To Charlie's car, into town

Charlie nodded, keeping up a warm smile. "Alright, cool! Where would you like to go? I don't wanna take you out of your comfort zone."

It was rather surprising, how considerate and patient Charlie was being. He wasn't at all how Adrienne imagined such a big, macho guy would be. So much muscle and... other equipment... and he still managed to keep his heart and his head. Hopefully it wasn't all some act to get her to follow him into a bad situation.

No, Adrienne, don't think like that. He's trying to help! Dr. Fischer wouldn't call him as an alumnus if he was a bad person, would she? You can't mistrust everyone!

Still, even with a gamble of trust, it was best to be safe about it. She thought to pick somewhere comfortable; somewhere familiar that she could hold an advantage in.

"There's a bookstore I know about with a café in it. Would that be alright?" Big blue eyes scanned over him, searching for a twitch or a change in demeanor, but Charlie remained relaxed and composed.

"That sounds perfect. Are you ready to go now, or do you need a minute?" Always on her terms, not his. How gentlemanly.

She nodded to him, ready to follow along to the parking lot. Charlie walked up to a sporty-looking silver convertible. She didn't know the model or anything, but it sure looked expensive! With her miniscule income, Adrienne didn't even own a bicycle, let alone such a nice car. He opened the passenger door for her first, arm swooping into an overdone 'after you' gesture. Pensive, she crept up to the luxurious vehicle, feeling the plush smoothness of the seats beneath her bum. Shutting her door, Charlie strode over to the driver's side, slipping in and starting the engine.

"You've got the address, yeah? Where're we headed?"

Adrienne stared at her forehead a moment, trying to pull an answer from memory. Failing that, she rummaged in her baggy pockets for a small coinpurse wallet, flicking through for a business card. "Pen Square Library and Café... the address is on here." Handing Charlie the card, she watched him look over the info while typing the address one-handed into his phone. Of course he would have one of those fancy smartphones, if he could afford such a nice car, too.

"You can keep the card," she mumbled. "I've got a bunch, and they'll probably appreciate the advertising." Charlie shrugged and pocketed the card, docking his phone and pulling away from the Encephalon Clinic. The drive wouldn't take more than ten to fifteen minutes, according to the gps.

Charlie kept his eyes on the road and his hands on the wheel, but traffic was slow and steady enough that he didn't need to concentrate too hard. "So... I'm sure you've probably got some questions for me."

"Not really," Adrienne replied somberly.

"Oh, Huh. That's a first." Charlie didn't sound offended, much to Adrienne's surprise. "That's fair, no worries. I came to you to listen to your story, after all. I'll ask, then..." He took in a slow breath, measuring his words carefully. "Are you... satisfied? With what Take-Two did for you? Is the problem just with your family, or did TTP wrong you somehow?"

With a quick flick of a glance to Adrienne, Charlie could easily see her eyes grow wide; a small animal caught in a snare. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Adrienne struggled to speak, shaken by how on-the-nose Charlie's probing questions were.

"What...do you know? What did they tell you??" Fear welled up in her throat. What other loopholes had Charlie figured out about TTP's policies? Had they breached her confidentiality, too?

"Nothing, nothing!" he promised. "I swear, I don't know a thing about your personal life, save for what you shared in that room. It's just... you quoted that disclaimer, and I thought you might be like me. That you might not have gotten what you wanted from them." Charlie kept his tone level and as calm as possible, not wanting to spook Adrienne any more than he already had.

She looked down at her hands, resting and pressing on her knees. "I... I've never told anyone about what happened with my procedure. They did... get something wrong, but I don't..." Shaking her head, tears welled up in her eyes. Charlie flinched when she started to sniffle.

"You don't have to say, I promise. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

The car became silent for the rest of the drive, Adrienne mentally kicking herself for being so sensitive. Ever the crybaby. Maybe a drink and some comfortable atmosphere would make things easier. Someone finally came into her life who might understand her pain. She couldn't give up already.