I stepped out of the box the night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/you-should-step-out-of-the-box-more-often-see-what-the-world-has-to/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) [Explore all 80 Eileen Cook quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) ## More Gaze quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Taylor said a prayer for the man, and apologized out loud. Knowing there was nothing left to do, she turned to leave. As she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/taylor-said-a-prayer-for-the-man-and-apologized-out-loud-knowing/) [J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/) > [“If it makes you feel any better, he’s been all sad doll lately too.” “What are you talking about, Chels?” Chelsea stopped walking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-derting/if-it-makes-you-feel-any-better-he-s-been-all-sad-doll-lately-too/) [Kimberly Derting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-derting/) > [“Rodrigo tried to draw a deep breath, but his chest was too filled with anguish, rage and guilt. He kissed his ash-coated fingers. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-valdez/rodrigo-tried-to-draw-a-deep-breath-but-his-chest-was-too-filled-with/) [Lisa Valdez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-valdez/) > [“still feel the same way? Could he have changed this much on the inside too? Struggling for the right words, I opened my mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-wild/still-feel-the-same-way-could-he-have-changed-this-much-on-the-inside/) [Meredith Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-wild/) > [“Being held by him, kissed and mastered, taken under and swept away, enthralled her in a way she—an independent woman if nothing else in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-sumner/being-held-by-him-kissed-and-mastered-taken-under-and-swept-away/) [Tracy Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-sumner/) > [“Don’t you remember how hot we were together, Lane? God.” He takes a quick breath through clenched teeth and runs his hand down my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-a-valentine/don-t-you-remember-how-hot-we-were-together-lane-god-he-takes-a-quick/) [Michelle A. Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-a-valentine/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [“Damn.” Phineas turned the Big Boy off, then noticed he’d left the box on the bed. Damn, had Zoltan seen it? He stuffed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerrelyn-sparks/damn-phineas-turned-the-big-boy-off-then-noticed-he-d-left-the-box-on/) [Kerrelyn Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerrelyn-sparks/) > [“Now you," Grandma barks at him. "Yes, you, the invisible truck driver," she added, giving me a wicked grin. "Go stand next to Rose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/now-you-grandma-barks-at-him-yes-you-the-invisible-truck-driver-she/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) > [“You know when I said I didn't need you?" I asked. He lifted one brow. "I was so wrong.I can't find words to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/you-know-when-i-said-i-didn-t-need-you-i-asked-he-lifted-one-brow-i/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [“I didn’t say it just to get you to jump. I’m in love with you, Zane,” he admitted in a calm, clear voice. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-urban/i-didn-t-say-it-just-to-get-you-to-jump-i-m-in-love-with-you-zane-he/) [Madeleine Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-urban/) > [“This explains so much," she said, clucking her tongue in mother-hen fashion. "You're compensating for this withered appendage." Withered appendage? What the devil was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/this-explains-so-much-she-said-clucking-her-tongue-in-mother-hen/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) Browse all 15,087 Gaze quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We reached to shake hands, and as soon as we touched, it felt like a current ran between the two of us. My heart sped up. Our eyes met. Nathaniel cleared his throat, and I realized he was trying to take his hand back and I was holding on to it with a death grip. I dropped his hand like it was a burning log. Oh God, I was turning into a stepbrother groper. He was nice to me, and the next thing he knew, I was hanging off him like a parasite. He was most likely grateful I hadn't thrown myself at his face for a tongue kiss.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eileen Cook" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as-we-touched-it-felt-like-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gaze" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as-we-touched-it-felt-like-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/eileen-cook-8489_gaze_we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as_2294679.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/eileen-cook-8489_gaze_we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as_2294679.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/eileen-cook-8489_gaze_we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as_2294679.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We reached to shake hands, and as soon as we touched, it felt like a current ran between the two of us. My…” — Eileen Cook", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eileen Cook", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We reached to shake hands, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as-we-touched-it-felt-like-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/we-reached-to-shake-hands-and-as-soon-as-we-touched-it-felt-like-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```