The Greatest of all Time

Wednesday, May 8, 2013.

****  ****

Zachary glanced at his watch and realized that it was already 8:30 AM. So, he made quick work of his breakfast, brushed his teeth, and then hastily exited his apartment. The previous night, Emily, his agent, had informed him over the phone that two companies were interested in entering endorsement contracts with him. So, he was on his way to meet her and discuss the way forward.

However, he'd just realized that he was almost running late since he'd first gone through a stretching routine before leaving his apartment.

Although he was excited by the prospect of winning an endorsement deal, his football career still took priority. He needed to keep his muscles warm and ready for the game later that evening. Thus, he couldn't break his pre-match conditioning routine because of an appointment. That was the reason he'd only managed to depart from his apartment when thirty minutes were remaining to the scheduled time of the meeting.

Zachary descended the stairs of his apartment like the wind—and was out into the city's fresh air in a matter of seconds. He noticed that the just-risen sun, shining softly on the streets, had already brought with it a flurry of early-morning activity to Trondheim City. Traffic was busy that morning as if the roads were a playset that came with many automobiles and pedestrians.

Zachary didn't continue to the bus stop, as usual, that day. Instead, he stopped by the roadside, waiting for his taxi to arrive.

He'd already called a taxi service just before leaving his apartment. He couldn't use the bus since he was already running late.

Zachary didn't have to wait long as taxi companies in Norway were very efficient. Two minutes later, a black Audi pulled up beside him. Without any delay, he paid the fee and boarded—and a while later, he was already on his way to Trondheim Square to meet up with Emily.

The taxi driver used several shortcuts, evading the streets with bustling traffic that morning. Thanks to that, Zachary managed to reach his destination in only twenty-five minutes. He strengthened his resolve of buying a car as soon as possible after experiencing the convenience of a private vehicle in Trondheim. He had long started feeling like using the bus was troublesome due to his busy schedule.

When out of the taxi, Zachary hurried on, pushing past the other pedestrians on the streets as he headed to the coffee cafe, where he was supposed to meet Emily. After rounding a few corners, he ascended some stairs and reached his destination on the second floor of a mall near Trondheim Square.

"You're late" was the first sentence that came out of Emily's mouth as Zachary settled into a seat opposite her.

"But, only for ten minutes," Zachary replied, smiling sheepishly. "I forgot about the passage of time when I was going through my stretching routine. It usually happens to me when I'm so focused on exercise. Sorry about that."

"No worries," Emily replied, her expression softening a little. "But it wouldn't look good if we were meeting a company representative and you arrived late. Do take note of that in the future." Her intelligent blue eyes searched Zachary's face, waiting for a response.

"I'll do that," Zachary replied solemnly, leaning back into his seat. He felt his emotions calm down as the ambiance of the cafe and its homey aroma drew his soul into its cocoon for a few blessed moments. So, he smiled at Emily and said: "Good morning! How was your journey, by the way?"

"I'm good, and the journey was as fine as it could be," Emily said in a flat voice.

"About the endorsement offers: you said that two companies wish to enter endorsement deals with me!" He said, getting straight to the point of the meeting. He wished to be done with the endorsement deal business quickly—so that he could head to Lerkendal to continue his pre-match conditioning.

"Yes, that's right," Emily replied, sipping on her coffee. "But first, would you like to order anything. I'll be buying today."

"Just orange juice will do," Zachary replied, grinning. "I have already eaten a heavy breakfast back at home. I don't want to underperform today evening because I couldn't regulate my food consumption. Imagine missing a match due to heartburn or a bloated stomach. That would be embarrassing."

Emily chuckled at that. "Okay, then," she said, beaming. "Let's get you some orange juice then." She then called over a waitress and made the order before focusing on Zachary once again.

"We have two offers," she began, her voice taking on a formal tone. "It seems like your performance last weekend caused quite a sensation in Norway. I'm guessing that you should have managed to raise your fan base, especially here in Trondheim. That is the reason some companies here are intent on getting your signature and betting on your future. But don't expect much since you have just started playing."

Zachary nodded, indicating that he'd gotten the point as he waited for his agent to continue.

"One of the offers is from Red Bull, the company with the highest market share of any energy drink in the world today," Emily continued. "They're offering 300,000 NOK per year, for five years, to get your signature as one of the athletes on their endorsement marketing roster for Norway. The money seems small, but they promised that they would improve the terms if you continue performing well in the Tippeligaen."

"Three hundred thousand," Zachary mumbled, frowning on hearing Red Bull's offer. "That's 25,000 per month. Isn't that offer a little too insincere?"

He knew well that some of the biggest sporting stars earned the majority of their money without having to kick, bounce or throw a ball at all. That all came down to one magical word. Endorsements. Athletes could even receive tens of millions of dollars per year from endorsement contracts alone. Even the not-so-popular athletes had deals worth tens of thousands of dollars from the popular brands in their respective countries. Yet, Red Bull, the world's largest energy drink supplier, had made him an offer in Kroners, not even dollars or Euros. Zachary knew that they were not very sincere with regards to getting his signature.

"Yes, the annual pay they're offering is quite low," Emily replied, nodding. "But there are good points to the deal they are offering. For instance, if you could become the top scorer in the Tippeligaen within the years under contract, the money you receive will multiply six times. By any chance, if you could manage to become the best player in the Tippeligaen, then the money will multiply by twelve times. There are even more provisions for further achievements. But, I don't think they are important at the moment."

"So, it's a good deal, then?" Zachary queried, inclining his head to lock eyes with Emily.

"According to me, it's a good deal in the long run. What Red Bull is after is to bet on your potential to become popular—and then ride that wave to increase their energy drink sales here in Norway. If you work well with them, they could turn out to be long-term partners."

"Do you wish to read through their offer now?" Emily inquired after seeing Zachary's hesitation.

"Not now," Zachary said, shaking his head. "I don't want to add too much into my head when I have to play a game later in the evening. What about the other offer?"

"Oh," Emily said, sighing. "The other offer is kind of weird. It is from a betting company called BetNet International. They serve most of Europe—including England, Italy, Cyprus—and are now expanding into Scandinavia." She paused for a few moments as the waitress had finally brought Zachary's juice.

Zachary mouthed a thank you to the waitress as he picked up his juice. He then sipped on it as he waited eagerly for his agent to continue.

"They are offering 6 million Kroner per year as the start-up salary for you to become their ambassador," she said after the waitress was out of earshot. "I don't know the reason, but my lawyer instincts are warning me not to consider the offer."

"Oh," Zachary said, raising a brow. "Why is that so? They seem to be more sincere than the Red Bull people."