THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Zachary kept stealing glances at Camilla as he was arranging the shopping bags in the boot of his R8 GT. He was used to always being the sponsor in all the relationships of his past life. It had, thus, come as a shock to him that Camilla was willing to spend over 120,000 NOK on him. She sure was strange.

'Do I really look shabby in my tracksuits?' He wondered whether that was what had compelled her to purchase the clothes for him. He stole a few more glances at Camilla as he continued placing the bags in the boot.

"Is there something on my face?" Camilla asked after noticing his weird behavior.

"I'm just admiring your beauty," Zachary said, sighing and closing the boot. He'd finally finished arranging all the shopping bags in the vehicle. "Am I not allowed to do that?"

Camilla chuckled, stepping towards him. "Let's go for dinner," she said, giving him a peck on the cheek. "After that, you can admire me all you want." She said in a sensual voice that tickled at Zachary's senses before stepping back.

Zachary could only let loose a deep sigh as he admired her from his vantage point at arm's reach. The corners of her full lips had just curled up into a megawatt, no a gigawatt of a smile that accentuated her beauty under the rays of the setting sun. In her flowing cashmere summer dress, which matched the green in her eyes, she looked otherworldly. Zachary was starting to believe she was the most astonishing girl he had ever met in both his lives.

"Let's head to dinner," he said after a short while, letting out a breath. He then opened the passenger door of the R8 GT for her. He'd decided to put all the etiquette he'd learned watching James Bond movies into practice.

Camilla chuckled, beaming. "Thank you," she said as she stepped into the vehicle with grace.

But just then, Zachary's sharp ears seemed to pick up the snapping sound of a camera shutter. He quickly looked around, frowning. But he didn't see anyone with a camera nearby. All the people in the City Syd parking lot were busy doing their own things. They weren't giving him any second glances since a good fraction of his face was covered by the visor of his cap. He concluded that his ears had heard wrong, and he was worrying over nothing.

"Is anything the matter?" Camilla asked from the front seat of the R8 GT.

"It's probably nothing," Zachary replied, taking one final glance around. "Let's go have dinner." He got into the driver's seat and steered the vehicle out of the parking lot.

**** ****

An hour later, the two of them were already seated in the cozy restaurant of the Scandic Nidelven Hotel, enjoying a sumptuous French dinner.

Camilla was having a wonderful time listening to Zachary's narration of Rosenborg's match in Belfast — while occasionally admiring the reflection of the moon on the waters of the Nidelven River through the window. The food was delicious, the ambiance of the place exquisite, and the company the best she'd had in a long time. It was a perfect evening, and she hoped it could end even better.

"So, I've always wanted to ask but never gotten the perfect opportunity," she heard Zachary say, his voice wavering.

"Go on and ask," Camilla said, flashing him an encouraging smile.

"Where exactly are you from?" He asked, looking up at her face. "Is it Russia?"

"Oh my, God, no," Camilla replied, suppressing a chuckle. She was glad Zachary had finally started asking her some more personal questions. "What gave you the impression that I'm from Russia?"

"Your accent. It's unique."

"I get that often," Camilla said, sighing. "But I'm not Russian. My mother tongue is not even Russian but the Czech language. It's quite different from Russian."

"Oh," Zachary said after sipping on his juice. "So, you're from the Czech Republic then?"

"Yes and no," she replied, glancing at him from across the table. "My mom is from Prague. So, I spent my early years there with her. That's the reason for my accent. But I later moved to Germany to live with my dad during my teenage years. So, I'm both a citizen of Germany and the Czech Republic."

"Oh," Zachary said, smiling. "I really believed you were Russian. But then, that still leaves the mystery; how come you're working here in Norway now?"

"That's because Audi posted me here in Norway," she replied matter-of-factly. "I've actually been in Trondheim for only about a year and a half. Is there anything else that you would like to know about me? Just go ahead and ask." She gave him an encouraging smile.

Zachary then went ahead and asked her about her career. She replied honestly, telling him she had previously worked as a model while still in school, long before joining the marketing team of Audi. She explained why she'd abandoned her modeling career, citing the pressure from her family.

The minutes passed by quickly since she was doing the narrating, and soon it was time to head home. Zachary, of course, covered the bill, and a few minutes later, they were well on their way to Camilla's apartment in Lade.

"Thanks for the wonderful time, Zachary," she said after he'd pulled up in the parking space in front of her apartment building. "I really enjoyed the evening."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Zachary replied, smiling at her.

"Do you want to come up and have a coffee?" She said, inclining her head and looking into his eyes. "It's not yet even eight in the night. So, we still have a lot of time on our hands."

"Oh, okay," he said, nodding solemnly and stepping out of the car. "Let's go up and have that coffee."

"Great."

But they ended up having a different version of coffee.

As soon as they'd stepped through the entrance of her apartment, Zachary grabbed her and started kissing her. The next instant, they were falling all over each other, knocking over the furniture in her living room. A few minutes later, Camilla found herself drowning in an endless, gratifying tunnel of ecstasy. She was without a care for the world as they explored each other's limits until she lay limp in his arms.

**** ****