Chapter 92: How to Hold Their Hand
"You’re right. I was being too sensitive."
Adrian Grant just chuckled, not dwelling on the topic. He naturally shared the blanket with her and then turned his gaze back to the screen.
"..."
Caroline Whitman couldn’t help but steal a couple more glances at his profile.
The past two days, Adrian had been a little too gentle.
’Well, I guess you could call it gentle.’
Compared to the cold, unapproachable air he had when they first met, his current gentle smiles and the occasional crinkling at the corners of his eyes didn’t make her feel any closer to him.
In fact, it fit her image of a "refined scoundrel" villain even better.
Caroline rubbed her nose and snuck another couple of peeks at him. ’Could this be his true personality?’
As if sensing her prolonged stare, Adrian suddenly leaned his head back against the sofa. She quickly averted her gaze, fixing her eyes on the screen.
The whole evening, Caroline was completely distracted.
Her mind would wander, she’d drift into thought, and then she’d sneak a glance at Adrian.
Halfway through the movie, her phone buzzed.
She stealthily picked it up and saw a rare message from Franklin Whitman.
Franklin Whitman: [Sweetheart, are you still in Norcaster?]
Caroline Whitman: [I came back yesterday.]
Her fingers paused. ’Better not mention I came back because the kid had a fever.’
’I’d never hear the end of it.’
Franklin Whitman: [How’s the progress?]
Caroline’s mouth twitched. She knew Franklin would ask that.
In his eyes, the fact that she went on a trip with Adrian probably meant she was close to winning him over.
But the reality was, she hadn’t even held his hand.
’Now that I think about it, it’s true.’
’We can share a bed and a blanket, but our hands haven’t even touched.’
Caroline silently replied: [Haven’t even held hands yet.]
Franklin Whitman: [.....]
Franklin Whitman: [Didn’t you try those tips I sent you?]
Caroline Whitman: [I did. I gave him flowers and said they were for his flower arrangements.]
Franklin Whitman: [Good, that’s the way. As long as he doesn’t refuse, you’ve got a chance.]
Finally, Franklin forwarded another link.
[How to Hold Your Partner’s Hand.]
When Yolanda Young walked over, she saw Franklin’s chat screen. Her eyes locked onto Caroline’s "for his flower arrangements" message, and her expression soured instantly.
"This is how she pursues someone?" Yolanda asked, slightly speechless.
Franklin saw no problem with the method. "This is exactly how it should be done. If I had just shown up with a huge bouquet, tell me, would you have accepted it?"
"..."
Yolanda was at a loss for words, because when they were young, Franklin had actually used this exact method to woo her.
’If I imagine a young Franklin holding a huge bouquet, waiting for me at the intersection every day... yeah, I definitely would have called the cops.’
——
Caroline stared at the link from Franklin and silently clicked it open.
The first tip was in large, bold letters: [The Art of Hand-Holding: Do not get so nervous that your palms sweat, or the effect will be greatly diminished.]
"..."
’Very thoughtful advice.’
Caroline quietly felt her palm. ’Yep, it’s dry.’
She moved on to the second tip.
[Preferred Setting: A dim, nighttime environment.]
’A dim, nighttime environment? Isn’t that right now?’ A thought sparked in Caroline’s mind, and she continued reading.
[For example, strolling in a park. The streetlights are dim, faces are hard to see, allowing for "accidental" touches when close.]
’A park?’
Caroline thought about it. They hadn’t been to a park, but they had visited a scenic area during their two days in Norcaster.
’I’ll give it a try another day.’
Next tip.
[Crossing the street, a golden opportunity. You can use the following lines:
"There’s a lot of traffic here, let me help you."
While "helping," the hand-holding happens naturally.
"It’s dark and hard to see the road, don’t wander off."
Seize the opportunity to grab their wrist, then slowly slide down to their palm...]
Caroline once again recalled the times she’d been with Adrian.
They seemed to spend most of their time indoors or in the car. They had never actually crossed a street together at night.
’I’ll find a chance to try it another day.’
[When the movie lets out. It’s crowded, so even if you’re rejected, you can pretend you were pushed apart by the crowd.]
’A movie theater?’
Caroline secretly glanced up at Adrian again.
He was focused on the screen, the flickering lights of the film reflecting off his glasses.
Her gaze slowly drifted down to his hands—long and well-defined, with neat knuckles—crossed and resting on the blanket.
Although they were watching a movie right now, the setting wasn’t right.
...
After reading through a few more tips, she noticed a disclaimer on the very last line.
[The above methods are dependent on the user’s "model." Not recommended for those with a poor "model." This article is not responsible for any consequences that may arise.]
After reading it, Caroline had a look of sudden enlightenment.
’This is way more interesting than the movie.’
She turned off her phone and focused on the film.
Time passed, and the movie was already more than halfway over.
It was almost eleven o’clock.
Caroline yawned.
She was getting sleepy.
I have to admit, Adrian’s move was brilliant. Instead of waking her up, the movie was just making her sleepier.
Suddenly, it dawned on her.
’I always fall asleep during movies. Could Adrian be using this to test me?’
Now, no matter how drowsy Caroline felt, she had to stay completely alert.
She kept her eyes wide open until the movie ended.
Caroline glanced at the time.
Eleven-thirty.
"It’s gotten so late. I should be able to get a good night’s sleep now," she said, standing up and stretching.
But Adrian just smiled. "I thought you’d fall asleep."
"..."
Caroline shot him a sideways glance. "Don’t tell me that’s the real reason you asked me to watch a movie with you."
"That was a factor, but not the only one."
Adrian also stood up from the sofa. He casually folded the blanket and placed it aside, speaking in a leisurely tone.
Caroline assumed he was testing whether she actually liked comedies, so she stubbornly replied, "Oh, well you thought wrong. I wasn’t going to fall asleep midway this time.
"Like I said, there were reasons the last two times. One was right during my nap time, and the other time, I was exhausted from playing all day. It’s normal to get sleepy watching a cartoon at night."
Adrian grunted in acknowledgment. As he reached the doorway, he turned to the side and waited for her. "Let’s go up."
"Oh."
Caroline quickly followed, walking out of the home theater first. Adrian stayed behind to turn off the equipment and close the door.
When she stepped out, the hallway was dark.
In fact, the entire basement was dark.
The theater was in the basement, and getting out required going up a short flight of stairs.
She wasn’t sure where the light switch was, so she stood by the door and waited without moving.
She heard the door close behind her and felt the man’s presence draw near. She thought he was going to turn on the lights, but instead, he just used his phone’s flashlight to illuminate the path ahead.
"...Did your family forget to pay the electric bill? Why don’t you turn on the lights?"
She couldn’t help but quip as she walked beside him.
Adrian stopped. There happened to be a switch on the wall next to him. He flicked it twice, but there was no response.
His voice came slowly, "The power’s out. It must have happened right as we were leaving."
As he spoke, they reached the small staircase. Just as he lifted his foot to step onto the stairs, he suddenly heard a stumble and a trip from beside him.
Aided by the flashlight’s beam, Adrian reacted instantly, grabbing her hand and throwing his other arm out in front of her to keep her from falling face-first.