Page 50 of Mr. Perfect
“Except my father didn’t drink, and my mother was allergic to the flowers.”
“And I returned the Tupperware with crumbs in it.” Cameron shrugged. “I was off to a great start.”
“Mama still teases him about the Tupperware to this day,” Brigitte said.
The Spencers talked for a while about overcoming their differences and learning to compromise.
“Nothing was good enough for Cam,” Brigitte said. “He was too hard on himself and kept pushing and pushing. Selling the most cars wasn’t enough. He wanted to learn other parts about the business. Being promoted to sales manager didn’t satisfy him. He wanted to go into business for himself.”
“My desire to provide the life I thought she deserved meant I was never home to share it with her,” Cameron said.
The more Felix watched them interact, the more he was convinced Spencer’s devotion to his wife, at least then, was genuine. Brigitte was the most important person in his life.
The screen went black when the video ended a few minutes later, and Felix caught his scowling reflection on the computer screen. He hated that he could relate to Cameron’s drive and ambition.
Felix closed the link and pulled up the second interview from a year ago. He’d put off watching it because the interviewer was Jude. Felix wished he could skip it altogether, but the subject matter was one he couldn’t ignore. Felix hit play and was immediately assailed by emotions when Jude’s handsome face appeared on the screen.
“Let’s talk about your Second Chance Program,” Jude said.
When the camera panned to Spencer, Felix realized he’d been holding his breath.
“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid,” Felix mumbled.
He tamped down his attraction to Jude to focus on the conversation.
“The Second Chance Program is geared to help non-violent felons have a second start at life once they’re released from prison. In addition to work opportunities, I make sure they have access to other resources, such as counseling. I can relate to these people more than they realize. I also had two strikes against me at birth, but I got lucky early on and found a mentor. I want to be that rock for others.”
“That’s commendable,” Jude said. “Are there circumstances where people blow their second chances?”
“Of course,” Spencer said. “You and I both know the cards are stacked against some people, and others will choose the path of least resistance, which is the life they know. Some of the enrollees do end up going back to jail, but the Second Chance Program has an eighty-five percent success rate. I’m extremely proud of that.”
“As you should be,” Jude said.
As the interview continued, Felix’s irritation grew. Not once did Jude probe deep enough to find out how the parolees were chosen or what happened to them after they completed the twelve-month program. He just let Spencer spew the facts he wanted to share.
“Fucking lazy reporting,” Felix grimaced.
He shut the laptop and set it aside. He stared out over the wooded expanse of his backyard and let his mind wander. Could there be a link between Mercy and the program? He felt like he was on the verge of connecting some significant dots when the sound of tires crunching on gravel caught his attention. It was too close for it to be someone pulling into his neighbor’s driveway.
Gee, I wonder who it could be?
Felix wasn’t lucky enough for his visitor to be a nice church lady who wanted to convert a sinner like him, nor would it be someone hoping to sell him steaks, a vacuum, or a set of encyclopedias.
Fuck me.
Felix got up and started walking toward the corner of the house when an ungodly shriek erupted from the front of the house.
“Holy fuck!” Jude yelled.
More earsplitting shrieking bounced off the trees.
“Get back,” Jude said. “Don’t you dare bite me. Felix! Get these demonic birds away from me.”
Felix took his sweet time rounding the front corner of the house where his neighbor’s peacocks had Jude pinned up against the garage.
“Isee you’ve met Pete and Pearl,” Felix said casually.
Pete was a teal-colored male with stunningly beautiful plumage, which he showed off when he was horny or pissed. Felix wasn’t sure which emotion Jude stirred within the feathered beast until Pete tried to chomp the man’s crotch. Pearl was a white female who was more mild-mannered than her mate. She bumped Pete out of the way and took aim at Jude’s crotch too while Pete shrieked his outrage. Okay, sometimes she was just as wild as Pete.