Matt sighed, hearing the first droplets of rain hit the roof of the car. The weather today was already bad, with grey clouds completely covering the sky and cold wind blowing with some force, but seemingly it was about to get a bit worse. He turned his head to look out the window, the traffic light as they drove onto the expressway leading towards the airport. He glanced towards his left wrist, his expensive Richard Mille watch telling him it was just past 1 PM. His lips turned into a smile as he relaxed against the seat of his Rolls-Royce Phantom, his chauffeur Claude expertly maneuvering his way towards the destination.
"We should be at the terminal in around 30 minutes, sir. The plane is being prepared as we speak." The man behind the wheel spoke, looking at Matt in the mirror.
"Any news on delays? This weather sure isn't ideal for the flyboys today." Matt replied, taking the phone out of his suit pocket and scrolling to look at his chats. While flying on his private jet was indeed far more convenient than going commercial, he knew rules were rules - and bad weather always brought those discussions to the forefront.
"No idea yet, sir. I can try and get in touch with them now if you want to." Claude replied, already tapping the screen in the center console, looking for the number to the gate agent.
"No need to, Claude," Matt replied, taking a sip of water from the glass in his cup holder. "Even if there is one, it's not like we can do anything about it. And we're still stopping by the hotel, remember?"
"Of course, sir. We should be there in just a moment." The chauffeur replied, focusing on the road ahead as he switched the screen back to the sat nav. Matt stayed glued to the screen of his phone, quickly finding the one person he wanted to call right now.
To say Matt was a gifted and lucky man would be an understatement. While born into immense wealth - being a son of a high-ranking banking executive and a gifted surgeon - he never slipped into the typical niche of a rich son interested only in flashing his cash to everyone around him and stumbling his way from one excess-filled party to another. He remained a hard-working, if a little shy boy in school, soon rising to the top of his class and graduating both from school and university with honors. He used the connections wisely, soon landing a cushy job in Manhattan, which would soon reward him with a six-figure salary, a penthouse in Brooklyn, and endless possibilities. This amount of wealth would probably stun others or turn them into addicts, assholes, or sociopaths, but Matt managed to stay above it all. While he did enjoy his status he didn't make it into a part of his personality - one of the main lessons his mother drilled into him ever since he could understand things more complex than just basic maths. This way, he still remained in good contact with many of his childhood and school friends, some of whom would forge their own paths that from time to time would cross with his. It was one of those friends he was now calling, relaxing into the comfortable seat with a wide grin on his face. The phone suddenly came to life, a warm voice flowing out of the speaker.
"Hi, Matt."
"Hello, Anna." He replied, closing his eyes for a second, trying to imagine her. His friendship with Anna Kendrick - yes, the Anna Kendrick of Pitch Perfect fame - was one of those he managed to somehow keep throughout all those years. He first met her in high school, both of them bonding over their passion for theater and musicals. While his interest never became more than just that, Anna was determined to forge her way into that business - regardless of how tough, cutthroat and hard it could be. Matt admired her tenacity, becoming a sort of a cheerleader for her - seeing her Broadway debut, her break onto the big screen, and the establishment of her solid career in movies and TV. As the years sailed by they still kept in touch, Matt even attending a few premieres and parties she was at. Now, he was doing her a little favor - they both needed to get to L.A. as fast as possible, and Anna's agent forgot to book her a flight. Swooping in with a private jet was maybe a little over the top in the circumstances, but Matt reasoned with himself it was necessary.
"So, we're coming up in a few. Don't worry, I have an umbrella." Matt spoke, looking outside the window again to notice the rain get even more intense.
"Great. I only have a coat on and I've spent far too much time getting ready to have it all get soaked through." Anna replied, a little chuckle leaving her lips at the end. Matt felt the car turn as he spotted the silhouette of the hotel just in front of them.
