THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

"I need something simple, something that can blend into the crowd without attracting too much attention," Zachary replied. "I don't mind the car brand, and the price range should be around 150,000 to 250,000 NOK. Do you have any suggestions for me?"

"With that budget, you'll surely be able to get a good new machine," Ryan said, smiling at Zachary. "But you can even get a better one in second hand. Do you wish to consider used cars?"

"Nope," Zachary replied, shaking his head. "I'll go with a new one." He already had more than 700,000 NOK saved up in his bank account. At times, he was at a loss for how to make use of his savings. His monthly wages plus bonuses were already equal to the money he could use for ten years in his previous life. So, he reckoned spending a portion of it on purchasing a good car would be a good outlet for the cash from his bank account.

"Okay, then," Ryan said after a moment. "May I suggest we go with Audi, then? Since you need something that blends in with the crowd, that would be the best car for you here in Trondheim. But you may have to add about 50K NOK to your budget to get a new one from the outlets here in Trondheim. What say you?"

"An Audi is okay with me," Zachary concurred after deliberating about the issue for a moment. "Adding 50K to my budget is also not a problem. But, how long will you need to find one?"

"If you can increase your budget, there's no need to dilly-dally," Ryan said, grinning. "I've got a few comrades in the Autosport and Møller Bil car dealers. They're the outlets with a diverse collection of cars when it comes to Audi and Volkswagen. I can even call them right now, and we can go there right after. That's if you're ready, of course." He added, looking at Zachary eagerly.

Zachary smiled back at him. "I've got nothing else planned today," he said and then turned towards Emily. "What about you?" He asked her.

"I'm only in Trondheim because of you," Emily replied, beaming. "Wherever you go, I go. Don't mind me."

"Then, let's conclude this business today since I'll be resuming serious training tomorrow," Zachary said, turning towards Ryan. "I need to finish this car business quickly. I hope we won't have to spend the rest of the day looking at cars."

"Don't worry," Ryan said, his eyes glittering. "As long as you have the funds, getting a vehicle here in Trondheim is quite simple and doesn't take a lot of time. We'll have completed the whole business even before you know it. Let me first call them so that they can be ready for us." He said, standing up and moving away from the table.

"He doesn't seem like a race car driver," Zachary said to Emily once Ryan was out of earshot.

"Don't worry," Emily replied. "He's one, and I trust him, especially when it comes to cars. I'm sure he'll get you something good. You've to remember this since you're now an upcoming star. If you can get a skilled person to do your bidding by spending a little bit of cash, don't hesitate."

She smiled softly, holding Zachary's gaze before continuing. "That's why I was completely against you handling the purchase of the vehicle yourself. Just imagine spending days searching dealerships for a car when there's someone who can do it within a couple of hours at a small cost. It's not worth it as the time would be better—spent on your training or resting. That's the way of celebrities. They don't waste time on any small issues—but get people to do them for them. So, you have to get used to it. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Zachary replied. "Why do you two seem very acquainted, yet it seems he stays in Norway for extended periods of time?"

"He's originally from London," Emily replied. "I've known him for quite a long time since we lived in the same neighborhood. He only moved away to look for easier races. That's why he's here in Norway, I think."

"Oh, okay," Zachary replied.

"By the way," Emily said, leaning forward and holding Zachary's gaze once more. "The BetNet company has increased their endorsement deal offer to us. They have raised it from 6 to 8.5 million Norwegian Kroner a year."

"Oh," Zachary said, his eyes widening. "They're quite fast to respond and seem very sincere. They should be thinking that we're playing the hard-to-get card."

"But I still insist that we wait for a bit before trying to negotiate with them," Emily said, her voice lowering. "I'll first get someone to check them out."

"It's up to you," Zachary replied, smiling. "Honestly, I'm not in any immediate need of money at the moment. What I earn is enough. So, let's take our time and wait until I've established myself here in Norway. We can get a better offer, then."

"My thoughts exactly," Emily said, smiling back at Zachary. "I'm happy to wait as long as it's okay with you. Let's work on your public image first. And that reminds me. We should set up a few social media pages for you to communicate with your fanbase. But for the moment, the Twitter account should be enough."

"Oh," Zachary said, smiling wryly.

"You seem against the idea!" Emily probed, raising a brow.

"A little bit," Zachary said. "I'm a footballer, not a poet or a politician. What will I post? Match videos of myself from my performances! That seems cheesy and wrong in some way."

