Yeah, the Taylor of the flashbacks is so wholesome, so NOT fashion-conscious, so real and unpretentious. The Taylor of the present is at home with the guys, firing comebacks to their crudest comments while on a road trip. She's tough, she's capable, cynical, and no push-over. Charles keeps challenging her. She always keeps him at bay. They've known each other a long time, it seems. He is so patient. Nothing is lost upon him; he is so AWARE of Taylor, and we know a smart, tech-savvy researcher like him has to know waaay more than he's letting on. Again, this keeps the reader turning pages.
----What, you need exploding helicopters and screaming heroines running from knife-wielding assassins to keep you turning pages? Go, you're in the wrong place! :)