hey lover - c.g.

4.

THE PRIVATE JET touched down, and Chandler couldn't suppress a yawn; exhaustion from the lengthy journey to London had caught up with her. The plane's abrupt landing initially jolted her awake, making her blink quickly.

"Chandler, I hope you're ready for a packed day ahead," her manager, Derek, chimed in, still engrossed in his phone, fingers dancing quickly across the screen.

"I suppose," she mumbled, pulling her eye mask up and tossing it despondently onto the adjacent seat.

"Where's Ferdinand?" she inquired, her eyes sweeping the surroundings. Glancing up at Derek, she awaited his response. The Frenchman motioned discreetly toward the row of seats behind him, prompting the girl to rise from her chair.

She approached the seat behind Derek and discovered her hamster in its cozy cage. A warm smile graced her face as she bent down to the cage's level, delicately opening the door and retrieving her furry companion. Cradling the small animal close to her chest, she couldn't help but express her joy.

"Freddie, did you have a pleasant flight?" she asked, lifting the tiny creature into the air. The hamster, seemingly content, sniffed the air as if relishing the journey.

"You shouldn't have brought the rat," Derek remarked a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"He's not a rat," Chandler retorted, a subtle frown tugging at her features. "I knew you never liked him."

Ignoring the comment, she continued to shower affection on the hamster, who responded with playful wiggles in her hands. She continued her one-sided conversation with her pet, slowly stroking the top of his head.

"You ready?" Derek asked.

Truth be told, she was excited; this marked a significant milestone in her career, and the opportunity to play for a team like Chelsea filled her with pride.

If only the rest of the world felt the same. The moment rumors swirled about her joining Chelsea, the online world erupted with a barrage of misogynistic and sexist comments that flooded her DMs, and social media, and had her trending on Twitter.

"I guess," she shrugged, "Do you know when John will arrive?" She inquired as the plane taxied to a stop. She missed her brother terribly, and at that moment, he was the only person she wanted to see.

Derek sighed, still glued to his device, reading glasses perched perfectly on the bridge of his nose. "He's on the tarmac," he finally announced without looking up from his phone.

"What?"

Chandler abruptly sat up and peered out of the window, spotting the Man City player leaning casually against the hood of his luxurious sports car, shades shielding his eyes from the sun's glare.

Her face lit up with excitement, and she jumped to her feet, quickly passing Ferdinand into Derek's hands. She swiftly gathered her belongings and crammed them into her bag, ready to disembark the plane. She was the first one out once the doors opened, practically sprinting down the stairs.

"Johnny!" she beamed, vigorously waving her hand in the direction of the City player. As she descended the final step, she rushed into her brother's arms, embracing him tightly. She let out a contented sigh, relieved to be reunited with her brother after three long years.

"I told you I'd come, pebbles," he murmured into her hair, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. She giggled at the childhood nickname.

"I missed you so much," she confessed, pulling back from the hug. John grinned broadly, then playfully messed up her curly hair with a hand.

"I missed you too," he agreed.

"I brought something else," John revealed, reaching into the car and retrieving a bag of greasy, fried food, causing Chandler's eyes to widen in excitement.