Emily chuckled at that. "Don't worry," she said. "You don't have to post about yourself or your personal life. You can post anything that makes you comfortable and doesn't take much of your time, even if it's the Tippeligaen table standings or the Rosenborg fixtures. That'll help you maintain a close relationship with your fans. And a close relationship with your fans translates into more money from endorsements."

"Okay," Zachary concurred, nodding.

"Do you know how to open up a Twitter account, by the way?" Emily queried, raising a brow. "Or do you need some help from me?"

"Are you joking?" Zachary said, his eyes going round. "It's a social media account, not space science!"

"Okay, okay," Emily said, raising her arm in a pacifying gesture. "I meant no offense but was only trying to be a good agent. I should be able to help my client with anything he doesn't understand. That's especially so if that client of mine may not have an active email address at the moment." She added jokingly.

"I do have an email," Zachary said, shaking his head. "I opened one when I was applying for my Schengen residence permit."

"Oh," Emily said, her face blossoming into a sunny smile. "Then I'll have to find time to thank the Norwegian immigration authorities for doing my client a favor."

Zachary shook his head and countered with another retort in a joking manner. The two of them continued making small talk for a few more minutes until Ryan Bellmore returned from making the call.

"Well, how did it go?" Emily inquired after Ryan had settled into the seat beside her once again.

"Things took a turn that I didn't expect," Ryan replied, beaming at both Emily and Zachary in turn. "You'll never guess what happened."

"Tell us," Emily said, her voice laced with impatience. "You know I hate suspense the most."

Ryan smiled at her once again. "I have talked to one of my acquaintances at the Møller Bil," he began. "I was only asking her to help me get a vehicle for a client of mine at our agreed-upon price range. She then asked for the details of the person who needed the vehicle. When I mentioned that it was a Rosenborg player, and that player was Zachary Bemba, I would never have guessed how things escalated in an instant." He grinned, pausing, maybe to build the suspense.

"Do you wish for me to pull those ears of yours?" Emily said, frowning.

"Okay, okay," Ryan intoned, his arms rising in a placating gesture. "When my acquaintance heard that it was Zachary Bemba, the Rosenborg number-33, who needed the vehicle, she called the manager of the dealership. I guess the manager of the dealership quickly called the marketing person of Audi here in Trondheim. In only a couple of minutes, the dealership connected me to that marketing person..." He was intoning words at a pace rivaling that of Eminem, the hip-hop star, as he described his phone call.

"Can you get to the point?" Emily interrupted, breaking his verbal flow.

Ryan smiled sheepishly before continuing. "I talked to the marketing person of Audi here in Trondheim for quite a while. She says that their automobile company would like to work with Zachary to promote their brand in Norway. She asked me to request you for a meeting, and she promised that if you agree, then there's no need to bother paying for the vehicle."

"That's quite a surprise," Emily said, giving Ryan an arch look. "And I'm guessing they promised you something in return. That is if you can get Zachary to sit down with them. Isn't that right?"

"I didn't initiate anything," Ryan said, smiling wryly. "I only called asking for a vehicle in the price range of 200K to 300K NOK. The whole endorsement business came from their side."

"Don't worry," Emily said. "I understand. So, did they hint about the kind of offer they're willing to give to Zachary?"

"Nope," Ryan replied, shaking his head. "They only requested me to organize a meeting with Zachary's party. They didn't give me any details. Guys! What do you think? Are you going to consider, or should I continue looking for a vehicle in our price range?"  He queried, turning his head from side to side to glance at both Emily and Zachary a couple of times.

"Zachary," Emily said after a moment. "What do you think?"

"I've got no problem with seating on the table with them," Zachary said, holding Emily's gaze. "From my understanding, Audi is one of the most popular brands here in Norway. So, there should be no harm in looking at their offer. Right?"

"Exactly, my thoughts," Emily responded, a soft smile outlining her face. "Let's meet them briefly and see what they have to say. Leave the negotiations to me."

"That's great, you guys," Ryan said, putting an arm around Emily's shoulder. "I think this is a good one. You guys will like it." He grinned from ear to ear, his blue eyes seemingly twinkling with excitement.

"Why do you appear more excited than the person receiving the endorsement offer?" Emily inquired, removing the arm from around her shoulders.

"It's a good feeling to initiate a deal," Ryan said, still beaming. "There's nothing much to it. Should we get moving? My car is—parked near Trondheim Torg if we need to use it. I can call the Audi people when we're on our way."

"Okay," Zachary said, downing the remainder of his cherry juice. "Let's get moving and see what these Audi people have to say."