“Okay, sounds good,” she said, as she scooted onto the seat and buckled her seat belt.
Marco watched as Sabrina fidgeted in her seat, unable to sit still as they pulled out of her neighborhood. He could tell she was nervous, but he hoped that she’d relax a bit once they were on the plane.
“Are you okay?” he asked. His eyes were locked onto Sabrina as he spoke. The tingling feeling of attraction filled his chest as her face lit up, hanging onto every one of his words.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, tapping her fingers onto the top of her knees. “Just excited about all of this. I’m really looking forward to seeing New York.”
“Have you been before?”
“No, never,” she replied. “I’ve wanted to for so long, but never had the chance.”
“Well, that’s one thing we have in common,” he said. “I’ve seen pictures, but that’s about all.”
Sabrina smiled and then brought her gaze out of the car window, watching as the trailer homes passed by. Marco wanted to ask her more about her life, but didn’t want to come on too strong. He was curious about her, though, and looked forward to getting to know her.
I’ll have plenty of time to ask more questions on the flight to New York, he thought.
“This is your plane?” Sabrina asked, as they boarded the small jet that was parked on a private runway near the airport.
“Kind of,” Marco said, as he led the group onto the plane. “I’m able to use it right now, so it’s as good as mine.”
“I’ve never even seen a private jet before,” she said, looking around the plane with the awe of a young child. “To be honest, I've never actually been on any plane.”
The pilot greeted Marco and they shook hands, while Sabrina and Valetta continued on toward the back of the jet.
“The weather is looking excellent today, so it should make for a smooth flight to New York City,” the pilot informed him. “Shouldn’t take but a few hours.”
“Perfect,” Marco said. “How long until we take off?”
“Ten minutes. If all of your party is here, we can start taxiing to the runway now.”
Marco nodded and turned down the aisle leading away from the cockpit. The cabin of the plane was small to his eyes. He was used to his private jet back home, but he was assured this plane could comfortably sleep ten. He wasn't so sure it would be comfortable, but as this was the best way to keep a low profile, it would work well enough. Besides, the flight would be relatively short.
Valetta had taken her seat in the very back row. She already had her sleeping mask over her eyes and her headphones on. She had been on countless flights with Marco and often used the opportunity to catch up on sleep. Sabrina, however, was still up and moving around. She had just handed off her luggage to the tall, brunette stewardess who worked for Marco’s pilot and was standing in the aisle when Marco approached.
“Where should I sit?” she asked.
“Sit next to me,” Marco offered, as he plopped down in a chair in the very front row.
Sabrina sat next to him and buckled her seat belt. Marco did the same and a few seconds later, the plane lurched forward, taxiing down the runway. She clutched at the arm rail in surprise.
“I’m really glad you decided to take this job,” Marco said in an attempt to distract her so she wouldn't be afraid of flying for the first time.
“I’m so happy you offered it to me,” she said, twirling her auburn hair between her fingers. She smiled at him, her blue eyes glowing in the fluorescent lights of the plane. “It’s already the coolest job I’ve ever had. I can’t believe I’m on a private jet right now.”
Sabrina's expression of innocent wonder said it all. It was utterly clear to Marco that he had just transported her into a world completely different from her own. And he loved it. He took great joy in the fact that he could treat such a beautiful woman to a piece of the life to which he was accustomed.
“So tell me a little bit about yourself,” Marco said, eager to learn everything he could about his new hire.
“I don’t have anything exciting to tell,” she said, with a frown.
“Nonsense. I don’t believe that for a second. Tell me where you were raised. Tell me something about your childhood. Anything. If we’re going to be spending time together over the next couple of weeks, I want to know who it is that I’m spending time with.”
“I'm honestly not sure what to tell you that I didn't say in the interview,” Sabrina said.
“Okay, well, why don’t you tell me why you wanted to take this job?” Marco asked. “It’s an unusual position, no doubt. I can’t imagine there are a lot of job openings for a traveling assistant. What about it intrigued you?”
“It seemed like a job that I would be good at and when I saw the pay, I knew that I had to try,” she said. “I really didn’t think I’d get it. I figured that there would be a line out of the door with people trying to get the position.”