THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

After leaving the cafe, Zachary and co quickly pushed through the morning human traffic of Trondheim Square with all the haste they could muster. There were no available parking spaces for private cars near the Square. So, they trekked through the streets for about five minutes to get to the Trondheim Torg parking lot, where Ryan Bellmore had left his vehicle.

"Good car," Zachary said as soon as he'd set eyes on Ryan Bellmore's vehicle. He was surprised to find out it was a Mercedes Benz G-Class cross-country model, one of the most luxurious brands in the Norwegian automobile market. It was a beast of a black machine that stood out even in a place like Trondheim Torg, where many of the city's well-to-do characters often parked their vehicles.

"Thank you for your compliment," Ryan replied, grinning from ear to ear. "It cost me quite a large fraction of my annual income last year?"

"How much?" Zachary probed, slowly starting to move around the Benz to examine it.

"350K Norwegian Kroner," Ryan replied, matching Zachary's step. "But I was lucky to get it in second hand. While still new, it may even go for more than twice the price here in Norway."

"Oh, I guess that's cheap for a Benz considering the prices of luxurious items here in Norway," Zachary said after making a round around the vehicle. "Don't tell me you use this for racing coz that would be truly weird."

"Of course not," Ryan was quick to reply. "I have another machine that I use for races. It's a Ford Mustang sports car, to be more specific." He paused for a bit, moving closer to Zachary.

"If you wish," he continued, his voice lowering. "I could invite you to my next race at the end of June. You'd get a chance to see me racing in my powerful machine and also meet several socialites from the whole of Scandinavia. You'll surely like it. Whether it's hot girls, filthy-rich potential investors, plus good food and drinks—they can be all be chanced upon at these races. So, do you wish to go?"

"Guys," Emily yelled from the other side of the vehicle, interrupting them before Zachary could give a reply. "Let's get moving. Zachary has to return and rest. Remember he played a match last night."

"Aye, boss," Ryan yelled back before turning back to Zachary. "Think about it," he whispered before pulling the car door open and getting into the driver's seat.

Zachary, too, made himself comfortable in the back seat beside Emily. And off they went to the M?ller Bil car dealership to meet the Audi marketing personnel. Traffic wasn't busy that morning, and they managed to arrive at the dealership in only twenty minutes.

"This is the place," Ryan announced as they pulled into one of the few empty spots in the M?ller Bil parking space with a "Reserved for Customers" sign. As soon as they alighted from the vehicle, they found an elegant slim blonde lady in a suit waiting for them, only a few paces away.

"Welcome to M?ller Bil," she said, extending a hand to Zachary for a greeting. "I'm Annah, and also Ryan's friend here at the dealership. We're glad to have you here." She added, smiling.

"Thank you," Zachary replied, taking her hand. "I'm Zachary Bemba. Thank you for having us." He smiled back at her.

"The pleasure is all ours," she said and then went on to greet Emily before mouthing a few words to Ryan. Her way of handling people showed she was a professional who'd long perfected the art of dealing with customers.

"The Audi person should be waiting for you in one of the conference rooms," Annah said after they'd finished exchanging greetings. "If you're ready, I can take you there right now."

"She's already here?" Ryan asked, seemingly surprised. "It has only been around 20 minutes ever since I called."

"She got here ten minutes ago," Annah replied, smiling. "She seems very eager to meet Zachary. Should we go inside now? Or would you like to first take a tour around the showroom before the meeting?" She probed again, her tone formal and professional.

"Let's head inside first," Emily replied after stealing a glance at Zachary. "We shall decide what to do from there."

"Okay, follow me," Annah said before turning to lead the way into the dealership. Ryan immediately matched her step and started conversing with her. On the other hand, Emily didn't follow them but tapped Zachary's arm before pulling him back for a small chat.

"When we get inside," she said, her tone solemn. "Leave all the negotiations to me. We're just going in to assess their offer. So, don't get enticed into any deal before we properly review it. Okay?" She queried, inclining her head slightly to hold Zachary's gaze.

"Sure, I got it," Zachary replied. "Don't worry. I'll do as you say."

Emily's face blossomed into a beautiful smile. "That puts my heart at ease. Then let's go inside." She said and trailed after Ryan and Annah.

When Zachary walked through the entrance into the dealership, he was—blinded by the diverse amount of glittering sleek machines aligned there. Parked across the showroom in neat lines were various models of Audi and Volkswagen car brands. Be it SUVs, convertibles, or Sportbacks—they were all there, waiting for eager filthy-rich customers to snatch them up.

"Can I first take a look around?" He asked Annah after taking in the sights around him. "That's if we still have time before the meeting."

"Go ahead," Annah said, smiling. "The Audi marketing manager instructed me to follow your wishes. And I'm sure that she's still discussing a few things with the manager. So, don't worry. Take your time. Would you like me to give you a tour?"

"Nope, but thanks," Zachary said, beaming back at her. "I'll move around alone and won't take long. I'll probably have completed the tour in a minute or two." He added before breaking away from the group.

