The Greatest of All Time

Chapter 59 - A Meeting With An Agent

Zachary took a sip of the coffee. A fleeting expression of satisfaction showed on his face—and soon, he was smiling broadly. He glanced down at the thick ceramic mug, slightly warm to touch. It had preserved the heat, making the drink perfect in the cold weather.

"So, can you tell me why you wanted to talk to me?" Zachary inquired, locking gazes with Emily Anderson. They sat in a cozy coffee shop, about a kilometer and a half away from the Olimpic Sports Center. The rich deep brown cafe tables and the dark aroma of the served-coffee created a relaxing atmosphere.

Emily Anderson smiled softly. "Didn't I just say that I'm your biggest fan," she said, pouting a bit. She seeped on her coffee before adding: "Honestly, I need your autograph. Let me get a sharpie for you."

Zachary creased his brow as she fished around in her handbag for a few seconds before handing him a permanent marker. "Will you give me an autograph?" She drawled, looking at him pleadingly with her deep, intelligent eyes.

"Is this one of those pranks I always see on reality television shows?" He inquired but took the marker from her outstretched hand. "Where do I sign?" He looked at her skeptically, watching for any signs of whether she was playing a joke on him.

But the next actions of the lady surprised him. She took off her white cashmere scarf and handed it to him. "Make the autograph as large as possible," she said, smiling, her expression emphasizing her beauty. "I would like to hang it on one of my walls when I go back home."

Zachary nodded. He had nothing to lose by signing on the scarf. Moreover, Zachary did not use his legal signature for the autograph. He simply wrote out his two names on it and handed it back to her.

"Thank you," Emily said, admiring the overly-large letters on the scarf. She looked like a famous art critic admiring the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. The emotion in her eyes was fathoms deep—yet they carried the warmth and life of the sunlit surface.

Zachary looked at the lady, wide-eyed and mouth slightly agape, as she folded the scarf carefully, like a piece of art, and shoved it into her handbag. Her actions were getting more bizarre by the second. She had only seen him play in a single match—against Riga. His performance couldn't have been enough to convince her he would become a star in the future. Yet, there she was—asking for his autograph and behaving like an infatuated fan girl.

"Don't look at me like that," Emily intoned as if she could see right into his mind. "I'm sure this cloth will be quite expensive a few years from now." She added, her voice calm and confident.

Zachary smiled. He admitted to himself that giving out an autograph had pleased him to some extent.

He shook his head, taking his focus off the lady. For a few moments, he just wrapped his hands around the ceramic coffee mug before him, letting the warmth flow to his fingers, banishing the wintry chill. He then took several bites off a Crumble Cake and seeped on the coffee. The combination was delicious, especially after all the energy he'd expended during the match with Riga.

"So, Zachary," the lady began. "Do you have an agent?"

"Not at the moment," Zachary replied honestly.

Emily flashed him a smile. "I work for CAA Base Limited—a reputable agency for professional footballers dedicated to shaping the ongoing development and management of their careers. At the agency, we work in teams to support our clients on and off the pitch." She paused, locking gazes with Zachary. "I'm here to recruit you as a client." Her tone was formal.

"Oh," Zachary said, nodding. He'd guessed as much. "Where is your agency based?" He inquired.

The lady had been straightforward with him. He decided to do the same since he knew little about the sports agencies in the world. He needed more information about the organization that wanted to represent him.