George Lessing is a skilled, high-level financial consultant. He travels to New York City from his home in California, to meet with a potential client, an export company. This is a good opportunity for interesting and profitable work, and a potential long-term relationship. A series of negative events ruin the trip. The meeting is a failure-a dangerous winter storm accelerates, and there is an uninvited passenger in the taxi ride to the airport. However, surprises continue and an impromptu diversion to Chicago has the potential to salvage the trip in a dramatic way.