He started making his way slowly around the showroom, passing by a few other customers while marveling at each of the machines with a glitter in his eyes from time to time. Since it was his first time in a dealership, he felt a bit overwhelmed but, at the same time, also excited.

He'd been a broke fellow in his previous life and couldn't have afforded even the cheapest of new cars. On many occasions, he'd often failed to raise enough money to meet his basic needs. But after playing a few matches for Rosenborg in his new life, he could manage to buy a new car that he'd only dreamed about in his previous life. He couldn't help but sigh, feeling that everything before him was so surreal.

He quickly wrapped up the tour and was about to return to his group. But, he turned around and retraced his steps after noticing that he'd missed a fine sporty machine parked on the far side of the showroom.

At first glance, it looked like any other two-door vehicle that was a common sight in Trondheim. But on taking a second glance, he felt like there was something more to it. So, he hurriedly pushed past a few other people in the showroom and approached the black vehicle while slowly admiring its bodywork, rims, and sleek curves. When he was before it and traced a hand over its smooth bonnet, cold to the touch, he instantly liked it and desired to have it.

"Do you like what you see?" A feminine voice sounded from behind him while he was still admiring the machine.

Zachary turned around, and the word "wow" was all that repeatedly kept playing through his mind. He felt a slow tingle run down his spine, his heart starting to race as his eyes refocused.

A woman, no a lady, breathtaking and hot as chili pepper, was standing behind him. Her hair was a rich shade of brown, tumbling over her shoulders in waves as if to adorn her glowing porcelain-like skin. In her formal lady's dress suit, she was picture perfect, the epitome of perfection with all the curves in the right places.

For a slight moment, Zachary couldn't take his eyes off her as he felt an intense urge to catch her attention. For a second or two, he lost himself, studying those bright emerald-green eyes of hers that seemed to brighten the world.

But a moment later, he became conscious of the fact that he was staring a bit too much. His eyes darted from the stunning lady's face, down her legs, and finally to another nearby vehicle on sale as he tried to find something else to distract him.

"Do you like the machine?" The woman probed once again, the corners of her full lips lifting into a charming smile. She seemed to have not noticed Zachary's staring, or if she did, she just ignored it.

"Yes, of course," Zachary replied, going into poker face mode. "It is good on the eyes, and I have a feeling that it's a powerful machine."

"Yes, it's," the lady said, still smiling softly. "This is an Audi TT model, one of our latest from just last year. As you can see, it's a two-seater convertible, easy on the hands due to its highly advanced automated manual transmission system." She intoned English words with an exotic accent that Zachary couldn't place. But, to some extent, it somehow resembled that of the female actors in those old Russian movies.

"Its transmission shifts seamlessly and quickly, and you'll never feel any turbo lag while on the steering," the lady continued. "It has a powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces enough power for almost any situation. Overall, the car is very responsive, with a strong throttle response and a near-instant torque delivered from that engine. It's the right car for any man with style."

"Oh!" was all that Zachary could manage as he was at a loss for words after hearing several new terms within a span of a few seconds.

"Would you like to take it for a test drive," the woman queried, taking a step towards the vehicle and tracing a manicured hand over its bonnet. Her every motion was sensual but also elegant. "I can explain more about the car's excellent performance during the test drive."

"Oh, not at the moment," Zachary replied, still in poker face mode. "I have a meeting with someone here right now. Maybe some other time."

"Okay, maybe some other time," the woman said, her face blossoming into a radiant smile. "I'm Camilla, by the way. Camilla Schneider. It's nice to meet you." She added, extending her hand.

"Zachary Bemba," Zachary replied, finally smiling. "The pleasure is all mine. So, do you work here?" He queried.

"Sort of," Camilla replied. "Here is my business card with my phone number. If you wish for a test drive later or in the future, do not hesitate to look for me. I'll be glad to help as I'm a huge fan of Rosenborg." She said, handing out a business card to Zachary.

"Okay, I'll do that," Zachary said, receiving the business card. "Thank you for taking the time to explain to me the information about the car," he added.

"That's a no biggie," Camilla said, waving an arm in a dismissive gesture. "It's my job to help our customers. You should probably get going for that meeting of yours. I wish you good luck." She added and started moving away immediately, maybe to handle some other customers.

Zachary first glanced over his shoulder, his eyes fascinated by the slow sway of the lady's hips as she walked away. "Now that was quite strange," he mumbled before focusing on the business card within his hand once more. Inscribed on it was Camilla's name, phone number, address, and the words "Audi and M?ller Bil Marketing Team, Norway" in plain font.

"What's weird?" Another voice interrupted him.

"Just talking to myself," Zachary replied, hurriedly shoving the business card into the pocket of his jacket. He then turned around to face the approaching Emily. "You're also taking a tour around the showroom?" He queried, wishing to divert the topic.

"Nope," Emily replied. "I just came looking for you. Have you finished your tour? Should we go and meet the Audi people?"

"Okay, let's go," Zachary replied, smiling at her.

**** ****