As Adam poured the champagne, his speech to her was already soothing.  He had a quiet voice but there was a soft dominance about it that was familiar and comforting to Jolie.  His words weren't harsh -- telling her to relax.  Explaining how to hold the paper and that she didn't have to read.  They were quiet directions, but they were orders.  And before she even held a glass of the soothing alcohol in her hands, she was already relaxed and comforted by the familiarity of an order.<br/><br/>Jolie took a sip of her champagne and swallowed it quickly.  The bubbles tickled at her brain coupling with his words.  Relax, she thought.  He wants me to relax, and so I will.  She took one more quick sip from the glass set it down and retrieved the papers as he had asked.<br/><br/>She felt relieved that he didn't want her to read, holding the errant poem in her hand.  She quickly shuffled it to the bottom of the stack and assumed the pose that Adam wanted her to take.  She closed her eyes for a second and breathed deeply.  She had a flash of a moment with Merrick, one of their first times together when she was still learning about herself, being taught and pulled to places she never thought she would ever go.  She'd been so scared sometimes and he'd spoken to her just like this soft in her ear, easing her doubt of herself, "Relax."<br/><br/>Adam speaking to her like this felt like a sign, like salvation, like hope.  Obviously, he had different sort of plans, but he had control.  And that was comforting to Jolie.  There were times in her loneliness that she wondered if she'd ever feel comfortable like this with a man again.  She breathed and assumed the position that he asked of her.  She thought only of his voice. She gave him control of her body, and she felt comfortable.  Her soul was free.