*pulls his hand quickly away, alarmed and dismayed by your reaction* Sorry. *seems not to know quite what to do with his hand next, finally just pinning both together between his knees* Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.
*looks and looks at you (and you look worse, if anything)* *with a tiny nod-gesture of his head* How's the book? *drops his gaze (he has held you and talked with you long into the empty hours of the morning and the best he can come up with is how's the book?)* How. How are you?