"Oh, we've just turned in. See you." He spoke, quickly ending the call as Claude pulled in right at the entrance. Matt unbuckled himself, pulling the umbrella from the side of the door as he stepped out, his shoe immediately landing in a small puddle next to the curb. As he opened the umbrella he looked up, noticing a woman pulling a small suitcase approach him. His lips turned up into an even wider smile as he recognized her, sprinting towards her. It took seconds for him to reach her, immediately putting the umbrella over them both as he extended his arm. Anna smiled back warmly at him, angling up to peck his cheek.
"Hey there, handsome. What's with the rain? I thought you people could make it go away just like that." She spoke, snapping her fingers as Matt chuckled, leading her back to the limousine.
"Well, sadly that's one of the things I still can't do." He replied as Claude swooped up Anna's suitcase and loaded it into the trunk, Matt opening the door to let her get in. He did catch a glimpse of her smooth, pale legs and gold heels on her feet as she settled in, before sprinting to the other side and getting in. Claude followed suit and soon they were off, driving back towards the airport. Matt looked at Anna, smiling as they drove off. He then pushed the cover of the armrest up, revealing the built-in fridge.
"Refreshments for the lady?" He spoke, grinning as he made a sweeping gesture with his hand.
"You really want to spoil me rotten, don't you?" She spoke with a smile of her own, her perfectly manicured hand grasping a can of beer. Matt then closed the compartment, taking a sip of his water as Anna opened the drink.
"Everything for a friend." He replied, looking outside the window again. The rain didn't show any signs of stopping, the hum of the engine barely managing to drown out the noise.
"Mr. Norris?" He then heard Claude speak. His attention focused on that as he looked at the chauffeur's face in the mirror.
"Yes, Claude?"
"I just got a message from the gate agent. They are pushing our flight forward due to the weather. Once we get to the terminal they'll be picking you up on a priority transfer right to the plane. The crew is already there and they don't want to stay here any longer."
"Oh, that's..." Matt replied, feeling relieved. If there was one thing he certainly didn't want was the flight having to be canceled - actually having the reverse happen was a stroke of massive luck.
"Amazing." He then heard Anna speak, looking at her as she took a sip of the cold drink. "Guess that's what "fuck you, I have a private jet" money can do for you. Good on you, babe." She added as she then grasped and squeezed his hand, the gesture making him blush lightly.
"The pleasure is all mine." He replied, letting his head rest against the soft headrest as they inched closer and closer to the airport.
The whole "private aviation terminal experience" was a blur. Just after they got out of his car and extracted Anna's and his luggage they were immediately shepherded over through the building by a very helpful and very assertive gate agent. A quick security check and a drive-in another opulent limousine later they were right where they wanted to be - near Matt's private jet. Even in the pounding rain, the sleek Gulfstream G650 still looked imposing standing in the parking area, the stair door already open and waiting for them. With the help of both the chauffeur and charming first officer, they were soon on board, having only caught a few drops of the rain. The pilot closed the door immediately before turning to face him.
"Mr. Norris, Ms. Kendrick, welcome on board. We'll be rolling shortly, so please take your seats, fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the flight. Now, if you excuse me, I'll have to go back to the cockpit." He spoke, his tone polite but with a little tinge of authority palpable. Matt only nodded along, knowing not to make any dumb comments.
"Sure. We'll manage it from here. Thank you very much." He replied as the airman turned around, leaving them alone in the spacious cabin. As he grabbed their luggage and stuffed it in the compartment just between the cabin and the cockpit, he swore he could hear Anna whistle loudly.
"Well damn, Matt. You sure don't skimp." She spoke as she then took off her black coat. As she did so Matt had to bite his cheek not to gasp. Underneath, she was wearing a very form-fitting strapless black dress with a floral pattern, the slit in the side clearly showing her pale thigh. He made a move, extending his hand.
"May I, Anna?" He asked, a little smile on her lips as she gave him the garment.
"Thank you very much, Matt." She replied with a little chuckle as she then sat down, Matt quickly stuffing both his suit jacket and her coat into the small closet near the galley as he took his seat right next to her by the window. Soon enough they were both strapped in as the plane came to life, the engines spooling up in the back.
"So... when do we break out the booze? Isn't it what you usually do in places like those?" She spoke, a hearty giggle leaving her lips as Matt smiled in return.
